The Final Four Is Not On The Schedule - A Podcast Discussing Michigan State Basketball.

January 11, 2022: The Spartans will take their 7 game winning streak (four in Big Ten play) into Champaign to take on a hot Illinois team. Illinois has won their last two conference games dispatching Wisconsin at home and blasting Nebraska in Lincoln. Illinois features a test for MSU as they have size all over the court which is giving teams fits both offensively inside the arc and on the defensive end. The two things Illinois doesn't do well is shoot the outside shot and hang onto the ball which Michigan State will have to try and exploit. Can MSU use some Illini turnovers and get easy buckets on the break? Can they neutralize Illinois' size on the boards and prevent second chances? You can access our Illinois preview show here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 10, 2023: In another Big Ten road test, MSU headed into Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Badgers and try and extend its winning streak to 7 games. In what can only be described as a poised effort, the Spartans were perfect from the floor down the stretch hitting their last 8 field goals and all their free throws to win the game. Wisconsin was down their leading scorer, Tyler Wahl, but got point production from their 7' center Steven Crowl and freshman point guard Connor Essegian to keep the game close. The largest lead of the game was 6 points and the teams battled back and forth behind largely good shooting. MSU had a problem with turnovers with 14 to Wisconsin's 5 but outrebounded the Badgers 33-18. A big key to the victory definitely came at the free throw line where the Spartans hit 16 of 17 to only 6 of 8 for Wisconsin. Our preseason episode on Wisconsin can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 8, 2023: Michigan State heads back onto the road and will try to continue its winning streak of six straight and two in Big Ten Play as they head to Madison to take on the Badgers. In an arena that has historically been a house of pain MSU will look to stay in first place in the Big Ten. Rod has stated it a number of times that MSU has a profile that looks more and more like a Wisconsin one which means that both teams will rely on their defense and ability to hit the outside shot. The Spartans struggled hitting wide open shots against Michigan and will look to bounce back on offense outside the arc. For the Wisconsin preseason preview go to www.tffinots.com/Wisconsin2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 7, 2023: In an ugly offensive game, MSU pulled out a win at the Breslin Center 59-53 over rival Michigan. Neither team could hit their shots as the Spartans launched at least 3 wide open air balls for 3. The only thing worse than MSU's outside shooting was Michigan's who shot 15% on 3-20. It was a game where MSU controlled by double digits halfway through the first half until late in the game. This was a very good defensive performance by the Spartans who showed that their veteran backcourt will continue to be an asset throughout the Big Ten season. Also, Malik Hall looked more of himself in offense, defense, and conditioning as he logged over 20 minutes and contributed on both ends of the court. UM Preview Episode Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 5, 2022: Rivalry week is officially here now that MSU has dispatched Nebraska and awaits a matchup at home with cross state rival, Michigan. The Wolverines have struggled at times in the non-conference schedule but are in first place of the Big Ten with a 3-0 mark after defeating Penn State on Wednesday. Last year, the teams split their series but if either team has title hopes, a series sweep would be loom huge for their chances to take the League. There are so many matchup questions with this game: can Sissoko neutralize Dickinson and/or can Hoggard and MSU's guards exploit Dickinson's struggles guarding on pick and rolls? Will the Spartans be able to rebound and defend at the levels they did against Nebraska? Finally, can Michigan State continue their outstanding 3 point shooting? In what looks to be an intense contest on Saturday with so much at stake and the school rivalry at a more intense level than usual this has all the makings for a war. The difference might just be which team is able to maintain their poise and channel the energy in a useful manner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 3, 2023: Michigan State welcomed in the new year with a decisive 74-56 victory over the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers. In what is probably MSU's best complete game since the early season, they coasted out to a 22 point half time lead behind suffocating defense and a fantastic first half scoring effort from Tyson Walker (16 points). MSU had one of their best offensive rebounding efforts collecting over 40% of their misses and prevented a good offensive rebounding team from getting anything going at only 25%. A number of Spartans other than Tyson Walker had good games including Joey Hauser with a second straight double double, AJ Hoggard with 9 assists and only one turnover, and Jaxon Kohler who finally got going offensively with a 5-5 10 point effort. Listen to the Nebraska Preseason Preview Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 1, 2023: As we enter a new year, Michigan State begins the Big Ten campaign in full with 18 games and a march to a potential championship. However, there are no easy wins in the Big Ten this