Calm down Spartan fans...it's not as bad as you think

by rterpstr December 04, 2008 15:41PM

Tom Izzo and Spartan fans may be disappointed, but the season's not over yet.

It looked good on paper. A match-up against the nation's #1 team. At Ford Field, the location of this year's Final Four. Preview, perhaps? That's what Spartan fans were hoping for.

And then it all went wrong. Horribly, terribly, wrong.

The HD enhanced the blank, deer-in-the-headlights look of Spartan fans. My dad was snoring on the couch. I found myself aimlessly texting my buddies. And then it hit me:

This game was a dog.

Not what Tom Izzo, or MSU faithful had been hoping for. I thought MSU could definitely lose this game, but not by the margin that they did. In the moments following, Spartan fans have crept closer to the ledge, bemoaning their team and the lost prospects for the season.

Easy guys, it's going to be OK.

If there's one thing I really like about MSU, it's the fearlessness of Tom Izzo. The guy would agree to play a team of penguins in Antarctica if he thought it would make his squad better. But at this point of the season, it proved to be just too much for the guys.

It's understandable. The loss of Goran Suton crippled MSU, because it meant they had to go up against a formidable Tar Heel front line without their best low post player. Would G's presence have meant a win? No. But it might have made the difference between a 15 and a 35-point loss.

Tom Izzo is also right when he mentions the schedule. 4 games in 7 days is tough for any team. Then throw in the fact that MSU was coming back from Florida, and the final game of the four was the most important, with the most pressure, against the best team. North Carolina will run you off the floor even if you have a month to prepare for them. But short rest and really only a day of practice to fully concentrate on their squad? You can't like that situation.

Imagine if MSU had won the Old Spice Classic? They would have had to go through Maryland, Gonzaga, and Tennessee, and then take on the Tar Heels three days later! That's too much for any team. And even as it was, I can completely understand why the Spartans had no legs. Not only were they tired, but once Carolina starting knocking down shot after shot, running the break to no end, and the lead starting growing, it was just too much mentally and physically for MSU to handle. And so: Fail.

But there is hope. I know most fans aren't ready to totally give up on MSU, but there are plenty of folks out there who are dejected right now about the Spartan's tournament chances (because, it's not enough to make it to the NCAA's, but you have to be in position to win), because they have yet to prove themselves against top competition this year. And that's where the hope lies, because there are a couple more chances down the pipe for the Spartans to re-assert themselves as a contender come March.

Saturday, December 20th @ Texas (in Houston): The major road test for this Spartans team. Texas is good, not quite as good as in past years I think, but it still will be a great test for MSU in a hostile environment. It won't be easy without Suton, but getting a win here would be key for sure, and boost that RPI.

Saturday, January 10th vs. Kansas: The Jayhawks are looking good, but this Saturday game in the Breslin will pick up the Spartan's spirits after they open up the Big 10 with Minnesota, Northwestern, and Ohio State. This is a major game, will have a massive crowd, and will be a key win confidence-wise for Izzo's crew as they enter the teeth of they conference schedule.

February 10 @ Michigan/February 17 @ Purdue: Two conference games in a row with an improved in-state rival and one of the best teams in the league, both on the road. Important to get a win at Michigan, and then have that carry it over to Purdue.

Those are just four chances for MSU to prove to itself and to the rest of the NCAA that they are a legit contender for both the Big 10, and a berth in the Final Four. Just like folks can't get too excited about Michigan's win over UCLA, they can't get too down over UNC blowing the doors off of the Spartans. College sports is all about context. In some cases, what is asked of these athletes is too much. In other cases, they need to give more. MSU will have a chance to give a better effort down the road, against some quality competition. If they lose those games, then it's time to panic. But knowing Tom Izzo, and seeing the talent that this team possesses, I firmly believe they'll have things under control by the Big 10 tournament.

So breathe easy, Spartan fans, and shake that UNC game off. Great teams will do that to you, even if you do play a good game, and the Spartans certainly didn't do that last night. And just imagine, should MSU pull their crap together, and make a charge to the Final Four, wouldn't a rematch with the Heels be nice? Because by my count, the Spartans now owe them one.