by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell
As we approach the 2009 National Championship game for NCAA men’s basketball, I feel as if we’re watching two totally different programs face off.
I can’t help but think of the lopsided 35 point game earlier in this season between North Carolina and Michigan State. Surely this topsy-turvy year in college basketball won’t leave us with an anticlimactic championship game?
To believe such a game will ensue is to once again to doubt the preparedness and teaching of Tom Izzo. This isn’t the same Spartan team from early December. And this isn’t just any other program.
Izzo has led his Spartan clubs to five Final Fours in the past ten years, cutting down the nets in 2000. Two of those years since 1999 his squad narrowly missed (Elite Eight in 2003, Sweet Sixteen in 2008).
Yet, I think many of us don’t rank Michigan State nor Tom Izzo in as nearly high regard as they deserve.
Many coaches look to get the best recruits. The best recruits are often All-Americans. What being an All-American does not measure is a young man’s heart, character and will to win. Not saying that All-Americans are entitled individuals and void of passion for the game, but deeming them “the best of the best” doesn’t always translate into team success.
Consider this: Izzo has been finding success since 2005 without a single high school All-American. His counterpart in Monday night’s championship, Roy Williams, consistently heads the list of signing the most highly touted All-American high school players in the country.
In 2005, Williams brought in All-Americans Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Tyler Hansbrough. Danny Green has certainly panned out as one of the more important players for UNC. Hansbrough, as we all know, has lived up to all expectations; his personal accolades speak volumes.
Michigan State did not sign any high school players who played in the McDonald’s All-American game that year; however, 2005 brought another Final Four trip.
Roy Williams then landed one-and-done Brandan Wright, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson in 2006. Michigan State? No high school All-American signees.
2007 brought a little change for Williams and Carolina. Both the Heels and Spartans did not sign any All-Americans. This is probably because much of Williams’ scholarship money was on hold as, to his current pleasure, Ellington, Green, Lawson and Hansbrough all returned.
The next year in 2008 saw a return to normality as recruiting goes. Roy Williams signed three All-Americans: Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller and Larry Drew. Michigan State? Well, you get the point by now surely.
As I perused this year’s All-American game, UNC is putting scholarship money to good use and signed four of its future players participating in the 2009 McDonald’s High School All-American game. Williams hit the jackpot by getting a two for one deal: a pair of 6’10” twins from California.
Tom Izzo apparently isn’t that savvy a salesman as he made it five years in a row without a McDonald’s All-American.
If you look for yourself at the high school All-Americans now playing college basketball, you’ll notice a trend of teams consistently showing up other than Carolina.
I noticed Louisville with at least one or two each year. Their current status? Sent home convincingly by Izzo and company.
Kansas and Bill Self work hard to sign some of the best each year, having five over a two year span between 2005 and 2006. The Jayhawk’s current status? Resting comfortably in Lawrence courtesy of Izzo and MSU. Wait a minute: Self is probably frequenting some obscure AAU tournament to find the next big thing.
We’ve all heard the allegations surrounding Jim Calhoun and the Uconn Huskies. His school’s name never fails to show up on the All-American list. His vacation was started early thanks to – you already know it – Michigan State and Tom Izzo.
So what makes a great coach? Kentucky lured John Calipari away from Memphis for a record salary because he can “recruit the best.” Very true. He’s brought in the two most coveted point guards the past two years in Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans (and most have him snatching up John Wall this year).
He had a heck of a class coming in once again for next year, most of which analysts say will follow him to Kentucky. But how’s his coaching?
As others tirelessly recruit and flash alluring eyes towards the nation’s best high school players, Tom Izzo continues to do the one thing he was hired to do year after year: coach.
Great stuff Rey!
Izzo gets kids who want to be part of something larger than themselves. This has not been more evident than in the way the Spartans dictated tempo over the last two games. Against Lou’vul the Spartans scored 4 fast break points to the Cards 0. Then against UConn, MSU won that battle 22-10.
Izzo has done a great job communicating to his kids what will work in different situations. The kids have obviously bought into what is going on.
Maybe this is because these kids know the best place for them and their basketball career is Lansing. Meanwhile the blue-chip recruits? Well, they are on their way to NBA.
Hey y’all!
Check out this link: https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball
Scroll down and look under the BLEACHER REPORT heading.
Rey on CBS!!!!! Great job Patrick!!!! And the lead article too.
Way to go, Rey. That’s awesome!
I want to second that.. Nice job Rey!!
Awesome Rey! Congrats, nice job.
Turning to tonight’s game – Much intrigue for me. I started this season being very critical of Ty Lawson – in particular his inability to run a half-court offense. I was also critical of UNC’s inability to manufacture points. That all an opposing defense needed to do was to take away UNC’s first option, and they didn’t know how to make decisions after that.
Then Lawson owned Miami, Wake, and Duke, and my mind was changed.
Now I’m thinking that A LOT hinges on Lawson’s performance tonight. NOBODY in the ACC plays defense like Michigan State. The Spartans are gonna test Lawson like he has not been tested all year. Forget what happened back in December and whatever UNC beat MSU by on that night. It doesn’t matter any more.
