Izzo told the team with about four or five minutes left to go, that if we won this game it would go down as one of the greatest games in Michigan State basketball history. He is a smart man. We won, and not only was it one of the best games of that entire March Madness weekend, it is definitely in the record books as one to remember (unless of course you hail from Maryland...).
Everyone has probably seen the replay of this, but you HAVE got to check out the last 38 seconds of the game. We were up for the most of the game, but with our best player newly injured and sitting it out Maryland started to catch up. Watch the miracle unfold. No idea how our big boy, non-ball handler-but still amazing, Green manages to dribble the ball all the way down the court, hear Lucious calling his name, pass him the ball (as amazingly Roe knows to duck out of the way) and then watch Lucious sink the shot for the win. I could watch this a hundred times. Oh wait, I probably already have...
Did you see the whole team pile at the end there?! Love it. And did you see Kalin (our injured best player) hugging Izzo? Here's an excerpt from an article on espn.com:
Lucas was the only player not in the massive pile of Spartans that squashed Lucious at the opposite end of the court following the sophomore fill-in's winning shot. Lucas hopped over to coach Tom Izzo near midcourt instead. "I told Coach Iz I loved him," Lucas said with a small smile. "He said the same back to me.
See you in St. Louis Spartans! Sweet Sixteen here we come!!!! I think you know what I'll be doing tomorrow night at 8:37 PM :)
P.S. Yesterday as the Spartans departed for St. Louis from the Lansing, MI airport the fight song played over the airport PA. So cool!!
I can't wait for the game!
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