Michigan State vs. UConn Final Four Preview
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive
Michigan State isn’t supposed to be here, right? The Spartans were picked by virtually no one to make it to Detroit, let alone win it all. The usual suspects were selected by the experts, including myself to win it all: North Carolina, Memphis, UConn, Louisville, etc. Tom Izzo told CBS after the Spartans upset Louisville that before the season began, he wrote two words on the locker room chalkboard: Ford Field.
The Spartans have overachieved all year, and they face a Connecticut program that is facing all sorts of adversity off the court. Many feel this may be Jim Calhoun’s last golden opportunity to win it all in the immediate future for two different reasons. First, at age 67, rumors have begin to come out that if UConn can cut the nets down in Detroit, Calhoun may step away. The other, more obvious reason, is that if the allegations of recruiting violations are true, UConn may be slapped with probation, or worse. The team that is led by NBA-bound Hasheem Thabeet are built to win right now, but they will be going against a team of fate Saturday.
Home court advantage in college basketball is more important than any other major collegiate sport. By playing the Final Four in Detroit, Ford Field will be filled with a sea of green and white. While a national semifinal is rarely seen as a road game for anybody, UConn will get that feeling. Tom Izzo does a masterful job of getting players to elevate their games above anyone’s expectations in the biggest of stages, as he has done time and time again. Should this game be close late, I expect the Huskies to fold, and the Spartans to march on triumphantly to play North Carolina on Monday.
Michigan State 67
UConn 63
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