UNC shot 50%(11/22) from the arc vs. Villanova. I will be surprised if that number exceeds 35% tonight, OR if the Heels even get that many open looks from the perimeter. BUT if the Spartans limit the Heels on the arc, what will be the result? Will the Heels get a bunch of lay ups or mid-range jumpers because the defense is extended? Can UNC show they can make decisions on the fly?
Even more amazing – MSU entered play Saturday night as the #1 rebounding team in the country. UConn actually out-rebounded MSU. It was only by one, but the Huskies still hauled in more. The Huskies took away one of the battles from the Spartans – a battle the Spartans usually win – yet MSU won the war. They just figure out a way to get it done.
Any predictions on tonight’s game from the Bench? Usually, when Carolina gets this far, they finish it off. I think UNC will win tonight, but I really hope Mich State pulls off the upset … that would be great to see. The brain says Carolina though.
Plus, I’ll take a moment to remind Casey and Smitty that Carolina is “God’s team”. My old high school coach, a former Tarheel, used to say … “If God ain’t a Tarheel, then why is the sky Carolina Blue?”
Nonsense! Go Sparty !!!!
Thanks for the kind words, guys 🙂
Casey, you made a great point the other day that defense is almost immeasurable. How do we compute the defensive prowess of a team? Steals and blocks can be quite deceiving because, as you said, it really matters how you convert those, like Villanova. How uncomfortable is the other team against you? I think Villanova has that element. MSU doesn’t strike me at first glance as a defensively great team, but maybe game tempo has a lot to do with defense. Just by controlling the game in a way that makes your team uncomfortable is something Izzo and Sparty have been able to do.
I just hope it is a game between two teams who have peaked. I hate it when teams come out flat after getting to this point and seeming like an unstoppable force.
Good defense has much to do with good offense. How many times have you heard it said: “show me a bad shot, and I’ll show you a lay up at the other end.”
I like MSU as a defensive squad over Villanova because they rebound better. Don’t get me wrong. Villanova is active on the boards. MSU is relentless.
We’ll certainly see tonight. I think MSU’s horses help the matter. Villanova is more like nagging flies that UNC was swiping at.
Hey Casey – any initial comments on Sean Miller leaving Xavier for Arizona? Can he pull recruits away from Ben Howland?
The Spartans do as good a job of any team of playing within themselves. Up until now they appear to have a very good idea of what they are capable of and what they are incapable of. They play an offense which isn’t particularly threatening, but they don’t give up easy buckets on the other end. They don’t wildly deny on the perimeter, but they don’t give up back door cuts OR easy looks for open jump shots.
Sean Miller? That’s not exactly a soup question. More comments on this tomorrow. I hope Miller doesn’t replicate Billy Gillespie’s fall from grace. The situations are eerily similar. Miller wasn’t exactly Arizona’s first choice. Kinda like Gillespie. Miller had a good thing going a XU. Kinda like Gillespie at A&M.
Rey – don’t get me wrong with Villanova. I am completely surprised how they played the other night. 5 for 27 from the arc? Man they were impatient. And to couple that with not pressuring Ellington and Green on the perimeter. I never thought that would happen. But it was Jay Wright’s first trip to the Final Four. Izzo? He won’t be star struck.
Oh yeah – UNC is 4-4 in title games.
Good point about Wright and ‘Nova. Miller and Gillespie in the same sentence? That can’t be good.
If you get a chance, check out Miller’s press conference. He made a comment about winning a championship at Arizona. Then he back-tracked on his words with something like – not that you can’t win a championship at Xavier…
Oh man if I am a team captain, I am pulling those guys together and using that for motivation.
The problem I have with Sean Miller is the comments I heard from Digger Phelps. One of the advantages of being home sick – you watch Sportscenter and Sports News ALL day. Digger felt that Miller made the right choice and jumped to an “elite” program and that he wasn’t going any further with Xavier.
I beg to differ. At what point does Xavier stop being a stepping stone and somebody says, ” I wanna coach at Xavier”?
I hate to say it, but that could be an impetus for Xavier to mover from the A10 – because they can’t get coaches to stay.
Digger says a lot of things that make sense. I do NOT agree with his assessment. Especially since Rece Davis reminded him how long he stayed at ND,
Smitty – I have to say it’s the conference. Do the best players want to go to the A-10? And not to say that winning is always about having the best players. Our theory of success is competing in the BCS conferences. I think you’re absolutely right that Xavier can compete every year, but the irony in these coaching carousel situations is that good coaches have to stay put. Then again, Laranaga has stayed at George Mason and where have they been since their final four trip? Does it just simply come down where you can do the best recruiting?
A tip o’ the hat to Roy Williams for being able to keep his eyes above the neck during that pre-game interview. 😉
WOW!!!! UNC 6 of 7. 17 points in less than 5:00! Good Lord!
I do not want to wake up in North Carolina tomorrow.
MSU is getting caught up in rushing their game.
I’m thinking / hoping that Izzo is letting them run and get the jitters out of their system.
Someone else besides Suton has got to grab a rebound.
This just in Steve Wojciechowski for the Xavier job. You heard it here first on the Bench.
12:27 played – MSU has committed 9 fouls and has grabbed 7 rebounds. UNC has 10 rebounds.
How many more times is Suton going to get away with that illegal screen?