My Final Four & National Champion Picks

Well, needless to say my picks haven’t been great as of late. Iowa lost its first game of the Big Ten Tournament to Northwestern and my guess is my Final Four picks will probably be done by this weekend. Regardless, here are my picks

South Region: I like Florida. I don’t really like Florida, but I feel like the region isn’t too difficult for the Gators. Pittsburgh has been up and down all season and UCLA won’t be able to match Florida’s defensive effort should the two meet. Kansas has the ability to reach the Final Four, but not without Joel Embiid. Syracuse has been too inconsistent on offense and that combined with Florida’s defense makes me think the Gators win an Elite Eight matchup with the Orange.

West Region: Similar to Florida, I am going with Arizona. The Wildcats don’t have too many challenges outside of Oklahoma State possibly waiting in the round of 32. If Marcus Smart gets hot, the Cowboys could make a genuine run to the Final Four. A lot of people like Wisconsin, and I see the Badgers getting to the Elite Eight, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Wisconsin lose this week either. They always seem to disappoint when expectations are high on them.

East Region: Add me to the list of people jumping on Michigan State. The team I saw in the Big Ten Tournament was the team I had been waiting to see all season and the team that we expected to see when they were a preseason favorite to win it all. Branden Dawson returning and playing at a high level has really taken the Spartans to another gear. They have as much talent as anyone and seem motivated. I think this group knows, and I also think Tom Izzo knows, this may be their best chance at a title in some time. The one team I think could derail MSU in the East is Iowa State. The Cyclones have a lot of talent and are also hot right now. I could easily see a 2000 Elite Eight rematch of MSU vs. ISU.

MidWest Region: Michigan got a tough break. This region is loaded. Before the selections I said I would want to avoid Michigan State and Louisville. The Wolverines could avoid the Cardinals until the Elite Eight, but I also don’t like Michigan’s chances against Duke. Jabari Parker will be a tough matchup for Michigan. The Wolverines can beat anyone because of their shooting, but if that goes cold, they can’t really rely on their defense to carry them through. My pick is for Louisville to beat Duke in the Elite Eight and move on to the Final Four.

National Champion: I see Michigan State getting by Florida. As good as the Gators have played, I don’t think they have seen a roster of MSU’s talent and cohesion. Kentucky has talent, but doesn’t play together. I also see Louisville getting past Arizona in what would be a great game. I will take Rick Pitino over Sean Miller in that case. In the title game, I am picking the Spartans to best the Cardinals. I just feel like Michigan State has a little more talent and will have the drive to finish the job.

With this all said, look for Virginia to beat Wisconsin for it all.

It's okay to say both Michigan and MSU are good

A rivalry is meant to be competitive.

One side not giving the other credit for their accomplishments.

That is what makes it a rivalry.

But, if we can all take a second to step back, maybe we can all agree that Michigan and Michigan State are in a good place right now on the basketball floor.

Spartan Fans – Can we admit that the last 12 months have been pretty good for John Beilein and the Wolverines? Similar to you this season, Michigan struggled its way into the postseason last year. However, it found the right formula and took off in the NCAA Tournament, doing something State hasn’t done since 2009, and that is play for the national championship. Combine that with a Big Ten regular season championship this season, and I can understand why it would be frustrating for Spartan fans. However, you have to give credit where it is due.

DON’T PLAY THE INJURY CARD. Yes, MSU has been dealing with injuries all season, but try to look me in the eye and say you expected Michigan to flourish without Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. Then try and tell me the same thing when you found out Mitch McGary was basically not going to play all season. You can’t. Michigan did amazing things this season and showed great development in its role players from last season. John Beilein deserves a look at being the National Coach of the Year.

18 GAMES MEAN MORE THAN 3. Michigan State looked great this weekend, but a Big Ten Tournament title doesn’t trump a regular season title. Don’t even try to make that argument, because if the roles were reversed, you would laugh at Michigan fans for trying to claim that. Accept that Michigan swept the regular season and won the regular season title. It happened and it is a big accomplishment for that program.

Michigan Fans – Can we admit that Michigan State looks like the better team today than Michigan? I know the Wolverines won the season series, 2-1, but you can’t deny that Sunday’s Michigan State team is the one many were expecting all season. The Spartans look to be peaking at the right time and they are probably putting the fear in all other teams right now. It doesn’t diminish all that Michigan has done this season. Michigan State should be the better team on paper, which should make your Big Ten regular season title that much sweeter.

