Here’s another angle. Egregious? I’d say so. I just watch this and it makes me sick. As a former basketball coach, I have no words for how bad this is. 
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Losing twice to MSU is something my brain will not process, so basically they’re a No. 1 seed. 
I actually hadn’t noticed until that angle that the ball bounces off Sissoko so it’s difficult to say he didn’t know the ball was out and was making a play on it.
Ugh. That’s really uncalled for. I’d be ripshit if I were Illinois.
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Believe me, they are!
Good, maybe they can turn some of their, um…exuberance…on Sparty instead of focusing it all on us.
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I think, when we play Sparty, Juwan should invite another German athlete to suit up for the basketball team, 6’6 286 pound Julius Welschof. If the State player so much as gets off the bench for the Sparties, Welschof enters the game, goes over to the kid and whispers in his ear, “you so much as touch one of my guys and I’ll destroy you,” and he says it with that tough German accent! 
I know, I know, that sentiment doesn’t sound like me, does it, but every time I watch that clip it just makes me sick, and I can only think about the safety of our guys! 
Edit:
I should probably take this post down because I may come off as promoting violence. I’m not. Perhaps the threat of some physicality, but not actual violence. But, the game of basketball is a beautiful game, especially when played correctly as most players and teams do. The Michigan State vs Illinois game was NOT beautiful. Players must be protected from that kind of unnecessaryugliness!
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I hope so, and I hope our guys remember last year at Crisler and they come out with a vengeance! AND, if Ayo doesn’t play, that they don’t relax on defense for even a second!
I completely expect us to dominate MSU at Crisler. It’s the return game at Breslin that gives me more concern.
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IIRC he was second in the Big Ten in assist rate last season so while the overall number is high, I’m not totally surprised, though I also have lots of recollections of him driving wildly to the hoop and taking bad off-the-dribble threes.
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I wasn’t so much asserting it as wondering aloud. . . but I’d say that merits some further conversation on the part of the league and MSU. I don’t have quite so much concern at this stage about the UM-MSU tilts because I think that Coach Howard already carries enough weight to put everyone on notice about any threat to his players. And I’m sure there’s some internal discussion, given the fact that the two squads could play three games, about not letting things get out of hand. Under these circumstances, one assumes that Izzo is constrained to be on good behavior. They will be playing under a microscope.
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Good call - my memories of his season last year were mired in the hero-ball shots.
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Interesting to note that Sissoko has barely seen the floor since the Illinois game.
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Don’t see much chance that Izzo would “take it easy”. The gameplan is definitely going to be play rough and foul a lot (just like Illinois and OSU). Izzo has a lot of resentment of UM and the Fab 5 in particular. I think JB’s genial nature soothed that a little bit, but Juwan being the head coach probably makes him big mad. Being down 3-1 in the coaching matchup with a Fab 5 member will be uhhhh not great for his ego.
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I’d expect MSU to maul AD and send him to the line, but if their plan is to muck it up at the free throw line with any of our other guys - I’m pretty confident that will only boost our point total.
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Question for the board:
If Michigan is going to win 2 of the next 3 games, which 2 would you prefer?
Personally, I would take the 2 against Sparty. I know it would be nice to shut up the Illini, but who really cares what those dellusional fans think anyway? I will just go right back to ignoring all things Illinois like I normally do. But sweeping Sparty would be oh so sweet and it would really put a damper on their tourney hopes.
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The two against Sparty. Not even a question to me.
Don’t lose the home game to Sparty because as of right now that’s a Q3 game. Also, just don’t lose to Sparty. Period. End of sentence.
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Not interested in losing to Illinois, especially in Crisler.
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I’m surprised people aren’t more focused on beating Illinois after their Coach is essentially accusing M of being soft and ducking them
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I get that, but that is a drop in the bucket to the nonsense we hear from Sparty fans, players and even coaches every year. I just don’t really care about Illinois sports.
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