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The State News sports reporters discuss all MSU sports.
(Anthony) Feels good to be back. Take a seat at the table with us. Welcome back to the sports roundtable podcast. Man, it's been a month. It's great to be back guys to look at your beautiful faces, you know, shout out your shout out the things I've been doing this semester. And to kind of start off with y'all just if you want to start off Thomas, just what's been going on what's been the experience of working with basketball and you've been meant to travel? So I'll let you talk about it.
(Thomas) Yeah, Anthony, you touched on it. I'm doing men's basketball for Michigan State State News this semester so far. And it's been it's been a great experience. I mean, I grew up watching Michigan State basketball, I grew up idolizing some of those players going to the Breslin center. So just being able to immerse myself in that and see it from that vantage point has really been it's I would say it's been a treat it's been a privilege I'm honored to to be able to do it at such a high level at this point in my in my own career so I mean, I said when we announced it on this podcast but couldn't think the state news enough my editors everybody involved with that decision. And like you said, I did travel with out to Chicago for the Champions classic Michigan State versus Duke and my number one takeaway, man that food is good. The United Center hooked us up they got us like a like a four course meal. No way. Yeah, that was that's pretty much all jokes aside, it was it was just awesome. Being able to step foot on an NBA court as as a reporter and being able to you know, get that under my belt. Someday I'm sure I'll do an NBA game but for the time being at Michigan State versus Duke at the med center isn't too bad. And yeah, my my partner and I Bella, we had a really good time just traveling up there and back together, just experiencing Chicago it was only for a day. I mean, me and her kept kept telling each other we wish we could have stayed there for a little bit longer. But it was it was a second thing that experience for a guy like me who loves basketball most MichiganState.
(Anthony) Yeah, I can imagine how it's such a dope experience and shout out Bella to sports roundtable. Oh, gee, probably I probably I wouldn't be here without her. So shout out her as well. And you mentioned because I also have a second job at the Breslin center. You know, if you see me in my alternative work. The President Thomas had saw me there. And you mentioned you had have a bit of opinions of the season so far. MSU basketball if you want to get into it a little bit.
(Thomas) I mean, yeah. And you know, Tom is the head coach will be the first person to tell you that the veterans have to have to step it up. I mean, you look at what made that what made this team so great at the end of last year, you know, beating Marquette who was to seed really, they gain a lot of traction at the end of the year part of in part because of their shooting. I mean, Joey Houser was I think more of a component to that team and people realize that now they're starting to realize because of the lack of shooting, but guys like AJ Hogarth Jane Aikens, even though he called the end of last year, really sort of were consistent in their roles, and we just haven't seen that this year. I mean, AJ Homeguard was averaging 13 points a game and six assists per game last year now he's under 10 points and four assists. Wow. And so you talk about that, you know, those those numbers dropping from your junior year to your senior year as point guard and under TOM IZZO You know, that's a problem. And you know, similarly with Aikens, there's no doubt that the talents there you know, he's probably at this point, the most NBA type player that Michigan State has outside of some of the freshmen because I do think that those guys some of those guys will be you know, maybe even lottery picks some day but I think as things stand right now Jamie Aikens is that guy to I guess, make that next step professionally. Okay. Like I said, where things stand, but he's also struggled this year. I mean, he hasn't been as consistent with his shot, which is just, you know, it's almost just by chance, like, slumps happen to happen all the time that happen to the best shooters. And I mean, you could argue that the only way to get to get out of a slump is just shoot your way out of it. Yeah. And so himself says all the time that you know, it's it's easy to be a good defender. It's easy to be good rebounder when you're making shots, but when you're not making shots, and you're shooter, how does that affect the rest of your game? And it says credit Aikens. I do think that he has shown a lot. You know, even though he has been knocking down his shots, he's just learned a lot in the rebounding game. He's honestly absolute force on the boards for somebody who's six, three, and he just shows effort. all the time. He's a great defender. But there's no doubt that both his rebounding and defending would see an improvement once you start to make it, make it some shots.
(Anthony) And DeShawn before you get into your perspective of what's been going on for the past like month or so. Do you have any opinion about what Thomas addressed?
