The Final Four Is Not On The Schedule - A Michigan State Basketball Podcast.

March 21, 2023: Once again the Spartans find themselves on a little bit of a run in March. How far it goes is yet to be determined but their next obstacle are the Kansas State Wildcats. The Wildcats are the 3 seed and defeated Montana State and Kentucky to make their first trip to the second weekend since 2018 where they made it to the Elite 8 and lost to Loyola-Chicago. Kansas State, out of the tough Big 12, has made this run largely on the backs of its defense and two players: 5'8" PG Marquis Nowell and 6'6" Keyontae Johnson. The diminutive PG was spectacular against Kentucky and Johnson has been a steady three level threat at the 4 for the Wildcats all season. The main weakness of this team is defensive rebounding which MSU is well below average for a Tom Izzo team. The big questions for Michigan State is whether they will be able to find their range again from distance. Despite winning their first two tournament games, they have shot an abysmal 7-30 (23.3%) for 3 which is well below their season average. Obviously, they have to continue to play their best connected defense of the season but it is hard to imagine them continuing to advance without hitting their staple offensive juice from deep. Are you looking for Spartan gear? There's only one place to go to get your MSU T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts — Nudge Printing. Nudge is owned and operated by Gabe and Brittany, two MSU alums. The business is operated out of Michigan and screen prints super high quality products. They also have a large assortment of apparel for other schools as well as stickers for your wall, car, or computer. You can also buy our merchandise to sport around town where all the sales proceeds go to support the show. If you have a home in Michigan you know the importance of clearing water efficiently away from your home off the roof. Unfortunately, the outdoor beauty of Michigan means you have to deal with leaves and debris that pile up in your gutters. Sometimes, those gutters also can't keep up with the rain or leave puddles by your foundation. If you live in the Grand Rapids area (Muskegon to Saugatuck to Rockford to Lowell) contact Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers that Just Do Gutters. They are real professionals who will clean, repair, or replace your gutters and protect your home. Mention ‘final four' to Kurt and get 10% off your service.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 19, 2023: Michigan State advances out of the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 when they made their push to the Final Four. The Spartans defeated the Big East regular season champs, the Marquette Golden Eagles, 69-60 despite only making two three pointers on 16 attempts. MSU has been able to show off its famed versatility and ability to win games in a variety of ways already in this NCAA run. The game was tied at around the four minute mark before everyone on the team made winning plays to seal the deal. Walker hit shot after shot, Hoggard directed traffic and hit a wide open Hauser for his only three, Sissoko made two enormous blocks at the rim, and Malik Hall pulled down a huge offensive rebound with 1:30 minutes left. MSU won with its grittiness and defensive connectedness never allowing Marquette to get comfortable in their offensive execution. Be sure to get your Spartan Gear and apparel at Nudge Printing. Gutter work in West Michigan? Hit up Kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com and his highly professional team at Brothers That Just Do Gutters to repair, clean, or replace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 18, 2023: Michigan State advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament by defeating USC 72-62 March 17 and will face the #2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles from the Big East who advanced by beating Vermont. Marquette won the Big East and the Big East tournament and is a dangerous team led by head coach, Shaka Smart. Smart doesn't employ his 'Havoc' defense that made him famous in his days as VCU's head coach but they do play a high pressure half court attack. On offense, they are a versatile team that can shoot extremely well inside the arc and doesn't turn it over. However, they are an average 3 pt shooting team and a poor rebounding team on both ends. The question for MSU is which AJ shows up and if it's the great one like in the USC game, can they break that pressure and get some easy looks for threes and twos? If MSU brings that defensive effort again it is possible that we could be witnessing another historic run for a team coming from the 7 seed. Make sure your gutters are clean and in working order. If not, and you live in the Grand Rapids area contact Kurt.Stauffer@brothersgutters.com to get the team at Brothers that Just Do Gutters on the job. They will do a great job and get it done fast. Visit Nudge Printing to get your Spartan apparel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 17, 2023: Michigan State entered the 2023 NCAA tournament for the 25th year in a row and the second as a 7 seed. This year, MSU faced the USC Trojans and like last year, will head into the weekend with a chance to make the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans headed to half time tied 34-34 but came out in the second half with a renewed focus on defense holding the Trojans to just 33%. Couple that with some good offensive execution and MSU ran away with the game winning comfortably by 10. The outcome of the game was a little surprising because this is a Spartans team that usually needs good production from behind the arc to score enough to win. However, today they hit only 5 threes but were lethal inside the arc against the #2 two point shot defense in the country. MSU advances and will play Marquette in the second round on Sunday. Head over to Nudge Printing to get your Spartan gear. Gutter work in West Michigan? Email Kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com at the Brothers that just do gutters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 15, 2023: Erik Qualman was a manager on MSU's basketball team in 1990 but ended his career on the team with a jersey. He played with Steve Smith and Shawn Respert and was involved in the NCAA tournament as both a manager and teammate. He tells us what it's like as a player on the team and what it was like with Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo running the show in the Breslin Center. Qualman is best known as a 5 time best selling author and professional public speaker who has presented all over the world. His books have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, on 60 Minutes, and has been used in Universities and even NASA. A sitting professor at Northwestern University, he will be giving the commencement speech at MSU