Dr. Green and White Sports Authority

Here is a list of things that I do not want to talk about today: whether to defend or foul when up by three points, permitter switching, turnovers, defensive rebounding, free throw shooting, and overtime periods. These topics would only serve to reelevate my blood pressure to unsafe levels. Therefore, I will only say this. The Michigan State Spartans had the game in Iowa City won, but then an incredibly long series of very unlucky events took place that resulted in a loss. Probability can be cruel. As a result, there is still a high level of uncertainty regarding how the 2022-23 season will play out. As always, I will lean on a series of mathematical tools to better understand that uncertainty. Updated Big Ten Standing, Wins, and Odds Table 1 below shows the updated enhanced Big Ten standings with 90% of the regular season now complete. Table 1:  Enhanced Big Ten standings as of Feb. 27, 2023. Purdue took a loss to Indiana over the weekend, but with 13 wins and with all other Big T...

It goes without saying that it has been a difficult two weeks for the Michigan State community. Tuesday night, the Spartans' men's basketball team returned to the Breslin Center for the first time since the tragic shooting on Feb. 13 that claimed the lives of Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner.  For at least a few hours, the Spartans put a smile on the faces of countless Spartans fans in East Lansing and around the world. Michigan State posted perhaps the most impressive win of the season to date as the Spartans defeated the No. 17 Indiana Hoosiers, 80-65. As the regular season winds down, the Green and White appear to be trending up once again. The post-season is right around the corner. March beckons. What might that post-season look like? Let's dig into the numbers. Quick Big Ten Tournament Update Earlier this week, I provided a detailed look at Michigan State prospects for the rest of the regular season. The Spartans' win over the Hoosiers. My simu...

In the post-game press conference following Saturday's loss at Michigan, Spartans' head coach Tom Izzo emphasized that while no member of the Michigan State community will even forget the events of Feb. 13, 2023 it is important to try move forward together and find some sense of “normalcy.”  In the grand scheme of things, college basketball is not that important. After all, it is just a game played by kids, a majority of whom are not legally old enough to buy alcohol. At the same time, sports can act as an escape and as an opportunity for people to come together and unite for a common cause. Even though that cause is not important, it can be a source of solace and ultimately, healing. Michigan State lost to Michigan on Saturday. The season continues to move forward. Where do the Spartans stand following that loss? Let's dig into the numbers and find out. Together. Updated Big Ten Standing, Wins, and Odds Table 1 below shows the updated enhanced Big Ten standings with 79% of...

Hello Spartan fans. It goes without saying that it has been a difficult week for the Michigan State community. Spartans everywhere were impacted by the tragic events of Monday evening.  Like many of you, Michigan State University is a special place for me. It is a place where many happy memories and friendships were forged and it is a place that will always be close to my heart. Due to cowardly and evil acts of a single individual, a darkness has now descended onto that place that I love. Grief is a complicated emotion and coping is a complicated process. Everyone deals with pain and loss in different ways and on different timelines. That's OK. That's normal. When you are ready to do so, it is important to look towards the light, because I believe that the light is always stronger than the darkness. For me, I find the light in my friends and in my loved ones. I find the light in community, and I find the light in the things that I love to do. For me, Michigan State is a communi...

When I look back over the last several odds updates, I have identified a trend. This is now the third update in a row where the Michigan State Spartans have split the previous two games. In fact, the Spartans have not won two games in a row since the seven-game win streak came to an end in Champaign, Ill.  As a result, Michigan State continues to hover right around .500 in Big Ten play. With only seven Big Ten games remaining, time is running short for the Spartans to make their seemingly annual mid-February run.  Many people, including your truly, made the prediction that the Spartans would beat Rutgers in New York City last weekend. I expected to see a much sharper version of Tom Izzo's club that would be trending upward. I expected to see a version that had a chance to perhaps go 7-2 down the stretch. While that is still a possibility, my confidence that it will happen is wavering, especially after watching stretches of Tuesday night's home win over Maryland. In times like...

The calendar on my wall says February and that can only mean one thing: March is right around the corner. It is hard to believe, but Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is just barely over a month away.  The Michigan State Spartans are planning to play in that tournament for the 25th consecutive year. But with a record of just 14-9 and 6-6 in Big Ten play, there is still work to be done to achieve that goal.  Despite the fact that the Spartans have now lost five of their last seven games, their current resume does place them easily in the field of 68 teams. In fact, Michigan State currently appears in all 97 of the online bracket predictions as tracked by the Bracket Project website.  That could certainly change if the Spartans limp to the finish line and end up below .500 in conference play. With the schedule down the stretch easing up, this result seems unlikely, but right now nothing is guaranteed. I still believe in the potential of this roster. I like a tea...