Spartans NCAA reign is over

By: Conor O'Brien

A program rich in history and tradition, a program that has grown accustomed to dancing in the latter weeks of March and even the early stages of April is destined for the N.I.T.

Michigan State has reached the final four an astounding six of the last 12 seasons, led by the fiery passion of their coach Tom Izzo and their usual array of McDonalds All Americas, but this years team has seemingly quit. There is no other logical explanation. The team, which brought back most of the talent that catapulted the Spartans to their second consecutive final four appearance in 2010, is lacking the heart and desire needed to win games.

Sure, MSU is clearly not as talented as their preseason #2 ranking suggested, but their roster is loaded with supremely skilled players such as Durrell Summers and Draymond Green. Kalin Lucas’s 2010 acl injury has encumbered his abilities. He is clearly not the same player that won Big Ten Player of the Year in 2009 and led the Spartans to a national championship game appearance. But this team, even with the dismissals of guards Chris Allen and Korey Lucious, should be no less than an eight seed in the NCAA tournament.

This is not a foreign concept. We’ve seen talented teams quit in every sport and at every level. Look at the 2010 Dallas Cowboys or watch the Kentucky Wildcats loss to West Virginia in the 2010 Elite Eight. But the catalysts to these downfalls were detected much easier. Whether it was an incompetent coach that had lost his team or an immature group of freshmen that were eager to sign their first NBA contract, explanations existed.

But this Michigan State plays for one of the most prideful coaches in the nation. Last year, North Carolina had a surprisingly disappointing season under one of the nation’s best in Roy Williams, but that team didn’t have this type of talent.

For whatever reason, MSU’s season has spiraled downward to new lows as Izzo suffers through the most excruciating season of his career. Losing to Michigan in East Lansing was surprising, but being trounced by more than 20 points in Iowa City was shocking. Izzo called it the worst loss of his career.

Even then, their strength of schedule and record was and still is respectable enough to rationalize a tournament bid if they can produce a late-season resurgence. Conventional wisdom said this team would not quit on Izzo and perform admirably in a bounce-back game at one of the toughest places to play in the country, the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. But that was wishful thinking for Spartan fans as they completely laid down and let a well-oiled Wisconsin squad torch them this past Sunday. This game exposed the Spartan’s lack of discipline and passion. Michigan State has more talented players, but both teams are polar opposites at this juncture in the season.

You would think this Michigan State roster plays for too prideful of a coach and too good of a program to continue to suffer what have become tantalizingly painful defeats at the hands of inferior talented teams. Penn State comes to town Thursday and another opportunity to kick-start a late season surge presents itself.

Will the traditionally bad, cellar-dweller of the Big Ten eliminate any hopes of the Spartans dancing? Probably, but we’ll see Thursday.