(DeShawn) Yeah, I mean, first, I just, you know, I could just think Thomas, you know, he's obviously talking about being on the men's basketball beat, he's invited me to come out a couple of different times and do a couple different games with them. And it's been a great experience. And I've definitely seen all the same things. And I would agree with you on a lot of different aspects there. You know, I totally agree with you on your point on Jay and Aikens, and I do hope that like one thing that I just continue to see out there, like you mentioned him struggling, sometimes it just seems like it can be an energy thing, like it just comes and goes. And you hope that as you continue to see him be a veteran, not only on the court, you know, doing the things possessing his skills as a veteran, but also his not just emotion, but the way he leads the team and gets the energy set the right way. So you definitely hope to see an improvement there. And just another thing that like, you know, like that I've been able to see, just, you know, with obviously, the last couple of games, the defense has been one thing that they've been able to not exactly pride themselves on, but it's been something they're when they've found some struggles offensively, you know, they've, they've been able to overcome with a couple of different teams and just show some really good outputs on defense, you know, like, we've definitely seen a step up just just over the progress of the year in both Carson Cooper, and Mata Sissoko and their inside defense. So we definitely seen up there with the playing more of some of the younger guys like Trey and Booker, you could start seeing a little bit of perimeter defense and what it could be, you know, there's still things to work out there. But you know, you just get an experiment. And that's a whole nother thing we've been able to experiment to or see is the experiment of the lineup so far this year. So Tom T mentioned, I mean, the veteran players are going to have to step up. And you know, Israel has mentioned that multiple times and all of his press conferences. And he's also mentioned that we're not going to be able to save the day with any of these young guys right now. But they're going to continue to progress where they can and add in where they can with the veterans can't, if that continues to be a problem for the team this year. So it's still very early, you know, and obviously, with how things have played so far, it hasn't exactly been to the expectations of everybody. But you know, you can't jump ship now. You know, we're here, and we're going to figure out what's going on for the rest of the season. So
(Thomas) I would honestly say that, you know, I think they do at this point in time pride themselves on their defense. I mean, I think it's the identity of the team. Last night, you know, I'll be at Georgia State team that's now Oh, and seven, they haven't won a game. They mean, they scored 11 points in the first half, I think shot 18% in the field, the first app, so that mean, doesn't matter who you're playing, hold it to 11 point something, right. And one thing I did want to point out is how impressed I've been with Tyson Walker. He's battled some some things sickness. You know, he was sick all week leading up to the Arizona Game. And and in that Arizona game, he fell on his hip and the second half and didn't score in the past seven minutes. Last seven minutes of the game. So that was kind of a an outlier to his his spectacular season so far. I mean, he's been an incredible Yeah, I mean, I I've said this to multiple people. But you know, he's, I think this season, he's Cassius Winston esque. He makes the kind of plays I can just once and made he, you know, maybe doesn't see the floor as well. Not as much of a floor general as cash was, but when it comes to scoring the basketball, he can get a shot whenever he wants. And yeah, I mean, it's finishings. I think he's taken that up a notch. He's always a phenomenal shooter. But I think just knowing that he's the guy right now. He's that spark plug. He's averaging 20 points a game? I think he has, he has it in store if he wants to be you know, second first team all American 100% 100%.
(Anthony) And with Thomas addressing earlier that he's working men's basketball, you're working women's. So talk a little bit about it.
(DeShawn) Yeah. So like, you know, we've talked about a little bit before, but I was blessed to be able to put on the woman's basketball beat for the state news. And it's been a it's been a fun experience. So far, we've kind of like really, I mean, really got things going. They had, you know, I'm counting their first exhibition game they've had, they had five straight games inside the residence. So for a moment, I felt like I was living there between those games in the couple of games I did with Thomas. So it felt like a second home to me for a moment there. But I've had a little bit of a break because they just to go over. They went undefeated in their official four game homestead, went undefeated and a mission immediately moved on to Cancun, and that was kind of where they got to see no disrespect anything they played before but a little bit of a different experience. It's the first road experience of the year. And I'm seeing Creighton, they finished top 25 And NCAA. In the last two years, they've been to the Elite Eight. So you know, they're definitely a growing program and so MSU like I said, not the district and either the teams but they've got to face a real big dog and what and what NCAA Women's Basketball is right now and big dogs exactly what we kind of have in the big 10 You know, we got definitely quite a few teams right now and on top 25 Iowa obviously being one of the big powerhouses Caitlin Clark, that's going to be a big match and demand was pretty pretty Indiana's up there, Ohio State so you know that that's gonna really get the girls prepared for what's going on. And then you see in the results to create and they take their first LS season and you kind of get a little bit of a Reality Check the I mean, the it's not anything that would be bad or discouraged about it just if you ask coach Robin Fraley, you know, as we enter the robin Frederick area, she's been great so far. And she's continued to show consistency of where they need to get better. And she showed that after the loss occurred, and she thinks that it's going to be an opportunity for them to really grow, see where they can compare up to some of these bigger teams and how it's gonna play going tough going further. But playing against a team like creating a she I mean, she commended them constantly for how good they are. And it shows just what are they going to be what the offense that we've been putting up this year? I mean, they currently leave the big 10. They're number one in offense, I'm pretty sure they scored upwards of 90 and almost every game that you're averaging just under 90 points of the season. So far, it's crazy. They're also leading the big 10 and point differential to buy a high number of 33. The next margin is going to be 27.