year and protecting home court is a necessity after already losing their first to Northwestern. Fortunately, the Spartans will be full strength with a limited minutes Malik Hall as they host a feisty squad from Lincoln, NE. This will be the last game without the Izzone so MSU will have to bring its own energy and not look past the Cornhuskers to their matchup against the Wolverines on Saturday. The first step in a Big Ten Championship begins Tuesday and if Michigan State has any serious designs on challenging for the title they need to take care of business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 30, 2022: In what is the most significant development for anyone with hopes of MSU making some sort of run for a Big Ten title or NCAA tournament Final Four, the return of Malik Hall back on to the court was a big one. Now that Jaden Akins is almost back to where we hoped he would be starting the season, Hall played limited minutes but looked as if he hadn't ever stopped playing. Malik Hall had 11 points on 3-4 shooting with 2-2 from 3 and 3-4 at the line in only 18 minutes of play. Perhaps even more importantly than his scoring was his presence on defense and just as a steadying force on both ends of the court as he made the Spartans so much more difficult to score against and defend with his versatility. Also of note were double-doubles from AJ Hoggard (11 points, 10 assists) and Joey Hauser (14 points, 12 rebounds). An all around solid game for Michigan State as they prepare to re-enter Big Ten play on Tuesday with Nebraska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 29, 2022: Michigan State has its last non-conference tune up before Big Ten play resumes with the new year as they welcome in the Buffalo Bulls from the MAC. Buffalo has had a recent history of success with multiple NCAA tournament wins under coaches Bobby Hurley and Nate Oats. However, this year is clearly a rebuilding year with them holding a 6-6 record (2 against non-Division I opponents) and no notable wins. Michigan State hopes to continue getting healthier as Jaden Akins returns more to full strength and Malik Hall is expected to play after being laid up for 3 weeks with a stress reaction to his foot. MSU's defense has suffered without Hall in the lineup and the hope is that he can get back up to full speed in a few weeks and perhaps put the Spartans' defense back in the top 30 again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 27, 2022: The first commitment to MSU's 2023 class was PG Jeremy Fears Jr. from Joliet, Illinois. Fears is the #7 ranked point guard and #37 overall player according to On3 recruiting rankings for the 2023 class. After playing at LaLumiere Academy last year, Jeremy elected to return to his high school and play with his younger brother, Jeremiah, for what might be his last chance to play on the same team. Jeremy discussed what the recruitment was like with MSU, why he picked the Spartans, what it was like playing on Team USA in international ball and much more in this interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 26, 2022: Coming into this season, there were uncertainties everywhere within the Big Ten teams. A lot of teams had almost complete turnovers from last year with incoming Now that we've had a few Big Ten games played and have watched most of the non-conference season we figured it would be helpful to look back at our predictions and handicap them. Rod goes through the surprises from Nebraska to Indiana. He feels even better about his placement of Indiana at number one yet not winning the Big Ten. Also, what's going on in Champaign and Ann Arbor? All that and more in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 23, 2022: In a big thank you to our fans we held an ask me anything session where we answered questions about MSU, what happens when Izzo retires, what are the best basketball books, how do we pull together the show, and who exactly is in Rod's avatar photo. This session and the success of the show are due entirely to how great our listeners are. If you want to support the show go to our website or rate and review the show on your podcast player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 21, 2022: The Spartans faced perennial pest, Oakland University and beat them for their 21st straight win against the Horizon League team. Although it was an uninspiring game, Michigan State showed some glimpses of smooth offense, transition game, and connected defense. Head Coaches Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe both decided to wear ugly sweaters and at times their team's games matched their garb. Joey Hauser led the way for the Spartans in scoring with 16 and was augmented by a career high 15 from Jaden Akins who also played a career high 25 minutes coming off a preseason injury. Overall, MSU shot 49.5% from the field and 45.5% from 3 in a game that was close in the first half until they went on a 30-5 run extending over half time into the early second half to put the game away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 18, 2022: Michigan State's players are done with finals and will prepare for their perennial matchup against the Grizzlies from Oakland University. Head Coach Greg Kampe usually brings in very competitive teams into the contest. Oftentimes, Oakland has a pro or very high level player. This year, is not like others. Oakland is struggling this year coming in at 2-9 (we recorded before their game against Boise St.) and have one of the 5 worst