MARCH IS KING. Just like a regular season title means more than a conference tournament title, a run in March means more than anything else. The Final Four banner holds supremacy over a league title. If Michigan State makes a run to the Final Four, or even wins the national title, that will be the trump card this season. It was your trump card last season when you reached the title game and MSU lost in the Sweet 16.

YOU NEED BANNERS. In football, Michigan fans teased Michigan State for decades about Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl appearances. Michigan claimed, and rightfully so during a stretch, that it had national aspirations while MSU was a regional program. The same can be said for Michigan basketball. Despite last year’s run, Michigan is still fighting to sustain national success over a period of time. You do that with banners. Michigan winning the Big Ten this season was a big step for the program. It needed that to continue to establish itself as a strong basketball program nationally. Michigan State doesn’t need that right now. While the Spartans always want to win the Big Ten, they have established themselves already. Michigan State has been about March for some time now. Their goals are bigger than the Big Ten when it comes to basketball. Michigan is working toward that point, but they need to string together a few solid postseason runs before they can be a Final Four contender year in and year out.

So, can we all agree?

Who knows, maybe there will be a fourth meeting with everything at stake. That would be something.

I am worried about Tom Izzo

I am worried about Tom Izzo.

I am not worried about his ability as a coach. His accomplishments speak for themselves.

I am more worried about his well-

being.

I know Izzo has always been an animated and emotional coach, but this season seems different. The emotion and animation seems to be more out of anger and rage than joy and excitement.

I can probably count on my hand the number of camera shots I have seen Izzo look genuinely happy this season.

Michigan State came into 2013-14 with a lot of hype and a lot of expectations. There was also plenty of pressure. MSU entered this season needing to reach the Final Four for Izzo to avoid having a senior class go their entire four years in East Lansing without reaching the national semifinals.

On paper, MSU looked like it not only could contend for the Big Ten title, but also the national championship. Gary Harris is one of the top players in the country and Adreian Payne has developed into a dynamic player on both sides of the floor. Mix in some veteran leadership and a Big Ten title almost seemed like a guarantee, especially when Michigan lost Mitch McGary.

Things haven’t exactly worked out. MSU has now lost three of its last four and two straight at home to Nebraska and Illinois. Izzo has looked exceedingly dumbfounded with each loss and probably is aware that a season of “what could be” is quickly turning into a season of “what could have been.”

There is no doubt that Izzo wants a second national title. It would be the final piece to define his legendary run at Michigan State. Without it, he is still one of the greats, but most close to the program have expressed Izzo’s desire to earn that second title.

Saturday’s game was a bit of a wake-up call for me. I never expect Izzo’s teams to play like they did coming off a loss followed by a week off, especially when that loss came in embarrassing fashion against your rival.

Izzo’s messages are either not getting through, or State doesn’t have the talent. I think we all know they have the talent.

The yelling and screaming and hair pulling isn’t having the same impact it once had. It could be a generational thing, or it could be that Izzo’s message has run its course in East Lansing. Some players in this day and age don’t respond to Izzo’s style like athletes in the past may have. Thick skin certainly hasn’t been a trait of evolution.

Izzo won’t quit, but he can’t hide from what is happening this season. Blaming injuries and the media will only get you so far. Those excuses get hollow when the losses continue.

If this season ends in disappointment, which is hard to imagine it won’t at this point, I hope Izzo takes some time away from the court before getting ready for next season. If he can truly say he is still enjoying coaching right now, then I would hate to see what it is like for him when he isn’t enjoying it.

Izzo looks like he needs a recharge, or maybe even a clean slate with a new program. Maybe he even just needs to retire and take some time away from the game. I am not trying to say the man can’t coach, he absolutely can and is one of the greats in the game. But, I would like to see him step away from MSU before his legacy is damaged by disappointing seasons, or a health scare. Nothing in this life is worth putting that kind of stress on yourself, even a national title.

This talk could all be premature and Izzo could put together another magical run in March. All would be forgotten if that happened, but my thoughts on Izzo wouldn’t change. This season appears to have taken its toll on him.