So, now just anybody can beat Michigan State?
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Yeah, takes SOME of the luster off. Nebraska has won 4 in a row. MSU has lost 3 in a row.
Got to like a year when Izzo gets hammered and d Bo takes his ball and goes home.
Got to like a year when Izzo gets hammered and d Bo takes his ball and goes home.
MSU beats Kansas, Prov., and Louisville and is under .500 in league play. Hmmmm.
I do think Iowa made them question themselves and took away some of their swagger and long term goals.
I do think Iowa made them question themselves and took away some of their swagger and long term goals.
Michigan State had a big home court advantage, Now the
aura and mystique has been shattered by Iowa and Nebraska
Teams will now go into the IZZO-Zone and not be afraid of
the Spartans. It is also looking that Valentine cannot carry
this team on his back..
aura and mystique has been shattered by Iowa and Nebraska
Teams will now go into the IZZO-Zone and not be afraid of
the Spartans. It is also looking that Valentine cannot carry
this team on his back..
I wonder if Izzo's father passing away right before they first lost to Iowa might be affecting his coaching more than is being let on. They've been 3-4 since that happened.
MSU is mid-teer B1G doormat. Got to believe it is soft defense and Brick laying from 3pt line.
Takes luster off our two MSU wins, elevates the Nebraska win.
Takes luster off our two MSU wins, elevates the Nebraska win.
The change in officiating is diminishing the advantage that MSU always had over most other teams. Izzo's guys don't know how to defend without using their hands. They also don't have a PG.
They're actually being forced to move their feet on D instead of holding/grabbing/murder
MSU usually isn't a killer until February/March. I expect they'll be fixed in a few weeks and rollin' into March. It is a little different this time, since they won their non-con games, but still, I trust they'll be there come March.
Just remember, Iowa stole their mojo with those 2 crushing defeats, hope they can't find it for the remainder of the season.....screw Izzo a that program, what goes around comes around.
To be fair I see a bunch of 20/20 hindsight comments that if I'd only read them a week ago I'd be really impressed.
Yup, we all know Michigan State, the undefeated nonconference big dogs who knocked off Kansas is losing games in the Big Ten, right now.
I'll wager they beat some pretty good conference opponents for us.
Yup, we all know Michigan State, the undefeated nonconference big dogs who knocked off Kansas is losing games in the Big Ten, right now.
I'll wager they beat some pretty good conference opponents for us.
This. But unlike previous years where they tried to do away with hand checking, etc only to let it come back as the year progressed. This year the refs may be doing what they are supposed to be doing, and getting rid of garbage ball.
I get that Michigan State gets better as March rolls around...but they have issues...Harris is inconsistent...Forbes is soft...the white point guard is limited defensively...and Davis doesn't move his feet in the post although he's athletic as hell. Izzo is right to play Davis more now, as hopefully he's better in a month. The potential is there. I think they just have more issues than past teams at MSU. They aren't elite that's for sure.
WOW much as I dislike MSU, I wanted them to keep winning to make Iowa look good but now MSU is surrendering to just anybody. Oh, well, I guess Iowa's road to a B1G championship just got a heck of a lot easier.
Since they need Valentine to create, perhaps they should just make him the PG starting with Forbes and Harris and bring Tum Tum off the bench.
MSU has serious talent and personnel issues. They essentially play 4 on 5 on offense regardless of the line-up, and conference teams are so much well scouted and game-planned for than non-conference. What Iowa actually did (rather than "steal their mojo") was reveal, to everyone, how limited MSU is on offense and how to exploit those systemic weaknesses. MSU will get better, but I suspect they wind up with 6 or 7 conference losses this year.
Iowa's RPI on CBS.com daily rankings dropped from 5 to 10 after MSU lost to Nebraska. RPI is a double edged sword kind of poll. Iowa did nothing different in the 1 day, but drops 5 spots because other teams lost. Some teams get better (like Iowa), and some teams lose their mojo/focus/toughness after a couple losses (MSU). Can't take the polls too seriously until the end of the season.
It just amazes me that one team that you have played loses a close game (albeit at home), and you drop big time. So I guess that Kansas losing by 20 at KSU should have dropped all teams that played them by 5 spots? . RPI is way too confusing.
It just amazes me that one team that you have played loses a close game (albeit at home), and you drop big time. So I guess that Kansas losing by 20 at KSU should have dropped all teams that played them by 5 spots? . RPI is way too confusing.