defenses in all of college basketball. Almost as bad as their overall defense is their ability to rebound the ball where they are terrible on both sides of the ball. This is certainly a game where MSU might be able to get some things going on the glass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 15, 2022: Assistant Coach Thomas Kelley joined the Michigan State staff this June after Dwayne Stephens left to take over the Western Michigan program. Kelley played for MSU from 1994-1999 under both Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo. After playing professionally in Europe for 15 seasons he returned to East Lansing to take a graduate assistant position in 2016. Although Kelley never played in the NBA, he has years of experience playing as a professional where the pressures were different than in the United States. Aside from the differences in rules, experiencing the fans was totally unique where he tells stories of playing with stands full of lit fireworks and the need for plexiglass to protect the opposing players. He feels that many of the lessons he learned about being a pro translate into things he can bring as a coach with young players today. We also discuss what it was like coaching on the aircraft carrier, the things most important for the team in this light stretch of games before January, and why being a player led team is so important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 10, 2022: Brown came calling to East Lansing to serve as the book end to MSU's brutal November schedule where they traveled over 10,000 miles and played 11 games with very little rest in between. Fortunately for the Spartans, the Brown Bears didn't have a ton of rest (like most of their previous opponents) and were able to prevent the Ivy team from getting anything going offensively the entire game. Brown came into the game averaging about half their shots from behind the 3 point arc but managed a third of their shots for 3 and hit only 20% of them. The Bears also came into the game as the top defensive rebounding team in the country at only 18.9% but surrendered nearly 33% of MSU's misses on the boards as the Spartans showed a little vintage play tonight. Also of note was that AJ Hoggard played another great game and Joey Hauser led the team in scoring with 22 points and personally surpassed 1000 career points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 8, 2022: Michigan State returns home after a successful trip to Happy Valley with a quick turnaround again but this time their opponent won't have a rest advantage. The Brown Bears of the Ivy League visit on Saturday coming off a tight one point win over in-state rival, Rhode Island and carry a five game winning streak into the Breslin. Led by MSU assistant coach Doug Wojcik's son, Paxson, the Brown Bears will look to pull off an upset over the Spartans. Despite MSU being a 16 point favorite, there is a lot for the Spartans to work on in this game. They will need to carry over their solid defense and improved play from AJ Hoggard to win this game in a comfortable fashion. But rest assured, MSU will be tested by a Brown team that can score from behind the arc and leads the nation in defensive rebounding allowing only an 18.9% offensive rebounding percentage from opponents. Mercifully, after this game MSU will have 11 days rest before their next game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 7, 2022: Michigan State got the game it needed from AJ Hoggard as he led the Spartans to a 67-58 win over Penn State in Happy Valley. Hoggard led the team in scoring with 23 points and 6 rebounds on 6-6 clutch free throw shooting and 1-2 from 3. Joey Hauser chipped in with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Most impressive with the Spartans' defensive effort was limiting Penn State to only 9 three point attempts in the second half after giving up 7-18 shooting in the first. By the end of the second half, the Nittany Lions were left to try and catch up to MSU by going inside and away from their game. In addition to recapping the game, coach Garland gave us some insight into whether MSU has made a strategic decision to de-emphasize offensive rebounding, how to improve shooting, and why the team wasn't as successful beating Michigan until they stopped focusing so much on the one game. Also, you still have a few days left to order t-shirts before the order goes out on December 9. To order, go to https://www.tffinots.com/merchandise to see the shirt and order yours today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 5, 2022: Michigan State heads into Happy Valley to take on the Penn St. Nittany Lions in their second Big Ten matchup of the season. Penn State is 6-2 going into this Big ten opener for them despite being a team without a lot of size. The Nittany Lions have relied heavily on the 3 point shot with over half their field goal attempts coming from behind the arc. The Spartans will again be without Malik Hall but fortunately, Jaden Akins seems to be ready to go. Can the Spartans match the fierce energy Penn State has been bringing this season and contain their outside shooting? MSU really struggled against Northwestern off ball screen and they will likely be tested again with this guard heavy team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 4, 2022: Michigan State for the second straight year drops a game at home to the Northwestern Wildcats. This time it is the season opener and came at the hands of an inability to stop the 'Cats on defense. Northwestern shot 21-24 from the free throw line to hang on and defeat the Spartans. One positive note was the return of Jaden Akins from injury who got to start the game but was clearly limited at times with his conditioning. AJ Hoggard came off the bench and played one of his better games but it wasn't enough as the Northwestern guards of Boo Bouie and Chase Audige proved too much for MSU's perimeter defense. Next up for Michigan State is a date on Wednesday at State College against Penn State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

