Michigan state..

[Silkk the Shaka]

Before yesterday, they had one win and 8 double digit losses. They've played a tough schedule, but calling that anything other than an awful loss would be a lie. Texas Southern could run the table in the SWAC and that would still be a bad loss.

The truth lies somewhere in between. TSU may be a SWAC title contender, but they are still a SWAC team. Michigan State isn't as good as they usually are. There's no sugar coating that this is a game they should win 100 out of 100 times.

Absolutely hysterical coming from the guy that took great pains to spin the UN-O & NJIT games as nothing more than "bad matchups" due to pace of play. Simply hysterical!

[g0lden3agle]

Absolutely hysterical coming from the guy that took great pains to spin the UN-O & NJIT games as nothing more than "bad matchups" due to pace of play. Simply hysterical!

Since when are "bad matchup" and "bas loss" mutually exclusive?  A far inferior team could still be a bad matchup.

[GGGG]

Absolutely hysterical coming from the guy that took great pains to spin the UN-O & NJIT games as nothing more than "bad matchups" due to pace of play. Simply hysterical!

You mean the game he called a "bad loss?"

[brewcity77]

Absolutely hysterical coming from the guy that took great pains to spin the UN-O & NJIT games as nothing more than "bad matchups" due to pace of play. Simply hysterical!

They were bad matchups. One of the reasons teams lose to buy opponents is not just because they aren't as good as usual (like Michigan State or Marquette early in the season) but because that specific buy opponent can exploit those weaknesses.

Though more hysterical is your failure to read this...

If this was a typical MSU team, they win this game. That's no disrespect to TSU, it's just that teams like that shouldn't lose to SWAC teams. Just like Marquette shouldn't lose to Omaha. These things happen, but the reason is more about the host than it is the buy opponent.

We shouldn't lose that game, MSU shouldn't have lost this game, but there are reasons these losses happened. As I said before, the truth lies somewhere in between. The host teams aren't as good as they usually are, and the teams playing them were at least competent enough to exploit that.

[MU82]

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2014/12/20/michigan-state-texas-southern/20699709/

It is almost worth a loss like this to get quotes like this from Izzo.   And all the players admitting culpability, as well as dreading what was to come in the Sunday practice. 

Thanks for sharing that link. This is great, great stuff. I've always been a big Izzo fan.

[keefe]

I've always been a big Izzo fan.

But Tom Izzo is a little guy...

[Silkk the Shaka]

But Tom Izzo is a little guy...

Big Izzo vs. Mini Ditka, who ya got?

[forgetful]

Big Izzo vs. Mini Ditka, who ya got?

I don't know, but I'd invite them both over for a game of Sheepshead.

[brewcity77]

Absolutely hysterical coming from the guy that took great pains to spin the UN-O & NJIT games as nothing more than "bad matchups" due to pace of play. Simply hysterical!

So...me trying to spin NJIT must look real bad now after they beat Michigan and are leading Villanova in Philly. Maybe you should actually research the game yourself before you try to tear down the comments made by people that spend time doing so.

[Jay Bee]

So...me trying to spin NJIT must look real bad now after they beat Michigan and are leading Villanova in Philly. Maybe you should actually research the game yourself before you try to tear down the comments made by people that spend time doing so.

Nova survives... by 25.

[Silkk the Shaka]

So...me trying to spin NJIT must look real bad now after they beat Michigan and are leading Villanova in Philly. Maybe you should actually research the game yourself before you try to tear down the comments made by people that spend time doing so.

LOLOL! Learn to talk before the game is over. Nova wins by 25. They were projected to win by 27. NJIT is ranked #268 in KenPom for a reason. They suck. As does Michigan, as evidenced in part by the fact that they LOST TO NJIT AT HOME.

Dude. You honestly sound desperate. It's NJIT. They suck. They've always sucked (with or without a pair of "mercurial guards" haha). Everyone knows this. But keep tilting at that windmill if it floats your boat I guess.

[Anti-Dentite]

Laugh out loud out loud?

[brewcity77]

LOLOL! Learn to talk before the game is over. Nova wins by 25. They were projected to win by 27. NJIT is ranked #268 in KenPom for a reason. They suck. As does Michigan, as evidenced in part by the fact that they LOST TO NJIT AT HOME.

Dude. You honestly sound desperate. It's NJIT. They suck. They've always sucked (with or without a pair of "mercurial guards" haha). Everyone knows this. But keep tilting at that windmill if it floats your boat I guess.

Not at all desperate. Never expected NJIT to win but they showed they could play with a top-10 team. They fell off, just like UND last night, but dismissing a team just because you aren't familiar with them is a mistake. Ask Michigan, Michigan State, or Purdue.

[keefe]

The truth lies somewhere not in alignment with what you said. This is not a game they should have won 100 out of 100 times.

Anyway.. Texas Southern IS (not may be) a SWAC title contender. If you dispute that you are wrong.
Texas Southern does have a 5-star recruit and a Big Ten transfer.
Texas Southern does have a former Big Ten head coach.

I said they are not a typical SWAC team. Fully stand by that.

