Spartans Tame the Beast

Durrell Summers' all-time highlight-reel dunk was the punctuation mark on Michigan State's semifinal victory over favored Connecticut.

Here's a question to nibble on between games: Where would Michigan State have finished in the Big East?

Remember the Big East? The monster conference of all-time? The beast? The 16-team behemoth that grabbed three of the four No. 1 seeds in this tournament? That just 10 days ago had a chance to have four teams in the Final Four?

Well, the champions of the Big Ten have just taken out two of those No. 1 Big East seeds en route to the NCAA title game, in which they will play the winner of tonight's Villanova-North Carolina game Monday night. They've done it with grit and toughness and hard-core rebounding -- qualities we normally associate with the Big East but of which Michigan State has brought truckloads to this tournament.

Michigan State 82, UConn 73: Recap | Box Score

It's the Durrell Summers dunk that we'll all remember, and for good reason. It was nasty, loud, violent and history-making-ly awesome. Incredible that the ball went down. Incredible that Stanley Robinson's hand didn't break off between ball and rim (because Robinson got a LOT of ball). Kind of incredible that no foul was called. But just a tough, dominant play -- the kind that tells your opponent and everybody watching that you and your team are not going to be outworked or out-toughed.

Michigan State is scary tough. They have a tournament-tough coach who's got them all kneeling at the altar of the almighty rebound. They don't make many shots, but when they miss they go and get that ball. They send at least four and often five to the glass on every shot, steadfast in the belief that rebounding is one of those aspects of the game subject not to the whims of fate but instead to the competitive determination of your players.

You can shoot too much, and you can pass too much, but you can't rebound too much. Teams like Michigan State and Pittsburgh, who believe this to their core and play as if it's gospel, are tough, mean and miserable to play against. It's no coincidence that three of Connecticut's five losses this year were to those two teams. The Huskie had more talent than the Spartans, and more depth. But they couldn't match them in toughness. So far in this tournament, no one has.

NCAA Tournament Action

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter

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Goran Suton, such a factor in the regional, was somewhat neutralized in this one. No matter. Raymar Morgan, neutralized for the past two months, came up with 18 points and eight rebounds. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year, went off for 21. Korie Lucious hit big shots. Draymond Green morphed, according to a frenzied Clark Kellogg, into a dancing bear.

And really, how can you game plan for a dancing bear?

By the end of the first half, the North Carolina fans at Ford Field had adopted the Spartans, perhaps believing it best for their own chances Monday if the Huskies went home. But assuming Carolina even makes it to Monday night (and they still may not), they should be careful what they wish for.

Monday will be a home game for a Michigan State team that just took out two of the top three teams from what we all thought was the greatest conference of all time. If it's Villanova they face, well, at least they've proven they can play with the Beasts of the East. And if it's North Carolina, sure, the Tar Heels will be favored. But they'd better be careful. The Roy Williams Carolina teams of recent years -- the teams of drifting focus and lax defense -- would be vulnerable to this never-let-up bunch of Spartans. Some say this Carolina team has tightened it up, and that it's playing defense better than it gets credit for. But they'd need to lock in for all 40 minutes to beat Izzo's bunch.

No matter who it is they face Monday, Michigan State is going to have a chance. They've already proven they can play with anybody.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-04-2009 @ 9:22PM

l8takeoff said...

It's the "Little East" and getting smaller by the minute..... Spartans over whoever Monday night....It's a Mowtown, knockdown for the green machine...