this May. He has been focusing a portion of his time recently to promote supporting MSU students by the Give Green Day Fund. You can find him on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Support Spartan Strong by going to Nudge Printing and purchasing your shirt there. Gabe and his team have been working to support MSU students affected by the shooting on campus. Finally, if you need gutter cleaning, repair, or replacement contact Kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com from Brothers that just do gutters to get them taken care of. A great professional team in the Grand Rapids area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 14, 2023: Michigan State garnered a 7 seed in the East and will face the Pac-12 (soon to be Big Ten) USC Trojans in the First Round in Columbus, OH on Friday the 17th. Tom Izzo has a 1-0 record against the Trojans in the NCAA tournament a few years ago but that will not play much of a factor in this first round matchup. Basically, these teams are a little bit similar in that they have similar offensive and defensive efficiency metrics and were marred by season with inconsistency. But that level of inconsistency is probably typical of most teams who find themselves in the 7-10 seed lines. So the ultimate question to ask about this game is not the specifics of the teams as perhaps which teams decide to show up for the game. And for MSU - that means how well does AJ Hoggard play and is he an effective distributor. Need Spartan gear? Of course you do. Got to Nudge Printing and buy high quality gear there from some great Spartan alums. In the Grand Rapids area and having trouble with your gutters? If so, contact some great professionals at the Brothers that just do gutters. Email Kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com and say final four to get 10% off your cleaning, repair, or replacement gutter work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 12,2023: Today was the NCAA bracket reveal day and MSU will be heading to its 25th straight NCAA tournament putting Tom Izzo as having the longest streak for a coach in NCAA history. The Spartans will play Friday as the 7 seed against 10 seed USC in the East Regional. 8 Big Ten teams made the field with Rutgers getting left out despite being in most brackets. We discussed the brackets, Rutgers, and the surprises with top bracketologist, Dom Lese, of Bracketology. Dom makes his picks and then Rod breaks down the brackets region by region along with Eric providing a little history of what predicts success getting to the Final Four based on seeding and MSU's results in the Big Ten Tournament (hints: there aren't any). Need Spartan Apparel? Go to Nudge Printing and get loaded up. Gutters a problem in West Michigan? Email Kurt.Stauffer@brothersgutters.com at Brothers that just do gutters to get that pesky water taken care of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 10, 2023: Michigan State arrived in Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament after securing a double bye and got to face 13 seed Ohio State coming off two straight days of games. Despite the lack of rest and being down Freshman phenom, Brice Sensabaugh to injury, the Buckeyes handled the Spartans quite easily Friday afternoon. This was a game where MSU didn't do much well; poor defense, horrific shooting, weak rebounding, and getting beaten to most loose balls. The only silver lining of today's performance is that they have at least one more game to play as they await their matchup for the first round of the NCAA tournament where we suspect they will either be a high 8 or low 7 seed. We can only hope that the locked in and focused AJ Hoggard that we had seen down the stretch of the regular season returns for the NCAAs and that MSU can shore up its once solid defense. Want to support the shooting victims at MSU? Get your Spartan Strong shirts and other apparel at Nudge Printing. If you live on the West side of the state in the Grand Rapids or lakeshore area and need your gutters cleaned, repaired, or replaced, be sure to contact Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) at Brothers that Just Do Gutters. 10% off if you mention the final four. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 9, 2023: It's March which means the postseason is here and it is one-and-done time. MSU plays its first game in the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinals with a 4-13 matchup against Ohio State. The winner of the game will play the winner of the 1-9 game between Purdue and Rutgers. In a scenario similar to last year's tournament, the Spartans will open up play against their last opponent who they defeated on senior day only 6 days ago in East Lansing. Ohio State will be playing their third game in as many days while MSU will just be getting started in Chicago. Time will tell whether the extra rest will result in tired legs for the Buckeyes or rust on the Spartan's shooting. The key questions for MSU to answer over the next few days are 1) can they shore up their defense, 2) be solid on the boards, and 3) continue to shoot the lights out from 3? Need spartan apparel? Go to Nudge Printing. Listeners get 20% off by typing in final four into the coupon code at checkout. If you have a house on the west side (Grand Rapids area) then be sure to check your gutters to take care of all that water that can damage your home. Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) and his professional team at Brothers that just do Gutters will clean, repair, or replace any issue you have. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 7, 2023: In what is shaping up to be the most unpredictable Big Ten Tournament in history, Michigan State enters as the fourth seed after securing an improbable double bye. Only through a series of fortunate results that almost all broke MSU's way on Sunday, the Spartans will be able to wait until Friday to take on either the 5 seed Iowa Hawkeyes or 12 Wisconsin/13 Ohio State. This year has seen some of the most parity ever in that 5 teams tied for fifth place and 12 of the teams are either on the bubble or safely in the NCAA tournament field. It sets up what will likely be a volatile tournament where anything can happen except (probably) the high seeds sweeping to the finals. Rod and Eric sit down to go over MSU's path and the various intriguing storylines with this years tourney. Spring is around the corner which means rain is as well. Be sure to contact Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) and his team at Brothers that just do Gutters over on the West side of the state to clean, repair, or replace your gutter drainage system. 