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The State News sports reporters discuss all MSU sports.
Hey, everyone, and welcome back to the Sports Roundtable, your weekly discussion hub for everything Michigan State from the writers at the State News. And today is a hockey episode. We love that for us. We got hockey on the table, and we also have tennis, coming up later in the show. But first, we're gonna talk hockey, and who better to talk hockey with than anybody else other than Maddie Warden, our hockey expert here at the State News.
Brad:You were just in Missouri to cover the hockey regionals
Madi:I was.
Brad:Over in Maryland Heights, for the regional. Tell us about that. Like, how was that experience for you, and what was that like?
Madi:It was great. I didn't sleep much, but women in sports don't sleep. So that was the only what it it wouldn't even be considered a downside, but it was it was amazing. Like, we spent a lot of time at the rink, which was freezing. Like, mud is not that cold.
Madi:This place was freezing.
Brad:And that's where the blues practice. Right?
Madi:It is. So I was really, like, I was very not overstimulated, but, like, overwhelmed when I first walked in, and I saw, like, all of the blues logos. And then, like, on the wall, they have all of the, like, current NHL players or past NHL players that have gone through this facility. So, like, Clayton Keller was up there, both Tkachaks. I think Keith Kachuk was on the wall somewhere too.
Madi:But it was it was amazing. Like, once in a lifetime opportunity, and, hopefully, we'll be back next year, which I'm assuming we will be. But, yeah, it was it was awesome.
Brad:That's crazy. And, and I really love that. I mean, it's sad, the results, and and, obviously, we'll get to that. But you wanted to start with something that's kinda kinda kinda fun? I'm actually I don't even know what this is.
Madi:I'm geeking out a little bit still about it. So we flew home yesterday morning. So, like, we had our flight booked, and I think that it was a last second flight because we were sitting 1st class, which I've never flown 1st class before. So I felt fancy to begin with.
Brad:Yeah. Wow.
Madi:So we get to the airport where they're, like, way earlier than we should be. So I'm just walking around, like, I go and get Starbucks, so I go and sit down by the gate, and I'm just, like, sitting, listening to music on my phone. And I see somebody walk by out of the corner of my eye, and I'm like, he looks familiar, like, very distinctive face, and you'll know when I say it. But I was like, man, like, there's a familiar lad right there. He turns around, and there's a Red Wings logo on his backpack.
Madi:Chris Draper.
Brad:Draper's just there. No way.
Madi:So we're getting ready to board the flight, and there's not, like there's probably 1 or 2 other flights that are going out.
Brad:Yeah. Well, because his son his son's on the place for Michigan. Right?
Madi:So we're getting in line, and they call first class, and he hops in line right behind us. So we get on the plane. He's sitting so I was in one row. We Emily and I were both in the 1st row. I was on a window seat.
Madi:She was on the other window seat on the other side. He was directly behind Emily, like, one seat over behind Emily. So we get off the plane, and I'm texting her the whole time when we're boarding. I'm like, I've gotta meet this guy. Like, this is Chris Draper.
Madi:Like, this is legendary. I love this guy.
Brad:Crazy.
Madi:So So we get off the plane, and he's, like, talking on the phone when he's walking up the, the thing to get on and off the airplane. Whatever it's called. I forget.
Brad:The thing.
Madi:The thing. The ramp. The ramp. The ramp. Yes.
Madi:So we're getting off the airplane, and I literally stopped dead in my tracks when we're, like, in DTW itself. And I turned to Emily, and I said, we gotta stay right here. I gotta meet this guy. So I'm literally standing there, like, just, like, twiddling my thumbs a little bit. And I hear him hang up, and I turned around, like, super fast and said, hey, Chris.
Madi:I just wanted to introduce myself. Like, I'm a huge fan. My dad and I are both huge Red Wings fans. And so we're literally walking through the airport, going to our next gate, and he's walking with us having a conversation about the regional game yesterday. And I was like, yeah.
Madi:Keenan played really great. Like, congratulations. You guys deserve it. I literally had a whole conversation with Chris Draper. And remind you, when I first I never introduced myself.
Madi:Like, I never said my name because I was so starstruck. But he goes, nice to meet you too. And I was, like, oh my god.
Brad:Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy.
Madi:Literally shaking. It was so cool, though.
