BAD SHOWING BY THE BIG TEN

You can’t help but lick your chops if you’re a Badger or Spartan fan today. You got taken to the woodshed last night and it wasn’t pretty.

In Wisconsin’s case, they had the better team but couldn’t overcome a player, who was more than likely the best player on the court.

In MSU’s case, they simply did not have enough talent and athleticism to match Memphis.

It was a testament to how bad the Big Ten has become as of late.

As much as people love to talk about how good of a coach Bo Ryan is, he has yet to deliver any success when it counts. The best seed Ryan has beat in his tenure as a Wisconsin coach is 9th seeded St. Joseph in 2002.

Is it truly a wonder why his teams have so much success in Big Ten play but are disgustingly fraudulent in the tournament?

The half-court play, the repeated motion, the non-athletes just doesn’t cut it come March.

And MSU, well, they perpetuated this style by playing down to their competitors in Big Ten play. Walking it up, not pressuring the ball, not letting the athletes they have dictate the tempo of the game.

Answer this truthfully:

If you lined up MSUs players in a gym against Iowa’s players and just told them to play to 100, no organization, no sets, who would win?

I can guarantee you that MSU would win 90% of the time, if not more. So why have we complicated it in Big Ten play? Why has Izzo let his players play down to the competition?

It certainly did not help them that dreadful day in Iowa City and it for sure didn’t help them last night. When MSU finally adjusted in the second half and brought in their athletes and let them play, they were more than competitive. Yes, Memphis brought their intensity down a notch but I think they can even admit that the Spartans looked like a better team in the second half.

So I hope, as a Spartan fan, that Izzo looks to let his players play next year. Let them dictate the tempo, let them attack the basket at will and force the other team to adjust to them and not the other way around.

But if you are a Badger fan, I would be more concerned because with Ryan as coach, you will never get to a Final Four. You will never win a National Championship playing the way you do.

Its a sad reality to face for Badger Nation.

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