I just want to make this thread to congratulate Michigan State and Louisville on two really damn good seasons. I know that both teams are very likable teams with great stories that really deserved it. It's very unfortunate that they lost today, but they still made it far and should be proud of what they did. Being in the Final Four is an accomplishment that will never leave these programs. I also personally want to say that I really enjoyed watching Kelvin Torbert, Chris Hill, and Alan Anderson in their last games. These guys came in as great prospects and could have jumped straight to the NBA but decided to stay for their degrees. I admire that. They've all overcome adversity, especially Torbert with his mom deceased and his father dying, so I was especially proud of them for finally making it to the Final Four. This loss may hurt us MSU or UL fans now, but in the summer all of your memories of this semifinal game will be gone and you'll be bragging about your team making it to the Final Four. Anyway, congrats! BTW - We're still better than those dirty Dookies.
I agree, very good accomplishment and even though they didn't take it this year, it shows improvement and gives us an idea of where these programs will end up in the future. You must be really mad, Voodoo Child. I know the Spartans lost, but give Sean May a break!
Yeah, I never would've expected both UL and MSU being in the Final Four when the Tourney started, but both had great runs in the tourney! Well, I guess I'll see Louisville next year at Rupp!!!
good point <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, I never would've expected both UL and MSU being in the Final Four when the Tourney started, but both had great runs in the tourney!</div> good point they both had great runs. MSU beat some of the best teams in college bball enroute to the final four. It seems like every game they were picked lose for 3,4 games in a row but they preservered.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting d00d:</div><div class="quote_post">Go Marvin Williams.</div> Before this game, I was sticking up for him to my friends who all hate UNC. I thought that he was a good, respectable and humble kid. I thought it was huge that he took the bench role. Wow, I was blind. Marvin Williams is an absolute punk! Did you see how everytime he dunked a wideopen uncontested dunk he'd yell "YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" and then pull himself up on the rim and swing his legs around like an immature brat? You didn't see that from Maurice Ager when he drove right in and slammed on Sean May. Did you see when he pushed Matt Trannon? Trannon looks like he has 100 pounds on him (exaggeration). He's a huge bulky football player from Flint and Williams is just a skinny twig from Washington. He was very lucky that Trannon let him get away with the push. I'm not talking about an incidental push either. Williams pushed him hard and intentionally in a temper tantrum. And what was I thinking when I thought that him benching was a noble thing? Kelvin Torbert benching is a noble thing. He is a player who came in as the High School Player of the Year (he was rated higher than Williams was). He has had four hard years at Michigan State. He has had so much criticism despite putting his heart into the game. His dad got cancer and is in very critical condition right now, and this is already a kid who grew up with no mom in the ghetto of Flint. He also had to go through numerous surgeries. Yet he gladly accepted this bench role without complaining one bit. Williams on the other hand is an unproven Freshman. For him to expect a starting role would just be foolish.
^ is this supposed to be sarcastic? i mean,you made this thread to congratulate UNC and Illinois but it seems like ur hatin...just take a look at ur sig...lol...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j_a_d_e:</div><div class="quote_post">^ is this supposed to be sarcastic? i mean,you made this thread to congratulate UNC and Illinois but it seems like ur hatin...just take a look at ur sig...lol...</div> This thread is to congratulate Michigan State and Louisville. What are you talking about?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Voodoo Child:</div><div class="quote_post">This thread is to congratulate Michigan State and Louisville. What are you talking about?</div> hahaha...i meant UL and MSU...typo...
I agree. Their fans should be proud of their players and their players and coaches should be proud of what they accomplished. Tom Izzo did his best job in his coaching career IMO.
Msu and Louisville did have awesome seasons, but watching other msu games, when brown dunked or ager, they had the same exact reaction, like when one of them dunked over JJ Redick, they did the same exact cocky thing. Tom Izzo has gained so much respect from me, he is the complete coach.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kentuckyfan34:</div><div class="quote_post">Tom Izzo has gained so much respect from me, he is the complete coach.</div> You're not a lieing there, KF34! I have nothing but good things to say about Coach Izzo. He's a class act and I hope to NEVER see him leave behind that Michigan State program for the NBA!
