The Greatest Stories of Michigan State Basketball Review

I finally watched the BTN's "Greatest Stories of Michigan State Basketball" yesterday. I thought that it was really good and did an excellent job of summarizing the history of the program. It was both informative and entertaining. Here is a quick list of things that popped in my head when I was watching.

1) Bob Knight helped Izzo - Of all people to give Tom Izzo confidence as he was about to start post-season play, I would never have guessed that it would come from Bobby. Apparently, after the Hoosiers pulled out a close victory over the Spartans at Indiana, he asked to talk to Izzo and told him that he had a team that could win it all.

2) The 2005 team had the biggest weekend in MSU history - Now that they mentioned it, I would have to agree. Not only did they beat Duke and Kentucky, they did it when most people thought they didn't have a chance against either one. It was a sweet redemption for that senior class who up until that point, mainly underachieved.

3) Magic Johnson almost went to Michigan - This was a big surprise to me. It makes total sense, but I just imagined him being a diehard MSU fan his whole life since he was from Lansing. Watching his high school press conference was pretty cool.

4) Greg Kelser loves Greg Kelser - I really like Special K, but when you listen to him on this program, he seems to think that he was the baddest guy around. It was surprising to see him so confident when talking about his career compared to how he conducts himself while broadcasting basketball games. He normally is reserved and talks on an even keel.

5) Where would Tom Izzo be if he didn't land the Flintstones - Undoubtedly, he wouldn't have went to four Final Fours, but would he have went to one? Would he have been able to land all of the subsequent recruits?

That's Ridiculous:
1) My Original Tim Doyle Post Yesterday - Yesterday, I originally posted an opinion on Tim Doyle's pre-game comments regarding Raymar Morgan being "the girl with the curl." In my blog, I told Tim it was a poor attempt at humor and that if he wanted to make fun of Raymar Morgan, there were other ways to do so rather than attacking personal appearances. Well, apparently, I am an idiot and did not understand that this is a reference to a nursery rhyme found here. I wanted to take this time to formally apologize for accusing Tim Doyle of being unprofessional.

Quotes:
"If Raymar Morgan wasn't on the floor, I really believe that Northwestern could have-, should have won the game." - Tim Doyle, Northwestern Alumnus and Big Ten Tonight Analyst.

What a classic statement. If the Bulls didn't have Michael Jordan in the early nineties, the Detroit Pistons would have beat Chicago also. But they did, and Michigan State has Raymar Morgan so let's stay away from hypotheticals.

Mailbag:
Great past couple of games for Kalin Lucas - if he continues to mature, I really feel we are legit Final Four contenders. This is what we have been missing since Mateen left - a reliable point guard who creates opportunities but is not afraid to get to the rack and/or shoot jumpers if we need a bucket. - A-Fed, Saginaw

Indeed, Kalin Lucas is playing extremely well. Maybe he will even win the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week later today. He has had 42 points and 11 assists in his first two conference games. I would argue that we have had one point guard who could dish and score effectively since Mateen left. That guy was Marcus Taylor. But unfortunately, he got some bad advice from his dad and left prematurely. I wonder what he is doing these days. Thanks for the excellent email.

"U r a moron. dont write a basketball blog unless u actually have an understand of the game." - Anonymous Fan

I wanted to publish the first negative comment of my blogging career. I really appreciate this constructive criticism. In response, I would like to tell Mr. Anonymous that if he doesn't like this blog, he can always "turn off his station". Refer to this clip to understand more. Thanks for the email.

If you send it, I will read it.

Tomorrow: The Ohio State Preview. ( I couldn't get to it today)

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