10% off if you say final four. Need Spartan Strong or other Spartan apparel? Head on over the Nudge Printing and get some of the highest quality screen printed apparel and decals for all your tailgate needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 6, 2023: Bracketologist Dominic Lese joins us again to break down the NCAA tourney chances of the Spartans and the rest of the Big Ten as we prepare to enter the Big Ten Tournament. Dom handicaps the Spartans seeding chances and places them anywhere from a 5 to a 7. However, there are also a number of teams on the bubble and are at risk of missing the tournament altogether. They include Michigan, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Penn State. We discussed the rest of the Big Ten and even what the implications are for early and late games in the conference tournament. Need Spartan apparel? Check out Nudge Printing. Take care of those gutters and have Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) and his team at Brothers that just do gutters clean, repair, or replace them today. 10% if you say Final Four on your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 4, 2023: Michigan State closed its regular season on Saturday with an 84-78 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to sweep them for the season. This game was much closer than the 21 point beat down in Columbus where OSU couldn't hit open shots but tonight MSU relied on lethal outside shooting. The Spartans now await the results of Sunday's game to find out their seeding in the Big Ten Tournament which could include a double bye or a matchup on Thursday. This team is very quickly starting to look like a team that has a run in it if it can shore up its defense and add a little more transition game to get easy buckets. We may learn a lot more about this team and what they may become in Chicago next week. Don't neglect your gutters if you're on the west side of the state. Get 10% off your gutter work with Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) his professionals. Cleaning, repair, or replacement they can do it all. Want Spartan Strong shirts or other Spartan apparel? Go to Nudge Printing and load up today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

March 2, 2023: The end of the regular season comes to a conclusion on Saturday as MSU welcomes in the Buckeyes from Ohio State. In what has to be one of the most challenging years for a team with key injuries, an insane travel schedule, and then a mass shooting on campus leading to a home game cancelation it is remarkable how well the team has actually done. It's always an emotional day on Senior Day but we suspect they will handle it well as they have in multiple emotional games to date. Ohio State is coming into the game on a two game winning streak which is notable after they had dropped 14 of their previous 15. However, the Buckeyes will have a depleted roster without Junior big man, Zed Key, which forces them to start 6'11" Freshman Felix Opara with no size in reserves. It will certainly be an interesting matchup and one that will significantly affect the seeding for MSU in the Big Ten Tournament. Be sure to get your custom apparel for family events, school fundraisers, or corporate events through Michigan based Fabricated Customs. They provide high quality garments that you will love. Spring is almost here and that means rain is on the way and you need to have functioning gutters. Contact Kurt Stauffer (kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com) and his team at Brothers that Just Do Gutters if you live in Grand Rapids and lakeshore area. Gutter cleaning, repair, and replacement available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 28, 2023: In one of the starkest differences between halves, MSU barely managed to maintain contact with Nebraska going into halftime 38-26 despite only scoring 10 points in the first 12 minutes of the game. Horrendous shooting and even worse defense gave Nebraska a lead as big as 15 which turned out to be not nearly enough for the Cornhuskers. The second half was an entirely different game as MSU shot the lights out from 3 hitting 12-17 and scored 54 points while holding Nebraska to just 29 points. That allowed the Spartans to cruise in for an 80-67 win on the road that should solidify their place in the tourney and likely not drop below an 8/9 seed. Need Spartan gear? Head on over to Nudge Printing for all your apparel, wall stickers, and car decals. Spring is coming so make sure your gutters are functioning properly. Get them taken care of by some reliable professionals from Brothers that just do gutters. Kurt Stauffer and his team in the Grand Rapids area will treat you right. 10% off if you tell him Final Four. email kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 27, 2023: Today we were joined by Dominic Lese, of Bracketometry.com who is the #2 ranked bracketologist in the country per Bracket Matrix. In 2022, he correctly predicted all 68 teams in the field and was within one seed line of all the picks. Often, there are national figures who provide their picks and projected brackets but just aren't that close in their predictions (Lunardi of ESPN is 88th, Palm of CBS is #125). In this episode, we looked at MSU's projected seeding, the rest of the Big Ten, how the selection process works, and more. We got into a very interesting discussion on the difference of predictive analytics and selective analytics and how they affect the field. Need some MSU apparel or car decals? Head on over to Nudge Printing and check out their high quality selections. Don't overlook your gutters - they keep your basement dry and protect your yard. Email Kurt Stauffer at the Brothers who just do Gutters to clean, repair, or replace your gutters. His high quality team will treat you right. kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 26, 2023: Michigan State heads to Lincoln for a rematch against the now red hot Cornhuskers who, despite sustaining injuries to two starters, is now playing some of its best basketball of the season. The Spartans will look to bounce back from their historic collapse in Iowa City where they inexplicably lost to the Hawkeyes while up 10 with 40 seconds to go in the game. Who knows how MSU will respond to that loss and whether they come out with a shattered confidence or razor sharp focus. According to coach Mike Garland, we will know the answer to that really soon after the tip of the game. Finally, Eric and Rod each have rants about Izzo and the Izzo era at Michigan State and where those fans who insist the program is in a slide can go. If you want to support the Spartan Strong fund head on over to our sponsor, Nudge Printing which is owned and operated by MSU alums Gabe and Brittany. For all your gutter needs on the West side of the state, reach out to Kurt Stauffer and his team at Brothers that Just Do Gutters. Email him at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com. 10% off for listeners of the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 25, 2023: In one of the most inexplicable losses in recent memory, MSU loses to