Brad:You know, it's funny too. Because, like, in, like, situations like that, the thing that I always I think that what you know, the thing that's helped me at least meeting people who are, like, I I valued, like, the I value their importance Mhmm. Is that, like I mean, Draper works for the Rad Wings. He's, you know, part of their player scouting development, things like that. And so, like, I mean, if he's a if, you know, if he's being a a a dick or, you know, or something like that, then, like, he is, you know, that I feel like that would look bad.
Brad:You know? So I'm like, he's not gonna be mean to me. Right? You know? Or that's how, I guess, I would approach it.
Brad:Really nice. But that's but that's really good. Yeah. I'm really glad that you had that experience.
Madi:It is so cool. Wow. But I almost my parents were both like, dude, get a picture. And I just couldn't bring myself to, like, ask him to take a picture because I did tell him. I was, like, huge Red Wings fan.
Madi:Like, super nice to meet you. Like
Brad:Yeah. I've, like, experienced like a little bit weird though too if you're working as a journalist because you can't for
Madi:a picture.
Brad:Right. Because it's like
Madi:Which I mean, I was off the job. I was literally just on a flight home. But Right. Still, I was like, I'm just gonna have a conversation with him. Like, that's I feel like that goes that speaks louder than immediately going up to him and be like, hey, Chris.
Madi:Can I have a picture? And it was also, like, 9 in the morning. So
Brad:Yeah. And, you know, what's funny too is if you ever get out to a Michigan game, sometimes Steve Iserman just, like, makes an appearance.
Madi:Stevie Y was at the NTDP game for us at the beginning of the year, and he was at the Big 10 championship game. Yeah.
Brad:He comes out to he comes out to a lot of college games, and I'm like, bro, just is is he is just out here. Mhmm. Crazy.
Madi:CBY is just in the building. Yeah. And look at what is happening. Right. Right.
Brad:Right. It's crazy. It's crazy stuff. So should we get into the, the regional? 1st, though, like, the first thing I wanted to get to is the regional.
Brad:Just to recap it for those who may have missed the news, didn't watch it, you know, whatever. Michigan State, was the 4th ranked team in the NCAA, so they get a one seed, and they play Western Michigan. They won 5 to 4 in overtime.
Madi:They shouldn't have won that game, honestly.
Brad:I was thinking the same exact thing. It was actually an insane comeback.
Madi:They came back the well, they're known for their 3rd period comes comebacks, though, so don't count them out.
Brad:And then North Dakota played Michigan.
Madi:It was a great game.
Brad:Was it? How was that?
Madi:It was really good. I so I had the opportunity to cover both Michigan State and Western and then North Dakota and Michigan. And I covered all 3 games and wrote for the US CHO along with state news. So I was able to watch the Michigan and North Dakota game, like, in-depth and follow along, like, sitting on press row. That was a really good game.
Madi:It was a really fun one to watch. Michigan, honestly, props to them. They deserved every single bit of that win. They played great. And North Dakota came out swinging the first little bit, but Michigan just completely overpowered them.
Madi:Michigan deserved to win that game.
Brad:I you know, and I wasn't sure. Like, I actually had, I actually had North Dakota on this game because coming into the bracket, what, or coming into the regional, I pegged North Dakota as a as a pseudo one seed, like, almost because they had that spot until the final week until Michigan State. Right. Exactly. So it's just kinda crazy to see the fall off, and that's kind of a a bum like, a bummer of an end to their season.
Madi:Yeah. It's too bad for them for sure. I was in when we first got there on Thursday, they had media availability, like, literally all day. So we got to our hotel and went straight to the rink, basically. So I was able to sit in for the media avail media availability that they had for both Western Michigan and North Dakota, and we ended up leaving for Michigan's, but we had could find it online.
Madi:So it wasn't that big of a deal. And they had both of the players that were in there with Brad Barry, who's their head coach, were Keaton Pearson and Hunter Johannes, and both of them were transfer students to North Dakota for their senior year or for their 5th year. So it was definitely a bummer to, like, hear them talking and hear how excited they were, and Keaton Pearson played all 4 years at Michigan before that. So, obviously, like, there's a lot of adrenaline and energy going into playing your former team that you were with for all 4 years of college. And they had they had I wouldn't say that they talked about, like, having their expectations high, but they were definitely excited to play.
Madi:Like, it they knew it was gonna be a good game and then just seeing how it ended just in heartbreak for them as well as for us. But, yeah, it was a really good game.
