Let's go Miss St.!

[Mister Falcon]

Counting chickens, but an upset here would do wonders for our Final Four chances.

 

[Third Coast]

This game is balls to the wall at both ends.

 

[Failed Engineer]

If people are getting another game in their region, you'd be well served to fire up MMOD and watch this game. Not only for our chances down the line in the regional, but it's just a wildly entertaining freewheeling game. Not really well played, but a lot of fun to watch.

 

[Failed Engineer]

Memphis bigs in a ton of foul trouble..they all have 4. Miss St has a shot if they keep going inside. They have been the past few possessions and getting great clean looks as the Memphis bigs can't contest.

 

[HornJD79]

Is this the game where Memphis' pathetic free throw shooting bites them in the ***? Mississippi State should foul wherever possible - no easy buckets for Memphis. Come on Bulldogs!

 

[Failed Engineer]

This is just great basketball. Fun game, Memphis keeps finding ways to score and hitting the offensive glass hard.

 

[HornJD79]

They are just so big and athletic. So difficult to keep them out of the lane. MSU's zone was real effective in the first half, but they've gone away from it. If they can keep it within striking distance, Memphis' FT shooting may still be a factor.

 

[Failed Engineer]

Miss St making enough plays to stay within target to make Memphis foul shooting a factor. Gordon has to try not to force anything, he's had a couple bad turnovers in critical situations in the second half.

 

[Failed Engineer]

Memphis' ability to close out close games is better than I thought. IMO, the ability to get offensive rebounds and extra possessions almost negates the poor free throw shooting. I mean, Miss St is a fairly good rebounding team and they are just getting worked on the glass.

That said, a team with guards to control tempo, and quickness in the frontcourt to keep Memphis off the offensive boards will have a good shot to beat them. I picked Michigan St to the elite 8 before the tournament began and I haven't seen anything that changes my mind in the Michigan St - Memphis game.

I think a big factor too is that the partisan Longhorn crowd in Houston should be a partisan Mich St crowd as well.

 

[HornJD79]

Yeah, Memphis is going to have their hands full with Michigan State. Michigan St. should be able to do a decent job of keeping Memphis from penetrating. They should also be able to hold their own on the glass. If you can do that and make Memphis hit jump shots and FT's, you have a chance.

I will be one of those Longhorn fans in Reliant rooting for the Spartans. Reminds me of 2003!

 

[denchen]

I definitely think that Michigan St. can beat Memphis. The crowd will hopefully be wise to the fact that Texas matches up better against State than it does against Memphis and cheer accordingly. The two games today in Little Rock were pretty much prime examples of how poor, unclutch free throw shooting can derail a great season...except for the fact that Memphis and Texas both won.

By the way, Jamont Gordon of Miss. St. is a really good player. I'd not seem him play a full game this year, but I was impressed. I think Texas recruited him when Gordon was coming out of Tennessee as a high schooler.