Wisconsin: MSU's ingrown toenail

    Or are the Badgers more like an incurable hemorrhoid? Since 2001-02, when Bo Ryan arrived and MSU began its post-glory era, no one has delivered more gnawing pain to the Spartans.

    Let's review:
    2002: In the first meeting between Ryan and Izzo, MSU has a 10-point lead in the second half, lets it slip away, thinks it wins on a tip-in from Kelvin Torbert at the buzzer (followed by an Izzone floor rushing), then finds out the tip came late. The loss ends MSU's 53-game Breslin winning streak. And as it turns out, the Spartans end up one game out in the Big Ten standings. Wisconsin gets a share of the title.
    2003: For the second straight season, the teams meet once, this time in Madison. MSU needs it to stay in the Big Ten race. It's a competitive contest but Wisconsin pulls away late. With seconds remaining, sophomore Devin Harris gets a loose ball, pushes it and throws a lob to freshman Alando Tucker, who dunks right before the buzzer. Izzo is incensed as he approaches Ryan for the handshake. I can still see it clearly.
    Izzo: "I'll ****ing remember that!"
    Ryan (almost shrugging): "OK."
    Wisconsin wins its second straight Big Ten championship. Preseason favorite MSU finishes third.
    2004: This is where it really gets nasty, and painful for MSU. The Badgers rout the Spartans in Madison in the Big Ten opener, despite a 17-5 start for MSU. That drops the Spartans to 5-7 on the season. But MSU recovers from that low point, going on a tear and setting itself up to win the Big Ten. All it needs to do is beat Wisconsin at home in the regular-season finale. The famed "banner game" (because MSU had its Big Ten title banner rolled up in the rafters, and Wisconsin's coaches spotted it and used it to motivate their team) is also the best game I've ever seen Paul Davis play. He has 26 but sits the final seven minutes with painful cramps. Wisconsin comes back to tie it on a Harris 3-pointer. Chris Hill misses two free throws in the waning seconds. Wisconsin wins in overtime. No championship.
    Everyone remembers that game. But don't forget what happened just a few days later in Indianapolis. MSU plays perhaps its best game of the year in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, leading Wisconsin for most of the game. But a late Harris 3-pointer is the dagger again. He actually blows a one-and-one in the waning seconds, but Mo Ager's shot at the buzzer to tie is off. Those consecutive losses, I believe, did damage to the Spartans' collective psyche that wasn't repaired until the next year's Final Four run.
    2005: So now the "0-for-Bo" shirts are selling well in Madison. MSU is there again for the Big Ten opener, and the Spartans play a terrific game. They're the better team and they're in control. And they somehow blow an eight-point lead with less than two minutes left. You could actually see MSU's players wilting under the pressure. Ugly. Scoreboard: Bo 6, Izzo 0, with five straight icy handshakes.
    Finally, later that season, MSU beats the Badgers, 77-64 at home. Alan Anderson has a career game. The "0-for-Bo" is over. And Izzo and Ryan swear their feud is over and was overblown in the first place. MSU ends up 13-3 in the league, ahead of Wisconsin but behind 15-1 Illinois. The Spartans reach the Final Four. The Badgers have their best tourney showing under Ryan, reaching the Elite Eight and nearly beating North Carolina to join MSU in the national semis.
    2006: MSU is the preseason Big Ten favorite. Wisconsin blows out the Spartans in Madison in January, with Mo Ager and Paul Davis struggling. The Spartans pay Wisconsin back in March at home. Ryan and Izzo seem cordial. Both teams watch as Ohio State becomes surprise champ.
    2007: Finally, the Spartans deliver their own dagger, knocking off the Badgers just after they assumed the No. 1 spot in the polls for the first time in school history. That loss is a big one for Wisconsin, which is edged out by Ohio State for the championship. An incredible game by Drew Neitzel helps MSU get the victory that seals an NCAA berth in a rebuilding year. Suddenly, MSU has won three of four in the series ... and is in control in Madison 10 days later. The Spartan lead for much of the game on senior day for Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor, but Taylor emerges from a slump to hit a long 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left for the 52-50 win.
    Six days later, the Badgers are fired up and finally handle the lesser Spartans, 70-57. In the waning moments, Tucker does a little hot dogging, some crossover dribbling, hits a stepback 3-pointer, and Izzo is visibly upset. His postgame greeting for Ryan is abrupt and chilly -- like, 2004-chilly. A couple days later, asked about Tucker's antics, Izzo dodges the question but says, "Maybe we'll get a chance to make a shot some time."
    2008: So here we are, another year with no Big Ten title for MSU. Wisconsin is closing in on its first since 2003. Ryan is 9-3 against Izzo and is favored to make it 10-3 on Thursday in Madison. That means, of course, that the series is 3-3 in the past six.
    Most MSU fans, it seems, think Ryan is the spawn of Charles Manson and Beelzebub, but there's no denying his greatness as a coach. He hasn't had big tournament success, but he has a Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, and his tourney record is 8-6 since arriving. MSU's NCAA record in that time? Yes, 8-6, albeit with the 2005 Final Four.
    Has Ryan outcoached Izzo? He has beat him several times with less-talented teams. But then, Ryan does that to a lot of teams. That's not to say he hasn't had talent in Madison. The Zach Morleys and Charlie Willses notwithstanding, he had Devin Harris from 2002-04, and Alando Tucker from 2003-07 (with a redshirt year in 2004). First-round picks. This is his first season without one, but this team still has a lot of very good players.
    I do believe Ryan had Izzo a bit perplexed for the first couple years. That offense carved up MSU. But the Spartans easily could have won the final two games in 2004 and the first one of '05. Since then, they've split. Izzo has thrown himself into countering Ryan's strengths, and the Spartans defended the Badgers masterfully in the first two meetings last season.
    Izzo said this Monday about his Wisconsin frustration: "Sure it's an issue. It's an issue all the time, especially when a couple of those could have been for Big Ten championships. Early on it was an anger thing, just like Michigan."
    He also said: "Yeah, they've been a thorn in my side, but like everything else, it's cyclical."
     And: "They've earned it. They haven't cheated their way through it, they've earned it. So now we've got to try to (turn it around)."
    It should be a great series moving forward. And it already has been. Ryan is 9-3, but five of those victories were pulled out in the waning seconds. You've got the Torbert tip, two straight Harris daggers in '04, blown MSU free throws, the incredible MSU collapse in '05 and Kam Taylor's answered prayer a year ago. This series since 2002 could easily be 8-4 Izzo -- which is what makes it MSU's chronically arthritic knee.

