centralbucksfan wrote:
Azubuike24 wrote:
The winner of this game is the overwhelming favorite to make the Final Four. I'm certain of that. I'd love to see UNI/UT or UNI/OSU, either one would be fine. However, I see UNI's run ending after they beat MSU.
I honestly don't see them winning against MSU, even without Lucas. Now, if Roe is still hurting as well as Allen...then they could. But if those guys are ready, and able to play. I like MSU chances. Izzo will make this game ugly and MSU will be physical. MSU isn't as good without Lucas obviously, but I still believe they are better then UNI.
As many have done...winning one huge game is one thing..coming back to win another is a whole other issue and one that doesn't happen often.
That game plays right into UNI's style though. Teams in the MVC tried to do the same all year and the Panthers just beat them. Look at what Wichita tried to do in St. Louis just 2 weeks ago. It worked for about 28 minutes, and then the explosion came.
I'm not comparing Wichita or the MVC to Tom Izzo, but I think people really underestimate how good UNI is. They aren't a one-trick pony. They have a starting corp who are all 3+ year starters, and as we saw with Sonnen, O'Rear, Moran and Jake Koch, they have some depth and guys who will step up in huge games. Hell, their starting 5 next year is going to be NCAA caliber again, and rarely can you say that about mid-majors who make it this far.
I know they are a 9-seed, and they held on for dear life to knock off KU, but I honestly think they take care of MSU. If you look at the name of the schools and the coaching history, you take MSU as a no-brainer, but this is a shattered MSU team who was falling apart even before the NCAA's. They are now without their best player and starting point-guard.
I think it's a very close game, but if anyone is going to fold, I think it will be the Spartans, and it will be on the offensive end.