(Thomas) Well, they've been winning games by 50-60 points
(DeShawn) Oh, yeah, I mean, they're scoring an average of 93 point 93.3 game, it's been absolutely insane, the defense's top five as well. So all round, they look really good. And that's why you really have to appreciate that loss of creating because that allows them to slow down a little bit and not take it all in at once. Overall, I've seen really consistent play from multiple different people on a team. I think that the veterans, a little bit of a flip flop from what's going on with men's basketball. I've really been what's leading this team so far. We've got a lot of new faces, for sure. And there's even one that's a veteran that I would call a veteran player in basketball just not for the sport and this also helped leading the team and Jocelyn Tate she's finally starting to get comfortable after coming over from Bowling Green with Coach Frey Lake and she's really been able to, like embed herself and embed herself into his team and what they are Julie a row she's had a couple of monster games in the last couple of showings. She had a double double against Creighton, I'm sorry, against James Madison 25 and 15. The game before that, I'm pretty sure she had another double digit rebound game. So she's been putting it off for the Spartans, Mo DD, they both been very consistent. There's a couple of things going on with DD right now and also with isa but you know, we're gonna figure that stuff out. There hasn't been too many updates on that. But you know, obviously, when we know more, we'll figure that out. But I mean, overall, like just like men's basketball, things are getting started. And there's definitely going to have to be a lot of things that the team is going to show. But the offense is on fire right now. And you can only continue to ride that wave into I mean, I mean to becomes an issue and as of right now, it's not an issue for them. They're scored, they scored below 70 And against game against Creighton. But like I said, Fred mentioned this is a game that's a hard team to not have any prep for they had no prep for them whatsoever. You got to Mexico. So we'll give them that one. I think they're a really good team going forward.
(Thomas) Yeah. stood out to me about about that team is just fun to watch right now. 100%. in there. There's there's essentially starting five guards. Yeah. And so when you have that, and obviously that's going to work against some of the teams that they've played. Yeah. Like you said, no disrespect to them, but they're just not on the same level as the team have. They're gonna face for us the year. So I mean, that'll be that'll be intriguing to see how that plays out. And you mean, you got, like you said, Julia, starting basically at the five Yeah, the kind of other kind of playing visit position, less basketball, but I've been really impressed with the style of play, like, so fast paced, it's fun. Like, I really, genuinely enjoy watching that team play. And it's been it's been, you can see the development and some of the younger the younger girls like Abby Kimball, and she's trying to crack the starting line up there and how like, some of those guards are even, like, you can just tell that they love playing in that program. They love playing in that system. And they're here to stay. And I think Felix here to stay for a long time, I think she's a great basketball coach, she's got a, you know, that development pedigree everywhere she's went turned Bowling Green from a bottom feeder into like, conference in our house, like a matter of three or four years. So it just to me, it says a lot about not just her but also like what she brings to the team. And they're just fun to watch in my opinion. They they really, they really catch or catch on some people's eyes here on campus. And I mean, DD Mo, like you said, are holding it down. But I think it's, it's the collective effort from everybody else. That's that's really got them to be in this position to start the season. Because, I mean, sometimes you bring in a new coach, and you know, things just don't work out at first at first and it takes some time. But, you know, given the fact that they were playing some of those teams early on, I think that really helped them I think Tom Izzo was probably looking at that going why didn't I do that? Yeah, and I think that you know, that's got to be something to consider if you're gonna keep bringing in top five recruiting classes for men's basketball is you know, don't schedule Duke Arizona and Tennessee in the first five games of the season right you know, like to have some games where you can win by 50 points and play the freshman and get some experience under their belt have some games where you can sort of just tool with some things and an experiment because you know you're gonna get going on to play Duke in early November in the Champions class if you don't know you don't really have that good of a gauge on what your rotation is Duke does because they consistently year in and year out play seven or eight guys Max, but when you're Tom Izzo especially this year, and you got 11 Guys capable of seeing the floor. You know, you're playing a game in Chicago, top 15 matchup and on November 14, yeah. And you just don't know where you're at as a squat. And I think that that's hurt them that hurt them against Arizona. And, you know, maybe that's something that he sees going forward. I doubt it because he's infamous for I guess I shouldn't say infamous, maybe famous for he's known for battle testing a squatter. Yeah, and I don't think that's gonna change
(DeShawn) 100%. And then just to another point, it kind of two points you made there. I mean, it's, it's something of a collective effort, just for them to be able to quickly buy into the system of basketball that you're talking about for the women's basketball team. And just to point on a little funny point, I talked to Julia after their game against some Evansville, about doing the tip offs and stuff like that. And I mean, like, she, you know, it was slightly funnier. I could tell that she knows she definitely thought it was a little funny and a little goofy there. But I mean, she was completely bought into it, though. You know, she like she she took it at everything else. She didn't a basketball game. It was it was something serious that she wanted to go win. And if I remember, she did you know, she's out there. She's averaging just under I think she's at six 6.8 rebounds on the season. So far. She's out there. And so like everything she can freely can mentioned her experience and her willingness to do whatever they've asked her to do. It's been amazing this year. And then Abby Campbell, you mentioned already my starting lineup that she has when she heard her jump shot is flawless, man, it's so flawless. Like, she's got this nice little one to move into a jump shot. And I mean, like, I've watched it just so many times this year, just, you know, just her playing just this year. And it's been amazing to see so far. So, like I said, really exciting. And you know, you'd like to the last point you made, you know, they definitely had time to definitely get their lineups comfortable and really buy in to this system that Felix is building over here. And I and I couldn't agree with you more. She's great for the program. 100%.