   
   
   

Comments

[BoRyan]

Thanks for the memories Joe, look forward to doing it all again this week.

[Spartan95]

No other game brings out more feelings of pure hatred in my house than when Sparty plays the badgers; not even when it's the other rodent from AA. And that's what a rivalry should do. I'll admit that Bo can coach. I'll also admit I love to see him lose and I'm not sure why. It's like when Michigan loses in football. It's probably because they've won the majority of close games lately but it may have to do more with the perceived unsportsmanlike behavior of badger players at the end of games that have already been decided. I don't see the arrogance from the fans though, probably because they haven't done anything outside of the Big Ten yet to warrant bragging. That's not a dig, just the facts. Thursday will be close and if another conference's officials show up so both teams can play, I believe it's Sparty's year.

[65 Tampa Bay]

Bo Ryan may have won a lot of games, but that does not mean he is a better coach than Tom Izzo. Tom Izzo is a Man in the coaching business, Bo Ryan is, and always will be, a boy.

[Spartan in St Augustine]

so next year in the BT, do we get to play Wiscy only once and in EL?

[Frosty]

Bo Ryan is a damn good coach! He knows his players strengths and finds a way of manipulating the weakness of his competition. Although, he is a bit of a weezle, he is fortunate to have the record as Joe has pointed out against Izzo. But, that's college hoops! Last second shots, controversial calls, and late game heroics!

I look forward to another classic battle in Madison with the Spartans and Izzo getting the last laugh this time with a close victory- maybe even a Neitzel three at the buzzer for some payback from the past!

Go Green, Go White!

[Kevin]

I'll still take the 4 wins over Wisc in 2000 en route to the nat'l championship as my favorite memory in this rivalry. Go green

[Joe Rexrode]

Yes, St. Augustine, MSU and Wisconsin meet once, in East Lansing, and MSU and Michigan meet once, in Ann Arbor.

[nad]

thanks kevin i was just thinking about that the other day...2 reg season, one big ten tourney, one final four...the only crappy part was ryan wasn't there yet so it doesn't really count against him...go green

[NYSpartan]

Thanks for getting the blood boiling again for us Joe! Can't wait for this game.....Go State!

[Maasalicious]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.... BO OWNS IZZO! clap clap clap clap clap BO OWNS IZZO! clap clap clap clap clap

Fortunate? hmph

[griff325]

Yeah I pretty much hate Bo Ryan and he has gotten very lucky in some of the past games as they have been very close. I hear people say Madison is a tougher place to play than here in East Lansing. Dead wrong...do they have the Izzone? Nope! We almost beat them there last year, Michigan almost beat them there this year. They have edged opponents out. Boy would I love to smack him around sometimes with that confused look on his face with an obvious call. HELLO?? WAKE UP BO HE DID TRAVEL! They lost to Purdue and Marquette at home this year, they are not that good in Madison and can be beat so Anyone who thinks they can't be beat in Madison, look at their record. Ryan is a boy, Izzo is not a god, but he is the man. Ryan does not have 4 final fours under his belt and 4 big ten championships either for wisconsin. Wisconsin doesn't do that well in the big dance either normally, not compared to our spartans. They just better watch out because momentum has turned our way and we will not upset them once again!