Chris + NBA

How dare you challenge the resident hoops expert! This man writes for IWB's pay site! You forget yourself, sir, in the presence of basketball expertise! How dare you!

[Jay Bee]

Typical SWAC team Texas Southern wins at Kansas State today.

Big Chris NBA with the bucket to win it with 1 second left on the clock. Big Chris NBA with 15p, 10r, 2a, 2s only 2to.

Lost by 1 at Auburn in between Mich St and K-State. Brewtown boi Cinmeon Bowers wit 15 rebounds. 35% DR% this year!! SHEESH.

[keefe]

Typical SWAC team Texas Southern wins at Kansas State today.

Big Chris NBA with the bucket to win it with 1 second left on the clock. Big Chris NBA with 15p, 10r, 2a, 2s only 2to.

Lost by 1 at Auburn in between Mich St and K-State. Brewtown boi Cinmeon Bowers wit 15 rebounds. 35% DR% this year!! SHEESH.

How dare you mock Brewcity's self-proclaimed claimed basketball expertise! You forget yourself and your place! How dare you!

[Jay Bee]

Two point loss at New Mexico State.

First conference game - on the road, the Typical SWAC Team (TST) ekes out a 17 point win.

Big Chris NBA w/18p, 10r on 72.7% eFG shooting.

[Jay Bee]

Typical SWAC team Texas Southern starts their conference season out with three road games. Tonight they win again and are 3-0 in the SWAC.

Big Chris NBA with 18 & 6.

Texas Southern projects to have one of the best all-time RPI's in SWAC history. Typical.

If they make the tourney, would hate to face them in the first round. Scary (even though a typical SWAC team).

[brewcity77]

I get it, you are in love with Texas Southern. I guess beating three sub-290 conference foes is supposed to wow people? Until they outdo Southern's performance vs Gonzaga they've accomplished nothing.

[Jay Bee]

I get it, you are in love with Texas Southern. I guess beating three sub-290 conference foes is supposed to wow people? Until they outdo Southern's performance vs Gonzaga they've accomplished nothing.

This isn't about wowing people. This isn't about love.

This is about being "a typical SWAC team" - you're now trying to change the conversation into something it never was.

[brewcity77]

They went 3-9 in non-conference. Pulled off a big win against an overrated MSU team that was definitely impressive but not unprecedented for the league. Are they above average for their league? Sure. They're probably going to win the SWAC. But until they win a game (or at least keep it close to the last 2 minutes) in March, or put Chris Thomas in the league (tough ask for a sub-60% FT & sub-30% 3P shooter) there won't be a lot to separate them from other SWAC teams that dominate their league but come up short outside it.

[Jay Bee]

They went 3-9 in non-conference. Pulled off a big win against an overrated MSU team that was definitely impressive but not unprecedented for the league. Are they above average for their league? Sure. They're probably going to win the SWAC. But until they win a game (or at least keep it close to the last 2 minutes) in March, or put Chris Thomas in the league (tough ask for a sub-60% FT & sub-30% 3P shooter) there won't be a lot to separate them from other SWAC teams that dominate their league but come up short outside it.

"Dominate their league"... that's what the topic is. "Typical SWAC team."  Do you still believe they are a typical SWAC team? And what would change your opinion? If they win a single NCAA tourney game on a particular day in March?

[MU82]

I also am having a hard time boarding the Texas Southern/Chris Thomas bandwagon.

I am a proof-in-the-pudding kind of guy. Both Thomas as an individual and TSU as a team will get the chance to prove themselves on the big stage ... if they win their conference tournament.

[brewcity77]

"Dominate their league"... that's what the topic is. "Typical SWAC team."  Do you still believe they are a typical SWAC team? And what would change your opinion? If they win a single NCAA tourney game on a particular day in March?

I am a fan of a high-major team. When I watch other games, they are usually high-major games. When you're talking about a SWAC team (or MEAC, or NEC, or America East, or A-Sun) that isn't typical, I don't mean they can pummel a bunch of other low-majors, I mean they would be able to be competitive on a nightly basis in a high-major league. I just don't think Texas Southern is that kind of team. Those teams are very rare, which means for me the standard of a "typical _________ team" is pretty broad.

I don't have the time or initiative to watch all the low-majors, so for me to have my opinion changed, yeah, winning a game on a particular day in March is where I'd start to put the bar. Or having better than a 0.250 winning percentage in non-conference. Or winning their conference games by an average of 30+. If I were a fan of SWAC teams in general, I'm sure my standards would be different. But I'm not, so they aren't. In low-major hoops, the only team that really moves the dial at all for me is Stephen F. Austin. I guess that's where we differ.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Typical SWAC team Texas Southern starts their conference season out with three road games. Tonight they win again and are 3-0 in the SWAC.

Big Chris NBA with 18 & 6.

Texas Southern projects to have one of the best all-time RPI's in SWAC history. Typical.

If they make the tourney, would hate to face them in the first round. Scary (even though a typical SWAC team).

No one cares about Texas Southern or your boner for Big Chris.