Brad:I was really thinking that Michigan State would have won the final game. I know that it's hard. See, and and I and I don't like to, like I feel like I don't wanna seem like I'm making excuses for Michigan State, but I've been shouting for years that the NCAA tournament should be at least some of the games should be a best of 3 format instead of a single elimination, because it almost, like, it almost, like, takes away from the integrity of the sport. Like, imagine if we got a 3 game series again, you know, between Michigan and Michigan State. Like, that would be, in my opinion, better for the sport than the single elimination.
Brad:Like, it works really well for a March Madness or Yeah. You know, something like that with women's and men's basketball, even women's soccer. I I really enjoy that. But for hockey, it just feels like, maybe this is the purest in me, like, coming out, but, like, I feel like, you know, that would hockey would really benefit in a lot of ways from a a a a best of 3.
Madi:Yeah. I mean and their sport to begin with is played in series. Like, whether
Brad:it be There's 2 games every weekend.
Madi:Yeah. I mean and if you look at it, like, there's 2 games every weekend. Sometimes, there's you just play the lone game, which they're usually exhibition games. NHL has played in series, like, along throughout the season, which the red wings swept Tampa this season.
Brad:So Which is crazy to me.
Madi:Which is amazing. Speaking of series sweeps. But yeah. I mean, I agree. I think that having a best of 3 series would just it would benefit the sport.
Madi:It would be more entertaining for
Harry Jadun:people to watch. Like Mhmm. Yeah.
Brad:And I think that and I and I think too, like and I and this like I said, I do think that, like, Michigan, I don't know for sure that Michigan would have, the they would have won, right, in a in a best of 3. I don't know that Michigan State would have won. And well, and that's and not a lot of teams do, but, like, in a sport where it's inherently like you gotta win both. Right? You gotta play 2, where where a sport is inherently like that.
Brad:That's it just, I guess, was a little bit disappointing, not only just because the team that I wanted to win lost, but also, like, it's like, this is the end of the season, and this was such an anticlimactic way for it to end.
Madi:Now you just I guess. Wait for October, I guess.
Brad:Yes. It's well yeah. And, like and maybe maybe, there's a new know, college football video game that's coming out and maybe that might, you know, with, because there's no other sport to watch from here now till
Madi:Baseball. Yeah. Baseball playoff hockey too. Yeah. Baseball playoff hockey.
Brad:I mean, yeah. But like Michigan State's not, you know, I'm like thinking from like a college perspective. You know, it's just hard.
Madi:I have to jump around.
Brad:But I
Madi:can't I can't go a long period of time without sports. Literally can't do it. And summer is the worst because then you get baseball and you get golf. Yeah. And when there's no baseball on, then I'm forced to watch golf with my dad.
Brad:Just watch Formula 1. That's what you should do.
Madi:I know. I need
Brad:to. You that would be that would be I got some great some great stuff for you to watch. So going back to that game, Michigan State, Michigan, just to break it down real quick. I guess, like, what's, like, I guess, what are your pointers? Like, just off the top, what do you think that Michigan did well?
Brad:And what do you think that Michigan State, could have done better? Like, how, you know, was the the narratives of the game going
Madi:along? I think for the most part, they were pretty even until the last 10 minutes of the game, and that's where things really started to fall apart for Michigan state. But they came out really, really hot. Like they played their defense looked incredible until the last 10 minutes of the game. Obviously, we have beat them 4 times in a row.
Madi:Mhmm. And we won the regular season title. We won the big ten tournament, and Michigan was hungry. Like, as much as we wanted to get to the frozen 4, I think that Michigan wanted it a little bit more just to brag about back to back to back frozen fours. We beat you, ruined your season because it's Michigan.
Madi:Like, we would probably do the same thing to them if we were in that situation of being like, Your season's done.
Brad:Yeah.
Madi:That's just the rival. But Michigan State was hot for the first, probably, 30 minutes, and then that's when things started kinda going downhill. They got so we scored first, and then Ethan Edwards scored. Marshall Warren scored. We evened it with Joey Larson, and then it went Michigan, Michigan, Michigan.
Madi:And props to them. Like, they they played a really great game. Like, they they wanted it more than us in the 3rd period. Like, that's all it came down to. And, honestly, I think that after Frankie Nazar put the puck between his legs and passed Gavin Brinley and just that was the end.
Madi:Like, that was that was the realization that we probably weren't gonna win that game was when we saw that move from Frank.