Iowa in OT after giving up a 10 point lead with just 40 seconds left to play. Behind spectacular performances from Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins, Michigan State was unable to make just one more play (rebound, free throw, defensive stop) which would have been the difference between overtime and a win. The Spartans were able to get any shot they wanted in the game but as coach Garland pointed out, it was on the defensive end of the court where MSU lost this game. He believes they fell in love too much with their offensive performance and lost focus on the little things like boxing out and effectively switching on screens that allowed Iowa the sliver of light to make their comeback. Now Michigan State will have to play again on the road and try and bounce back against a hot Nebraska team. Need Spartan gear? Head on over to Nudge Printing to pick up your TFFINOTS gear or Spartan apparel. Gutters in trouble? Email Kurt.Stauffer@brothersgutters.com at a to get them cleaned, repaired or replaced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 23, 2023: The Spartans head to Iowa City for a rematch against the Iowa Hawkeyes in a game that means a lot for both teams in terms of NCAA and Big Ten Tournament seeding. Michigan State won the first meeting in East Lansing but had to rely on a wide open missed 3 by Peyton Sandefort as time expired to pull it out. Things will likely be different this time as Iowa will have its friendlier home rims where they are likely to shoot much better behind the arc than their 3-17 effort at the Breslin Center. Once again, the keys to the game remain largely the same for the Spartans. Limiting Kris Murray, playing well on the defensive boards, and hitting a lot of 3s. Also, Filip Rebraca has been playing so much better than the last matchup so MSU will have to get a good contribution again from its bigs. Need Spartan apparel? Head over to our friends at Nudge Printing for a good deal. How is the gutter situation at your home? If you need gutter repairs, replacements, or cleaning and you live in West Michigan, talk to our good friend Kurt Stauffer to get a good deal and get things fixed up. Email him at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 21, 2023: In Michigan State's first return to the hard court after the tragedy that struck campus on February 13th, they handed Indiana a decisive loss 80-65 behind a blistering three point attack and a dominant effort on the glass. Indiana star player, Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 19 points but had only 13 FG attempts and 6 FT attempts to go with just 7 rebounds and 7 turnovers. After scoring just 13 points in the first 12 minutes and change to open the game, MSU caught fire behind Tyson Walker and his four three pointers. Jaxon Kohler also contributed both on the defensive and offensive end to help spark the Spartan's attack that eventually turned a nine point deficit into a 6 point lead going into the half. Fortunately, the hot shooting from behind the arc continued in the second half as MSU got up 15 points and let Indiana never get closer than 5 points the rest of the way. Are you gutters in disrepair? Email Kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com to have a high quality professional assessment for your gutters if you live on the west side of the state. Be sure to visit Nudge Printing for all your MSU apparel needs. They also carry a number of other schools in Michigan and nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 19, 2023: Michigan State has one game under its belt after the terrible tragedy on campus Monday the 13th as it returns to host the #14 Indiana Hoosiers. Trayce Jackson Davis has really picked up his game as his Hoosiers look to sweep the Spartans this year. In what will certainly be a game full of all sorts of emotions from players, coaches, and fans MSU will look to try manage the emotions to be effective as they get back to some level of routine. In the last matchup, Indiana shot a blistering 60% from behind the 3 point line while also tearing up MSU on the boards and inside. The question will be what the Spartans try to do to limit Indiana's offensive production from TJD and the rest of their cast of characters. It will also be interesting to see if they can hit enough 3s as a team to keep pace with the Hoosiers. Need MSU apparel? Check out Nudge Printing for all your gear. If you're living on the west side of the state and have problems with your gutters, make sure you reach out to Kurt Stauffer at Brothers who just do Gutters. His team will treat you right. 10% off if you tell them Final Four in your request. You can reach him at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 18, 2023: We knew after the tragedy on February 13 that this matchup against UM on the road would be a challenge for MSU. For about 36 minutes of the game, they managed to hang with the Wolverines and e ven lead for a long portion of the game. But down the stretch, Michigan hit enough shots and the Spartans missed a few to come up just short. It was an environment where Michigan managed to show their support for the victims of the shooting on MSU's campus with the band playing the MSU Colors. Pregame, green lights shone down over the crowd and court and Spartan Strong signs were visible throughout the stands including the student section. MSU will now return back home to campus with an arguably more emotional game to play than this one when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night. If you live in West Michigan and have gutter problems, reach out to Kurt Stauffer at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com to get a quote for replacements, repairs, or just cleaning. Also, head on over to Nudge Printing for their Spartan Strong t-shirts which they are making to support the efforts on campus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 16, 2023: In what will certainly be an emotional game, MSU will restart its season after the heinous shooting on campus Monday evening. After postponing (and probably canceling) the Wednesday night Minnesota game, Michigan State is resuming nearly all their athletic activities beginning Friday. Schools across the Big Ten and country have paid tribute to the fallen students to the gunman and ceremonies are planned for the matchup in Ann Arbor as well. The Spartans won the first matchup at the Breslin Center despite abysmal shooting from 3 point range because they played great defense and the Wolverines were even worse from deep. Michigan is almost certainly outside of the discussion for an NCAA tournament berth unless something remarkable happens so they might be playing desperate or despondent. Emotions will probably be a huge key to the game for both teams and it will be impossible to predict how they react. To take care of your gutter needs email Kurt.Stauffer@brothersgutters.com or visit the