Terry Foster: Michigan State Slight Is Not That Bad
By Terry Foster
@TerryFoster971
It is human nature to complain. And Michigan State fans legitimately can bitch about their team not being a No. 1 seed. The Spartans should be a No. 1 seed if you ask me.
Michigan State beat No. 1 seed Kansas. Virginia did not win its conference tournament or the regular season while MSU finished strong and won the Big Ten conference tournament over Purdue.
But guys let me tell you this: This slight is not so bad. If the Spartans (29-5) were a one seed they were headed to Spokane, Wash., where Oregon is for the opening two rounds, and then Anaheim for the second two rounds. Those are very long road trips that many fans would not be able to make. This grind is like the Red Wings when they were in the Western Conference playoffs. San Jose one series; Anaheim the next. It was brutal.
I believe the committee had a tough choice, left MSU out of the coveted one spot, then did everything it could to make things comfortable for the Spartans. They begin their journey in the Midwest in St. Louis and then could earn a Final Four berth through Chicago.
There are Michigan State fan clubs in Chicago. You could take a plane, car, bus or train and be there in a few hours.
Fans point out that Virginia (26-7) does not belong. Do you really want this bracket? You begin the trip in Raleigh N.C. before making your way to Chicago. This is a bracket that includes Purdue, a team the Spartans split with in two hotly contested games and Iowa State which is a dangerous team.
The possible tough spots for MSU in their half of the draw is Utah (26-8) and Seton Hall (25-8). I will take my chances with those teams.
More importantly this gives head coach Tom Izzo ammunition to say the Spartans are getting disrespected again. Hell, football coach Mark Dantonio is probably already firing up his team for next season saying no one respects the Spartans.
Basketball coaches do not like to travel long distances and they like to get their kids back to campus as quickly and as fresh as possible. The only thing better for MSU would be having games in Mt. Pleasant and Kalamazoo.
"That's kind of been the MO," Izzo told reporters in Indianapolis after winning the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. "I don't look at it as disrespect. There's got to be a reason for it. We played so many good teams but then played like three 300 (RPI) teams because we couldn't schedule anybody else."
When you look around the Big Ten teams were slotted lower than they should be. OK. Let's cry about it because that is what we as a society likes to do. But I'm telling you that MSU is in a really good spot, perhaps the best starting spot in the tournament.
See you in Houston.