Brad:I think, like, for me, it's it's it's tough. I think, like, yeah. I mean, part of me, you know, didn't wanna watch that game because I didn't know how it would end. I think that was I think that that was the tough thing for me. But on top of that, the other issue was Trey Augustine, I think, was, it wasn't not not necessarily the issue, but, like, I was I had so much faith in him, you know, that, like, I was like, ah, we got Trey.
Brad:Like, it's not a it's not a big deal. And and I think that that is is really interesting because it kinda goes into the the whole, you know, like, how important and how valuable he is to the team. And I I don't think that people think about that enough. Like, I know that a lot of people wanted Kyle McClellan to be the big ten goalie of the year. I vehemently and adamantly say that it would betray Augustine because I do not think that Michigan State wins the big 10.
Brad:I don't think that they I definitely don't think that they win their regional against Western Michigan, if not for Trey Augustine. I mean, that post to post save that he had completely, like, changed Michigan State's momentum for that entire game. And, just I guess that's that's my perspective is that, like, Trey Augustine like, while Michigan State does have they they score in-depth, like, none of their players are in, like, the top, like, 40 in points or something like that.
Madi:Says that they're probably not even in the top 60.
Brad:Probably not.
Madi:The only person that's close is either, Isaac Howard or Arty.
Brad:Right. And Levchinov's a defenseman, which is crazy.
Madi:So, like He's got, like, 34 assists on the year.
Brad:And that's and that's the thing. And so, like, I guess I guess what I'm getting at is that, like, Michigan State doesn't have, you know, they're not they're they're they don't have, like high, their ceiling isn't as high as, or not not not necessarily ceiling. Sorry. I'm not I'm not, being as articulate. Mhmm.
Brad:But I guess, like, I I just like, they don't have as much high power as, like, Michigan does.
Madi:So here's my counterargument for you though. Seamus Casey got hurt from Michigan the night before. Was out for the, I think, 2 periods against nodak. Didn't play against Michigan State.
Brad:Right.
Madi:And you see, like, it's blatantly obvious how their power play without Seamus Casey just completely crumbles underneath them. They scored 1 power play goal and they had, like, 7 different opportunities to go on the power play again. Like, they scored 1 power play goal, and it wasn't till the last 2 minutes.
Brad:Going to win because of Seamus Casey Seamus Seamus Casey was out.
Madi:But if you think about it, like, I love the depth that we have. Like, every single line is a scoring line. I don't think that we need to have somebody who is a powerhouse like Robert McGrady or Gavin Brinley. Because if we have that one person that we rely on, if they're out, we fall apart.
Brad:Right.
Madi:And that's exactly what happened to them. Without Seamus, they just crumbled on their power play.
Brad:Yeah. And something And they're
Madi:number 1 in the country.
Brad:Something I think about too is that either gosh. I wanna say it's like, because, I mean, the interesting thing about, like, hockey, right, is that a lot of players don't develop until they're, you know, a 20, 21, 22, and or develop, like, big, you know, to be, you know, a huge star. And so the interesting thing to me about that is that you often see, like, a guy, a lot of guys that go on drafted and have actually, like, they might not have superstar NHL careers, but they have solid NHL careers.
Madi:Like, Carson Dorward?
Brad:Carson Dorward is one of them who a guy
Madi:who's drafted.
Brad:Larson. Yeah. Sure. He's having a he's having a great season. I really think about I do really think about Dorworth, though, because he is, like, consistently, you know, I I do think that it helps, you know, plan a lot with, with Russell.
Brad:But, you
Madi:know, he played yeah.
Brad:They played together in the USHL and just had that dynamic ever since they came to MSU. But,
Madi:but that Jagger and Joshua could have been drafted, honestly. But he didn't, like, hit his peak until senior year because we got Nightingale in.
Brad:Right. Right. Right.
Madi:And that's how he developed a lot
Brad:of people. The thing too with with with Joshua, it was interesting because because he was used as a completely different player. Under Nightingale, he was used at in a completely different way.
Madi:He was a center.
Brad:Well, he was Well, yeah.
Madi:Either way.
Brad:I well, I guess I guess what I'm sort of getting at is that, like, the the the philosophy from Dan Cole to, Nightingale was much different, and there was a much more, like, physical style of play. And I think that with Nightingale, he fit better into his system and was a much better I was a much better player. Like, he was out in front of the net. He was screening. Nightingale really got the best out of him.
Madi:That's exactly how Dakota plays too at Vancouver. Like Yeah. Him and Dakota, him and his brother have the exact same style of play. They just had to figure out how to use Jagger in that essence. Right.
