BasketBowl II will again feature Michigan State men's hoops at Ford Field.

It’s time to get a winning team into Ford Field. Since the Detroit Lions stink the place up with their pathetic brand of losing football, trying a different sport – namely basketball – to bring the winningest sports team in the state to rub off on the Lions isn’t a bad idea. Yessir, this Wednesday, #5 Michigan State men’s hoops squad will make its second trip to the most beautiful football stadium in America, to play the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels at Ford Field.

Usually this time of year, I’d be full bore into men’s basketball, since the Spartan football season would be long over and put into the history books with another big “L” stamped on the cover (actually, come to think of it, Tar Heel fans would likely do the same). But not this year, with the #21 Spartan football team aiming for a New Years Day bowl game in Florida. Thusly, it’s tough for me to get as fired up for men’s basketball as in the past while my primary sport, football, is still in action. 

Still, it IS a big game this week. MSU won the past two games against good teams – Oklahoma State and Wichita State – after coming off a difficult loss to Maryland in the Old Spice Classic in Florida. MSU missed so many free throws over the tourney, uncharacteristic for a team known for its focus on the charity stripe, that head coach Tom Izzo stated “we’ll shoot 700 million free throws tomorrow.” Meanwhile, UNC just completed a dismemberment of North Carolina Asheville by a score somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000 – 47.  The Baby Blue colored jerseys will come up to a Ford Field that will have 60,000 or more Spartan basketball fans (tickets are still available) in a BIG GREEN FRENZY to watch their young team take the next step to greatnesss.

I was at BasketBowl I back on December 13, 2003 at Ford Field, which set the world record attendance crowd of 78,129 to watch a basketball game (though a great game, MSU lost to Kentucky). But, this time... I will have to watch this star-studded spectacular event from the road. I’ll be on I-69 in Indiana and will likely have to pull off to a tavern somewhere to watch the game... if I’m not snowed out. Any ideas from Spartan or Tar Heels living in Indiana of a great sports pub between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis would be appreciated... and accepted.

You will find me decked out in my Green & White, cheering on my Sparties on the telly. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:15 pm on Wednesday, December 3, to be televised on ESPN. Tickets, however, are just $9 if you can make it to Detroit instead of watching on the television.