The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Atlanta with a recap of Mississippi-Michigan State.
I took a couple of laps around the court to see who was in the house for the big doubleheader. I saw the spirit squads for the Rebels and Spartans:
…as well as the bands for both teams:
Hawks assistant GM Kyle Korver was standing near the court talking to a security guard. He played in 4 straight NCAA tourneys at Creighton but never made it to the Sweet 16:
NCAA Selection Committee member Keith Gill was chatting with someone. He was kind enough to do an interview with me last month:
Former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio was sitting near the court. He 1st joined Nick Saban’s staff in East Lansing when Tom Izzo became head basketball coach back in 1995:
Former Michigan State star Jason Richardson went a ridiculous 10-1 during his 2 years with Izzo (including a win over Florida in the 2000 NCAA title game as a freshman), and was a few rows behind his coach to cheer on his son Jase who is currently a freshman on the team. I guess I can no longer complain about legroom at an arena!:
Former Michigan State star Steve Smith, who went 3-2 in 5 NCAA tourney games under Coach Jud Heathcote (with all 5 decided by 1-4 PTS!), was also nearby:
I looked up to the rafters to check out the retired jerseys of all the former Hawks legends…and Ted Turner:
Thanks to friends-of-Rocco Robbie Lastella/Ivetta Abramyan I got to sit right above the 100 level with some of the photographers. Let’s tip off a great night of hoops:
GAME #1: MISSISSIPPI-MICHIGAN STATE
Next week is the 6-year anniversary of the 1st time that Tom Izzo and Chris Beard met in the NCAA tourney. Beard was coach at Texas Tech when he beat the Spartans 61-51 in the Final 4 on 4/6/19:
Mississippi PG Sean Pedulla helped his team build a double-digit lead in the 1st half with a floater in the lane and a pair of 3-PT shots:
His teammate Matthew Murrell contributed a 3 of his own and got into the lane for a jumper and a layup:
Jase Richardson kept Michigan State in it with a trio of trifectas:
His teammate Coen Carr is known mostly as a dynamic dunker, but made a nice hook in the lane and knocked down a 3 to keep it a close game as the Spartans were only down 33-31 at halftime:
Pedulla stayed strong in the 2nd half with 2 more shots from behind the arc and a “dunk” that he almost missed…but the ball somehow rolled over the front of the rim. Michigan State G Jaden Akins missed several long range shots in the opening stanza but was able to get into the lane in the 2nd half for a couple of scoops and a runner that bounced around before going in:
The game went down to the wire and the Spartans won 73-70, followed by a nice postgame handshake from the 2 coaches:
I got a great shot of Jase running off the court in ecstasy!:
Instead of attending the postgame press conference I decided to try going to the Michigan State locker room for an interview…but it looks like I was not the only 1 who had that bright idea:
JR PG TRE HOLLOMAN
What is the key to winning close games in March? Defense, rebounding, and holding onto the ball.
Your teammate Jase Richardson scored 20 PTS/4-6 3PM: how was be able to play so well as a freshman? He has confidence and is a gamer who goes right at his opponent.
Mississippi G Sean Pedulla scored 20 PTS/4-6 3PM: what makes him such a great player? He can shoot it very well and has a quick 1st step, so we were just trying to throw different defenders at him.
Your team made 19-22 FTs (including 6-6 from you): what make your team so great at FTs? We practice them every day.
How big a deal would it be to face Michigan on Sunday with a spot in the Final 4 on the line? It would be a big, big deal. To beat our archrival in the Elite 8 would be very special…but Auburn is a great team.
GAME #2: MICHIGAN-AUBURN
I got some quick shots of the spirits squads for the Wolverines and Tigers:
…and their bands:
I missed most of the game while saying hi in person to some of the many parents who I interviewed this week and conducting another parent interview during halftime…but did see Carr wandering the concourse to say hi to all his family/friends/fans while still in his jersey:
The Wolverines played well for the 1st 30 minutes but then the Tigers took over down the stretch and cruised to a 78-65 victory.
That is a wrap for the Sweet 16, check back later for some Elite 8 interviews.
