MSU @ Illinois Hoops on BTN - 7:30pm EST

Can't remember seeing that called before

6 turnovers in the last 8 possessions for MSU, the last 2 by seniors.

No TOs for Illinois is huge.

Tum with some rebounds down the stretch

Nairn rebounds it again.


56-51 MSU after the Trice FTs

Sink these and game is over.

Hit these 2 free throws and we win.

Ball game.

58-51 after the Valentine Fts, 20 seconds to go.

60-53 Final......that was a battle.

I can unclench my bowels now.

Big Ten network is a joke.

God this broadcast is terrible. There were a couple of points where the mix levels of the mics sounded awful, the announcing was bush league, and the post game interview has no volume.

I hope the rest of our games are on ESPN/CBS/Turner.

LooseGoose wrote:60-53 Final......that was a battle.

This was a good sign. Team did not shoot well, but D was good, they rebounded, and made clutch FTs. It was not long ago that playing anywhere outside of EL was going to be a problem.

Turtleneck wrote:

This was a good sign. Team did not shoot well, but D was good, they rebounded, and made clutch FTs. It was not long ago that playing anywhere outside of EL was going to be a problem.

I knew like the game at home that free throws would be key.

Refs were bad tonight, lots of weak fouls both ways. Glad we hit our free throws to make it a non-issue.

Anyone else like watching this team with Tum Tum starting at the point a lot more than what we had earlier this season?

Felt like we were tough to watch early on, so I avoided us, but in the games since Tum Tum has been starting...the style the team plays just seems a lot more like vintage MSU (like the style when we had Lucas at PG, although obviously Nairn isn't in Lucas' league), and is just easier to watch.

Anyone else have a similar feeling regarding this team?

Kind of curious

I like it most when Tum Tum is in. Our offense is best when we're pushing, as has long been the case.

I especially enjoyed Tum getting 2 critical late game rebounds, shows me he might have the knack for big plays in at crunch time.

No one mentioned Valentines dunk at the end of the game with time running out? I thought there was some type of statement in that play.

InTenSity wrote:No one mentioned Valentines dunk at the end of the game with time running out? I thought there was some type of statement in that play.

Like what? Putting the Big Ten on notice that we are back?

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Like what? Putting the Big Ten on notice that we are back?

Izzo's teams rarely will break like that when they are up by a lead that the other can't come back from. There was 15 or so seconds left with a 7-9 point lead, Valentine could have dribbled out the game, but went for the big dunk. I can't remember the last time that Izzo greenlit something like that, but he had to because I didn't see him tearing into Valentine at the end either.