Brad:Yeah. Exactly. And and that's the thing I think I love about Nightingale is he's able to find a player's strength, and he's really able to kinda kinda push them to see what their potential is instead of, just kinda like, I mean, I I don't mean to seem mean, but, like, I felt like Dan Cole was just kinda, like, throwing players out and just, like, throwing darts at a dartboard and, like, blindly. But we're not gonna talk enough about that. It's old news.
Brad:Old news. But, so MSU ends up losing. Right? So as far as the season itself, right, we we kinda had the expectations based on how aggressive MSU was in the portal, which was, you know, I think it was when they got the transfer from Isaac Howard that I was really, really on board with this team's transfers. You know, they obviously had been had a ton of momentum.
Brad:Part of it was getting Augustine the commitment the previous fall from, they flipped him from Michigan, and then Michigan was going through their whole own thing at the time. But then, they also got a bunch of commitments in a row. One of them was Howard, you know, through the portal. They got Levchinov, which was crazy insane. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, that the only reason he's in the NCAA is because the OHL doesn't allow Belarusian players to play in the league, and, which so it's just I think it's it's it it almost feels like like alien, the fact that Levchinov's even here, or was here.
Brad:I mean, he's going to the NHL. I can almost guarantee it. No. You don't think so?
Madi:Absolutely not.
Brad:Really?
Madi:Absolutely not. I think he stays for 1 more year.
Brad:You really do?
Madi:For sure, he stays 1 more year.
Brad:Really? Why do you think that?
Madi:Because I think that next season is our season.
Brad:Oh, okay.
Madi:And I think that I don't think that I think Nightingale and the coaching staff as well would want him to develop more than he has. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that he comes back to Michigan State next year.
Brad:Interesting. I think because I my whole, I guess, like, the way that I always thought about it was that, like, it depends on which team drafts him. Like, I was gonna I was thinking that if San Jose drafts second, but they're drafting number 1, or you know, it like, there's there's yeah. I mean, it depends on who wins the lottery.
Madi:Which is stupid.
Brad:Well, of course. Yeah. Like, sometimes I forget that the NHL lottery's a thing, because Detroit's just never won it, so, like, I kind of forget.
Madi:I think I
Brad:should've thought Yeah. Exactly. But if if San Jose wins the lottery, which they should, then, yeah, I mean but you'd never know. If if San Jose drives second, I think that, like, Levchinov, you could fit him on San Jose's roster, like, right now, and so I thought that that would be more appealing than going back to college for another season.
Madi:I mean, I don't know. I I guess I'm just
Brad:because if San Jose drafts number 1, they're probably taking Celibrino. Right? Because that's the I I his his upside is way higher than, than any defenseman's probably would be. But they still need a lot of defense, and so I you know, then they're huge. That's one of their biggest needs right now.
Madi:I still I just can't imagine him going to the NHL, like, even if San Jose were to draft him. Like, yeah, they they need defense.
Brad:Right.
Madi:But we want a national title so bad. We want it, and clearly, we wanted it.
Brad:It is up to him, though. Like, I mean, you know, it's up to it's up to San Jose to, convince him to sign.
Madi:And I I don't know, man. I don't know. I'd I would hope that he would come back another year. I think he's gonna be like an Owen Power. Play his 1st year, go high in the draft, play his 2nd year.
Madi:Yeah. Peace out.
Brad:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Madi:I'd I can't imagine it any other way. Or even Luke Hughes. Play 2 years, and go after that.
Brad:It is yeah. I think the the tough thing is that, like, I just see him, and I'm like, you could play, like, right now. I don't even know. I I actually don't know that he would because, like, I guess it it was be up to him. Like, I'm not an NHL player.
Brad:I don't know what that like, everybody has different preferences on how for the longest time, I didn't think that, who was the guy that played for Minnesota and then got drafted by Arizona?
Madi:Cooley.
Brad:Was was it Cooley? Right? And now he plays for the coyotes. Right? And so I for the longest time, I didn't think that he was ever gonna go to go to Arizona because Arizona's like, I mean, they play in a college rink.
Brad:How is that much different than, you know, and soon enough with NIL, like, this might I don't know how what to to what effect, because we haven't seen it yet to its largest degree. But it will affect hockey, and I don't know at to what extent it will. So I'm wondering how that will, influence the, you know, the contracts and how and how everyone you know? I mean, because if if if you're Artem Levchinov I mean, if if San Jose's offering you, like, an NHL entry level contract, but you have the choice to go back to coaches you really like at MSU and develop there, continue first your development, then there's a bunch of NLI or NIL money left for you to to also pounce on. Like, that is not that much of an unattractive deal.
