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The State News sports reporters discuss all MSU sports.
(Bella) Hello and welcome back to the sports roundtable podcast where we talk about all things Michigan State Athletics. I'm your host, Bella Johnson and today I'm joined by Justin Babbitt, who's an Izzone and Munnsters Students section leader. Do you want to go ahead and introduce yourself, Justin?
(Justin) Yeah, of course. Thanks so much for having me. My name is Justin. Like you said, I'm a section leader for the Izzone and the Munnsters this year, takes up a lot of my time, and I absolutely love all of it. I'm really excited to sit here and talk sports today. It's gonna be awesome.
(Bella) Yeah, and just if you don't know is known as men's basketball and Munnsters is the hockey student section. So I think we should just jump in with a little bit of men's basketball. They had an interesting week.
(Justin) They did. Yeah.
(Bella) Saturday, they had, they went to Madison Square Garden to play Rutgers and definitely didn't go the way they wanted it to
(Justin) It didn't. Yeah. And it was interesting to watch. The past few times we've gone on the road, we've we've really been struggling a little bit. And we played the Indiana schools on the road, I believe back-to-back weekends, really hard to play at Mackay and Purdue really hard to play at Bloomington for Indiana as well. So it's interesting to see them kind of adapt to MSG, and how that was kind of a neutral environment. Rutgers is right there in Jersey. So.
(Bella) It's definitely felt like a home game for Rutgers. There were so many of them there
(Justin) It did. I noticed that a student section too, so I'm sure a lot of the red in the arena, you know, might have had an impact. But one thing I noticed right off the bat when I was watching, we got great shots in the beginning. And I really thought our offense was was getting the looks that they needed to, you know, I just don't think the shots fell. And sometimes it's you know, that's just the way it goes. The offense just doesn't click but yeah, it was really interesting to kind of take a take a look at how we did on the road didn't go the way we wanted it to. But I thought we played relatively well for especially the first half.
(Bella) Yeah, and when sometimes in shots aren't falling, the first couple don't go and then it's just in the they're in the heads the whole time and none of them go after that. WHich is really rough, especially on the road.
(Justin) It was both teams. To me. It was really low scoring. I don't know if you saw the halftime score. I just got to look at it, but yeah, it was or they're on pace for something like 40 points or the whole it was just kind of a offensive slugfest a little bit, but you know, it's okay. Offense, though, I believe is Tyson with 12 and Joey with 10. So it was a little little lower than usual, but
(Bella) Yeah, definitely. And then last night 9 p.m. tip-off. Yeah. Which is new. Well, I feel like I haven't had games that late and a while back pretty late. Definitely. Yeah. They took on Maryland. And as soon as they started right off the bat, it was like a whole different team like they started 15 and 0, the offense was on fire. The defense was on fire. And then they almost blew it was there 15 and 0 start. I mean, you were there. I was watching it from home What was it like being there?
(Justin) Yeah. You could tell there was a little angst in the building especially after you know the game getting tired I don't remember the number off the top of my head I want to say it was tied at 38 or 40. And just watching us got 15 energy in the building was crazy as always Breslin's an awesome place to watch a basketball game and you can kind of feel it creep up a little bit Maryland would get two here and there they get a pullback here. They get an offensive board there and you just kind of start to feel it slip away and I think that's a pattern I've started to notice and Spartan nation is starting to notice a little bit we get a lead and late in the game we've just have some mishaps we can't inbound the ball we we don't get rebounds and then things happen like they did last night. And then we find a way to survive at home we haven't really found that on the road yet but yeah, it's been it's been a tough
(Bella) The home crowd definitely definitely helps. That last pass from Hoggard to Malik and then the Dunk from Aikens probably brought a lot of life back to Breslin I can only imagine
(Justin) It did it was great that Breslin moments when when there's a huge dunk or there's just, there's there's great moments in Breslin where the roof truly just goes off the place and it's super cool. And then you could definitely feel it though on the way out of the building. There was a little bit of a tense feeling like there was a relief there, obviously, but it's kind of like it kind of a feeling in the back of your head of oh, we were up 15 nothing in the start and had to go that way.
(Bella) It's also hard because we've dropped or they've dropped five of the last seven I believe for that game. Yeah, that's a lot of game slot games, a lot of games to lose, but every time you look at the big ten it's just something else is happening. I feel like recently I can't think of a time where there was like, one team way ahead and then one team way behind and then everybody else was just in the middle somewhere like fighting each other like crazy.
(Justin) Yeah, I think, I believe Michigan just won. They beat Ohio State and put them in I think I think six and five and they jumped crazy amount of spots I was just, Izzo, even talking about it too. He's like he's never seen a big 10 like this before. I think it's like a very general weaker year. But it's it's interesting seeing the 10 in the middle just like fight to the death for those spots up top.