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That is why I dislike the RPI. YOU can drop or lose spots w/out even playing?? How fair is that? Also not to mention if you play the 331 RPI rated team, you get punished for it, but if you play a Div 2 school, nothing happens? Seems fair.
MSU is struggling and the one thing I am seeing is there is no leader on the floor. In years past they had Green, Trice, and others who would take the team over and settle them down. This year it seems like Valentine is trying to do that, but since he has come back from his injury its not happening. MSU shot something like 10-20 from the FT line last night. That's not gonna get it done in the Big Ten. Have to make your FT's when given the chance.
MSU is struggling and the one thing I am seeing is there is no leader on the floor. In years past they had Green, Trice, and others who would take the team over and settle them down. This year it seems like Valentine is trying to do that, but since he has come back from his injury its not happening. MSU shot something like 10-20 from the FT line last night. That's not gonna get it done in the Big Ten. Have to make your FT's when given the chance.
I think this is the biggest reason MSU has dropped 3 in a row. Izzo’s teams have always been able to get away with grabbing on defense. That said, it is still mid-January. There’s a lot of basketball to be played before the BT and the NCAA tournaments.
Forbes has been shooting bricks. Nairn can't shoot. That white PG looks like someone from Coral Ridge mall food court. Costello is playing like All B1G and Davis is certainly great athlete...not sure he has many scoring moves.
Valentine is really good also. Harris is great slasher.
I think last year's MSU team was better...Trice gave them consistent 3ball shooter. This year's team needs to learn how to play defense.
Doesn't take much off our wins at all. They will get it figured out soon. This isn't a bubble team. In just glad that they are now totally out of our way in getting a BT title since we have what amounts to a 5 game lead. If we win 15 conference games and show up to the BTT, we will get a 2 or 3 seed regardless of what MSU does. If we're a bubble team this hurts, but obviously we're not.
Keep an eye on Saturday's game when Michigan comes to Lincoln. Nebraska has played four solid games in a row since we beat them by 11 in Lincoln on 1/5.
That Nebraska game was in Iowa City. Iowa doesn't have to go to Lincoln this year.
While right now it seems like the victories over MSU aren't as good as we though just remember that when the committee is seeding the field of 68, here Iowa's resume to date:
Wins:
vs. #20 (neutral site) by 23 points
vs. #1 by 13 points
@ #14 by 7 points
@ #4 by 17 points
Losses:
vs Dayton (neutral site, RPI #11) by 5
vs #17 ND (neutral site) by 6
@ #4 ISU by 1
6 Top 50 RPI wins, 0 losses outside the RPI top 40
The system is always changing because it uses opponent's records and opponent's opponent's records. It's actually a pretty straightforward formula:
RPI = (win% x .25) + (opp% x .5) + (oppopp% x .25)
There are a couple tweaks beyond that. Results against the team being calculated are ignored. Also, the team's own win % is adjusted to factor home/road/neutral site. There's a full FAQ here: http://www.collegerpi.com/rpifaq.html
Since strength of schedule is 75% of the formula, teams can easily move up and down without playing. It is also blind to history, so it sees MSU only based on their record and SOS this year. It does not look forward, so Izzo's history of March surges means nothing. It also ignores margin of victory, injuries, travel distractions, weather, narrative, rivalry, coaching situation, game flow, off nights, on nights, star signs, and everything else that might influence an individual game. The RPI is really meant to measure the relative quality of team records at the conclusion of a given season. Looking at it with a major percentage of the conference season yet to go is dicey.
It may end up being that MSU's just not that great this year. Or that we inflicted some kind of psychological damage to them. Whatever. What's important is we've beaten them twice and are making a run to the top of the Big Ten standings. Given the history of these teams, it was important to us to get over that hump, whatever state they may be in. In short, just win, baby.
Plantar Fasciitis, like some modern day story of Achilles Heal, has brought down the mighty Michigan State Spartans. We beat them twice, and it is easy to say we took the wind out of their sails. But I think the truth is Tum Tum Nairn was more important to them than people realized. Two one point losses to teams they should have defeated. Ouch.
Let us not forget that Nebraska has now also won 3 straight vs.MSU and 2 at E. Lansing
Some teams just have the other teams number
Some teams just have the other teams number
Would be nice if Izzo and Sparty get their mojo back and knock off Maryland for us this weekend.
I sometimes think the same about hoping Maryland gets knocked off as well. But, when I see Izzo on the sidelines crying/whining/acting like a baby.........that makes me smile about as much as them beating Maryland. Try and make some of those faces he makes.
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