(Anthony) Yeah, and with working at the Breslin and being able to see it from that perspective as well. It was the weekend of the I think November 19, I think it was the exact day I worked a double shift to where it was I think women's then men's first and each team blew opponent out by like Alcorn State already. And then of women's by like 20 Something with the men's I don't know who this guy name is. But it's the dark skinned guy with locks. He had a two hand dunk on somebody, I'm like, the whole arena blew up. I'm sitting there like, wow, I was genuinely impressed with both teams. And y'all made great points to as far as early in the season, you know, getting that confidence and being ready to have be battle tested for teams like Duke and stuff. And I had a question you mentioned, like Tom Izzo, like picking the schedule? Do they have control over that?
(Thomas) Yeah, they do. I mean, if you look at, you know, some of these, like pretty much every single one of these games, they're sort of intentionally scheduled. Like, a lot of these, a lot of these teams like Southern Indiana and James Madison, you know, you have somebody you know, whether it is or somebody else on the MSU staff know, somebody for one of those teams, and they schedule like all of these non conference games, I would say outside of maybe the Duke game, because that's like a yearly scheduled event. The Champions Classic is four teams, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke, and they just kind of rotate who they play each year out of those four teams. But I would say every other game than that. It's very, very deliberate. I mean, is Oh, loves to play those kinds of games early on in the season, because then come March, you know, you've seen it all. And, you know, he demonstrated that when he scheduled an exhibition game, you know, again, that doesn't even count against the number 17 in the country. In Tennessee, granted, it was for a great cause the Maui fire relief efforts. But that just kind of goes to show you he's willing to do whatever it takes to schedule those kinds of games early on. And just kind of answer your question like, Yes, I mean, they have complete control over that. The boiler game was part of little Invitational between the big 10 and Big East, but all these games that you see, I mean, Michigan State goes to Little Caesars in Detroit, and a few weeks play Baylor that was intentional. As far as Baylor agreed to that, by the way. Yeah, honestly, I don't know. When do you want to come to the Breslin center?
(DeShawn) You would think so. Right. But if you want to go play an OCA for that game, like, you know, I can't be mad at you for not wanting to go to that should be fun. Yeah, it would definitely be a great opportunity.
(Thomas) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just answer your question. Yes. They they schedule those games themselves.
(Anthony) I mean, Tom Izzo has been doing this for a long time. So I can imagine there's a lot of strategy and thought process that goes into that.
(Thomas) 29 seasons.
(Anthony) I mean, once you do some for 30 years, you might know what you're doing.
(Thomas) We'll give them the benefit of the doubt on Yeah, but I mean, it's a you know, the kind of other kind of seeing, they're kind of seeing the downsides of and I mean, they began the year number for the country. And then, you know, you lose again at the James Madison, who's now the number I think 17 team in the country, like James Madison came out on nowhere and be Michigan State and now they're like, regarded as a team that might go undefeated right this season because they beat they beat the only three teams, the only three high major teams on their schedule to begin the year and now they've just play conference Hampshire last year. So that one was kind of a shock. But you think about that game and when the overtime, it shouldn't have even gone into overtime. James Madison had a couple of buckets laid to send a no t and Michigan State Miss 17, free throws in 19. Three corners, shot one for 20 from 323 for 40 from the free throw line, Jesus, and even an even so that like they should have won the game. Yeah. So I mean, you win that game. You're sitting at five and two now. Things feel a lot different with just losses to Duke in Arizona. You know, Michigan State would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 17 to 25 rankings. But you know, they started number four in the country. Yeah. And now they're unranked. And I It kind of reminds me of a few years ago, I mean, I think 20 the 2019 2020 season, the year after the year after Michigan State went to the Final Four, and beat Duke in the Elite Eight they were number one to start the year. And it was the fastest a team has ever gone from number one to unranked ever. I think they were unranked by like, either late December or early January, and it was just like, wow, like, that kind of reminds me of this year in the sense that there was so much hype around this team. Yeah, in the offseason, you know, you had a team that be Marquette, you've turned for starters, plus Malik Hall, who didn't even start on that team last year, and a top five recruiting class. So some freak athletes, and, you know, it's like, how could this not be recipe for success for success? But I think part of the problem is when there's too many guys, I mean, is is constantly sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. And you said last night after the win against Georgia Southern that, that that playing group is going to shrink. You know, you said some of the freshmen are ready to play I think he was referencing particularly as a booker. You know, he's just constantly said that, you know, his his motors got to be higher. He's got to be more aggressive. He's got to be more intense. And from what I can see, I agree. I mean, Colin Carr and Jeremy fierce you like you can't keep those guys off the floor. But I think right now they can afford to keep Xavier Booker off the floor. And especially when Jackson Koehler comes back sophomore center who's argued I wouldn't say even arguably he is Michigan State's best offensive big. You know, they were Booker's play maybe 810 minutes a game? Yeah. And that was a guy who was a top 15 recruit in the country, just based on pure potential. I mean, he went from unranked to a five star. Yeah. Because he's 611 and like a seven foot four wingspan. So it's just and I think that in his defense, I think that he's a really good, like basketball savant. Like Izzo constantly talks about how him and his parents know what he has to do. Whereas I think nowadays, a lot of times, you'll see some of these recruiters beat divas, and just go one and done no matter what happens. Like I said before this year, like they were Booker cannot play a minute this year, and probably get drafted in the first round. And like, as of right now, I don't think he's gonna go to the NBA Draft, just because he knows that he needs to take that he needs to to contribute at a certain level in college before he goes to the NBA. Yeah. And according to is, though, his parents are the same way. And I think nowadays, parents get on the way a lot. We've seen that, you know, over the past some of the few years. I mean, if you remember Max Christie, yeah, there was it was reported that his parents were the ones who, you know, kind of pulled him out of Michigan State said, You're, you're like you're going to the draft, Christie was going up in the air, but whether he's going to stay or not, his parents said, No, you're going to the draft. And I don't think that that's the case with Booker. So I think it's going to be a process with him. And I think is the things that do.