Brad:Right? So, so that I guess that's a good point, but we haven't really seen that yet. So here's the trivia question. Trey Augustine has been leading Michigan State this season with incredible performances in net. Notably, he made a crazy post to post save against Western Michigan and was able to keep MSU in the game.
Brad:He's done that a lot this season. What goalie set a record for both save percentage and goals against average for a single season in 2004? Was it, a, Rick DiPietro, b, Jimmy Howard, c, Ryan Miller, or d, Rob Stauber.
Madi:Brian Miller, former Michigan State Spartan.
Brad:Is that your guess?
Madi:That's my
Brad:guess. I am so sorry. I am so sorry. Let's find the answer.
Madi:Was it Jimmy?
Brad:It was. Yes. Was it Jimmy? It was. Let me, find
Madi:Former Redwing.
Brad:Exact the exact answer. Yeah. So, oh, shoot. Here it is. Right here.
Brad:Okay.
Madi:Did I have his name
Brad:spelled correct? I don't know. I don't I haven't pulled it up. I have to pull it up. You can research that.
Madi:I'm going to.
Brad:So Jimmy Howard did it while playing for the main black bears as he had a save percentage of 956. Isn't that a lot? Yeah. So he had a save percentage of 956 and a goals against average of 1.19. He was drafted 64th overall, as we know, by the Detroit Detroit Red Wings.
Brad:By the Detroit Red Wings in 2003. Ric DiPietro made 77 saves in one game. That's why he's on
Madi:this list. God.
Brad:So he had I think he had that record for a while. I don't know if it's been broken. Ryan Miller has a career shutout record with 26. At the time, he did have, the save percentage record. I know that for sure.
Brad:I think he might have also had the GAA record, but I can't be certain. Rick's, Rob Stauber had a career saves mark at 1,711. Wow. So yeah. So did I spell his name wrong?
Madi:Yeah. You did. Damn. Okay. You're welcome.
Madi:It's j I m m y.
Brad:Nobody nobody needs
Madi:his c u s. I e it. When has Jimmy ever been spelled with
Brad:an ID? Johnson does that. I don't know why.
Madi:Jimmy Howard doesn't. Yeah. I know. Fake Red Wings fan.
Brad:I'm so sorry. Mhmm. I don't watch NASCAR, but, you know how it goes. You know how it goes.
Madi:Mhmm.
Brad:Well, anyway, this has been the sports roundtable. Did you get the trivia question right? Let us know in the comments if you're watching on YouTube. If you're on podcast, then, then watch on YouTube, I guess. Yeah.
Brad:Figure it out. Hopefully, you guys got it right. But, anyway, coming up next, we got a nice interview with Harry Jadun, who is the MSU men's tennis coach, and he is he is a lovely man, spent, a very considerable amount of time with us to talk about men's tennis, the state of the program, the donation generous donation by, Joan Sekia, and a ton more. So stay tuned for that, and I'll see you guys in the next one. 16 and 3.
Brad:Right? This is the record. Number 18 in the ITA rankings, and Ozan Barish had a lot of, hype in the last, you know, he's a he's just a sophomore, so he just came in last year. He's from Okemos and this this team just, I mean, is is, a lot of people are putting it as the most successful in program history, the most talented. Tell me about this program and I guess contextualize it a little bit for me like what does it mean for the program to have the success it's having now?
Harry Jadun:Yeah. No. It's been a really, really fun year. And we kind of knew it was coming to a certain extent, just with the recruiting we've been doing and the roster we put together. We felt pretty strongly that we were gonna have success.
Harry Jadun:And we really came out of the gate just firing. I think we won our 1st 12 or 13 matches or something like that. And you know, it might have been a surprise to a lot of people across the country. But to us, honestly, it feels like we're right where we need to be or, you know, if not underachieving a little bit. The guys are really hungry.
Harry Jadun:We we've we've had a few matches of those 3 that we've lost that we felt like we kind of let one slip. But you know, the guys are playing really, really tough and, it's just an exciting time. I mean, I'd say college tennis is very similar to college basketball and the format of it, you know, you have your non conference season, then you go into conference play, and you play everybody about 25 matches throughout the year. And, the top 64 teams make the NCAA tournament similar to March Madness. You have the automatic qualifiers and you have to have large bids, all that.