(Bella) It's fun to watch, and also so stressful.
(Justin) Sometimes not for us, but.
(Bella) Yeah no, I mean, I feel like everybody's feeling this way at this point. You have to
(Both) Unless you're Purdue
(Justin) Love to be pretty right now.
(Bella) I mean, I'm the women's side of the basket of basketball, they've been struggling recently. I think they're, they're going on to their fourth game tonight. It is Wednesday. This won't be released till Friday. So obviously, this game will have already happened. But unfortunately, I don't have the ability to predict what's gonna happen. But it's their fourth game without head coach Merchant, which is definitely tough. And the last game that they had with her was against Rutgers, they won that. And then the three since she's been gotten, they haven't won one since. I know it was Nebraska last Thursday on the road. And they almost completed a comeback. I feel like that's the story with this team is they're they're down by so much. I think they were down by 20 in the third quarter. And then they were coming back in the fourth quarter. And they lost by like four points, which is really frustrating. And you could tell that the players are getting frustrated. And it was almost the opposite. On Sunday against Michigan, they were at home. And they started off really, really well like the first quarter in person is probably the best that I've seen them play all season. Like they were playing incredible. They were getting stops. They were like shooting and making buckets like crazy like it was they were playing really, really well. And then the second quarter, they kind of slowed down a little bit, but they're still able to hold on to that lead. And then the third quarter they just fell apart. It was like it was really hard to watch like they couldn't shoot anymore. I think I want to say mo joiner was leading the team in the first half and the second half like they got like Michigan's defense got on her. And she, I don't think made another shot the rest of the game, which is and you could tell that she was getting frustrated and they like you could see it on everybody's faces and like it was it was hard to watch, especially just with the emotions involved in it.
(Justin) Do you think in the arena to that that energy kind of was matched throughout to or?
(Bella) Well, it's, I mean, it started off great. And obviously they had a huge crowd, the largest crowd I've seen they're all season specifically, they had opened the upper deck of Breslin, I think half of it and the crowd was into it. Like they were so excited, especially having that lead so early. Like you're at home, you're playing your rival, they're doing really well against their I think they were number eight teams ranked. That might be wrong. They were ranked somewhere in the teens. So the energy in the first quarter like from the crowd from the team was like, really, really cool. I think DeeDee Hagerman ended up making a half court shot at the end of one of the quarters. And the arena went nuts. Like it was so crazy. It was so cool to watch. And yeah, but that that second half, they just can't play like that, if they want to win games, they have to close out and play that the way that they started. That was a lot of that's have to close out lay the way that they started and just like, fight for that win. And they're like fighting for a win for Coach Merchant obviously. And they say that after the games, they say that before the games,
(Justin) And you can you can only help but think of what it's like to you know, have your whole entire direction of your program kind of just, you know, get rocked a little bit by that. And, you know, I've heard nothing but great things about Susan merchant and I know she's a wonderful person, wonderful coach. So I'm very, I feel feel awful for, you know, for the team, I hope they can kind of rally around her and, you know, do their best within the next few games to kind of turn it around.
(Bella) She released a statement for the first time last night said that she's focusing on her health still no indication of when she's gonna be back can only hope that she's gonna be back for the end of the season. I mean, she's an incredible coach, and you can tell like, how much that affects them as well.
(Justin) Yeah, yeah. And I actually got the chance to watch her practice a few weeks ago and I I was very gravitated towards her energy. I was working in Breslin for athletics marketing, just doing some stuff with them. And I kept getting distracted because of the the level of intense coaching that was happening that was just kind of drew me in as a as a player. And I was just like, wow, this, this practice in the way this this energy is in the building, I really gravitated towards that. So when you lose that, something like that, as a player, I can only imagine you know, the change and the challenge that brings
(Bella) Yeah, definitely. And another team that has had some really great crowds like the one that the women's basketball team saw on Sunday has been the gymnastics team.
(Justin)Yes
(Bella) They have been doing incredible. They've only had two home meet so far. And the first game was a home meet against Michigan. A number three ranked Michigan. You expect a big crowd for that course, especially coming off the year that they had last year. So I was really curious to see what the crowd would be like for second meet of the season against Penn State. And it was still incredible. The Jenison was packed. I was there. It was really cool. And obviously like there's like the gymnasts are so excited to have like the kind of support that they're getting this season. And they had a incredible meet. Last Saturday, they had a fourth highest score in program history. So 197.450, which is a pretty solid score. They're doing really well. They move back up to 12th in the rankings. I think they dropped one spot like last week, but they've been consistently around 12. Sophomore Gabby Stephen is like, incredible to watch. She's so fun to watch. She's such an incredible performer. I mean, all of them are but like Gabby, Stephen had such a good meet on Saturday. She took the all-around. And with gymnastics, they have obviously their team rankings based off like average scores, and they also have individual gymnasts rankings with their personal like average score. And right now Gabby Stephens ranked 18th in the nation. Love it. And when you think about it, there's so many gymnasts. There are so many
(Justin) That's really impressive.