website for Brothers that just do Gutters. For Spartan apparel go to Nudge Printing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 14, 2023: This is an Ask Me Anything that we recorded before the events that occurred on MSU's campus February 13, 2023. What transpired with a gunman who killed and injured a number of MSU students was senseless and a tragedy. As the campus begins the healing process we decided to release this episode with a brief word beforehand with the understanding that the listener will find the appropriate time and place to listen to the episode. We answered questions about top all time Izzo teams, the most hated Wolverine on the hardcourt, and much more. Please consider supporting our sponsors like Nudge Printing for Spartan apparel and contact Kurt Stauffer for all your gutter needs in West Michigan (or email at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com. The full transcript of our statement can be found on our website episode page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 12, 2023: It has been a while but MSU finally got a Big Ten road win and now has a winning streak going into its mid week matchup against the Minnesota Gophers. Behind stifling defense, the Spartans had a 13 point lead at halftime allowing OSU to score just 14 points. The Buckeyes were a little better in the second half where they cut a 16 point lead down to 5 midway through but Michigan State went on a 13-2 run to put the game away for good. It's the first road win blowout for the Spartans and one that still strangely qualifies as a quad one win for tournament seeding. Whether that holds or not depends on the play of the Buckeyes down the stretch who are 1-13 over their last 14 games. MSU was buoyed by great shooting from Joey Hauser who finished 6-9 from three and 22 points and 8 rebounds. Jaden Akins struggled from outside the arc but still managed 8 points and 9 rebounds. Are your gutters a mess? Contact Kurt Stauffer at Brothers that just do gutters if you live in the West side of Michigan. Email at kurt.stauffer@brothersgutters.com or contact him at the following website. Need Spartan Apparel? Check out Nudge Printing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 10, 2023: Michigan State will head on the road again for the fourth straight weekend as it will take on the Buckeyes in Columbus on Super Bowl Sunday. Despite high expectations, Ohio State is in a free fall losing ten of its last 11 games including their last home game to the Northwestern Wildcats. Inexplicably, OSU still carries a better NET and KenPom ranking than the Spartans despite a losing record and 3-10 mark in the Big Ten. However, this team can be dangerous and MSU has not shown an ability to punish teams even when they are not as good. AJ Hoggard and the Spartans will have to bring a solid game in order to start a winning streak to try and improve their seeding in the Big Ten Tourney and NCAA Tournament. Listen to our (mostly wrong) Ohio St. Preseason show here. Check out Nudge Printing for all your Spartan Apparel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 9, 2023: Mady Sissoko sits down with the TFFINOTS team to talk about life in his home of Bafoulabe, Mali in west Africa, his recruitment to MSU, and what he hopes to do for his village back home. Mady definitely see basketball as a way to give back and transform his impoverished home town. Be creating a charitable foundation, he is looking to raise money to build a school in his village. Currently, children have to walk an hour and a half to get to and then from school. After school, they are expected to work on their farms so many children stop going to school at a young age because it takes too long and is too tiring to walk and then farm. Mady is looking to raise $50,000 over the next few months to begin construction of the school to benefit his village and all the neighboring villages of school aged children. He sees this as a great way to help the future of lots of families in his home. Make a charitable tax free donation at the Mady Sissoko Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 7, 2023: Michigan State hosted a hot Maryland team late Tuesday night and managed to pull out the win 63-58 in a game that ended up a lot closer than it seemed it would at first. MSU started the game on a 15-0 run before Maryland was able to get any scoring. The Terrapins managed to stay in contact with the Spartans and only trailed by 9 going into half time. MSU started out well in the second half and then the wheels came off as they gave up a 14-0 run and actually trailed Maryland midway through the second half. Maryland was only able to extend the lead to 4 points before MSU went on another run of 8-0 behind some big 3s and never looked back. The Spartans improve now to 7-6 in the Big Ten behind the strong performances of Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard, and Joey Hauser. Next up for MSU is a date with the reeling Buckeyes in Columbus on SuperBowl Sunday. Check out Nudge Printing for all your Spartan apparel and decals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 5, 2023: Michigan State looks to 'get right' on Tuesday night as it welcomes in the Maryland Terrapins for their only meeting this season. MSU is due for a little home cooking as it needs to get back on track from behind the arc in order to generate the offense it needs to win games. Defensively MSU has been generally solid of late but the offense has been largely stagnant behind the point guard play of AJ Hoggard. What was once a strength of this team in the backcourt has become a little bit of a problem as AJ has failed to effectively attack opposing defenses. This is a Maryland team that is riding a four game winning streak but has obvious weaknesses in poor shooting (especially from 3) and defensive rebounding. A decent offensive rebounding team, the Spartans will have to be strong on the glass to limit the Terrapins' second chances. That is always a priority against a team that doesn't shoot jumpers very well. Check out our Maryland preseason show here. Go to Nudge Printing for all your MSU apparel and corn hole decal needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 4, 2023: In a game where MSU's shooting was as cold from outside as it was outside in the snow, the Spartans lose to Rutgers 61-55 on just 19% shooting from behind the arc. Unlike the first meeting in East Lansing, MSU held their own on the boards and actually finished outrebounding the Scarlet Knights by 10. But it wasn't enough as costly turnovers and poor shooting doomed the Spartans in a game that was there to be had. MSU will look to bounce back on Tuesday night against the Maryland Terrapins in the Breslin Center. Check out Nudge Printing for all your spartan apparel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 2, 2023: It's another matchup with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for Michigan State but this time its not at the Breslin Center, but Madison Square Gardens in New York. This is probably a bullet dodged by MSU to avoid playing at the RAC where Rutgers is extremely hard to beat. However, the Knights will once again be a tough matchup for the Spartans. In the last matchup, Rutgers obliterated MSU on the offensive glass where they pulled down 18 in the game. Luckily for MSU, Rutgers shot poorly at only 32% for the game and a miserable 2-17 from 3 which effectively neutralized their advantage on the glass. The Spartans drained 12 of 22 from deep giving them a 30 point advantage from behind the arc. Listen to our Rutgers preseason show here. Check out Fabricated Printing for your specialty t shirt printing needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