December 2, 2022: Michigan State prepares for its Big Ten opener against the Northwestern Wildcats at the Breslin Center Sunday night. After going 5-3 in the extremely difficult early non-conference stretch versus high level competition (and down two of their best players) MSU will attempt to begin its assault on another Big Ten title for Tom Izzo. The Wildcats come in struggling on offense ranked #174 in KenPom but survive on the defensive side of the ball by mucking things up. They rank first in 2-point defense and #25 overall with a strategy of clearly keeping games low scoring. MSU will try to move the ball in transition and crash the offensive boards. This also might be one of the rare games where they have a turnover advantage over another team (when is the last season we said that?) Expectations are that Jaden Akins will suit up and play some minutes while Malik Hall rests his foot for another week or two. Of some interest is the probable addition of Keon Coleman to the team once again and discussion that he might play a bigger role than we anticipated. This is somewhat helped by the injuries and the fact that he will have about an extra month with the team this season since the football team didn't make a bowl game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 30, 2022: Perhaps it was inevitable that MSU would run into a team that got hot while their legs were out of juice. After playing 3 games in four days in Portland, OR the return late on Monday allowed for little rest before traveling to Notre Dame. The stretch of non-conference games that looked so daunting before the season began proved that way tonight especially as the Spartans were down two of their best players - Malik Hall and Jaden Akins. Notre Dame began the game with a blistering shooting performance in the first half leading to a 24 point lead which MSU was only able to cut to 18 by half time. Although, AJ Hoggard tried to bring the Spartans back in the second half the team just didn't have enough in the tank to make it close and fell to Notre Dame 70-52. They will now head back to East Lansing to prepare for the start of the Big Ten season against Northwestern on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 28, 2022: It was announced today (November 28) that ESPN is canceling the Big10/ACC Challenge going forward and this will be its last year. The conference challenge will be replaced by the SEC/ACC challenge next year and we suspect we will see some iteration of the Big10/Big12 challenge as its replacement. Anyway, Michigan State will head into South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in an interesting matchup. Notre Dame is 5-1 but has looked shaky and not very dominant despite playing lesser competition. They are led by 4 fifth year starters and an athletic heralded freshman in JJ Starling. Per usual, Notre Dame is a good offense ranking #28 in KenPom with decent shooting and turnover percentage. However, they are an unmitigated disaster on defense ranking #168 in overall defense where the only bright spot is good defensive rebounding. It appears that the Spartans will be without Jaden Akins again as well as Malik Hall who still has a few weeks left to recover from the stress reaction in his foot. Expect to see MSU try to get out and run and build upon their shooting success against a poor defensive team. We wouldn't expect a lot of offensive rebounding against Notre Dame but perhaps they haven't yet been challenged by a team like MSU. Finally, if Michigan State gets a lead, will they be able to hold it without any late game heroics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 27, 2022: Michigan State faced the University of Portland on their home court in the fifth place game of the PK 85 tournament. It was a tale of three games as Portland dominated the first half with a barrage of 3 pointers (9-19) to take an 8 point lead into halftime (42-34). But the Spartans came back and on the backs of great shooting, solid defense, and tough rebounding took a commanding 12 point lead with a few minutes to go. But that's where this game unfortunately got very interesting as the 12 point lead was cut to one with 40 seconds left to play. The lead implosion happened on the back of 3 turnovers and multiple 3 pointers from the Pilots in front of their own fans. Thanks to some great defense by MSU on the last possession they survived the Portland, OR trip down two men with a 2-1 record as they prepare for the ACC/Big10 Challenge in South Bend against Notre Dame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 26, 2022: A depleted Michigan State team beat an even more depleted Oregon team 74-70 to qualify for the fifth place game against a surging WCC Portland team. MSU played a more complete game against the Ducks and looked connected offensively for the first time after losing both Malik Hall and Jaden Akins to injury. Michigan State played better and looks to continue their