(DeShawn) Yeah. And then just to mention one more thing that you're mentioning about like the whole games, things I don't want to go on a tangent but like, is also you know, he does a justice by like giving certain schools an opportunity with some of these other games like The James Madison game you mentioned. But then you also mentioned how they can be detrimental when you lose a game like that and it becomes
(Thomas Well, than you're paying a school hundreds of 1000s of dollars to be you Yeah, on your home opener for 14 in the country. And
(DeShawn) you can shake everything up and what it looks like you know, I you give them an opportunity regardless just because being able to come and play you know, at the president pagans a school that's the opportunity that you're really looking to give the team you're not looking to give them the opportunity to come in there. Steal the light right from great basketball. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, yeah. And I think it's funny that they're getting in the recognition that they're deserving right now. You know, I don't know if you've seen everything that's going on on Twitter, but they got their bowl game and they're going there. They're going to their bowl game. I mean, it's a great it's a great it's a great coaching for them. I love what's going on. I have no bitterness towards it whatsoever. definitely nice to see
(Thomas) the best case scenario for Michigan State James Madison doesn't lose the game for most of the year. Yeah. And they're like a top 15 team come March yes on that loss wasn't like really mean anything. As things stand Michigan State's last three top performing teams, you Yeah. And you know, they're gonna get some some chances to get those back. I mean, Baylor's Baylor's ranked number nine right now that games in, you know, t minus three weeks. Yeah. And then of course, the big 10. You got Illinois. See, I was constant does they've looked, you know, better than a lot of people expected this year. You know, yeah. Like I said, Illinois toys. You got Purdue on the road, you know, there's no, almost no transmission and say, what is that game? I mean, Mackey Arena has been a house of horrors for the Spartans in the past. Like, I feel like 15 years. I mean, when's the last time you saw Michigan State? Go into West Lafayette and be Purdue?
(DeShawn) Yeah, it's been a rough, I'm having to enjoy that streak at all, you know, supposed to play. And you know, and you know, I don't usually have a big disdain for players, but I just don't want to see Ed when I'm so tired of seeing that guy. dunk the basketball. It hurts my soul as your ears.
(Thomas) Yeah, I mean, when it comes to that guy, you just, you just got to just gotta think to yourself, like, like, where do we go wrong? Yeah. Yeah, like, where do we go wrong? Where, you know, a guy like that can't go to the NBA because of how much different The NBA is in his game. Yeah. 10 years ago, he would have dominated in them in the NBA. Yeah. And now he would be a nonfactor because he can't move his feet. And he's not very quick. Yeah. And he would just get dominated on offense. But like you like 20 years ago, he'd be the best part in that no,
(DeShawn) eah. I mean, he 20 years ago, he wouldn't be able to do if he was ever knew either played one year I bird do any to me. Like I mean, like, come on. Now. I don't even know if he's drafted. Yeah, no, I which is, which is insane. For years, you know, like four years now in college is like, you know, usually it becomes like a really big toss up at that point. But I would be on that side of I doubt that he's drafted to it just like where does he fit in the game?
(Thomas) Maybe seven, four, and a National Player of the Year and he might win it again this year might win to certain animal part of the year is not getting drafted. Seven feet for
(DeShawn) Yeah, but yeah, I mean, you know, seven before I can he guard a guy like he got a guy like jet or Guinea guards the garden with me. Um,
(Thomas) I don't know if he could guard a single center and then via one on one I think about think about what your Chris would do that guy,
(DeShawn and Thomas) dude. I mean, like, even someone like Aiden would be so much more mobile than he could ever be. It'd be like child's play. Yeah. Yeah. No, yeah. It's a funny transition we see in the game. Hi, Zack Ed ran over.
(Anthony) And I can imagine with going from number four in the country to not even ranked, it's some growing pains that's happening. And I remember us having an episode where it was in our heads, it was like Elite Eight final for bust. And now we're bust. Absolutely. And now with them. Getting these early losses and getting kind of that wake up call that you mentioned, even the women's basketball team got when they went to Cancun. I felt like it can make them better with the potential on that team. I mean, I saw it firsthand like they got potential to be big. So for like, they got to take those losses on the chin and move forward. And you guys mentioned if I'm not mistaken, the women's basketball team as a new coach. And seems like new coaches is in the air with MSU sports if we can transition to MSU football, new football coach. It's been a crazy year with MSU football. A lot of players going in the transfer portal new coach. I think he even spoke in one of the basketball games if I'm not mistaken, Jonathan. Last night. I was last night. Okay.
