Catch 22 and MSU

Greetings from Columbus, where MSU basketball will try to shake off its case of the Cobles today. I bring you links today, with a pair of stories in tandem with our annual Catch 22 list of the state's top prospects -- on the trend of acceleration in college football and how it relates to MSU, and on the latest setback for those who want an early signing period.

   The biggest thing I took away from this on the MSU side is that, while the Spartans got the nucleus of this class last winter, they won't necessarily have 15 guys committed by August every year. Mark Dantonio's style is actually relatively methodical, and his approach is low-pressure. A lot of coaches push for commitments, but he actually pushes for kids to hold off until they're 100 percent.
    That, combined with the fact that MSU is focused locally, makes this program less likely to suffer from the down side of the early-commitment trend. If you build a good relationship, and have a kid up to campus often, and get a thorough evaluation at your camp, and get to see him play multiple times in person, there's a lot better chance that things will work out.
    So while there's a lot of talk that MSU needs to do more in the southern regions, if you keep getting the top kids from Michigan and the second wave from Ohio after Ohio State makes its selections, I would guess you'll be in pretty good shape.

    * Here are some specifics on MSU's methods. Each prospect is rated by the staff on athletic ability, football skills, academics and character. The primary recruiter, position coach, coordinator and Dantonio all review the film. A player is rated on 10 things related to his position (deep ball judgment for a defensive back, for example). And MSU believes in "staff recruiting" with everyone getting involved. "You never know who's going to connect with that kid," Dantonio said.
    * Here are some comments that didn't make the story:
    Dantonio on other schools recruiting committed prospects: “They have to be able to withstand things, and we talk about it. People are gonna knock on your door. If you open the door, people are gonna stick their foot in it.”
    Livonia Clarenceville coach Ryan Irish, who coached LB commitment Jeremy Gainer, on MSU: “They’re very, very thorough with their recruits, they want to make sure they know what kind of kid they’re getting.”
    Irish on an early signing day: “I like it as it is now, because there are so many things that can change after a kid signs. I told Jeremy, take all your (official) visits, take every fricking one. They’re playing you just as much as you’re playing them.”
    Edwin Baker on his decision: “My dream school was Tennessee , but I wanted my mom and dad to see me play. As the process got later, that was more on my mind as an important thing.”
    More from Baker, who also has interest from USC, on picking MSU: “I looked at the depth chart and I saw myself fitting in. Ringer was a senior this season, so I felt I could be in good position to play as a freshman. You look at USC, they’ve got 10 All-Americans (in the backfield). And Michigan State runs the ball a lot.”

    Talk to you after today's game.