As someone with Italian heritage, I've always enjoyed listening to Tom Izzo or Rick Pitino talk. So often, they sound so much like my grandfather, especially the way Izzo uses his hands.
Leading up to the Elite Eight game between MSU and Louisville in 2009, I vividly remember Dick Vitale referring to the coaches as "paisanos." Even though that's not an actual word (it's slang), it got the point across that both coaches were Italian. I am surprised that I haven't heard Vitale use it this time around.
These are two of the best coaches in college basketball history, but someone's streak is going to come to an end tonight (7:47 p.m., TBS). Izzo is 5-0 against the Big East in the NCAA Tournament, while Pitino is 9-0 all-time in the Sweet 16.
(CBSSports.com highlights)
Just like the Saint Louis game, this is going to be a low-scoring game, but for different reasons.
An MSU sports blog
Showing posts with label louisville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label louisville. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Run, run, as fast as you can — Previewing the West Region
(Printable bracket here)
While I was driving home from Indianapolis, I caught a national radio interview with Long Island-Brooklyn head coach Jim Ferry.
At the end of the interview, the radio host told Ferry he was excited to watch the contrast of styles between LIU-Brooklyn, which likes to run and create a lot of possessions, and MSU, which likes to slow it down and "just dump it in to Draymond Green." Again, that was according to the radio host.
Ferry must have agreed, because he told the New York Post: "Everything (MSU does) is about toughness and strength, and they try to bang you inside and beat you on the glass. We’re going to have to get the game going up and down the court, which they don’t really do.”
I'm just going to call it The Wisconsin Effect or something. Playing in a conference with teams that like to slow it down and, you know, emphasize defense gives a lot of people nationally the perception that Big Ten teams don't like to run, including MSU.
As often is the case, MSU led the Big Ten in fast-break points this season, and playing against teams that like to run will help MSU's chances. Six of the top 12 teams in possessions per game play in the West Region, and seven teams in the region led their conference in transition points. The Spartans are going to run and, while they're missing some guys that would excel in it, they've got a team that enjoys doing it, led by Keith Appling, who is better on the break than in the halfcourt offense.
While I was driving home from Indianapolis, I caught a national radio interview with Long Island-Brooklyn head coach Jim Ferry.
At the end of the interview, the radio host told Ferry he was excited to watch the contrast of styles between LIU-Brooklyn, which likes to run and create a lot of possessions, and MSU, which likes to slow it down and "just dump it in to Draymond Green." Again, that was according to the radio host.
Ferry must have agreed, because he told the New York Post: "Everything (MSU does) is about toughness and strength, and they try to bang you inside and beat you on the glass. We’re going to have to get the game going up and down the court, which they don’t really do.”
I'm just going to call it The Wisconsin Effect or something. Playing in a conference with teams that like to slow it down and, you know, emphasize defense gives a lot of people nationally the perception that Big Ten teams don't like to run, including MSU.
As often is the case, MSU led the Big Ten in fast-break points this season, and playing against teams that like to run will help MSU's chances. Six of the top 12 teams in possessions per game play in the West Region, and seven teams in the region led their conference in transition points. The Spartans are going to run and, while they're missing some guys that would excel in it, they've got a team that enjoys doing it, led by Keith Appling, who is better on the break than in the halfcourt offense.
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