Harry Jadun:So right now, we're in really good position to make the the the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history and yeah obviously looking to do some damage in the Big 10 tournament and the NCAA tournament as well. So, yeah, excited.
Brad:That's really cool. And and just, for people that, like, I guess, don't know too much about tennis. Like, how does a a typical, like, tennis match go? So you got I I would imagine a set number of players, and then you you everyone, like, plays each other, or they match up a certain way, like, how does that work?
Harry Jadun:Yeah, so it starts off with doubles, and you roll out 3 doubles teams out there, so there's 3 courts going at once. And doubles is very short. It takes about 30 minutes. It's only one set, so that's just 6 games. And in terms of doubles, the format is whoever wins 2 out of 3 of those doubles points, for lack of a better term, gets a mega point towards the team match.
Harry Jadun:Very childish way to say it, but that's essentially what it is. So you come out of the doubles point, whoever wins 2 out of 3 of those, they're up 1 0 the in the dual match is what it's called or 0 one, they're down. And then you roll out 6 singles players, and players can play doubles and singles, or just doubles or just singles, depending. In each one of those singles match, that's a full 2 out of 3 match, more traditional, tennis match, 2 out of 3, sets. And whoever wins each of those matches gets one point.
Harry Jadun:So you have the doubles point and then you have the 6 singles matches that that each count as an individual mega point so then it's the first team to 4.
Brad:And tell me a little bit about Barish, you know, I mean like I said everybody had some sort of hype when he came in, you know, was a freshman. Is I think it was at one point ranked number 4 nationally, now number 5. He's from Okemos, local kid. I I heard that he used to like come and watch you play when you were at MSU. Yeah.
Harry Jadun:No. He's a he's a local kid. He's an unbelievable kid. I've known him since he was probably 8, 9 years old just because, yeah, he grew up in the area and he was a competitive tennis player. So on the weekends when he didn't have a tournament, he'd come out and he'd watch the m s u tennis team.
Harry Jadun:And, yeah, I mean he's by far and away the highest ranked recruit we've ever gotten. He was, you know, probably top 3 in his recruiting class in the nation. Nation. He was a top 15 junior in the world. So that kind of puts it in perspective.
Harry Jadun:You know, if you bring in one of the best 15 players in the world, you're in really good shit. Because a lot of those guys that are in the top 15 of the ITF junior rankings, which is the world rankings, they just go straight pro. So in terms of collegiately, you might have been just the 2nd best player in all of college to come to college that year. And, you know, part of the sell there was he could have gone to, you know, your traditional powerhouses, Stanford, Virginia, Texas, USC, UCLA. But he wanted to really create his own legacy and, you know, build something special here in East Lansing.
Harry Jadun:And to his credit, he committed to that vision. We sold him on that vision. He committed to it, and he's really willed it into existence. So anytime anybody asks about, you know, the the start that I've gotten in my coaching career, a lot of that credit does go to, you know, Ozan and other players who have really taken a chance on me as a first time head coach in my 1st and second years. And, you know, things are really, really working out well for them.
Brad:With where MSU is at now with, you know, with the tennis programs, you just had that huge, huge donation from Joan Sekia. What would you say was, or is the biggest challenge as far as building this program?
Harry Jadun:Yeah, I mean I think the biggest challenge is you know we're getting into a stratosphere where we're hoping to finish this year at least in the top 10, based on how we finish down the stretch in big ten play in NCAA tournament. But it it gets really the air just gets really thin. I mean, before we could win a recruiting battle against, you know, a top 50 team and that would be viewed as a success. But now when you want to compete in the top 10, you gotta win recruiting battles against the blue bloods. You know, the the you know the traditional powerhouses I said and that's tough because they have a lot of the the resources and facilities and things like that that we're trying to build obviously you know Jones donation was it goes a huge way in addressing that gap but it's just not easy because you're competing against the best of the best and I think that's the biggest challenge.
Harry Jadun:I mean, the climb is a lot of fun, and we're getting close to the mountain top. We still got a little ways to go. But once you get to the mountain top, you know, being a top ten, top five team, and and really hopefully winning big 10 championships, national championships, and stuff like that. It's really maintaining it and the sell becomes different. You know, I told you we sold those on a creating a legacy.
