AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Tennessee and Michigan State meet in St. Louis as Bruce Pearl’s No. 6 seed Volunteers (28-8) do battle with Tom Izzo’s Spartans (27-8) on the court at Edward Jones Dome.

Plot: SEC clashes with the Big Ten for a spot in the Final Four.

Sub-plot: The game pits a pair of coaches and teams who have dealt with adversity during the season. Earlier in the year, Pearl suspended three and dismissed one player from the Volunteers. The Spartans play without starting point guard and inspirational leader, Kalin Lucas.

Flashback: MSU and Tennessee last met in 1994 when the Spartans took 79-68 decision in East Lansing. The Spartans have 4-2 advantage in the all-time series.

Tennessee will make their first ever Elite Eight appearance in school history. MSU is making a nation’s best seventh Elite Eight trip in the last 12 years.

Foreshadowing: Thirty-seven Spartans have earned roster spots in the National Basketball Association, including current players Charlie Bell, Shannon Brown, Paul Davis, Morris Peterson, Zach Randolph, and Jason Richardson. Twenty-nine Volunteers have laced them up in the Association. Marcus Haislip and C.J. Watson currently wear jerseys in the NBA.

Conflict: Experience versus enthusiasm. Michigan State is supposed to be here. The Spartans returned seven players that played at least 12 minutes in last year’s national final. Tennessee showed glimpses of being spectacular this season. The Volunteers knocked two number ones from the pedestal: Kansas and Kentucky.

Rebounding will tell the tale of this match-up. The Spartans grab 8.9 more boards than their opponents. The Spartans understand the importance of shot selection and how it creates rebounding opportunities. Tennessee will need to demonstrate an understanding of appropriate shots.

Wayne Chism leads three Volunteers in double figures with 12 and a half points. The senior grabs seven rebounds and has shown he can step out and knock down a three pointer.

Scotty Hopson and Tyler Smith add 12 and 11 points respectively. Both Smith and Bobby Maza have assist to turnover ratios over 2:1. This is a reflection of Tennessee’s ability to create turnovers and convert at the opposite end of the floor. Brian Williams comes off the bench and pulls down six rebounds.

When Kalin Lucas went down with a season-ending injury, the Spartans needed someone to replace their leading scorer. Korie Lucious has been the man scoring double figures in the last two games including a game-winning three pointer against Maryland.

Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers combine for 22 points and almost 12 rebounds.

Draymond Green scores almost 10 and grabs eight boards.

Resolution: Tennessee will make it a game, but the Spartans will decide it. The Volunteers have the athletes to keep it close, but Michigan State has too much experience.

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By Paul Gotham

Setting: It’s a Big Ten showdown as Tom Izzo brings his No. 5 Michigan State Spartans (19-3, 9-0)  to Madison for a tilt with Bo Ryan’s No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers (16-5, 6-3).

Plot: Michigan State could gain a four-game edge on Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings. The Badgers are currently tied for second with Purdue, Ohio State, and Illinois.

Sub-plot: Michigan State is riding an eight-game winning streak including two of the last three on the road. Wisconsin has lost two of  four but won their previous two home games. Wisconsin will be without their second-leading scorer, Jon Leuer, who has an injured wrist.

Flashback: The Spartans beat the Badgers last month, 54-47. Chris Allen scored 16, and Draymond Green contributed 11 off the bench. Michigan State out-rebounded Wisconsin, 38-23. MSU leads the series, 68-58. Wisconsin has won 17 in a row at  the Kohl Center.

The Spartans have made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances including last year’s loss in the National Championship game. Izzo led the Spartans to the title in 2000. Under Izzo the Spartans have advanced to five Final Fours.

Wisconsin has earned 15 NCAA Tournament berths. Last year, the Badgers lost in the second round. Ryan has led Wisconsin to the Sweet Sixteen twice (’03 and ’08) and once to the Elite Eight (’05).

Foreshadowing: Thirty-seven Spartans have earned roster spots in the National Basketball Association, including current players Charlie Bell, Shannon Brown, Paul Davis, Morris Peterson, Zach Randolph, and Jason Richardson.

Twenty Badgers have stepped on the court in the Association. Michael Finley, Devin Harris, Marcus Landry, and Alando Tucker all have current spots on NBA rosters.

Conflict: Michigan State turns the ball over 14 times a game. Wisconsin gets almost six steals per contest. The Spartans have a rebound margin of 9.8 while Wisconsin is limited to a margin of 2.6.

Wisconsin is sixth in the nation limiting opponents to just 57.1 points. With patience, the Badgers can create Spartan mistakes. Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen are athletic and experienced. Sometimes, the trio of guards hurry when trying to play fast. Wisconsin’s transition defense will need to make the initial stop of the Spartan rush. Then the Badgers will need to play defense inside the arc to limit Lucas and Allen off the dribble.

Trevon Hughes, Jason Bohannon, and and Jordan Taylor will be responsible for slowing down the Spartan back court. The three combine for nearly 36 points and nine assists per game.

Keaton Nankivil will try to make up for the loss of Leuer. Nankivil averages eight points and just under five rebounds.

Lucas, Summers, and Allen combine for 36 points a game. Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe grab almost twelve rebounds. The front court duo hits over 56 percent of their shots from the field.

Resolution: Earlier this year, Wisconsin created 11 turnovers while committing just four in a defeat of Duke. They will need a similar performance tonight. The Badgers need to execute long possessions that will force Michigan State to work on the defensive end. Bo Ryan needs someone to step up in the absence of Leuer. Look for Rob Wilson or Ryan Evans to fill the void. This is the third of four on the road for the Spartans. They are ripe for an upset. Wisconsin hits 74 percent from the line while MSU finishes 68 percent of the time from the stripe. Wisconsin needs a victory, and the Badgers will win a single-digit affair tonight.

Got any thoughts on the game? Post them here.

Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.

’08 – ’09 Results: 31 -7 (15 -3 Big Ten) Lost to UNC in the National Title game, 89 -72.

Coach: Tom Izzo 336 – 137 (14 years at MSU)

Key Returners:

Kalin Lucas – 14.7ppg, 2.1rpg

Chris Allen – 8.4ppg, 2.2rpg

Durrell Summers – 8.6ppg, 3.4rpg

Raymar Morgan – 10.2ppg, 5.3rpg

Delvon Roe – 5.6ppg, 5.2rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/17 vs. Gonzaga, 11/27 vs. Florida, 12/1 at North Carolina, 12/22 at Texas

Stat of Identity: 9.3 rebound margin #1 in the nation

By Paul Gotham

Not much has changed in Lansing, and not much needs to change for the Spartans to be successful.

Few lineup changes will take place, and there is no need for the style of play to change for the Michigan State Spartans.

Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, Raymar Morgan, Delvon Roe, and more were all on hand as the Spartans went down in flames against the North Carolina Tar Heels. They are none much worse for the wear.

Rebound, play defense, and take care of the ball are all staples of the Spartan diet. Last year was as good of an example as there is of this. A Michigan State lineup that lacked star-studded glitter led the nation in rebound margin and had two players with a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. Four starters return from that team; opponents beware.

Lucas is a junior who played with senior savvy a season ago. This year should be only better. He will be joined in the back court by Allen and Summers.  Both hit over 30% from the behind the three-point arc.

Morgan and Roe will benefit from more repetitions of the famous Spartan rebounding exercise called the ‘war drill.’ The two forwards combined for over 10 per boards per game last year.