KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducted eight new members Sunday night, and nearly half of the two-hour ceremony was devoted to two of them. Not that it wasn't deserved: from the moment the list of enshrinees for the Hall's fourth class was announced, it was universally known that it would be a Magic-Bird celebration.
Earvin "Magic'' Johnson and Larry Bird did not disappoint, as they served up memories of the moment they shared 30 years ago in the NCAA championship game, spoke of the legacies they carved out in basketball at every level -- and remained in their easily-recognizable characters almost as if they were scripted for the event.
In 2008, the Big Ten sent only four teams to the NCAA tournament. None reached the Elite Eight The Big Ten toiled down with mid-majors in conference RPI and were nationally maligned as the "Average 11." This past season, however, the league enjoyed a resurgence. It ranked only behind the ACC in conference RPI. Seven schools earned a berth into the NCAA tournament, and Penn State won the NIT. Michigan State toppled the defending national champions and two number one seeds en route to a national runner-up finish.
The Michigan State Spartans concluded a very successful season just over a week ago. They rode a two-seed past the defending champions, the top overall seed, and a supremely talented Connecticut squad before falling to the obvious best team in the nation, the NCAA champion Tar Heels.
After a brief rest, the Spartans will eventually get back to work in East Lansing, and it won't be a rebuilding project. It will be a reloading one. They did lose Goran Suton, Travis Walton and Marquise Gray to graduation, but there's plenty left for Tom Izzo to make another Final Four run -- one that would be his sixth in the past 12 years.
For some godforesaken reason, some Alabama fans and media think they have a shot at landing Michigan State's Tom Izzo as the replacement for Mark Gottfried. Apparently, just because their football coach, Nick Saban, is a former Michigan State coach, he can just extend a phone call and land Izzo at the drop of a hat.
There are two problems here. First of all, Izzo has already built a situation superior to one he could build at Alabama. He's worshipped on campus, and his family is settled in the area. You aren't going to uproot your entire life unless bowled over by money. How much more money does Alabama have to spend on a basketball coach than Michigan State? Not near enough, if any at all.
When it comes to the Big Ten, there are a few tiers of similar teams. Illinois and Purdue are similar. Iowa and Indiana are similarly bad. There's a big amoeba in the middle where every team is on the bubble. Then, you are left with Michigan State. They are in a class all by themselves.
Sunday we received another reminder, as they turned Purdue away despite a sub-par shooting performance.The pressure defense and the quick-paced offense were just too much for the Boilers.
Michigan State has one of the most active student sections in its "Izzone." The students have to camp out to get tickets for the section, and regularly receive visits from coach Tom Izzo while they camp. That interaction with the students led Izzo to make an interesting promise to the students.
Even the casual basketball fan knows about the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry, and its beginnings in the 1979 NCAA National Championship Game. Seth Davis' book, "When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed College Basketball," chronicles the beginning of that rivalry in '79, and the long-lasting effect that the game has had on the way we all watch college basketball. The book drops Tuesday, just in time for the 30-year anniversary of the game (you can purchase it here). Read FanHouse's review of the book after the jump.
As Kalin Lucas strengthens his case as the Big Ten player of the year, his Michigan State team continues to distance themselves from the rest of the conference. Sunday was no different, as the Spartans went into Champaign, Ill., and took down arguably the second-best team in the league.
Lucas paced Michigan State with 18 points, as the Spartans knocked the Illini's home record to 15-3. Illinois didn't play especially poorly, it just isn't good enough to hang with Michigan State. No one in the conference is.
As long as the Spartans play to their capability, they won't lose. It's just that simple.
A few weeks ago I did a halfway point roundup for the Big Ten, in which I buried Wisconsin and hailed Penn State to no end. Boy, do I look like an idiot now. Since then, Penn State crumbled, while Wisconsin has done a 180.
The Nittany Lions were embarrassed by Michigan, lost at home to Wisconsin, and handily lost at Purdue. They now sit just 6-6 in conference play, and their RPI has plunged into the 80s. With road trips to Illinois and Ohio State -- not to mention hosting Illinois and Minnesota -- it would appear they are fading back into obscurity.
Something about this whole situation feels pretty familiar: Michigan, on the brink of an NCAA Tournament berth, and in need of one last signature win to all-but-lock a dance invitation, falling on its face.
It happened in 2004, when Michigan lost in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to Illinois; it happened in 2006 when Michigan closed the season with disappointing losses against Indiana and Minnesota; it happened in 2007 when Ohio State beat Michigan twice in the season's final week.
And now it's happening again after the Wolverines coughed away a nationally-televised chance at a statement victory, and dropped a 54-42 decision to No. 9 Michigan State on Wednesday night.
NCAA Basketball 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inducted eight new members Sunday night, and nearly half of the two-hour ceremony was devoted to two of them. Not that it wasn't deserved: from the moment the list of enshrinees for the Hall's fourth class was announced, it was universally known that it would be a Magic-Bird celebration.
In 2008, the 
The Michigan State Spartans concluded a very successful season just over a week ago. They rode a two-seed past the defending champions, the top overall seed, and a supremely talented Connecticut squad before falling to the obvious best team in the nation, the NCAA champion Tar Heels. 
For some godforesaken reason, some Alabama fans and media think they have a shot at landing Michigan State's 
When it comes to the Big Ten, there are a few tiers of similar teams. Illinois and Purdue are similar. Iowa and Indiana are similarly bad. There's a 
Michigan State has one of the most active student sections in its "Izzone." The students have to camp out to get tickets for the section, and regularly receive visits from coach Tom Izzo while they camp. That interaction with the students led Izzo to make an interesting promise to the students.
As 
A few weeks ago I did a 
Something about this whole situation feels pretty familiar: Michigan, on the brink of an NCAA Tournament berth, and in need of one last signature win to all-but-lock a dance invitation, falling on its face.