Harry Jadun:Well, then our sell has to kind of switch to, hey, we've already had the 1st wave of guys come through. You guys got to be the 2nd wave that that really maintains it and keeps it going
Brad:and wow that's I mean that's that's really cool it's really cool to see, you know, the tennis program do, you know, do such like, you know, I don't know, just huge things, and and and what for you, what is it like to come back to MSU, say, and coach?
Harry Jadun:Yeah, no, it's it's I don't really view it as work. This is just, I mean MSU because I was raised in East Lansing is part of who I am. I mean I I grew up going to football games, basketball games, you know, filling out brackets with MSU winning the championship every year during March. Things like that. And and that's a privilege.
Harry Jadun:There's a lot of coaches out there who are coaching, you know, they're not at their alma mater. They kinda have to take the 1st few years to kinda get the lay of the land. Who's important at the university alum, stuff like that. When I, you know, started up as a head coach, I kind of had that all baked in because I knew a lot of the alums because I watched them play growing up, or, you know, we were in contact when I was playing for the team, and you know I'm familiar with the surroundings living at home all that good stuff is is definitely a huge advantage.
Brad:And and I wanna jump forward real quick to the NCAA tournament, because I know, you know, it's it it does, you know, cap off the season. Right? And you guys are kinda looking, you know, like, that is gonna be a promising, little a couple stretch for you. I wanna know how how does that work and, like, how is that different from the regular season? And, you know, you know, how, like, basketball single elimination.
Brad:Right. Do you get in sort of a more, like, there's more at, not at stake, but just more jeopardy in, like, you know, you have a bad game or, you know, things like that. Right. And,
Harry Jadun:tournament, it's a 64 team tournament. The matches are the same format I kind of described earlier. You're trying to get to 4 points. And you know the the pressure is just if you don't, you know, we've got 5 seniors on our team. And if you don't win, they go home.
Harry Jadun:They don't they don't get another college tennis match. They're done. And that's a little bit of of a different type of pressure. And I think people take that for granted in the NCAA Basketball Tournament of, like, you look at these players and you see them as players and really they're humans. And every time they go out there, the guys that are going to the NBA, sure, you know, they have a big future in basketball and they're gonna make 1,000,000 of dollars.
Harry Jadun:But a lot of those other guys, you know, they're heading overseas where there's not gonna be as many people at the games or it's not gonna be you know, people on Twitter aren't gonna be talking about them. But during the March Madness tournament, they are. So for them, it's really the, you know, last game they'll play that's relevant. And and for college tennis the same way, you know, until you make it to the grand slams, which is very, very tough to do. You know, college tennis is pretty popular.
Harry Jadun:There's a there's a very large following. We have a lot of fans, big community around us, and they're important matches. So that's really just kind of getting the guys to really focus and and play every point. Like I said, last one is gonna be the challenge. But I'd be sitting here lying to say, you know, I know what to do in that situation because I haven't coached in the NCAA tournament even as an assistant coach and yeah I mean we get we gotta kind of figure it out we're all on the same boat as a team so.
Brad:Now how how where do you think this team is headed or I guess what are the like realistic expectations that you got?
Harry Jadun:Yeah, I mean we want to win a big, win a big time championship and we go on the road we play a tough Illinois team that's ranked like one spot behind us in the rankings. That's a really good test to see where we're at. And then also just on the road against Ohio State, on the road against Michigan, who's always gonna be tough and they're gonna play their heart out. You know, we gotta go on the road and do it this year. Next year, our schedule looks a lot better.
Harry Jadun:A lot of those those matches are at home, so it's a lot easier of a path. But this year, it's gonna be we have to grit our teeth, strap up our boots, and go out and get some road wins. So really excited. I mean I can't wait till Saturday when we play in Illinois. It's gonna be an awesome environment.
Harry Jadun:They have a, you know, historic program. They're actually the last team in the Big 10 to win the national championship, so be cool to get a win against those guys.
Brad:Wow, that's awesome and, wow and and that's great and and MSU just to be clear has MSU ever won a Big 10 championship before in tennis?
Harry Jadun:Yeah, but not in my lifetime.
Brad:It was
Harry Jadun:yeah it was I want to say 1967 was the last one. Okay. So you know it's dang near almost 60 years ago now. So that's a lot of people weren't alive, you know that are alive now then. So yeah it's it's gonna be really cool opportunity and really special for us to do that if we can do it, to hang another banner, I mean a lot.
Brad:Awesome, well thank you so much Harry for joining me, I really appreciate it. Absolutely, thank you Brent.
Harry Jadun:Of course.