Hoopraker

The tables were turned at St. Elmo’s when Ed Hightower commandeered Table #31 and while we took Bruce Weber’s chairs across the aisle. Over a spicy shrimp cocktail, Hoopraker reflected on having just watched two of the Big Ten’s best play to the music of the zebras’ whistles.

Irrelevant Chatter

The white noise emanating from the high-priced decorative plants in Bristol, Connecticut to the derisive aspersions on the Big Ten from talking heads who either don’t watch basketball or possess no true understanding of the game has been constant since the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced.

Plainly apparent to Hoopraker from its perch in Conseco this weekend was the irrelevancy of this bias chatter to Bo Ryan, Matt Painter and Tom Izzo. These coaches operate on another plain from the sketch comedy writers and charlatans who have infiltrated ESPN. They coach and in the process they’ve assembled three teams with the ability to represent their respective Universities and the entire conference with pride.

While the Purdue loss to Illinois on Friday was the most memorable, hard fought and uniformly well-played tournament game, the semi-final between Michigan State and Wisconsin reinforced several truisms: Wisconsin plays some of if not the best basketball in the country and Michigan State is talented, well-coached and can beat anyone. In a year where there is no true dominant national team, neglecting to appreciate the Badgers and the Spartans would be a grave mistake.

Badgers United

Under Bo Ryan, the Wisconsin Badgers (29-4) have evolved, game by game, into a cohesive and consistent team. Steadfastly controlling the game with a uniformly patient and surgical offense, they routinely take the clock to the ten second mark before attacking the basket. When they do, it’s with precision and purpose. A Landry post move, a Flowers jumper, a Bohannon pass or a Krabbenhoft offensive rebound deflates the emotions of the most weathered opponent; against undisciplined teams, Wisconsin’s patience drains the life and heart from them like a boa constrictor.

In winning 23 of their last 25, including on the road in Austin, the Badgers are not only very good, they don’t rattle. Against Michigan State (25-8), despite falling behind by 12 in the second half they stayed within their system, refusing to show the slightest of panic.

After watching the Badgers three days in a row, it’s obvious the team resolutely believes in its coach and his principles. No player takes a possession off, not even a segment within a possession. To a man, the Badgers have no mental lapses on the defensive end. Ryan’s rotation is deep and versatile. Landry and Bohannon have emerged into true threats on the offensive end and Flowers is an veritable equalizer on the defensive end. Basketball is a team game and Wisconsin is a true team, not flashy, perhaps not glamorous, and lacking media ready star power, but a team nonetheless. And one to be reckoned with.

On Thursday, the Badgers play a small Cal-State Fullerton (24-8) team where no starter is taller than 6′5″. Once they survive the upset bid, the Badgers play the winner of USC-Kansas State, the epitome of egocentric 1 on 5 basketball. Wisconsin has already dispatched a similar, albeit much better, version of these teams twice this season, Eric Gordon’s Indiana Hoosiers. More than one Wisconsin fan is optimistic.

Neitzel Finds His Groove

Rarely does a team find itself in a loss but in the wake of a cacophony of whistles led by Ted Hilary’s cialis fueled crew in the Big Ten semi-finals, the Spartans enter the NCAA Tournament under the radar, potent and dangerous. While they continue to demonstrate some troubling tendencies of impatience on the offensive end, the Spartans beat a very good defensive team in Ohio State (a team that’s finally playing it’s best basketball) and then battled to a referee induced draw with the nearly flawless Badgers. The Spartans have the talent to compete with any team in the country and in Conseco they showed they’re ready to win in March.

As was abundantly evident this weekend, senior guard Drew Neitzel remains the catalyst. For Spartan fans, it was encouraging to see Neitzel reassert himself in Indy and in the process rediscover the range on his deadly jump shot. While Raymar Morgan would definitely benefit from some of Neitzel’s mojo on offense (go up strong Raymar), well-rounded efforts were turned in by Goran Suton and Travis Walton, who’s defensive intensity and leadership can’t be undervalued in March.

Toss Some Dimes

Going forward, it’s worth observing that in crucial situations against Wisconsin, Izzo again turned possessions over to freshman guard Kalin Lucas who in turn attacked the basket with his head down, not looking for his teammates and with no intention of passing the ball. If Michigan State intends to run into the second weekend, they’ll likely need to offer some variation on Lucas’ shoot first game. Putting the ball back in the hands of their senior leader Neitzel would be one commendable variation.

The Spartans (who also beat Texas) play Fran Dunphy’s Temple Owls (22-12) on Friday and provided they survive the challenge, a physical Pittsburgh Panthers team (26-9) likely awaits them on Saturday. Like Badgers fans, Enlightened Spartan is confident heading into the weekend (column 2, post 3).

Posted by TD Lawlor on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 9:43 pm.