February 1, 2023: Michigan State finally has a few days to rest between games after their brutal January schedule so we thought it would be a good time to check back in with LSJ columnist, Graham Couch. We spoke to Graham about where he sees this MSU team at the turn (halfway through the Big Ten season) and the rest of the Big Ten. Will the Purdue Boilermakers keep up this pace in the league? Can they go deep in the tournament? How about MSU? And most importantly, what is to be done about officiating in the Big Ten and college basketball in general? Check out Nudge Printing for your Spartan apparel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 29, 2023: Mackey Arena remains a house of horrors for the Spartans as they drop another game on the road to #1 Purdue. Michigan State will have to wait at least another year as they haven't won on Purdue's floor since the 2013-14 season. The lumbering 7'4" Zach Edey was once again too much for MSU as he had 38 points and was complemented by 3 point shooting from a number of unlikely contributors in the Purdue backcourt. MSU will have a few days to rest and regroup before taking on second place Rutgers in Madison Square Gardens on Saturday. Despite the lackluster results for this Spartans team there are still 9 games and the Big Ten Tournament left to get the MSU engine running before a (hopefully) deep run in the NCAA tournament. Rod describes why he thinks MSU is about to start a run. Check out Nudge Printing for all your MSU apparel and decals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 27, 2023: After losing a heartbreaker to Purdue in East Lansing two weeks ago, MSU has a chance for revenge. Aside from being in a different arena, this time the Spartans will have Mr. Versatility, Malik Hall. In the previous matchup, MSU chose to largely play Edey straight up and double hard off Morton. The strategy largely worked as they held Edey to just 50% from the field (he averages 61%) and limited Purdue's 3 point attempts to 10. On the offensive side of the floor, MSU went to work with mid range jumpers with Tyson Walker leading the way with over 30 points. The question is whether Purdue uses a similar defensive technique against MSU and attacks Michigan State similarly on the offensive side of the ball. Check out our Purdue preseason show here. Go to Nudge Printing for all your MSU apparel and car decals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 26, 2023: In a game where MSU didn't play smoothly offensively against a poor defensive team, they did just enough to squeak out a win over the Hawkeyes. In good news for the Spartans, Malik Hall returned back to the floor and looked like Malik Hall without a bit of rust. He played 25 effective minutes on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Michigan State effectively bottled up Iowa's leading scorer, Kris Murray, holding him to just 11 points on 5-13 shooting and 0-5 from behind the arc. Also, MSU managed to force 10 steals on an Iowa team that rarely turns the ball over. Those stats, along with 8-20 shooting for 3, propelled MSU to a victory over a difficult Iowa team. The win got Michigan State to 6-4 in the first half of the Big Ten schedule which was quite an accomplishment considering all of the injuries they've had throughout the season. Hopefully, with a full complement of players they can get moving again and start piling up some wins as they prepare for a March run. Purdue in West Lafayette is next on the schedule and a rematch with Zach Edey. Be sure to check out Nudge Printing for all your printing needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 24, 2023: Iowa is coming to town and bringing another fantastic Murray brother into the Breslin on Thursday evening. Fran McCaffrey once again has a team with a very good offensive efficiency rating. And... once again they are terrible on defense. Michigan State looks to defend their home court and return to winning ways before heading on the road next Sunday at West Lafayette. Interesting story lines abound in this game. Will Malik Hall return to the court? Patrick McCaffrey? Both players are critical to their team's success and how well and how much they play could decide the game's outcome. Also, will we continue to see a progression at the 5 for MSU in improved play from freshmen Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper? Listen to our preseason episode on Iowa here. Check out Nudge Printing for all your printing needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 23, 2023: Rod and Eric introduced 2023 incoming freshman, Gehrig Normand, to the Spartan Nation in this interview. Normand is a 4* recruit, 6'6" shooting guard from the Dallas-Forth Worth, TX area who was the third commit for MSU this summer. Many describe his game as similar to former Spartan, Matt McQuaid, who was from the same area and had sneaky athleticism. McQuaid became a great defender and sharpshooter and was instrumental in MSU's run to the Final Four in 2019. Gehrig tells us about his name, what his game is like, how he is recovering from his injury, and why he chose Michigan State. You can listen to our summer episode about Normand's recruitment here. Check out the video interview on our YouTube channel. Need some Spartan apparel or decals? Head on over to Nudge Printing to get some high quality products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 22, 2023: In a game that MSU controlled for the first 10 minutes, it looked like they might come away with a big road win at Indiana in Assembly Hall. Unfortunately for the Spartans, the Hoosiers caught fire from behind the arc and at the free throw line and were too much. Before the game, there was a lot of discussion for how Michigan State would defend against Indiana's elite center, Trayce Jackson-Davis. Would MSU double or play him straight up. Ultimately, the Spartans did both which both ended up a losing proposition as TJD still ended up with 31 points and Indiana shot 9-16 behind the line. On a bright note for MSU, Jaxon Kohler once again had a decent game offensively and