semi-surprising run in the non-conference in the PK 85 and then a visit to South Bend in the ACC/Big10 Challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 25, 2022: Prior to leaving for Portland, OR for the tipoff of the PK85 against Alabama, Michigan State suffered two huge losses to injuries - Malik Hall, and Jaden Akins. Akins was sidelined after the Villanova game where he sustained a new injury to his previously injured foot that is not deemed serious but will be rested for a few games. Unfortunately, Malik Hall had a non-operative stress reaction injury to his foot in practice on Monday which will keep him out of action for about 3 weeks. Despite those key losses in personnel, the Spartans battled hard and managed to compete with Alabama in the first half mostly due to the scoring from Tyson Walker. However, the second half saw a few more shots miss for MSU and Alabama got a little hot from 3 allowing them to pull away. Freshman Brandon Miller led the way for the Crimson Tide with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Bright spots to the game included the extended minutes to freshmen Jaxon Kohler, Tre Hollomam, and Carson Cooper who all showed signs of progression from the start of the season. Pierre Brooks played 33 minutes and showed some signs of great play logging 9 rebounds with 4 offensive but also looked lost on defensive assignments against a team that was prepared to punish defensive lapses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 21, 2022: Michigan State opens up the PK85 holiday tournament in Portland, Oregon on Thanksgiving against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Coached by Nate Oats, Alabama plays a unique type of basketball emphasizing the 3 point shot and layups and dunks. It is predicated on analytics that show it best to shoot 3s and take only high percentage two point shots to maximize your scoring on offense. Alabama comes in 4-0 but not pushed by any teams yet this year with their only close contest a ten point win over South Alabama. Can MSU contain Alabama's shot outside the arc? Can they slow down the number one team in the country in offensive rebounding? Also, will 'Bama's horrendous ball security (#316 in turnover %) be their undoing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 19, 2022: The Spartans held on to defeat the Villanova Wildcats 73-71 at the Breslin on a snowy night in East Lansing. After being up 16 with less than 8 minutes to play, Villanova almost came all the way back using key turnovers and opportunistic 3s and free throws to catch up and beat MSU. Fortunately, Tyson Walker was there in the clutch to prevent Michigan State from losing this game as he hit big shot after big shot to keep just enough separation for the win. Mady Sissoko came back down to earth as he was challenged by Villanova's center, Eric Dixon, who scored 24 points playing differently from the previous two matchups that Mady had earlier. Overall, a good quality win for State as they prepare to head out west to the PK85 tournament where they will open up against Alabama. We close the show with a brief discussion about the Big Ten and its non-conference performance which might suggest the league is a little better than anyone thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 16, 2022: Michigan State welcomes in perennial power, Villanova, to the Breslin as part of the Gavitt Games this Friday. The Spartans are coming off an exciting win in double OT against #4 Kentucky while the Wildcats are struggling off to a 2-1 start defeating LaSalle and Delaware St and a loss to a weak Temple team. Legendary coach Jay Wright retired over the off season and leaves former assistant coach, Ken Neptune a program that has won a couple national championships and 7 of the last 8 Big East conference titles. Unfortunately, Neptune will be without at least one and maybe both of his best players due to injury. Can MSU continue its winning ways and intensity or will they have a letdown after that emotional win in the Champions Classic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 15, 2022: Michigan State traveled to Indianapolis to take on #4 Kentucky (#1 in KenPom) in the Champions Classic as an 8 to 10 point underdog and comes away with a gritty win against Oscar Tshiebwe and a collection of great Wildcat athletes. Led by Joey Hauser's 23 points and 8 rebounds with 4-7 3 point shooting, the Spartans out-toughed Kentucky on the boards 45-38 and forced two overtimes on Malik Hall dunks at the end of regulation. Mady Sissoko again had a strong showing with 16 points and 8 rebounds and generally held his own against the reigning national player of the year, Tshiebwe. Sissoko actually managed to play the end of regulation and then both overtime sessions with 4 fouls while Tshiebwe fouled out putting the Wildcats immediately on their heels. Sissoko was dominant inside and Kentucky couldn't match his fierce play down the stretch without their all-everything player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 13, 2022: The high profile games keep coming for MSU as they meet #4 Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, November 15. Kentucky enters the game ranked #1 in Ken Pom and an 8 point favorite. Kentucky returns last year's national player of the year, Oscar Tshibwe who is coming off a recent knee injury and is listed as questionable for the game. Can the Spartans carry over the intensity and grit they showed in their game against Gonzaga? Can Mady