(Thomas) So he went to the basketball game. And his his introductory press conference was yesterday at noon. Okay. And it was a big deal. You know, a lot of people went a lot of our friends went to cover it. There was like a crowd like he walked into the Brennan Center lobby and there was the trailer there. There was yeah, the spirit squad. Yes. And it was there. They're playing the fight song. Like,
(DeShawn) They had MSU cookies there. They had them as you cookies I seen. There you go.
(Thomas) you go. So it was it was it was a good day for Jonathan Smith. Yeah. And I think it was a good day for Michigan State. It was a it was a day of celebration. I think a lot of people like what he's going to bring. I I'm not sold on whether or not he's going to bring Michigan State back to where it was. But, I mean, all things considered. It's a major upgrade. Oh, yeah. He's gonna bring some guys and there's no doubt about that. It's just how do you compete? How do you stack up in now? The most loaded conference like in history? Yep. Because you got Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC, all who are like, high octane offense coming in the big 10. You knows? Yeah, he knows. And it's just it's interesting, because he went from one conference playing those guys. And now he moves across the country. He's still playing those guys. And so I think that that's kind of like that irony. The irony is rich. Yeah. But yeah, I'm just not sold on whether or not Michigan State's gonna be back in that conversation for a while. I mean, the past few years have been really really hurtful to that, because Michigan, like their Michigan State had the opera opportunity to make it their era. Yeah, they did. When they beat Michigan, it was an undefeated. Matt, Mel Tucker second year, they were seven and all Michigan were seven and our Michigan State beats Michigan and East Lansing, they had opportunity to go win the big 10 Championship, go to the cultural playoff and say this is our era. And as if that didn't happen, they lost to Purdue the next week, in the last Ohio State by 53. Week after Yeah. And if they had just lost Ohio State, they'd be playing the big 10 championship and they'd be Purdue. And they would have gone into the cultural playoff had they beat. I think it was Iowa that year. Yeah. And that could have been the dawn of Michigan State's era and it wasn't and said Michigan went to beat Ohio State, they went to the Costco playoff. And it was all of a sudden there. I think that was a really big swing of things. You know, Michigan State went to Lebanon to honor mo Tucker. And it just was completely downhill from there, you know, no foul with a five and seven season and then, you know, they came out and they want to game to share didn't look good, and either of them. And then the night, the night of our second when that Saturday night was when the news came out about how Tucker Yeah. And never said it's just been a complete disaster. I mean, you go out and you lose to Washington by 50 Losers to all these teams, just embarrassingly like Michigan State last probably three or four games that they should have won this year easily. Just because I mean, you think about the Iowa game, they should have won Rutgers game. No doubt they should have won like some of these games. It's just It hurts because they could have been a five or six win team. But they weren't you know, there were three, how many games they won three games, two games, three games. So now they won four. They went for Indiana and Nebraska.
(DeShawn) Oh, yeah, they did beat Nebraska that's
(Thomas) celebrating maybe Cornel West here. I think that the ceiling for Jonathan Smith in your one should be probably six wins, which kind of just shows you where like, the state of the programs that like, you know, get over six wins. That's a success. Yeah. Whereas, you know, the year after we won 11 games and won the Peach Bowl. Like he was like, basically playoff or it was basically big containers per bust. And we went five and seven. And so I think that that really hurt, and it's gonna take some time to rebuild that.
(Anthony) Yeah, I can imagine is going to be pretty difficult. Is there any insight on the guy as far as like, where he came from? Or his style of play anything?
(DeShawn) Yeah, I mean, um, so I can kind of give you a little bit of insight on him. You know, and I mentioned a little bit more about what I know about him here. But like, I just, I want to start by saying I am slightly sad and just say like, goodbye to Harlan Holland.
(DeShawn and Thomas) It's not anything that I think he's gonna think he's gonna stay. Is he gonna stay along and stuff? I didn't see what he said. He said he intends to stay okay. But he's gonna look for other head coaching opportunities.
(DeShawn) Well, I would be sad to see him completely go, you know, just and it's not even just completely about the game. It's just, you know, obviously, everything anytime, as you mentioned, the state of team, everything that's happened this year. I'm not exactly saying it wasn't a fair shot, but it's just you know, you, you have a lot to take over just in a year like that. So I, I would definitely be sad to see him go. But at the same time, you know, if he goes and finds another head coaching opportunity, a cheers to him, you know, I obviously, with everybody going in for the best opportunities they can. So we'll see how that plays out. But moving on, I just, I do really like the piccolo Jonathan Smith, it's not. Like you said, Thomas, I don't think that it's going to be any major game changer, especially with what the big 10 is about.
(Thomas) You become a nine a nine win team year in and year out, things are starting to look up, you know, maybe some changes here and here or there. Yeah, you get a recruiter to and then sky's the limit. Yeah.
