Michigan State hosts scUM. Stats on Eddie Hightower; pundits give edge to Spartans.

ES won't be dropping $95 for a nosebleed seat to watch this evening's matchup of #8 Spartans and Brenden Dawson beating up on the #5 Little Yellow Men from Venus... rather, I'm a gonna try and make it to either the Peanut Barrel or to the Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe to cover the game with some suds, and maybe Big Bob can make it?  Luckily it is a 9 pm game, which usually spells bed time for my youngest rugrat - so there's potential for a fun ride watching Michigan-Michigan State on the hardwood tonight.

Looks like the little yellow men are 1-1/2 point favorites, which is a complete joke.  The game tips off on ESPN, with Michigan-backer and Ann Arbor resident Mike Tirico unfortunately calling the play-by-play. 

PRAY FOR HIGHTOWER TO HIGHTAIL OUT OF MICHIGAN

I can't find out who the refs are for tonight's important matchup, dammit. Hopefully, Eddie Hightower isn't on the court: other than being BRUTAL and half-blind, according to StatSheet, in 2012-2013, Hightower he has been reffing games in which the ROAD TEAM has been the receipient of 2.3 more foul calls than the home team; but, this year shows an all-time low for him as a ref with number of fouls in a game, down to 35.8 per game (down from his all-time high of calling 43.4 per game in 2000-2001).  I guess there is some solace that he isn't as brutal as he was in the past (like putting perfume on a turd).

However, the Hightower standard deviation of home vs visiting team fouls is also amazing, which means the difference in each game from the average for the season.  A deviation of 4.5 for home teams is the second-highest of his career, and deviation of 3.3 for visiting teams is the lowest of his career... which means, if Eddie Hightower is reffing, he is more likely to vary wildly in his total calls against Michigan State than he is against Michigan.   [ES note: I can't believe someone has the time to calculate these stats, but thanks!]

NCAA Basketball Stats

NCAA Basketball Stats

NCAA Basketball

NCAA Basketball Stats

It looks like BTN's Dienhart is giving the Spartans the edge, as is SportsTracker/Freep. See ya at the pub!  GO BIG GREEN MACHINE!  Wipe the floor with Burke and his Boyz.

Eddie Hightower reffing MSU at Purdue

Oh Shit. We're doomed. Ed Hightower is reffing tonight's Michigan State at Purdue game.

God, I hate that dude.

10 warm thoughts about MSU beating Ohio State and earning a #1 seed in the tourney

Top 10 list of Michigan State's dominating victory over Ohio State to claim the B1G Ten title OUTRIGHT. This is in order, from the 10th best to the ultimate best:

10. Watching OSU's Sullinger sulk, after once again stymied to his best effort against MSU, just a 7-19 shooting (37%) and 9 rebounds stint. Thanks to the Spartan BIG trio of Green-Payne-Nix
9. Beating the Buckeyes two of the last three, both away from the Breslin Center.
8. Eddie Hightower wasn't on the court.
7. Tom Izzo's technical foul at the end of the first half, sending a signal for defensive intensity.
6. Draymond Green three-pointer with 1:36 remaining to DEFINE HIS PLACE as Big Ten Player of the Year
5. Derrick Nix jumper in the post over Sullinger with 5:17 left, just showing that Sullinger is no wise-guy and that Sullinger's sh*t still stinks.
4. Brandon Wood, 21 pts. Thank you Valpo.
3. MSU wins the B1G Ten outright, first title since 2000, when we won the national title.
2. Big Green gets #1 seed, first since 2000, when we won the national title.
1. Knowing in every single time MSU has earned a #5 seed or better since 1998, Michigan State has reached the Final Four 6 of 7 times (the other time, we made the Elite 8 in 2008 as a #5 seed).  NICE.