Congratulations to both teams for their final four appearance. There would be maybe a couple of people in the pre-season polls that would say that Michigan State and Louisville would be in the final four. Every team?s goal in the beginning of the season is to reach the final four and have a shot to go to the nation championship; Louisville and Michigan State were two of those teams. Michigan State looks to be back again next year, with Paul Davis, Shannon Brown, and Coach Tom Izzo all coming back they should be a threat.
Yeah, this season was great for both teams. Everyone keeps talking about the respect they have gained for Coach Izzo, what about Pitino? I mean he is the only coach to bring three different teams to the Final Four, and when he is out there, he's one of the hardest working coaches out there. But I did gain respect for Izzo. Next year will be a blast too. Though, we lose Otis George, Big Ellis, O'Bannon, and most likely Garcia to the NBA, we bring back Jenkins at pg, Dean at sg, probably Wade at sf, Palacios at pf, and a huge transfer, Padgett at center with another huge recruit, Amir Johnson, who will back up Palacios at PF. Next year should be another great year. Congrats to both teams. I guess the only bright side is I have a chance to win my bracket pool at school since I have UNC vs. Illinois in the finals, with Illinois winning it all.
Was indeed a great season for both schools, It's just sad the way Garcia ended his last ever college game. Didn't play anywhere near to his abilty which in the end cost his team as their trio of guards got outplayed by Williams,Head and Brown. MSU will be a big threat to make the final four again next with with the great Izzo and Shannon Brown, Paul Davis to name a few who will be even better next year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I mean he is the only coach to bring three different teams to the Final Four, and when he is out there, he's one of the hardest working coaches out there. </div> I already had a lot of respect for Pitino. I'm not trying to bash him or anything, but I do have a question though. Why is it so great that he won three final fours with three different teams? I mean, that just shows disloyalty in my opinion, unless your first two final fours were at colleges like Eastern Maryland and Northern Iowa. Then that would be understandable. But why do so many people congratulate him from hoping around from PC to UK to UL? Remember, I'm not trying to bash him, just throwing that out there. By the way, everyone has mentioned Paul Davis and Shannon Brown coming back next season, but what about Maurice Ager? He was our leading scorer this season and the standout player of the tournament. He had 24 points last night. We also bring back our starting point guard, Neitzel, and we bring in a redshirt freshman who was a top 25 recruit last year, Marquise Gray. G - Neitzel G - S.Brown G - Ager F - Trannon C - Davis ----------- F - Gray That's the same exact starting lineup we had this year minus Trannon.
As for the respect for Tom Izzo, the reason why I have it is because hes not cocky. He might have not taken 3 teams to the final four but do you see Rick Pitino console a player from the other team? If any of you saw how Tom Izzo consoled Chuck Hayes after their overtime loss, that is what college bball is about. hayes played for izzo a year or two ago , and izzo treated him like his own. Tom Izzo brought his team up, and they peaked at the right time. As for VC said, I agree, Pitino doesn't stay in one place for too long, and if another great coach moved around like that, they would also have taken 3 teams to the final four. On the same level, VC is sticking up for msu because obiviously that is their team, and its kind of bias, but you're hearing this from me, i do not like MSU at all, but i still have so much respect for Tom Izzo, and Rick Pitino, but it just seems like Izzo has done a lot more.Just my opinion though.
I always thought Tom Izzo was a very under-rated coach, and hopefully he gets a huge raise for leading this group of great players to the Final Four(kind of contradicting statement but whatever). They were overacheivers in the tourney, and were good opponents.
It seems like some of you guys are taking away from Rick Pitino's coaching attributes, just because he has hopped around. Your basically saying, "oh, if another great coach went to the same number of universities as Pitino did, then they would have taken that many schools to the Final Four as well." Your saying any coach can do that. But, it has to take some coaching skill to do it. One thing I find pretty astonishing about Rick Pitino is that 18 of his former players or assistant coaches have gone on to become head coaches, so obviously he is a good teacher to those under him. My guess on why he has hopped around is because he has given the NBA coachng experience a couple shots. He had a stint with the Knicks, first as assistant coach to Hubie Brown and then he was head coach. Then came back to the college game as a head coach, and then was a head coach for the Boston Celtics for a few years. I may be incorrect on that, but I think that's the situation.