(DeShawn) And that's exactly kind of what we seen from Jonathan Smith before, you know, starting off at Oregon, and Oregon State he and the very beginning. He's coming to a team, that's step one. 111 when he gets hired, and over the first three years, I mean, like it doesn't show a huge improvement, he ended up going out of state three for 22 in its first three years. But you also kind of got to throw in the COVID factor in there because the sheets season short, and it was just a bad program. Yeah. And then even then, the next two years after that two back to back bowl games, one of them they win, he ended up leading the team to attend and two year, but in the end, they beat Oregon a couple of times. So it's, it's he is going to be the type of guy that is going to be able to at least help help what MSU has to go through. And that's going to be the rebuild, you know, and just a couple of weeks ago, everyone knew the rebuild process was going but it looked terrifying for what was gonna happen for the school. And these past couple of days, we've always I think it still looks terrifying. It definitely still looks terrifying. But you can start to see just a little inklings of a little bit of a light coming at for MSU a couple years down the road with a coach like Jonathan Smith. So like I just definitely appreciate the pickup friend. I think that he's exactly the kind of guy that MSU needs right now. You mentioned the entourage of what was happening. I seen a bunch of things on social media. Like I said, whenever they bring out the MSU cookies, you know, there's some type of event related going on here on campus. So, I mean, it was just it was really nice to see what happened. And I see that he brings his family and everything around for the press conference and to see that, you know, he's going to get fully involved. You know, he knows what he's coming into. You mentioned Thomas, I am not I, of course, I enjoy some PAC 12 football and but I wasn't following his career around, but he knows what's coming over on the side, decided to big 10. So it's nothing that he's not used to. It's just he's not going to be used to with this team for an hour. It's gonna take some time.
(Thomas) I mean, yeah, DJ, we only saw enough in him. And it took go. I mean, he was a former was he might have been a top five QB in his class. Yeah. And he saw, I mean, he went to Clemson and things just didn't work out. I don't necessarily think that that was his fault, as much as it was other things at Clemson. And that was at a time where he was coming in for Lawrence. Yeah, I mean, Trevor Lawrence went through he got COVID that year. And new younger than that, it was like, their quarterback for a little bit like you think this is this is Trevor Lawrence is like he's He's the heir to the throne. Right? And just didn't work out. But he saw enough and Jonathan Smith, he saw enough in that system, which Jonathan Smith is bringing over I mean, tight ends coach. Yeah, running backs coach, likely the offensive coordinator that was not confirmed. D backs coach, like he's bringing Chief of Staff like he's bringing the entire almost his entire unit from Oregon State over to Michigan State, like he, he's been clear in his intentions to, like, just completely transplant that program. And those like values and morals over to East Lansing. Yeah. And that's, I mean, that kind of speaks volumes to me, you know, like, he knows, he knows what's going to work. And he knows that that's the way to go. Rather than just sort of, you know, finding his own way. Like, he's not really experimenting. He's coming in and he's saying, This is how we're going to do it. This is how we've done it. And it's going to work. Yeah, but I just see him says a lot that like a guy like we underlaid went there and had success. He's not happy. By the way I've seen on Twitter. Him and his dad have been lighting up John Smith. Yeah, as have most of the assets. Most of them were Oregon State fan base community
(DeShawn) Oregon State's completely shaken up right now. I know they're in Sham.
(Thomas) Well, they just hired their defensive coordinator. They promoted him to head coach. And I think that it was a major win for Michigan State that they didn't get the defensive coordinator because I saw a lot of things about how he wasn't he was no good and, and all that and I honest, honestly, I've seen similar things with the offensive coordinator. So I guess we'll see how that plays out. We'll see if he ends up in East Lansing. But I really liked the fact that they brought the tight ends coach Brian Wozniak over, because the one downside, I guess the one major downside that we can see right now with Smith is that he has zero ties to the Midwest. Yes. I think one of the questions asked at the press conference yesterday was, you know, I think you're the first or the second coach in 100 years with Michigan State football who isn't like not affiliated with the program at all, like every single coach has had ties to Michigan State in some way, shape or form. Brian Wozniak played tight end for Wisconsin, and played in the NFL. And I believe the D backs coach. He also played in the NFL. Okay. Ultimately NFL I think you play in the NFL and was thinking about lions. Okay. Yeah. And was the coach for Miami for a while the dolphins. So those two things are big to have guys with those ties. And Brian Wozniak. I mean, he turned Luke Musgrave and do it, you know, NFL draft pick last year. And that, you know, he's on the Packers. He's doing decent. Yeah. But I think I've seen a lot of praise about Brian Wozniak. And that's big to have a guy who can recruit in the area, like Midwest recruiting is everything right now. I mean, you're competing with Michigan, you're competing with Ohio State, you're competing with all these other schools that have been drastically better than Michigan State in that category. And that needs to change if they want to go anywhere.