[griff325]

OMG I MEANT WE WILL UPSET THEM, I DID NOT MEAN TO SAY NOT! Wow, sorry about that spartan fans.

[Ben Green]

Wisconsin is 127-17 all time at the Kohl Center, 0.8819 winning percentage, 8th best home winning percentage in the nation.

MSU is 12th, 0.8625 at the Bres.

All the sweeter a win in Madison would be!

[stone]

State's biggest current rival in conference, no doubt.

[dr muffin]

Wisconsin/MSU rivalry is as good as any rivalry we have. I remember how good it felt to be sitting in the stands 2 years ago when MSU crushed the then top 10 badgers at Spartan stadium in football. The best game I've seen since the '73 OSU game. I also remember the rather vocal Wisconsin fans behind me who left with about 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter of that game. It's always a struggle against them at their basketball court and for those of us who enjoy a good defensive basketball game, the badgers are typical big ten bruisers. I have a healthy respect for the badgers and their fans. Go Green
ps. I still think Tolbert's tip should have counted

[CSpartan]

This match up has definitely become the barometer for MSU hoops the last few years. If state wins against Wisconsin, I feel we are playing at the level we should be...we lose, I feel we lost to a respectable team. I hate the smug attitude Bo seems to have, but I have to admit he gets the best effort out of his kids against us. Year in and year out, this is the team I want to see MSU beat, so I guess that makes it the most serious rivalry we have in the big ten in my mind. Let's hope the officials don't take this one away from MSU because in spite of rankings or records, Wisconsin is nowhere near as deep or as talented as we are. I think we would all like to see this Spartan team come out and play 40 minutes of focused basketball. Give the cheese heads a few points handicap coming out of the gates based on home officiating...so every possession will have to count. Love to see the same amount of turnovers as we had against PSU and Iowa.

Hey refs...keep the shenanigans to a minimum!!!

GO STATE!!!

[spartanfan]

I hope for a good game on Thursday but if I was going to bet on it I would certainly bet Wisconsin's way. Bo has out coached us and his players have out played us. They come mentally prepared to play BASKETBALL.......no falling behind by 15 and playing catch up all night. We are a good team just not a GREAT team. Can't wait for the big ten tournament and the neutral court should be an awesome time in INDY. Go Green...Go White

[King Kong Bundy]

We plan on calling Morgan for traveling 13 or 14 times.

XOXOX,

Refs for the MSU/Badger game.

[313Spartan]

Good trip down memory lane Joe! I betcha Coach Izzo does the same for our young players in an attempt for them to understand how heated this rivalry really is. There is no question this IS our biggest rival to date in basketball...(remember beating them three times in 2000, albeit with a different badger coach) I love the undeniable animosity between the coaches, it feals like I'm watching the Sopranos basketball, and ya know everybody routes for Tony... I mean Tom!!
Good Luck Coach...GO GREEN!

[Matthew Fox]

Call me when Ryan/Wisconsin win an NCAA title. Until then? Zzzzzz.

[JPT]

Got to give Bo his props. He gets more out of questionable talent then anyone in the country. His players are not close to MSU in athleticism and yet they find a way to win. After losing Tucker and Taylor I thought for sure that they would be in the middle of the pack this year. Incredibly important game for Sparty, both placement and confidence.

[Ben Green]

Rivals.com: Wisconsin doesn't have a player in the top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring, but as a team, the Badgers are fourth in the league in scoring offense. They're the only team in the league with four players averaging in double figures. … Badgers leading scorer Brian Butch has made 10 of his past 17 3-point attempts after starting the season 3-for-32 from 3-point range.

Wisconsin's RPI is 12 and Michigan State's is 13.

I wonder how much the Badgers will be favored by. Based on State's propensity to play crappy on the road, I'd say more than 10. I will be curious if Magic and Mateen had a lasting impression. It will be interesting to see if the recent (home) turnaround against sub par competition translates into a competitive effort by the Spartans.

Am I optimistic? I'd say hopeful. It certainly would be nice to see the Spartans put it all together and take it to the Badgers!

[MSU BB]

I would love to see a Spartan win, but Wisconsin has always been able to pull out the close ones against us. I was at Breslin when Torbert made the tip (actually a catch and shoot) and I thought we had won. I still think we won.

I think Wisc wins this one by at least 7.

I don't like Bo, but at least he runs a clean program. That is what makes college sports so great, opponents we can hate.

Go Green

[Dan]

It is simple to me, if the team comes out with the same energy as the last two games.....they win. If they start over thinking and letting the magnitude of the event get to them, they fold.

I like the first option to come true. Give me MSU 64 UW 58

Go Green!!!

[TDP]

Fellas,

Sorry to interrupt this blog but Edwin Baker, one of the top RB's in 2009 committed to MSU today over offers from scUM, Texas, and Georgia.

Another HUGE committment. Way to go Coach D!!!!!!!!!!