Sissoko manage to hold his own again inside against another elite big man? Finally, will we see MSU's outside shooting come to life now that they are playing in a more traditional indoor environment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 12, 2022: MSU played its second game on an aircraft carrier against #2 Gonzaga on Veteran's Day and almost pulled off the upset. National player of the year candidate, Drew Timme, led the Zags down the stretch with 22 points and 13 rebounds as just a little more than the Spartans could handle. Despite being up by 12 in the second half, Gonzaga went on a run with improved defense and putting Mady Sissoko and Joey Hauser in foul trouble allowing them to exploit the paint and the boards. Despite the loss, positive developments for MSU abounded as we saw how Mady Sissoko may actually be an upgrade over what MSU had at the center position last year. He led the team in scoring with 14 in a game where shooting was a challenge due to the weird conditions on the deck of the aircraft carrier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 9, 2022: After dispatching its season opening opponent, Northern Arizona, Michigan State begins its non-conference gauntlet with the #2 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. The game will be the second time MSU has played on an aircraft carrier on Veteran's Day, the first being against North Carolina when Obama was president. Aside from the unusual playing conditions, the Spartans will be tested by a prolific offense and national player of the year candidate, Drew Timme. We will very quickly see if Tom Izzo's decision to go with Sissoko and Kohler at the center position was a wise decision or one that may cost them dearly. Interestingly, Gonzaga's guards struggled against the backcourt of Tennessee during their televised exhibition game and may be where MSU tries to attack this team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 7, 2022: Michigan State opened its season against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks from the Big Sky conference with a final score of 73-55. Led by senior Joey Hauser who scored a double double with 18 pts on 6-12 shooting (4-8 from 3) and 10 rebounds the Spartans controlled the game from start to finish. Other performances of note was Pierre Brooks with 14 points on 4-7 3 pt shooting in 17 minutes and Jaxon Kohler with 6 points and 9 rebounds in 16 minutes of play. Defensively, the Spartans held NAU to 32% shooting and 27% from behind the line and outrebounded them 46-37. Not an overwhelming performance considering that this is one of the poorer teams they will face this year. Encouraging signs though from Tyson Walker who was aggressively hunting for his shot even though they weren't falling and being an absolute terror defensively on NAU's guards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 5, 2022: The season opener is here as Michigan State hosts the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks from the Big Sky conference. Last year, NAU was 9-23 overall and 5-15 for a last place finish in conference play. They finished ranked 340 in KenPom where they didn't do anything very well on either side of the ball. Michigan State will look to get things set right before the gauntlet of games against multiple top 25 teams beginning on Friday against Gonzaga. There is some intrigue with this game whether Akins plays, can MSU return to its roots and rebound better, and will this be an opportunity for Steven Izzo to record his first collegiate points? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

November 2, 2022: Michigan State won the exhibition game over division 2 Grand Valley State University at the Breslin Center 73-56. It was a game where the Spartans trailed at half time 31-36 after a less than impressive defensive and rebounding performance. The second half was a vast improvement as MSU held GVSU to 27% shooting. Most important, however, was that MSU looks to be in decent shape at the 5 with the play of a massively improved Mady Sissoko and intriguing play from Kohler and Cooper. Also of note was AJ Hoggard going 2-2 from 3 and combined with Walker for 10 steals in the game. The team looks like it will be a beast defensively at the guard position especially since we still haven't seen what they will be like with Akins, arguably the best athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 31, 2022: The season has finally arrived (sort of) as Michigan State hosts the Grand Valley State Lakers to the Breslin Center on Tuesday, November 1. GVSU is a D-II school who has played MSU in the past and is coming off an exhibition loss to Eastern Michigan a few days ago in Ypsilanti. This will be our first chance to see how MSU looks in the middle with Sissoko, Kohler, and maybe Cooper taking turns. Other questions will be how is the defensive rebounding and what will the combo of Hall and Hauser look like with Hall playing the wing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 27, 2022: We sat down with Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal and Couch and the Rube Podcast to get his thoughts on MSU's upcoming season and a host of other NCAA basketball issues. We talked about the potentially larger than expected role of Carson Cooper, whether Mady Sissoko can hang at the 5 spot, and what it will take for MSU to make a deep run in March or flame out and miss the tourney entirely. Additionally, Graham gave his thoughts on how recruiting has changed and