Big Michigan State news

[No coincidences]

Just saw on Twitter that their standout freshman, Branden Dawson, has a torn ACL and is done for the season. If you were watching the game today, MSU led by like 15 when he went down and the Spartans weren't the same after that.

Dawson -- a McDonald's All-American -- plays on the wing, which is this MSU team's biggest weakness. He's an outstanding rebounder. I think this will significantly impact the Spartans' chances in the NCAA Tournament.

[TPowell]

not a good loss for MSU but can't wait to book my winning ticket on MSU making the Final 4. Easiest futures bet on the board more than likely

[No coincidences]

not a good loss for MSU but can't wait to book my winning ticket on MSU making the Final 4. Easiest futures bet on the board more than likely

Not going to happen. Sorry. MSU just doesn't have the dead-eye perimeter shooter/scorer to take over a game and now they don't have the explosive wing, either.

Take a look at Marquette.

[TPowell]

when was the last good team that Tom Izzo had that didn't make the Final 4? The guy falls out of bed into the Final 4 every year practically. They are an elite team and probably the best team in the country IMO. They don't play well in the Big 10 tourny though. Should be great value next week

[No coincidences]

when was the last good team that Tom Izzo had that didn't make the Final 4? The guy falls out of bed into the Final 4 every year practically. They are an elite team and probably the best team in the country IMO. They don't play well in the Big 10 tourny though. Should be great value next week

They'll roll over and die at the BTT like they always do. Izzo hates that tournament and would rather get ready for the real thing than sweat out a bunch of meaningless conference tourney games.

I'm a huge Izzo fan and I respect their program, but I just don't see it this year. I like Payne and Nix underneath, but for all he does well, Green gets too perimeter happy at times (like today). Appling is still somewhat inconsistent. Wood is solid if not spectacular. They're a shooter short, and not having Dawson is huge. Don't kid yourself. Kid was an athletic monster and a beast on the offensive glass.

"Best team in the country"? Get real TP. This is an overachieving group. Izzo has squeezed as much as possible out of them; remember, they were picked to finish like 6th in the Big Ten this season. As for the last good teams Izzo has had that haven't reached a FF, they completely went in the tank last year with three starters back from two straight Final Fours and lost in the first round. Flamed out a few other times as well (George Mason, Nevada if I remember correctly). I think this team is somewhere in between; they'll probably reach the Sweet 16, but it likely ends there.

[TPowell]

I disagree that last year was a good team. They stumbled all year and had internal issues. Payne and Nix are excellent inside as a 5 combo. Green is the best player in America right now. He can do everything and the stats show that. 15+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ assists. Appling is coming around IMO and will be a catalyst in their deep run. Wood is very good, I agree. The Thornton kid is a decent shooter and does so much dirty work for the team. Appling and Wood are the deep ball threats but Thornton is a solid shooter when he decides to shoot it (very rarely) and Green is a 40% shooter from the perimeter on the year.

[No coincidences]

I disagree that last year was a good team. They stumbled all year and had internal issues. Payne and Nix are excellent inside as a 5 combo. Green is the best player in America right now. He can do everything and the stats show that. 15+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ assists. Appling is coming around IMO and will be a catalyst in their deep run. Wood is very good, I agree. The Thornton kid is a decent shooter and does so much dirty work for the team. Appling and Wood are the deep ball threats but Thornton is a solid shooter when he decides to shoot it (very rarely) and Green is a 40% shooter from the perimeter on the year.

I'm just saying last year was a good team on paper, and they fell apart for a lot of reasons.

I think this team has maxed out its potential. Of course MSU will be a dangerous out -- they always are -- but they'd need some incredibly fortunate bounces to get back to the Final Four given their lack of a true scorer/perimeter threat and now Dawson's injury.

[TPowell]

Dawson was very limited offensively from what I've saw of him in high school and at MSU. He was a garbage man at the 3 position basically. Appling is just as good as some of the past MSU guards IMO. The pub always goes to Green for obvious reasons though.

[survive]

it's a big loss. he is our only true wing type player i would say. makes sparty go from a final four type team to elite 8 imo

[Owls]

Meaningless loss. Michigan State is not Murray State. Their backups are better than most teams' starters. Only key players that can't be replaced are Green and Appling. Everyone else on that team can be replaced with near equal talent.

[dartmouthemcee]

WAIT! IS Green injured? Is Wood or Appling out??

NO YOU SAY?

then calm down, this loss means nothing to the spartys

[eastern2]

I disagree that last year was a good team. They stumbled all year and had internal issues. Payne and Nix are excellent inside as a 5 combo. Green is the best player in America right now. He can do everything and the stats show that. 15+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ assists. Appling is coming around IMO and will be a catalyst in their deep run. Wood is very good, I agree. The Thornton kid is a decent shooter and does so much dirty work for the team. Appling and Wood are the deep ball threats but Thornton is a solid shooter when he decides to shoot it (very rarely) and Green is a 40% shooter from the perimeter on the year.

