It’s hard not to grow tired of sports clichés, but it’s also difficult to avoid them. On its face, the third round of the NCAA Tournament is nothing short of a David vs. Goliath match-up between the meek and meager No. 9 Saint Louis University Billikens and the tried and tested No. 1 Michigan State Spartans.
You know the story – the Billikens received their first March Madness berth since 1999-2000; recorded their first NCAA victory since 1997-98 with a 61-54 win over Memphis; and have never been to the Sweet Sixteen. Enter Goliath – the Spartans won the Big 10 Conference Championship after a 27-7 record; is playing in its fifteenth-straight NCAA Tournament; and is the No. 1 seed in the West Region. They also have the Big 10 Player of the Year and All-American Draymond Green.
Put simply, MSU figures to be the toughest opponent SLU will have faced since the Dec. 11, 2010 tilt against then-No. 1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“I guess they’re going to be Xavier on steroids,” senior Brian Conklin said. “They’ve got two bigs. They’ve got great guards. They’re just a great team. It’s a team we haven’t played, a team – we have never played a team like that before.”
Michigan State will present challenges unlike any that Xavier could replicate. The Spartans gun up and down the court in transition. While Xavier plays at a higher tempo, they lacked the outside perimeter presence that Spartans will show. For instance, if Green is covered on a help defense in the paint, he will be able to kick the ball out to a shooter, for example senior Austin Thornton, who can hit the three. Thornton shot only three-pointers in the Big 10 Conference Tournament, going seven-of-ten.
“I feel we can compete with Michigan State, and I’m excited for the game tomorrow,” SLU head coach Rick Majerus said. “We have a very short prep, and for a very difficult team that runs a variety of things … but we’ll walk through things, we’ll do a little bit live, show them some film … that’s about all you can do.”
If SLU continues to do what they have been doing – that is, “mucking up” their opponent on offense – then perhaps a large, thought-out game plan won’t make a difference anyway. Constantly, the Billikens have been able to disrupt the rhythm of their opponents by playing a brutally physical defense, packing the paint, defending the shooters, and contesting shots. But let’s not forget the, shall we say, luck of the Irish, on the offensive side of the ball. When it has mattered most, SLU has taken smart shots down the stretch and, most recently, capitalized on foul shooting.
“Coach always tells us, ‘we take one game at a time,’” junior Kwamain Mitchell said. “Some teams are just happy to be here, but we’re here to win. But looking at Duke and other teams going down, I think that gives us confidence also. But just playing our game helps us to get where we are.”
“Everyone said we weren’t going to win [against Memphis],” added Conklin. “We’ve already done one, so why not a second one? We know we have a great team in our locker room. It’s going to be fun and we’re excited.”
And if SLU vs. Michigan State is a David vs. Goliath match-up, then the coaching head-to-head of Majerus v. Tom Izzo is a classic clash of the titans.
Between them, Majerus and Izzo have 926 career victories, 516 and 410, respectively, and have been in the NCAA Tournament 27 times; for Majerus, this is his twelfth trip and first since 2002-03, while Izzo is making his fifteenth trip. Izzo’s 2000 national championship team knocked out Majerus’ Utah Utes in the second round of the tournament. Izzo also worked with Majerus as a graduate assistant at Marquette University.
“I respect Coach Izzo because he’s a self-made coach,” Majerus said. “He’s demanding. He’s fair. His players really like him. And he loves the game. Izzo is a throwback … and I think part of that is his not having been a good player, and part of it is his own personality and integrity.”
“I can beat Rick. I can get him up and down the court for sure,” Izzo said to laughter. “That’s the only one I know I can win. But Rick Majerus is a guy I’ve watched and known since the day I came out of college. I have tremendous respect for him. His teams are always tough, well disciplined. The post players are as fundamental as anybody in the country.”
“I think Rick’s done a hell of a job with this [SLU] team.”