(Bella) So she's ranked 18. She's the highest Spartan currently ranked. I know. I want to say Nikki Smith. And Skyla Schulte both sitting in the 30 range. I can't remember off the top my head what numbers but having three of your obviously Nikki Smiths a freshman Gabby and Skylar are both sophomores having three of your best gymnasts be that young is extremely impressive.
(Justin) That's a program changer right there.
(Bella) It definitely is and they're only getting better every meet it's it's really cool to watch. And I know your your forte. Your love is the hockey team. Obviously
(Justin) program changers actually.
(Bella) Yes, definitely.
(Justin) Especially the young guys.
(Bella) Ya know, they're doing incredible. They had a great weekend swept Notre Dame. Yes. That was they needed that. I feel like I'm saying that every week. Like one good weekend. A bad weekend and then oh, and they needed that weekend.
(Justin) Yeah, we're keeping that level here.
(Bella) Yes. Yeah. You need to like balance
(Justin) Right right. Yeah, they're kind of like kind of coops right now. They're struggling on the road a little bit. And I don't know if I can say a little bit there they're struggling Yeah. It's which has been tough balance that they they've been doing really well at home. I believe it's two sweeps in a row. I want to say the last series was Penn State
(Bella) Wasn't technically a sweep, because they got the points right. It was a shootout win
(Justin) Yeah, I forget like college hockey's weird like that. So strange. It's like they get the point. So in my mind, they won.
(Bella) No, I get Yeah, it counts as a tie. But the point is, if they want yeah, so yeah.
(Justin) Regardless, they they definitely stepped to the level of play, which was awesome. Notre Dame was awesome, too, because I think it just showed the consistency in mine this year. It's like Notre Dame was, you know, obviously an opponent that not on the same level as Michigan or Penn State right now, but it was really a consistency moment for Munn just to see Munn unfold again. It kind of showed that fans aren't just showing up for the number one team in the nation to the number five team in the nation. They're shown for anybody cuz
(Bella) Notre Dame still a great team.
(Justin) They're a great program as well. And I think the prior years before, we might not see a solid monitor, close this out for for for a top 20 Team top 15 team but Mom's getting there.
(Bella) It definitely. I remember going to games last year and there was like three rows of the students section filled. Yeah. And now seeing it this year where everything is like every seat is filled is really exciting. Yeah. And obviously it contributes to the team. They play significantly better at home. This weekend, they got back inside the bubble for playoffs, which is definitely comforting for them. And Dylan St. Cyr was named Big 10 For a start of the week. He had such an incredible weekend. 65 saves and a shutout on Friday night is that's a lot. That's a big number.
(Justin) Yeah, great bounce back weekend for them to especially on defense. Seen them give up a to Minnesota. A few weekends ago that was that was that was last weekend. But
(Bella) two weekends ago
(Justin) two weekends ago pretty tough, obviously.Yeah, it was really awesome to see them kind of get back on track defensively and did not great goalie love Dylan.
(Bella) No, he's great. Okay, and people are very excited. Like, I have seen the student section at mom get more excited for a good save from Dylan St. Cyr than other sections get for goals. Yes, they get very exciting. Yes, he's had some intense
(Justin) Game saving, you know, saves this year, which has been awesome to watch. It's hard sometimes at Munn the way it's set up, we were kind of in that corner, right? So if we're actually set, I sit in the front part of the glass in my angle down there to see on the other end of the ice sometimes what he does make those great saves. little tough to see. So I always have to catch it on Twitter later. I'm like, wow, that that's a was a lead. But sometimes in the moment, I'm like, okay, cool. Let's move on. But no, whenever they, especially when he makes a save in front of us. It's awesome. We were always trying to support them as much as we can.
(Bella) It's great when he gets the saves in front of you. Yeah, but it's good to see. Having it far away definitely makes it less stressful. Because you don't know what's going on.
(Justin) For sure. It's a little a little tougher to see. But that's It's tough.
(Bella) It's tougher to see. But again, the balance,
(Justin) Of course.
(Bella) Yeah. Always. I mean, you were there for senior night they had their senior night. Yes. We have a lot of seniors.
