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.

Who should have the better 2013-14 season, Michigan or Michigan State?

It appears as if most of the dust has settled when it comes to which Michigan and Michigan State players are entering the NBA Draft.

Though Adreian Payne has yet to make his decision official, most signs point to Payne returning to the Spartans for his senior season.

If that is indeed the case, we can now start to take a look at how the Spartans and Wolverines are shaping up for the 2013-14 season.

The Spartans are largely the same team coming back from this past season, with the exception of the loss of Derrick Nix. Despite the loss of Nix, you can probably expect some development from the likes of Matt Costello and Branden Dawson.

Costello showed some signs of being a capable player once he shook the freshman nerves. Dawson has always been a great athlete, but he struggled this year with his touch on offense. Part of that could have been from coming off the knee injury. With a healthy offseason to improve his shot and work on his touch around the basket, I think Dawson should become a much better player.

The Spartans should also get some improvement out of the likes of Gary Harris, Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine. It is unclear if Keith Appling has hit his peak, but he certainly has shown the ability to be one of the best players in the Big Ten at times.

When it comes to Michigan, the Wolverines have a strong foundation returning with the trio of freshmen starters coming back. Nik Stuaskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary will each need to step up in terms of offensive production with the loss of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.

I was surprised that Hardaway Jr. decided to go pro, just because I think he would have benefited from a year of being “the guy” for Michigan.

Along with the starters, Michigan will have Spike Albrecht, Caris LeVert, Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan back to help contribute. I think Morgan struggled all year due to his injuries, so a healthy Morgan could have a much greater impact.

The Wolverines will have to rely more on their incoming freshmen class than MSU. Part of that is because the Spartans don’t have much of a class and the other part is that the Wolverines will need help at point guard from Derrick Walton. Zak Irvin could also make an immediate impact at small forward.

Of the two teams, I think the bigger question marks come from Michigan. Will the loss of Burke be too great to overcome? Not only did he handle the ball and do the most scoring, he also did a good job of getting open looks for his teammates. McGary’s strong tournament run was aided by Burke, so it will be interesting to see if McGary can still be an offensive force if he has to create his own shots.

Both teams seem to be set for a good 2013-14 season, but it is unclear just how successful they will be.

Who do you think is primed to have the better 2013-14 season if the teams are built the way they currently are?

Which team is built to have a better 2013-14 basketball season?

Future uncertain for Michigan State after "disappointing" 2012-13 season

This was an interesting season for the Michigan State basketball team.

There were times where it looked like the Spartans weren’t going to amount to much, then there were times where it looked like MSU might be a national contender.

By standards of most programs, Michigan State had a good season, maybe even a successful one. The Spartans finished second in the most difficult conference, the Big Ten, and reached its fifth Sweet 16 in six years.

But, those aren’t accomplishments worth applauding thanks to the standards of Tom Izzo.

The Spartans didn’t claim any championship this year and didn’t reach a Final Four. Those are the standards Izzo has created for the program through the years.

Michigan State was capable of beating Duke in the Sweet 16, but it didn’t get the job done.

Adding to the sting of the end of the season for Spartan fans is seeing Michigan reach the Final Four for the first time since 1993.

Like it or not, Michigan has made a lot of progress in the in-state rivalry the past few years and the Wolverines have a potential to win the national title, which would give John Beilein as many titles as Izzo.

That’s not to say Beilein is a better coach, but there has to be some concern within the MSU program about where things are heading.

The Spartans could be very good next year if the team stays intact. However, it is not certain that that will be the case.

Derrick Nix is the lone senior and his departure will be felt. He provided strength in the paint and had developed into a nice offensive option this season with his scoring and passing.

The Spartans may get more athletic in the paint next season, but I don’t know that they will have the interior passing presence like they had in Nix this season and Draymond Green prior to that.

ESPN’s NBA Draft guru, Chad Ford, has two Spartans listed as potential first round picks if they elect to leave early.

Freshman guard Gary Harris is currently listed as the 10^th best prospect in this year’s draft. Ford believes Harris is a lock to be a lottery pick if he elects to leave MSU.

Junior forward Adreian Payne is listed as the 40^th-best prospect for the draft by Ford. Payne’s athleticism and size, along with his ability to shoot from the outside, make him an interesting option for NBA teams. Though unpolished, Payne has plenty of upside.

Due to a recruiting class for 2013 that currently features just one player, three-star center Gavin Schilling, Michigan State can’t really afford to see Harris or Payne leave. Harris will likely develop into MSU’s top scoring option for next season and Payne is crucial to keep on the roster with Nix already gone.

If MSU can keep Payne and Harris around, we might be talking about another Final Four run for the Spartans at this time next year. If not, there may be more disappointment to come.

How would you grade MSU's 2012-13 season?

Saturday's NCAA tournament coverage

Click on the links for each story.

Pat Caputo column on Michigan breaking out of its tournament funk with Saturday's win

Pat Caputo column on MSU passing the opening weekend of the tournament with flying colors

Story on Michigan's Mitch McGary and his fullback-like mindset on the floor

Story on MSU's Adreian Payne and his impact in the second half of Saturday's win over Memphis

MSU notebook, headlined by Keith Appling's interesting day

Michigan notebook, led with the Wolverines now leaving the comforts of home

Story on Oakland University's reaction to hosting this weekend's games

Michigan State at Purdue Breakdown & Prediction

No. 12 Michigan State at Purdue

Time: 7 p.m.