whether Izzo is changing his philosophy in the face of a general lack of talent in Michigan and the presence of easy transfers and NIL. Finally, we touched briefly on what might happen to the NCAA tournament if it expands and how Couch thinks it would be ok so long as they make certain provisions in expanding the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 25, 2022: MSU held a scrimmage in Knoxville, TN with the top rated Tennessee Volunteers this past weekend where we have only limited images and information. Reports coming out say that MSU held their own despite the absence of Jaden Akins although how the coaches approached the scrimmage may have been very unorthodox. Rod and Eric then discuss how recruiting has changed over the past few years for Izzo and all coaches. They then delve into MSU's offers in the 2024 and 2025 classes and who they are after. Also, we provide some idea on what their prospects are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 17, 2022: Our final Big Ten Preview installment is the most important - the Michigan State Spartans. We finished our annual preseason deep dive on each player, things to watch, and predictions for the year. Exiting this year are Gabe Brown, Marcus Bingham, Max Christie, and Julius Marble. New players are freshmen Jaxon Kohler, Tre Holloman, Carson Cooper and grad transfer Jason Whitens (who was on the team last year but tore his ACL in the exhibition opener against Ferris State.) Last year, the Spartans were fantastic shooting the 3 but uncharacteristically struggled to rebound the basketball and defend in the post. That contributed to their #42 overall KenPom ranking as they had one of the worst defensive rankings for an MSU team since 2006. Unfortunately, a lot of areas in which MSU needed improved play just didn't materialize last year. The team just didn't seem to gel and figure out their roles until perhaps the last two weeks of the year - just in time for the Big Ten tournament and NCAA tourney. The most obvious question this year is what will happen at the 5 spot with the departures of Bingham and Marble. The spartans will have to rely on foul-prone Mady Sissoko and a pair of true freshmen in Kohler and Cooper to try and get by. If that spot struggles, it might be a very long year our guys as the Big Ten still have a lot of teams with good centers. The other big question is can players like Akins and Brooks elevate their game and become big time contributors. Rod and Eric take the deep dive to prepare yourself for the season to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 13, 2022: Nothing better sums up the coming Big Ten season than Rod saying that he has Indiana as his number one team but doesn't think they will win the league. It's because there is massive turnover in rosters this year partly due to the transfer rule and partly due to a lot of high profile players leaving for the NBA draft. Can second year coach Rod Woodson continue the late season roll that the Hoosiers created? Or will they continue to look a little bit like a team without a strong identity? Perhaps the suspensions and eventual firing of assistant coach, Dane Fife, is a sign of cultural problems within the program. Whatever the answers may be, it looks like we're in for one interesting year in the Big Ten where anything is possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 10, 2022: Chris Holtman was a successful head coach at Butler before becoming the leader at Ohio State. yet, despite being loaded with talent one could say that his tenure with the Buckeyes has been disappointing. Thad Motta showed what was possible at Ohio State with great recruiting classes, and perennially challenging for Big Ten titles and deep NCAA tourney runs. Surprisingly, Ohio State was a very subpar defensive team last year negating the great offensive play they got from EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham. At some point you have to wonder if the less than spectacular results lead to a hot seat for coach Holtman. But for now, Ohio State will have to turn over most of their roster and rely on transfers and freshman to compete for a Big Ten title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 6, 2022: After an impressive year finishing first and 15-5 in the Big Ten, Illinois followed that up with a first round exit in the Big Ten Tournament and then second round exit in the NCAA tournament. Now, head coach Brad Underwood will attempt to pick up the pieces for a disappointing postseason with an almost entirely new team. Only four scholarship players return to this years team with only one playing significant minutes on last year's roster. Illinois will be relying on transfers and freshman to compete this year. Rod also goes into detail about what he REALLY thinks about Andre Curbelo and whether he believes Underwood is really the man to move Illinois up to the next level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 3, 2022: If you look at preseason expectations last year, Michigan massively underperformed in Big Ten play. From erratic point guard play to terrible 3 point shooting, only dominant offensive play by Hunter Dickinson kept Michigan competitive last season. Coach Juwan Howard managed to right the ship late to sneak the wolverines into the NCAA tournament where they had a nice run to the sweet 16. However, off court shenanigans once again found their way into the season. Juwan Howard got suspended after getting in a heated argument in Madison for an altercation