on the boards and largely held his own on the defensive end. There was still no Malik Hall in the game but reports had him practicing lending some hope that he will see the court soon. Perhaps as soon as Iowa on Thursday night. Check out Nudge Printing for all your MSU apparel and car decals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 21, 2023: Now that MSU is back on the the winning track they head down to Bloomington, IN to take on the Indiana Hoosiers who are riding high after two straight wins including an impressive beat down at Illinois. The Hoosiers have been an up and down team this year and have suffered injuries to two starters in Xavier Johnson and Race Thompson. Michigan State seemed to find its shooting stroke again in the last home game and will see if it travels against another veteran team. Malik Hall's prognosis seems to lead every show now as we try to get a handle on whether and when he will play again. It seems to be safe to say that we will see him sooner than later although which game that will be is still up in the air. We certainly don't expect to see him on the court in this one but perhaps Thursday against Iowa. This matchup again offers an interesting strategic question as to how to defend Indiana's most dynamic player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, in the paint. Do you double, dig down, or play him straight up. All set you up for other dangers which is why he is such a great weapon for the Hoosiers. You can listen to our preseason show on Indiana here. Visit our sponsor Nudge Printing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 19, 2023: Michigan State ended their 2 game losing streak with a decisive victory over Rutgers on a rainy night in East Lansing 70-57. On a night that might be viewed as a coming out party for Jaxon Kohler who finished with a double double and played the most minutes at the 5 spot, he contributed a lot to MSU's great defensive effort. Rutgers' phenom shooter, Cam Spencer, managed only 1-8 from the 3 point line and 3-14 overall to finish with 8 points. In contrast, MSU was fantastic behind the line burying 12 three pointers on only 22 attempts. The one troubling spot for the Spartans was that they got annihilated on the offensive boards giving up 18 offensive rebounds to the Scarlet Knights who used them to stay close in the game until late. Unfortunately for Rutgers, they also had the ball stolen 9 times in the game especially late where MSU was able to pull away and seal the game. The Breslin Center remains one of only 3 arenas in the Big Ten where Rutgers has still never won. Our Rutgers preseason episode can be listened to here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 17, 2023: MSU enters into the game on Thursday against Rutgers on a two game losing streak after dropping close games at Champaign and by one point at home to first place Purdue. Rutgers, however, isn't the usual slouch team that they were in their early days in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights are ranked #14 in KenPom and have one of the best defenses in college basketball to challenge MSU. Unfortunately, Malik Hall will again be a no-go for this game as he reaggravated his stress reaction in the left foot and will be sidelined for a few weeks. However, that is good news as it was originally believed that Hall might miss most, if not all, of the remainder of the season when we last had news after the Purdue game. So the Spartans are once again tasked with surviving without Hall. Fortunately (and unlike earlier this season), this time they will have Jaden Akins who helps them immensely on the both sides of the ball. Visit our new sponsor Michigan based Nudge Printing for all your Spartan apparel and decals. The Rutgers Preseason Show can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 16, 2023: Zach Edey and the number one offense in America, the Purdue Boilermakers, came to the East Lansing and took on a Michigan State team down one of its veterans due to Malik Hall's injury in the Illinois game. Despite being down a man, MSU almost pulled out the win against a talented Purdue team and even outplayed the Boilers in a number of aspects of the game. It's certainly a game that MSU had a chance to win with a one point lead and only ten seconds to play. Unfortunately, Loyer found Edey in the low blocks where he scored his 32nd points of the game in a short layup. Tyson Walker had a monster game for MSU shooting over 50% from the field and finished with 30 points. The Spartans also managed to outrebound a team that is tops in the country on the offensive glass limiting them to only 26.7% offensive rebounding rate well below their season average. The Spartans will stay home and will face red hot Rutgers who is second in the Big Ten on Thursday. Listen to the Purdue Preseason Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 14, 2023: Michigan State's seven game win streak was snapped in Champaign on Friday night and the Spartans look to return to their winning ways against a top rated Purdue squad. Per usual, Purdue enters the game with a monster center, 7'4" Zach Edey who is a national player of the year candidate. Edey is a beast scoring in the paint, rebounding offensively, and more than competent on the free throw line. Surprisingly, Purdue is not a lethal team from behind the arc but can you risk doubling Edey and giving the Purdue guards easy looks from outside? The tactical plan to defend this Boilermaker team is fascinating and how Izzo decides to play it is not entirely obvious. Finally, the health of Malik Hall is somewhat in doubt as he did not play the final 7:45 in Champaign after rolling his ankle. Every indication is that he will play but we probably won't know for certain until game day. You can access our preseason show of Purdue here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 13, 2023: In a game that Michigan State led for the majority of the first and second half, Illinois proved to be too much at home in a 75-66 win. Illinois uncharacteristicly took care of the basketball and finished the game with only 5 turnovers. They also shot free throws well above their average at 83%. In contrast, MSU failed to hit a single 3 point shot going 0-7 despite surprisingly dominating Illinois on the glass 42-33 (with a 40% offensive rebounding rate. The Spartans now fall to 4-2 in the Big Ten and one game behind the Boilermakers who roll into East Lansing in a few days. Perhaps one of the most important developments in the game was an injury sustained by Malik Hall with 7:45 left in the game where he injured his left foot. Early reports are that he sprained his ankle so it appears that he did not reinjure his stress reaction but whether he is ready to play against Purdue is unknown at this time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 11, 2022: The Spartans will take their 7 game winning streak (four in Big Ten play) into Champaign to take on a hot Illinois team. Illinois has won their last two conference games dispatching Wisconsin at home and blasting Nebraska in Lincoln. Illinois features a test for MSU as they have size all over the court which is giving teams fits both offensively inside the arc and on the defensive end. The two things Illinois doesn't do well is shoot the outside shot and hang onto the ball which Michigan State will have to try and exploit. Can MSU use some Illini turnovers and get easy buckets on the break? Can they neutralize Illinois' size on the boards and prevent second chances? You can access our Illinois preview show here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 10, 2023: In another Big Ten road test, MSU headed into Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Badgers and try and extend its winning streak to 7 games. In what can only be described as a poised effort, the Spartans were perfect from the floor down the stretch hitting their last 8 field goals and all their free throws to win the game. Wisconsin was down their leading scorer, Tyler Wahl, but got point production from their 7' center Steven Crowl and freshman point guard Connor Essegian to keep the game close. The largest lead of the game was 6 points and the teams battled back and forth behind largely good shooting. MSU had a problem with turnovers with 14 to Wisconsin's 5 but outrebounded the Badgers 33-18. A big key to the victory definitely came at the free throw line where the Spartans hit 16 of 17 to only 6 of 8 for Wisconsin. Our preseason episode on Wisconsin can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 8, 2023: Michigan State heads back onto the road and will try to continue its winning streak of six straight and two in Big Ten Play as they head to Madison to take on the Badgers. In an arena that has historically been a house of pain MSU will look to stay in first place in the Big Ten. Rod has stated it a number of times that MSU has a profile that looks more and more like a Wisconsin one which means that both teams will rely on their defense and ability to hit the outside shot. The Spartans struggled hitting wide open shots against Michigan and will look to bounce back on offense outside the arc. For the Wisconsin preseason preview go to www.tffinots.com/Wisconsin2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 7, 2023: In an ugly offensive game, MSU pulled out a win at the Breslin Center 59-53 over rival Michigan. Neither team could hit their shots as the Spartans launched at least 3 wide open air balls for 3. The only thing worse than MSU's outside shooting was Michigan's who shot 15% on 3-20. It was a game where MSU controlled by double digits halfway through the first half until late in the game. This was a very good defensive performance by the Spartans who showed that their veteran backcourt will continue to be an asset throughout the Big Ten season. Also, Malik Hall looked more of himself in offense, defense, and conditioning as he logged over 20 minutes and contributed on both ends of the court. UM Preview Episode Here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 5, 2022: Rivalry week is officially here now that MSU has dispatched Nebraska and awaits a matchup at home with cross state rival, Michigan. The Wolverines have struggled at times in the non-conference schedule but are in first place of the Big Ten with a 3-0 mark after defeating Penn State on Wednesday. Last year, the teams split their series but if either team has title hopes, a series sweep would be loom huge for their chances to take the League. There are so many matchup questions with this game: can Sissoko neutralize Dickinson and/or can Hoggard and MSU's guards exploit Dickinson's struggles guarding on pick and rolls? Will the Spartans be able to rebound and defend at the levels they did against Nebraska? Finally, can Michigan State continue their outstanding 3 point shooting? In what looks to be an intense contest on Saturday with so much at stake and the school rivalry at a more intense level than usual this has all the makings for a war. The difference might just be which team is able to maintain their poise and channel the energy in a useful manner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 3, 2023: Michigan State welcomed in the new year with a decisive 74-56 victory over the visiting Nebraska Cornhuskers. In what is probably MSU's best complete game since the early season, they coasted out to a 22 point half time lead behind suffocating defense and a fantastic first half scoring effort from Tyson Walker (16 points). MSU had one of their best offensive rebounding efforts collecting over 40% of their misses and prevented a good offensive rebounding team from getting anything going at only 25%. A number of Spartans other than Tyson Walker had good games including Joey Hauser with a second straight double double, AJ Hoggard with 9 assists and only one turnover, and Jaxon Kohler who finally got going offensively with a 5-5 10 point effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January 1, 2023: As we enter a new year, Michigan State begins the Big Ten campaign in full with 18 games and a march to a potential championship. However, there are no easy wins in the Big Ten this year and protecting home court is a necessity after already losing their first to Northwestern. Fortunately, the Spartans will be full strength with a limited minutes Malik Hall as they host a feisty squad from Lincoln, NE. This will be the last game without the Izzone so MSU will have to bring its own energy and not look past the Cornhuskers to their matchup against the Wolverines on Saturday. The first step in a Big Ten Championship begins Tuesday and if Michigan State has any serious designs on challenging for the title they need to take care of business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

December 30, 2022: In what is the most significant development for anyone with hopes of MSU making some sort of run for a Big Ten title or NCAA tournament Final Four, the return of Malik Hall back on to the court was a big one. Now that Jaden Akins is almost back to where we hoped he would be starting the season, Hall played limited minutes but looked as if he hadn't ever stopped playing. Malik Hall had 11 points on 3-4 shooting with 2-2 from 3 and 3-4 at the line in only 18 minutes of play. Perhaps even more importantly than his scoring was his presence on defense and just as a steadying force on both ends of the court as he made the Spartans so much more difficult to score against and defend with his versatility. Also of note were double-doubles from AJ Hoggard (11 points, 10 assists) and Joey Hauser (14 points, 12 rebounds). An all around solid game for Michigan State as they prepare to re-enter Big Ten play on Tuesday with Nebraska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices