" title="Spartans Weblog">Spartans Weblog

North Carolina obliterates Michigan State 89-72 in a 76-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
This four-factor graph does not tell the story:
NCAA Basketball Stats

The turnover differential obviously shows up loud and clear, but the other bars understate the degree to which the Tar Heels outplayed us.  Statistically speaking, this game was played in two distinct phases:

The first [...]

The Spartans run, not walk, past the Huskies 82-73 in a 74-possession game. StatSheet box score.
At this point, it’s hard to find more words to describe how well this team is playing.  This game was almost a carbon copy of the Louisville game in terms of scoring flow: It was back and forth in [...]

MSU dismantles Louisville 64-52 in a 56-possession game to advance to the Final Four.  StatSheet box score.
After a performance as thoroughly impressive as this one, it’s hard to know where to start.  So let’s start with what each of the eight guys who played double-digit minutes today contributed:

Goran Suton: 19 points on 3-5 three-point shooting, [...]

The Spartans claw their way past the Jayhawks 67-62 in a 66-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
It’s 1:49 in the a.m. as I begin this game recap.  So what I write below may or may not be coherent.
Further, from my seat in section 242 of Lucas Oil Stadium, this game much more as an emotional experience [...]

The Spartans battle past the Trojans 74-69 in a 69-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
It’s a cliche’ to say that a player “willed” his team to victory.  But, if ever that cliche’ was true, it was today.  Here’s a breakdown of the 74 points MSU scored today:

24 points on free throws.
18 points on 3-pointers.
16 points on [...]

The Spartans bounce the Colonials 77-62 in a 65-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
The Kenpom prediction was a scoreline of 73-60, so the game result was in line with statistical expectations.  Robert Morris kept things close early by knocking down some 3-pointers, but eventually MSU’s size and athleticism were too much for the Colonials to handle.  [...]

The Spartans bow out to the Buckeyes 82-70 in a 69-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
Your bar graph:
NCAA Basketball Stats

Your bullets:

The difference in 2-point shooting percentages was fairly narrow, so the big differential in the eFG% bar was driven almost entirely by 3-point shooting.  They hit 9 of 16 from beyond the arc.  We hit 3 [...]