Five: Below the Surface and What It All Means

Alright, let's get this straight. Michigan State beats Arkansas by three points, and suddenly it's time for a victory parade? Give me a break. I just scanned some "five takeaways" from the game, and honestly, it reads like a participation trophy ceremony.

Fears and Doubts

So, "MSU will live and die by Jeremy Fears Jr." is the big revelation? No freakin' duh. He's the point guard. Of course, the offense runs through him. The article even admits he "did not hit a field goal." Nine assists are nice, but if your point guard can't score, you're playing four-on-five half the time. Is this supposed to be a good thing? The writer calls him the "prototypical Izzo point guard," which I guess is supposed to be a compliment, but sounds like a backhanded insult to me. I mean, are we celebrating mediocrity now?

And this Cam Ward guy... okay, he had a good game. Eighteen points and ten rebounds. Fine. But let's see him do that against someone other than Arkansas once. Then maybe I'll be impressed. This feels like they're handing out MVPs after a single preseason game.

The Curious Case of Coen Carr and Carson Cooper

Coen Carr "can get to the basket on almost anyone in the country"? Says who? Has anyone actually seen this, or is this just wishful thinking? Oh, and if he can "consistently" hit free throws... well, if my grandma had wheels, she'd be a bicycle. It's all hypothetical.

Then there's Carson Cooper, who's supposedly "sneakily one of the most important players." Sneakily? What does that even mean? Is he hiding in the shadows, sabotaging the other team's water bottles? He sets "bone-crushing screens." Alright, settle down there, tough guy. I'm sure they're just fine, but "bone-crushing?" I need to see some freakin' carnage before I buy that. And he's "underrated" on defense. By whom? The writer, apparently.

Izzo's Brain Farts

But here's where it gets interesting. "Tom Izzo's rotation decisions drive me crazy." Finally, some honesty! With two minutes left, trailing, Izzo trots out a lineup with "two non-shooting point guards and two non-shooting bigs." What in the actual hell was he thinking? Playing a backup point guard at shooting guard? Are you kidding me? It's like he was trying to lose the game.

This is the guy who's supposed to be a genius? The Hall of Famer? The legend? Maybe he's losing it. Or maybe he's just stubborn. Either way, it's inexcusable.

Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here. Maybe I'm expecting too much.

So, What's the Real Story?

Look, a win is a win, I guess. But let's not pretend this game was some kind of masterpiece. It was a sloppy, uneven performance against a team that's probably overrated to begin with. The "takeaways" are mostly fluff, and Izzo's coaching decisions remain baffling. As detailed in Five takeaways from Michigan State basketball's huge win over No. 14 Arkansas, the game had some questionable moments. I'm not ready to crown Michigan State champions just yet. Not by a long shot.