The Bowl Season isn’t complete…and the Basketball season is young…but the Basketball season is far enough along that we can see a bit of separation amongst the top Big Ten teams...and that brings me to the Spartans!
Purdue and Michigan both lost last night and the Big Ten standings look a lot different than predicted by the so called experts at the beginning of the season. This just in…the Spartans (dismissed by pundits prior to the season as a lower tier Big Ten team)…are 14-2 overall…3-0 Big Ten (first place)…and # 10 in the AP poll. I guess the pundits didn’t look at the Spartan roster prior to submitting their pre season predictions such as…returning players…incoming 5-Star recruits…Senior transfers…or the Head Coach who has achieved unprecedented success in East Lansing for the past 16 years…otherwise the ‘so called’ experts may have come to a different conclusion.
According to the record books, the Spartans have compiled 14 consecutive wins…the most consecutive wins by a Spartan team since a 22 game winning streak in 1998-99…(that’s the year before the Spartans won their last National Championship) and the Spartans seem to be jelling and getting stronger with each succeeding game. I’m not suggesting (or, maybe I am) the Spartans will become the next National Champions…but don’t take them off your list!
Of course, the Spartans lost two consecutive games to commence the season. The Spartans opened the season November 11 (which seems like 100 years ago) and lost to (then) #1 North Carolina 67-55 in the Aircraft Carrier game. Then, lost on Nov 15 to Duke, 74-69. And if you’re keeping track, as of Jan 6, Duke is 12-2 and ranked #5…and North Carolina is 13-2 and ranked #3 but, ask North Carolina or Duke if they would like to play the Spartans today?
But, before either NC or Duke answer that question…let’s look closer to home.
It’s worth remembering, Ohio State was ‘odds on’ favorites to ‘run away’ with the Big Ten (according to the so called experts) but…not so fast my friends. Ohio State is 14-2 and 2-1 Big Ten. Good but not great! The Buckeyes lost to Kansas 78-67 (no shame) on Dec 10…but then lost 74-70 at Indiana on Dec 31. Maybe the Buckeyes were focused on New Year’s Eve and forgot to prepare for the Hoosiers nevertheless the Buckeyes lost by 4 points to Indiana. Keep in mind, the Spartans beat Indiana 80-65…a 15 point margin.
Well, how about Wisconsin? The Badgers were supposed to chase the Buckeyes for the Big Ten Championship. The (now) # 18 ranked Badgers are 12-4 and most recently lost ‘back to back’ home games to Iowa 72-65…as well as the Spartans 63-60. Moreover, the Badgers lost on November 30 to North Carolina 60-57 (no shame) and then lost to Marquette 61-54 on Dec 3 (again, no shame) but 4 losses overall and two Big Ten losses at home is not a good trend. With 2 Big Ten losses only 3 games into their Big Ten season, suggest to me, the Badgers are not likely to compete for the Big Ten title. Speed is not their best friend. Nevertheless, Wisconsin visits Ann Arbor on Sunday…we’ll see what happens!
How about Michigan? Michigan…12-3 overall…2-1 Big Ten, has wins over Penn State (1-2 Big Ten) and Minnesota (0-3 Big Ten)…but lost to Indiana last night 73-71. The Hoosiers lead by as much as 15 points in the first half…and lead 65-55 with 7 minutes remaining but Michigan clawed back to give it a run. Michigan is methodically getting a better under Beilein but their propensity to ‘jack up’ trey’s in lieu of working inside…will continue to be shortcomings against teams who are fast enough defensively…and aggressive enough to shut down the Three.
Indiana, on the other hand, is separating themselves and becoming a Big Ten power once again. The Hoosiers lead by Tom Crean are 14-1 overall…2-1 Big Ten, including wins over (then) #1 Kentucky and (then) #3 Ohio State but suffered a loss to the Spartans 80-65. Nevertheless, Tom Crean (a member of the Tom Izzo coaching tree) is building an impressive product in Bloomington!
So, what does all this mean for the Spartans? After the Spartans beat Indiana…I suggested this would be a remarkable season for the Spartans. The win at Wisconsin has only confirmed my belief that the Spartans are poised to have a remarkable season and if you’re seeking a reason why the Spartans are winning these tough games…then look no further than Rebound Margin.
The Spartans rank #6 Nationally in Rebound Margin and #1 in Big Ten. Here is a look at the top Big Ten teams:
· # 6 MSU = 10.5
· #18 OSU = 7.7
· #40 Penn State = 5.9
· #54 Wis = 5.1
· Tie #106 MIch = 3.2
· Tie #106 Ind = 3.2
· # 137 Iowa = 2.2
· #152 Purdue = 1.5
Needless to say, the Spartans are doing all the other things to win games: distributing the ball; balanced scoring; good at the stripe…but it’s their relentless Defense and ‘pounding’ on the ‘boards’ that are wearing down opponents and tipping the balance in favor of the Spartans. Chemistry! Did I mention chemistry? The chemistry of this Spartan team is unique and they are demonstrating a cooperative ‘Will’ to win. Easy to talk about but difficult to implement!
I didn’t say the Spartans will win the National Championship…but you might want to book your tickets for the Final Four…Go Spartans!!!
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