with a Wisconsin coach. There was also the very strange situation where UM canceled the home game against the Spartans right before tip when they 'discovered' they had too many players out with COVID. The game was later rescheduled (along with a few others) crammed into the busy schedule which Michigan won. This year, many of the players the helped the Wolverines go are no longer on the team and they will be relying again on a transfer point guard. Like most of the teams we've discussed, there are questions galore and how Michigan answers them will determine their final position in the Big Ten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 29, 2022: Last year the Purdue Boilermakers were everyone's pick to steamroll through the Big Ten especially after their perfect non-conference start. They had the #2 offense in the country, a generational talent in Jaden Ivey, and a coach who had proven to be solid defensively. However, the cracks to the Boilermaker facade showed up early with the surprise upset to Rutgers early in the Big Ten schedule. The cracks in the foundation of a great team were exposed - and never corrected. The loss to St. Peter's in the NCAA tournament left Purdue fans wondering how this juggernaut got derailed so easily despite everything they had in their favor. But the defensive liability proved to be too much to overcome and now they are left without all that firepower. Through departures the question remains whether others can step up and keep Purdue in the mix for another NCAA tournament berth or perhaps a Big Ten championship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 26, 2022: We are approaching the midpoint of our Big Ten Previews with number 7 Iowa. Iowa surprised the league last year mostly on the back of emergent superstar, Keegan Murray. Murray went from a relatively unknown bench player on the previous Hawkeye team to the number 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. With his departure and that of Jordan Bohannon, will Iowa have enough in the tank to compete for a title? Can Kris Murray, twin brother to Keegan, fill in for his brother and provide the Hawks a scoring punch? Rod and Eric discuss the fate of the Hawkeyes and what they think of this year's team. Iowa is Eric's second favorite team and Rod's second LEAST favorite adding to the discussion. Eric also pranks Rod on the air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 22, 2022: Aside from the emergence of first round pick Johnny Davis for Wisconsin was their ability to win close games. Many of those games were won at the free throw line - their opponents which constituted an above average amount of luck. Certainly, the Badgers were able to close out games but despite their abysmal offensive stats (#63 in KenPom) with atrocious shooting (#310 in 3 pt% and #215 in 2 pt%) they managed to score just enough to win a lot of Big Ten conference games. However, Davis is gone as is long time starter, Brad Davison. The Badgers will be relying on an untested twin brother, Jordan Davis, and a number of transfers and bench players to fill in for their personnel losses. Rod and Eric discuss this Wisconsin team and what France thought of Badger basketball this summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 19, 2022: What Steve Pikiell has accomplished at Rutgers since taking over has been impressive. He has taken a team that was the doormat in the Big East and then Big Ten and made them a real pest. Pikiell created a culture toughness which turned them into the team that they are today - a perennial borderline NCAA tournament team. But the questions abound in New Jersey as transfers and a questionable recruitment class add to the uncertainty about not only where this team is - but where it is going. Will Rutgers challenge for the conference title, or will it remain stuck in the middle of the pack? Rod and Eric discuss this year's Rutgers squad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 15, 2022: Penn State found itself with a coaching change last year as long time coach Pat Chambers was shown the door after a fairly lackluster record for Nittany Lions and allegations of player abuse. New coach Micah Shrewsberry scrambled to put together a team as many members decided to depart with the coaching change. He managed to keep a few and produce a nucleus to leave a partially competitive team. Unfortunately for Shrewsberry, the Big Ten was extremely competitive last year making it very hard for his depleted squad to rack up many wins. However, it seems the winds are changing and there is an inkling that something may be building in Happy Valley. Decent recruiting classes and an identity of toughness that emerged last season should give the dozen or so Nittany Lion fans hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 12, 2022: Last year was a strange one for Maryland as their coach for over a decade, Mark Turgeon, abruptly resigned after only 8 games into the season. He was replaced by interim coach Danny Manning who provided only a lackluster finish for the season with the Terps finishing 7-13 in the Big Ten. In a story repeated more often nowadays, there have been a lot of departures from Maryland as well as incoming transfers to try and shore up the program. It appears that Willard has been able to make a little headway in recruiting for the 2023 season but he will have problems this season cobbling together a team to be competitive in the Big Ten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.