MSU ROLLS: Derrick Nix and the HOT LICKS

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Spartans, What is your profession???!!!! And the Big Green Machine just keeps ROLLING right along...

What a beautiful game by the Michigan State interior, particularly Nix, Payne, and Dawson.   This trio DESTROYED Memphis with its athleticism and just flat out great play.  This MSU Spartan team passes the eye test as a great team to watch, doing all the little things right.  Nix, Payne, and Dawson combined for – get this –  24 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 steals, and 6 blocks.  Combined shooting from the three was 12 of 26, a respectable 46%, but it was the dominance on the glass that made the difference.

For any who questions the Spartan dominance in the second half, just look at the box score: the Spartans scored TWICE as many points as Memphis in the second half: 38 to 19. Ouch. 

Read this lovely pin-up by ESPN's Michael Rothstein.  Nice.

Nix, in all honesty, has turned into an absolute beast for Tom Izzo’s gameplan in this tourney. Derrick Nix, the guy who was fat and couldn’t hit a free throw, is the next edition of Izzo’s great reclamation projects.  This guy has grown into the most consistent, dominant force for Michigan State.  Every single time he touches the ball, and he WANTS IT EVERY SINGLE TIME the Spartans are on the offensive end of the floor, he either takes a great shot or finds the guy to take the shot.  But, even more importantly, on defense, Nix can’t be moved.  He is an absolute brick wall of a defense.  It brings tears to mine eyes. 

Third man of the game?  Give Denzel Valentine some credit, he had a pretty good game and he seemed up to the task for most of the game, weaving in and around the Tiger defense all game long, with excellent ball handling and dishing for points.  Valentine finished with 9 pts, 6 rebs, 6 assists, and ZERO turnovers. 

Turning point:  the blow up on the MSU sideline. Nix and Appling were jawing at each other, and Dawson was brokering the concern.  Wow.  For us watching on tv, Nix was showing more concern and “give-a-shit” at that one moment than he did most of his career.  After that sideline demonstration, MSU exploded and crushed Memphis.  The intensity on defense was stifling. 

The Dukies or the Blue Jays better watch out. Here comes a Big Mean Green!

Michigan State wins Big Ten Title by EMBARASSING MICHIGAN

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS AGAIN!

Yes, we KICKED THEIR ARSE. Michigan State brought Michigan to the woodshed tonight, giving them an old-fashioned butt-whipping in a not-as-close-as-the-score-indicates, 64-48 whipping. Everyone played well except for Korie Lucious. And Nix, Morgan, Roe and Green were dominant in the paint. Matter of fact, both Nix and Morgan played their best games of the year, particularly defensively. Nix completely shut down Sims time and time again. It brought a tear to the ES' eye, his dominance defensively.

Great post game ceremony afterwards raising the banner.... photos below but lots of photos on the ES' Flickr site - just click on the photos in the right column, scroll down...

Controlling Destiny: Go Buckeyes!

All you Spartan fans out there, join the ES in rooting for the Buckeyes over the Boilers tonight. MSU leads the Big Ten with two games in hand over Purdue, and one game over Ohio State. But, Michigan State plays its only game of the season vs Ohio State at home on Sunday, and then has a week to prepare for its stint at Purdue. Then, Sparty mops up the rest of the season at home with lowly JoePa and the Yellow Bellies.

After Purdue and MSU, the Buckeyes travel to JoePa, play scUM and Illini at home. Purdon't? after Ohio State, they have home games vs Illini, MSU and Indiana. They travel to Joe Pa and Minny. Purdon't has the toughest schedule remaining.

Make no mistake: with OSU beating Purdue puts distance between MSU and the Boilers. If we beat OSU and finish 2-1, we'd still grab a share of the title. If we lose at home to OSU, then the win at Purdue becomes a must for a share.

Control your destiny, take care of business at home FIRST. GO BUCKEYES! By the way, Ohio State is favored by 3 at home....

Enlightened Spartan college football championship weekend picks

Football Championship Weekend and the ES makes his picks (bold).

• Big Least: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (-1). Take the Wannstashe.
• SEC: Florida (-5) at Alabama. There's just more Gators than Tide.
• Big 12: Texas (-14) at Nebraska. Too much Horns.
• Conf USA: Houston (-2) at East Carolina. Houston is ranked for Godsakes.
• ACC: Georgia Tech (pick) vs Clemson. Take that funky Yellow Jacket offense anytime in the ACC - its the closest thing to the wishbone in college football.
  

Bowl Selection on Sunday, December 6 at 8 pm EST, on Fox with the Spartans fate. Alamo Bowl is considering the recent MSU football suspensions in its evaluation of MSU or Minny to San Antonio. Well, the Alamo Bowl should reevaluate MSU - bunch of selfish dumb idiots who ruin it for the rest of their team... maybe if Alamo doesn't select MSU particularly because of the incident, then the players should vote to kick their colleagues off the team.