Venue: Mackey Arena

TV: Big Ten Network

Records: Michigan State 19-4, 8-2 Big Ten; Purdue 12-11, 5-5

Michigan State stat leaders: Points – Keith Appling (14.0 ppg); Rebounds – Adreian Payne (6.9 rpg); Assists – Appling (4.2 apg); Steals – Branden Dawson (1.8 spg).

Purdue stat leaders: Points – Terone Johnson (12.4 ppg); Rebounds – A.J. Hammons (6.8 rpg); Assists – Ronnie Johnson (3.6 apg); Steals – D.J. Byrd/Ronnie Johnson (0.9 spg).

Current Streaks: Michigan State W2, Purdue W1

Point Spread: Michigan State -4

Prediction: Michigan State is banged up. The Spartans will still likely be with Keith Appling and Adreian Payne on Saturday night, but they can’t be 100 percent. Purdue isn’t going to be an easy place to play, but the Boilermakers have been inconsistent all season. In true MSU form, the Spartans will probably allow the Boilermakers to stay in this game throughout. Purdue may even be able to jump out to the early lead thanks to the home-crowd support. In the end, assuming the Spartans’ injuries don’t worsen, I see Michigan State grinding out another victory. I just don’t feel Purdue is good enough to pick up a win over the top teams in the conference. Michigan State 66, Purdue 63

Early thoughts on Michigan State's basketball season

Michigan State is off to an 8-2 start through 10 games.
Given some of the tough opponents early on, I think that is a pretty reasonable mark for the Spartans at this point in the season.
MSU handed Kansas its only loss of the season, and the two losses for the Spartans have come against 1-loss Miami and 2-loss Connecticut.
Still, Michigan State has had some shaky performances, with the narrow wins over Boise State and Lafayette coming to mind.
As a team, it is still quite hard to say what Michigan State is. At times they have looked brilliant. Other times they have looked awful.
It won’t surprise me if MSU ends up being a team that plays to the level of its competition throughout Big Ten play.
I don’t think the Spartans will get blown out, but I don’t see them having the all-around talent to light up many teams in the conference either.
Gary Harris has been as good as Michigan State could hope for from a true freshman. He is second on the team in scoring (13 ppg) and shooting 53.3% from the field. MSU was a noticeably different team when he was not playing due to a shoulder injury.
Keith Appling has been the team leader, which was expected. He is averaging 14.6 points per game and also leading the team in assists, with 45. Appling has still had his rough moments on the floor, though, and I am not completely sold that he is a players capable of leading MSU to a championship.
I do give credit to the development of Adreian Payne. He has been more impactful than I expected and he is also shooting 89.5 percent from the charity stripe, which is a great stat for a man of his size.
The Spartans have the potential to be great, but they face an uphill climb in the Big Ten. The majority of games in conference play will be a battle and the Spartans are relying on some young talent to be durable throughout the season.
The key to the season will be in leadership, and whether or not Appling can handle to the role of the go-to player. We all know he can score, but being a leader is about more than that.

Big Ten College Basketball Preseason Predictions

It’s hard to believe, but the college basketball season already gets underway this Friday.

I plan on jumping heavily into basketball once the regular season of football is over, but I thought I would give my preseason picks for the Big Ten today before the season actually begins.

Here is how I look for the Big Ten to play out this year.

1. Indiana – The Hoosiers have the experience and the talent. It was a slow rebuild for Tom Crean, but patience seems to be paying off for Indiana.

2. Michigan – Things can go really well for Michigan this year or really poorly. The Wolverines are relying on a lot of new faces, but they are expected to be a talented group of new faces. Hardaway Jr. and Burke will need to stay healthy throughout the season.

3. Michigan State – The Spartans have a lot of talent, but the loss of Draymond Green will hurt in more ways than one. Leadership issues could lead to struggles during the season. If Nix and Payne take a big step forward in their progression, the Spartans could win the conference.

4. Ohio State – The loss of Jared Sullinger and William Buford are big for the Buckeyes. They will have to rely more on their defense this year, led by Aaron Craft. I don’t see them being able to consistently win big games in the conference.

5. Wisconsin – The Badgers return a solid core from last year but lose their playmaker in Jordan Taylor. Not sure where the points will come from for Wisconsin, but they should be strong defensively once again.

6. Minnesota – The Golden Gophers could be the dark horse in the Big Ten as they return their top five scoring leaders from last season. The question is, even with the returning talent, do they have the talent that the other teams in the Big Ten have?

7. Purdue – The Boilermakers were hit hard with losing the likes of Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith. Purdue will be a team that is stronger later in the season as it develops new go-to players.

8. Iowa – The Hawkeyes took a step forward last year and I think that will continue some this year as they threaten to earn a NCAA Tournament bid. Iowa’s concern is not having a lot of depth to work with after losing four players from last year’s squad.

9. Northwestern – Some see Northwestern higher, but the loss of John Shurna will be a lot to overcome. The Wildcats still have some talent, but they don’t have a game-changer like Shurna to turn to. Drew Crawford will attempt to take that role, but I’m not sure he can do it with added defensive focus put on him.

10. Illinois – I like the addition of John Groce as the coach, but he doesn’t have a lot to work with this season at Illinois. Look for the Illini to struggle most of the year, but pull off a few upsets late in the season.

11. Penn State – It’s hard to say if it’s good news or bad news, but Penn State lost four players from a 12-20 team last season. I see it as the Nittany Lions having little talent, and now, even less depth.

12. Nebraska – What Nebraska can accomplish in football with a move to the Big Ten, it loses in basketball. The Cornhuskers are a mess of a basketball program. Similar to Penn State, Nebraska lost five players from a 12-18 team. It will be a long year for new coach Tim Miles.