(Justin) Yes, it was awesome, though. The way they usually do it is they they kind of have a little ceremony video type thing for them, which is always really cool. And then they kind of have the alumni and some notable people come out on the ice, they bring their families out. You know, they got the give everyone flowers, and they kind of get to take a ceremonial final lap around the ice, which is always cool. So, it was awesome. Seeing seeing them play all year, and then just letting them have that moment to kind of cherish Munn for the technically second class time because we still got Michigan this Friday. But yeah,
(Bella) I think there's definitely going to be more emotions attached to that game. So sure. I mean, there's emotions attached to any game. But when you're playing Michigan again, at the end of the season, at home, your I think emotions are definitely going to be running high. But oh, yeah, it was probably for the best.
(Justin) Yeah, for sure. It's white out at one. Oh, yeah. I'm very excited about that. I, I would feel comfortable saying this is probably one of the biggest series in MSU hockey for MSU hockey within the past few years, I'd say in a very long time to be the one on the birth of a playoff run, trying to get home hosting capabilities for the big 10 tournament. And we as of now we have a chance to, you know, beat Michigan, three out of four, which would be really cool. So yeah, yeah.
(Bella) It would be cool. A different challenge that they have this time around from last time that we played Michigan is the freshman out of vanities back he was at World Juniors I believe last time around. And he he's a great player, it's definitely gonna be a challenge for them.
(Justin) Yes. Yeah. And Michigan obviously has a new coach as well this year. So a little bit of a changing of the guard and in the sense of Michigan hockey this year, but they still find a way every year to bring those prospects back in and they kind of reload every year which is, which is always very interesting to go and see and watch but yes,
(Bella) So we take or they take them on at Munn on Friday night. And then Saturday is Dueling the D which will be at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
(Justin) Yes. Very excited. classic,
(Justin) Classic, of course. Great place to watch hockey.
(Bella) It is. I love Little Caesars,
(Justin) I also do I went to Van Andel this this winter for the GLI was like, Man, I kind of miss Little Caesars a little bit.
(Bella) Because GLA is normally at Little Caesars. Yeah.
(Justin) You're usually in Detroit, and then Detroit this year. So that was a little change. But I was like, I love and handle was great. And I was like, the wings were playing. Yeah, I'm sure it was Ken also didn't go so I don't know what. Yeah, might have had a difference, too. But yeah, don't do it on Saturday. I'm really excited. We're taking a little contingent of monsters down. It'll be good time.
(Bella) That'll be fun. Hockey games and Detroit.
(Justin) Great time there. Especially when you go to school you go to is down there. Totally awesome.
(Bella) No, yeah, that's great. I mean, they've struggled in the past have taken it's neutral site. They haven't done great at neutral sites. They dropped? How many games did they play at the GL!? Three?
(Justin) Two.
(Justin) Drop off the GLI which was tough to watch. Really had high expectations, but.
(Bella) They were high-scoring games for their opponents to they were Yes. was never a good look.
(Justin) Yeah. So I was really hopeful. But you know, we kind of kind of had a rough moment. Hopefully they were able to kind of just pack that away and just move on and kind of look forward to the next few months after that. And I think they've they've done a pretty good job of that. But hopefully we we look much better done in Detroit. Yeah, trying to get our first one and in a good amount of years. So it'd be cool.
(Bella) It would definitely be awesome. It would be awesome. Especially at Little Caesars.
(Justin) And considering this year are about to hopefully be in the playoffs so NCAA Tournament should say, Yeah.
(Bella) We're sitting right inside there. Yeah, right there up 16 are right there. Are we 16
(Justin) I don't know if we're 16 I believe the tournament is 16 though. Yeah, I forget where we're at right now.
(Bella) It's like 15, 16 Somewhere in that range. Real close to dropping off again.
(Justin) Yeah, I'm like, let's get a win this seriously. Let's at least get one.
(Bella) I mean, we got at least one home game, which is good. Yes. Hopefully. It would be the last time here so we did beat them at at Munn last time. Which is looking promising. Yes, hopefully. Yeah.
(Justin) I have confidence in the boys I think will be good.
(Bella) I do too. Yeah, I think it'll help having a good amount of Spartan fans at Little Caesars Yes. Hopefully.
(Justin) Of course. If you are a Munnster go to LCA don't even have to be a monster. Of course. Alumni casual fan. Take a trip. You know, great city.
(Bella) Great food to eat before the game. Sure.
(Justin) If you're from Metro Detroit on river, you know, take a trip up. Spend a few bucks have a good time.
(Bella) No, this should be a good game. I'm excited.
(Justin) Great environment too.
(Bella) Yeah, definitely. Um, but thank you so much for joining me today. I really enjoyed talking with you. This has been the sports roundtable podcast and you can find it wherever you get your podcast.