Goran Suton

Michigan State apparently didn’t read the script. You see, the top seeded #1 seed Louisville Cardinals had just rolled over Arizona like they were a high school team and they were on the brink to going to Motown for the Final Four. Unfortunately, Tom Izzo crashed the party with a fierce and ferocious Big Ten style and basically embarrassed the Cardinals as the Spartans reached the Final Four for the fifth time this decade.

And like so much of what college basketball is about, they cannot rest on this laurel. They now face the mighty mighty Connecticut Huskies in the semifinal game. And they are already underdogs, as expected.

So the thought is that with the Huskies basically ransacking their entire regional and truly looking like the team to beat in the entire tournament–that Michigan State is overmatched. But are they? While UCONN has had a monstrous inside presence, they haven’t had to face up against the sudden superstar Goran Suton, who WILL stretch the defense out to the perimeter. Delvon Roe may present a bit of a match up issue with his rugged athleticism, and while A.J. Price is the stud for UCONN at guard, Michigan State may have an equalizer in Travis Walton as well.

The fact of the matter is this: if Tom Izzo could take down the high-flying Cardinals with less than 48 hour prep, what makes you think that with a week to prep for the Huskies he can’t do the same thing? The Spartans are deep–much deeper than people really think—and they match up well with UCONN. The biggest telltale sign of this game truly will be foul issues–if MSU can stay clean, they could be standing tall at the end. But if they get in trouble early, expect for UCONN to exploit whatever weakness that brings.

Don’t underestimate the heart of this team–especially with having the “home” advantage being very close to Detroit. No one gave them a chance against Louisville, said they got lucky against Kansas, and here they are. Once again being told they aren’t going to win. And that’s exactly how Tom Izzo likes it.