" title="Spartans Weblog">Spartans Weblog

The Spartans vanquish the Illini 74-66 in a 71-possession game.  StatSheet box score.
I don’t know what it is about this team, but I just can’t get as tense as I’m used to getting late in close games.  Even when Illinois pulled back even seven minutes to go, I had a strange sense of calm about [...]

My website’s server is apparently having a bad day.  Hopefully, things will be running more smoothly by game time.
Pregame reading:

Spartans stay focused with Big Ten title in sight
Izzo focused on the “bigger picture.”  Me?  I’m focused on a Big Ten title, baby.
Travis Walton’s defense makes difference in Spartans’ success
What a novel idea: tracking the stats [...]

4:00 Sunday.  Assembly Hall, Champaign, Illinois.  CBS.
Let’s start with the numbers:

Category
MSU Off
Rk

ILL Def
Rk

PPP
1.08
1t

0.91
1

TO%
22.1
8

20.3
6

eFG%
48.9
6

43.7
1

FTR
38.4
1

25.8
2

OffReb%
43.7
1

32.5
8t

Category
ILL Off
Rk

MSU Def
Rk

PPP
0.98
9

0.94
2t

TO%
18.1
3

20.5
5

eFG%
48.8
7

47.9
4

FTR
20.4
11

34.0
7

OffReb%
28.6
6

25.1
1

This game will most likely be decided by how well MSU plays on offense.  Ot the other end of the court, it’s hard to see how Illinois’ offense is going to generate a lot of scoring against us.  Illinois just doesn’t [...]

Michigan State pushes past Illinois 63-57 in a 66-possession game.  Statsheet box score.

First things first: It was great to be there for the Morris Peterson jersey retirement ceremony.  Nine years ago, my wife and I sat/stood in the second row of the student section and watched that man do amazing things en route to a [...]

Last Night’s Dueling 14-Point Comebacks

The Comeback
Minnesota comes back from 14 down to force the game to OT and beat Wisconsin.  29 points on 16 FG attempts for Lawrence Westbrook.
Escape from Evanston
Purdue takes advantage of missed free throws to mount their comeback from 14 down and nip Northwestern.  I’d wager we won’t see another win in [...]