LOL green is not the best player in america, Appling is so inconsistent - ur kidding urself if u don't think this injury to dawson doesn't kill msu - that guy is a freak and a defensive stopper - this is a HUGE loss for them, no final four this year

[iceaxe56]

they play in the big ten--wait until they face other teams

[Owls]

I really hope the betting public overreact to this Dawson injury (which I doubt), it will just create value for MSU, which I thought could never happen.

[BiffTFinancial]

they play in the big ten--wait until they face other teams

how does that logic work in past seasons when applied to Sparty's numerous Final Four runs?

[No coincidences]

Meaningless loss. Michigan State is not Murray State. Their backups are better than most teams' starters. Only key players that can't be replaced are Green and Appling. Everyone else on that team can be replaced with near equal talent.

Umm, no. Replacing a McDonald's All-American like Branden Dawson with Kearney or Gauna is not "equal talent."

[No coincidences]

WAIT! IS Green injured? Is Wood or Appling out??

NO YOU SAY?

then calm down, this loss means nothing to the spartys

Wow.

[No coincidences]

they play in the big ten--wait until they face other teams

Well, given the Big Ten has historically done very well in the tournament (where officials aren't so incompetent and half-court sets rule) and the league is, at least on paper, as strong as it's ever been, this might take the cake in a thread full of ignorant statements.

[BiffTFinancial]

Dawson loss is big for Sparty, which is unfortunate given that they were going to be my dark horse to win the national title. a lot will depend upon the draw, but if UK has to run into UNC or Kansas first (both of which i think have the front court length to challenge UK), i was thinking that MSU could beat almost any other team in the tourney.

[No coincidences]

Dawson loss is big for Sparty, which is unfortunate given that they were going to be my dark horse to win the national title. a lot will depend upon the draw, but if UK has to run into UNC or Kansas first (both of which i think have the front court length to challenge UK), i was thinking that MSU could beat almost any other team in the tourney.

This is going to be an interesting tournament. The typical flameout coaches like Calipari and Boeheim have very talented outfits. Carolina is Carolina; will they play enough defense to win it all. Then you have squads like MSU, which is well coached but lacking a bit in the "blue chip" department this year. A lot of coaching vs. players matchups on the horizon. Won't lack for drama -- I guarantee that.

[BiffTFinancial]

This is going to be an interesting tournament. The typical flameout coaches like Calipari and Boeheim have very talented outfits. Carolina is Carolina; will they play enough defense to win it all. Then you have squads like MSU, which is well coached but lacking a bit in the "blue chip" department this year. A lot of coaching vs. players matchups on the horizon. Won't lack for drama -- I guarantee that.

i'm on the edge of my seat to see where SLU gets placed. i would love for them to play an underachieving, undisciplined super-athletic team that they can just grind on. SLU has sweet sixteen written all over them. Wichita State too.

[No coincidences]

i'm on the edge of my seat to see where SLU gets placed. i would love for them to play an underachieving, undisciplined super-athletic team that they can just grind on. SLU has sweet sixteen written all over them. Wichita State too.

Agree 110%.

[Owls]

This is going to be an interesting tournament. The typical flameout coaches like Calipari and Boeheim have very talented outfits. Carolina is Carolina; will they play enough defense to win it all. Then you have squads like MSU, which is well coached but lacking a bit in the "blue chip" department this year. A lot of coaching vs. players matchups on the horizon. Won't lack for drama -- I guarantee that.

Carolina plays very good defense. It doesn't show on the scoreboard because they play at a lightning pace. They'll give up a lot of points because their games have so many possessions. You see Duke do anything inside against Carolina? They couldn't. But Duke demolished teams like Temple and Maryland inside. Don't confuse a fast tempo team with bad defense.

[BiffTFinancial]

Carolina plays very good defense. It doesn't show on the scoreboard because they play at a lightning pace. They'll give up a lot of points because their games have so many possessions. You see Duke do anything inside against Carolina? They couldn't. But Duke demolished teams like Temple and Maryland inside. Don't confuse a fast tempo team with bad defense.

i generally agree with you. when UNC is focused on defense, they are outstanding. that said, i've seen a number of their games this season in which UNC would play good defense for most of a possession then inexplicably allow teams to get good looks late in the shot clock. when they were fully engaged defensively (e.g., at Duke Saturday), this did not happen. i'm guessing that this will be less on an issue in the NCAA tourney because i think that Roy Williams will have them fully engaged on defense.