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Jeff Mayes, left, Bob Traxler, foreground, and Tom Hickner breathlessly watch the Spartan debacle on television.

Unexpected Spartan Run in NCAA Tournament Still Leaves Fans Gasping

So What Was the Difference? the Refs? Ghost of the Hoosiers? Serendipity?

April 4, 2010       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Nobody expected the Michigan State University basketball team to get to the Final Four two years in a row.

So, the amazing, nail-biting, hair-pulling run was a bonus on the 2009-2010 season for avid Spartan fans.

A die hard group gathered at the Saginaw Bay Yacht Club to watch the Green dismantle Butler in preparation for another NCAA crown over either Duke or West Virginia.

The Spartans were, like, wow, gosh, unbeatable in close games at the end -- at least against New Mexico State, Northern Iowa, Maryland and Tennessee. A total of 13 points spelled the difference, with the seven point spread against Northern Iowa the largest and the one point skinning of Tennessee the smallest.

Despite 24 wins in a row tiny Horizon Conference (what's that?) Butler would surely fall to the old Green Magic.

Butler couldn't make a basket in the last 12 minutes of the game, but the scrappy Bulldogs got the benefit of a few calls by the referees that could easily have gone the other way.

Tom Izzo, ever gracious and diplomatic, barely complained, even though he said offhandedly in a post-game interview he was "ticked off."

The crowd at the Yacht Club included Michigan graduates and fans Jeff Mayes and Eric Zimostrad, both wearing green to show support for their friends Bob Traxler, former MSU trustee, and Tom Hickner, both graduates of the East Lansing school.

Traxler recalled he had been on hand, as a MSU trustee, for the 1999 championship game with Mateen Cleaves of Flint and the Flintstones leading the way.

MSU had it going on defense; the Bulldogs made just 30.6 percent of their shots (35.7 percent) and was 5 of 21 from beyond the arc.

The Spartans hit only 42.9 percent and 4 of 11 beyond the arc. At one point, MSU held Butler without a field goal for more than 12 minutes.

The Spartans turned over the ball on more than one of every four possession hit just 10 of 18 free throws, no doubt leaving free-throw conscious Izzo sputtering. They attempted only 42 shots, tied for third least in Final Four history.

They also became the fifth team that failed to top 60 points vs. Butler during the tournament.

Sports pundits are all over the comparisons to the Hoosiers, the Milan High School 1954 Indiana state championship, comparing scores like 32-30 from '54 to 52-50 for Butler vs. MSU.

None of the above!

When you get right down to it, in sports its always the same factor that prevails -- which team wants to win the most.

The Spartans thought they would transport themselves into the finals magically, winning on a Korie Lucious three-pointer or a Draymond Green dunk in the last few seconds.

After all, it had happened several times this tournament, hadn't it?

When I saw the promo ad the MSU team made for the tourney I knew they were overconfident, and vulnerable. "We're going all the way this time!" they shouted in unison.

It's not that such claims make them think it will be easy, it's that it gives the other team added motivation to take them down. And, in a close game, that's all that is needed.

Dukies, watch out!



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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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