MSU definitely missed Langford tonight.
Indiana didn’t have Morgan for the entire second half and the end of the first half. They did have Davis and Green back which obviously made a huge difference.
Of course he did! When you lose to a 17 point dog at home you can’t blame external factors Tommy! I think he knows they have played their best ball of the season and they could be in some trouble moving forward. That spot coming up at Illinois for them could be a problem.
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So he made an excuse for missing Langford without mentioning Langford. How did I know he would do that! 
Uhh, did he mention FT shooting? Atrocious would be the word for that.
He did mention foul shooting. He listed pretty much everything but coaching…
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Hmmm… As I said elsewhere earlier today, we have a coach that gives credit where credit is due and TAKES RESPONSIBILITY when it is warranted WITHOUT throwing his kids under the bus.
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It’s impossible to save one’s season (read: NCAA in versus out) with a single game, but damn, this is close for Indiana.
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If Indiana turns it around and becomes a “bubble” team, and if Morgan is OK and with Green and Davis back they could, this is the kind of win that could put them on the right side of the “bubble.” Big win for IU!
I just feel like he has plateaued at Maryland, he seems to always under achieve with the talent he has on hand, good recruiter, poor in game coach. It is playing with fire and I am probably to aggressive, they could certainly end up with a worse coach, but I think Maryland could/should be better. They aren’t making the Final Four with Turgeon, and I think that is their goal, so fire him and try with a new guy.
Save one’s job maybe too
You know, as a fan of U-M, I’d be okay with that, too, for the years to come.
I don’t know why I have so many thoughts on firing Big Ten coaches, but here we are, fire five of them but I could be talked into more.
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Loved it. Had a good feeling about taking those points despite how bad they’ve been. When I turned it on and Indiana was still up late I was loving it. I saw the beginning and end and Indiana was playing really hard all night. Good for them , maybe they find some footing.
MSU’s loss is shocking, but not really. When you lose the possession battle game after game and depend on the other team shooting poorly, you’re going to lose some games.
You can point to IU’s 50% 3pt shooting, but that’s only a couple more makes than the yearly average would predict. Nebraska shot 5-26 from 3, if you change that to the yearly average, MSU loses that game.
You can point to Ward’s FT% tonight, but he’s still shooting better than either of his first two years. He shot 7-7 against Iowa, while Iowa shot 5-24 from 3. If you revert those numbers to season averages, MSU might lose that game. MSU’s 3pt% defense is still the best in the Big Ten at <29%.
And Izzo whining about the refs is questionable in a game that MSU went into intentional foul mode and still shot more FTs and had less fouls.
If Purdue somehow wins the Big Ten this year, I’ll be disappointed for UM, but will feel like it’s a bit of a make up for PU, who may have been the best team in the conference last year and finished second in the regular season and tournament.
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It never ceases to amaze me how unpredictable college hoops can be. MSU was looking nearly unbeatable and then lose 2 in a row including at home to a team on a 7 game losing streak. Michigan looked dominating in November and now seems to be floundering. And then there is #23 NC State.
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OK, so I’ve now had the opportunity to listen to Izzo’s post IU loss presser. He sure sounds like a wounded puppy dog, doesn’t he. At least at the beginning he does. It’s like he’s just lost his best friend, “but don’t feel sorry for us, we did it to ourselves.” And then he just has that, “Oh woe is me look on his face and that soft defeated, little voice.” Don’t feel sorry for me but “Oh, this is awful” sort of look and sound. I will say he gave a lot of credit to the fans and MSU’s marketing department.
He did mention coaching, so I’ll give him that. He said he didn’t do a very good coaching job, and he mentioned it several times, and he took the blame for not having his team prepared. He said he did tell them all week but that’s not on them, it’s on him. Huh? If he told them why is it not on them but on him? Maybe he wasn’t forceful enough.
He said they didn’t practice well all week and that they (State) are everyone’s “big game.” Of course, they are, just like Michigan is. And you have to be ready. No cruising in the B1G! If anything, this loss certainly proves that.
He said he doesn’t have enough bodies, not enough “experienced” bodies, but he sure plays a lot of kids so I don’t know how that could be. I know, he was without Langford. I believe this was their ninth game without Langford. IU was missing Morgan for all but 13 minutes. When he went down, I thought it was over for IU.
He talked about offensive rebounding by IU and said that was about his team’s lack of effort. That, too, would indicate they weren’t really ready to play, in my opinion. But since IU had 20 offensive rebounds in their first meeting in Bloomington, he obviously hasn’t fixed what was a problem for them the first time they played, and has been a problem of late.
He said the game wasn’t well officiated. I certainly agree with that, but if he thought his team got the worst of it then he wasn’t watching the same game I was watching. Or he’s just come to believe he’s going to get EVERY call at the Breslin. I will say I agree with Izzo’s utter disdain for the stupid interpretation of “Hook and Hold” by the NCAA.
I’ll go back to what I said earlier. You have to be ready to play EVERY game. This is the B1G. You can’t just waltz in and expect to win. I know they’re college kids. We have no idea what’s going on with them, what’s in their head. We don’t know the aches and pains that they feel, or how tired they may be. You have to be prepared emotionally, mentally and physically, as best you can be. And I think a large responsibility for that is on the coaches and the senior (or junior) leaders of the team.
Personally I’m glad we have the coaches and the leaders we have. This may not be popular here, but I’m pretty sure Spartan Nation feels the same way about Izzo and his staff, and Cassius, who I still think is amazing, though I wouldn’t trade Zavier Simpson for anyone. Just my thoughts on a Sunday morning. 
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I didn’t hear Izzo’s entire presser, just some pieces of it, so I can’t comment on this one specifically. However, I have noticed in previous losses, even when he takes the blame for something he has a way of stating it that seems to actually be blaming the players. Like, I am really frustrated with our lack of rebounding effort, but that’s on me, I need to coach that better.
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MSU’s hot streak coincided with some extraordinary luck in three-point defense. That’s come to an abrupt end.
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I hear what you’re saying, champions. I often hear that, too. I’m sending you a PM with an Izzo story, 'cause, let’s face it, I write WAY too much on here! 
For anyone who takes the time to actually read my comments, I thank you for taking the time and indulging me! I appreciate all of you.
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If you were asking me right now to put money on Michigan, MSU or Purdue to win the league, I MIGHT be tempted to put it on Purdue. Here is their remaining schedule:
today vs. Minnesota
vs. Nebraska
@ Maryland
vs. Penn St.
@ Indiana
@ Nebraska
vs. Illinois
vs. Ohio St.
@ Minnesota
@ Northwestern
That schedule is enough reason to think they are going to be a player in this thing. I would hesitate to fully back them because this is a team that should have lost @ Penn St. but that schedule is VERY manageable. State’s isn’t a whole lot harder whereas Michigan has the roughest road ahead of them. Not sold on Wisconsin until they can navigate the stretch they have in the next week of @ Minnesota, @ Michigan, vs. Michigan St.