(DeShawn) Yeah, I totally agree. And like you said, it was asked at the conference yesterday, I think I've seen one of the sound bites from it. I've just done this by saying that he was completely excited. Like that was one of the most things he was excited for us to start really diving into making Midwest
(Thomas) he said the word dive probably 27 times in that press conference. Yeah, get the minimum flippers Hey,
(DeShawn) give him some flippers. That's what he's got to do. You know, and when we got to see him, so you know, I'm with the dive.
(DeShawn) So no, yeah, that's it's gonna be a great opportunity for the school. You know, it's definitely gonna be a process. You know, I'm not expecting any major expectations for next year or any huge change of outcomes, but it's gonna be a slow process for sure. It's gonna be an it should be a decent one for the school for sure. Yeah, I mean with what MSU football has gone through. It can only be a step forward, like there's no way you can step any more backwards. And it's exciting. I mean, if he's loved by the fan base, not counting the Oregon fan base, but he's loved by the MSU fan base. And he knows what he's getting into. Then like I said, it's only so much down you can go before you have a straight path and to know what to do to try and move forward.
(Thomas) Well as we know, if you want to be loved by the Michigan State fan base, you got to win.
(Anthony) That's the truth. Yeah. So as long as you take care of that, I mean, like you say, like by like six wins would be at least like the thing to shoot for. But I mean, yeah, absolutely. Three is not the largest number to improve from so we'll see what he does. But with that being said, you guys any have anything else on your mind? I want to mention one
(Thomas) more thing on that I the most interesting thing that I think I read on the whole ordeal was Alan holler. Alan Heller, the athletic director, he said something along the lines of like, I understand, I understood that this was the this will be the last like, this will be my last Michigan State Head Football Coach hire like he like he's looking for the guy for the next 20 years. In his mind, Jonathan Smith is going to be the coach here for the next 2030 years. He has a relatively young guy. He has experience on both levels, collegiate and professional. And like that, to me stood out was like this. Like this to Alan Heller is his legacy. Is this higher because he was the guy who essentially brought aboard Mel Tucker. And we all saw how that worked out. So like, I think that his career hauler, and he thinks this too, based on what he says. I think that I think and he thinks that this this higher will define his time. I'm just gonna say it'll define his legacy. When you can't take away what else he's done. I mean, he's hired Adam Nightingale. Yeah, Leah Johnson. Yeah. Robin Frey, like like all of these up and coming coaches, that Jeff Hossler I can't I can't believe I left him out. And that guy's incredible. Right? For the lady soccer team, okay. All these young young coaches that are just rise, they're elevating the programs day by day. But as we know, football is football, winning football games can solve a lot of problems for university. Yeah. And with everything that's going on at Michigan State right now, I think that there's nothing a 12 win football, like I'm not saying it's gonna happen. But like at Michigan State where they went win 12 Games next year, I think you would see a lot of resolve in other areas of the university, like a winning football game solves a lot of problems that are could be completely unrelated to football. That's my last thought immediately.
(Anthony) Yeah, I've seen the impact of just how much this community loves sports. Like, I was working at the Breslin. And they were telling me like, yeah, thank you all guys, for coming. A lot of the staff is students today, because the other half of our staff is going to the hockey game. So at work or watching I'm like, wow, like, and people, some of the older security guards next to me, or some of the older workers were leaving, like, am I because of hockey game, you know?
(Thomas) That's when they were playing the number one team in the country, Wisconsin
(Anthony) And they didn't they beat him twice.
(Thomas) Beat him twice. Yes. Incredible in a row. And so I think, I think what are they Seven? Eight? Yeah, I think there's seven and one pole in another bowl. Yeah. So like on fire. If the season ended today, they would be a mid seed in middle seed and the tournament, which is 16 teams, I mean, it's like the smallest, most out of whack, like selection. Yeah. postseason, like collegiate postseason, that you've ever seen the minutes to 16 team field missions, they barely missed it last year, I think they were like 18 or 19. And you know, at that, like, they would have to, someone would have to happen for them not to make it this year. Like they'd have to have some injuries because they're playing incredibly incredible hockey.
(DeShawn) I'm actually disspointed , I haven't been able to get in there as much as I've wanted to man, you know, like, you taught me a little bit talking about, well, what do you say they leave? They were a hockey school. Now, so I mean, it's exciting, dude, it's been super exciting. I definitely. I think, like I said, I was talking to Thomas about this, I'll show I'll be able to do my first story for them on December 9, and I'm gonna get the checkout experience for sure did I can do that.
(Anthony) I can imagine that's gonna be dope. And like I said, at the beginning of this episode, it feels great to be back. We're going to try and work some scheduled things out to where we can get more consistent episodes for the holiday season. And you never know, maybe we may be your best president in the tree this year. Who knows. But with that being said, I appreciate you all for taking the C with us. Appreciate you too, again for making time and making sure we have this coming back moment. And yeah, you guys want to end it off when you're there? Yeah. And I just want to say you know, we love you guys.
(DeShawn) We just love the game too. You know, we just love the game. You know, we got to be there. How are we going to get how are we going to have the information for you guys if we don't show up to the games, but definitely we definitely figure out some scheduling. We're definitely excited to be
(Thomas) married to the grind
(DeShawn) marriaged to the grind.
(Anthony) See you guys later