Men's Basketball Live Blog: Michigan St. at NU

Well, it's another thrilling night of exciting Wildcats basketball here at jam-packed Welsh-Ryan Arena (that was sarcasm, in case you didn't pick that up).

We're counting down to tip-off, with the teams' differences already showing themselves during warm-ups. Spartans: tall, athletic. Cats: short, scrawny. We'll see how things play out, but if recent history is any indication, it won't go well for NU. Bill Carmody is 1-12 in his career against the Spartans, and NU hasn't beaten the boys in green since 2002.

If the purple is going to have any chance, they'll need a great defensive performance from Juice Thompson on Drew Neitzel, a lights-out shooting performance from Craig Moore and a lot of turnovers (Michigan State does turn the ball over almost 15 times per game, so maybe there's some hope there). Well, tip-off is approaching. I'll update throughout the game.

Starters
NU: Craig Moore, Michael Thompson, Kevin Coble, Sterling Williams, Nikola Baran (unexpectedly starting over Jeff Ryan)
MSU: Drew Naymick, Goran Suton, Raymar Morgan, Travis Walton, Drew Neitzel

14:41 -- Things aren't looking good for NU, as MSU is out to a 15-5 lead, thanks to four 3-pointers and some anemic Cats offense. This could get really ugly, really fast, as NU looks completely over-matched against the No. 10 team in the nation. At least Moore made his first shot attempt from downtown.

13:25 -- First timeout of the contest, with MSU leading 17-9. The good news is that Baran managed to score for the Cats off his own miss, showing he perhaps deserves the start. The bad news is that if MSU continues to shoot the 3 like it has been so far, NU has absolutely no chance to win this game. It's hard enough to play interior defense on a team with an enormous size advantage as it is, but if that team can also kick the ball out and bury shots from the perimeter, it's all over.

Well, Baran is on the bench out of the break, so I guess Carmody didn't think much of that last bucket.

9:10 -- Carmody just called a 30-second timeout, and for good reason. Neitzel just buried another shot from beyond the arc to push MSU's lead to 25-11, as the Spartans threaten to pull away before the half. Physically, Neitzel looks like he'd fit right in with the Cats, but he is showing why he is considered one of the best point guards in college basketball.

7:46 -- Someone in the Wild Side was just held up a sign saying "300 Spartans, 1 diploma," which looks to be a lot more clever than Carmody's gameplan so far, with MSU leading 28-11.

The Spartans are 6 of 7 shooting the 3-ball, which is clearly the story of the game so far. NU better find a way to stop it soon, or this is going to get embarrassing.

3:42 -- NU is making a valient attempt to not go into the locker room already out of the game. After a 19-4 MSU run, Baran and Moore knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and the Spartans turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, giving NU the ball back, trailing 36-21. If the Cats can keep this momentum up for a few more minutes, it can salvage some scrap of hope for the second half.

2:00 -- CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT?! The Wild Side, which has filled up throughout the course of the half, definitely is. Tom Izzo just called timeout, because his team is reeling from a 13-0 NU run, causing the crowd to roar as loudly as it has all season. Does NU......dare to dream?

HALFTIME -- Well, give the Cats credit -- they look a massive punch, but managed to crawl to their feet and get themselves back into the game, by closing the half on a 16-2 run. That stretch included a play in which Jason Okrzesik fell down with the ball but managed to flip it to Kevin Coble while still on his butt, leading to a 3 by Coble that briefly pulled NU to within seven. But MSU answered with a 3 of its own to push the lead back to 10. 41-31. Hopefully the second half will at least be interesting.

Fun note: Former Spartan and current Charlotte Bobcat Jason Richardson is in attendance (he plays the Bulls tomorrow). Hey, why don't former Cats playing in the NBA come back to watch........oh, wait.....Sorry, that was a cheap shot. But hey, at least Tim Doyle is here! I guess that will have to do.

Not-so-fun note: At the half, MSU's bench is outscoring NU's 16-0, mostly thanks to 12 points from freshman Chris Allen, who is 4 of 4 from downtown.

Second Half

18:37 -- So far, we have a Neitzel 3, an NU shot clock violation, a Raymar Morgan dunk, and a Drew Naymick block of Nikola Baran. Uh-oh! 46-31 MSU.

16:35 -- Well, that pretty much summarizes NU's effort in the second half so far: an NU cheerleader just fell on her backside as the squad ran out on the court during a timeout. So far in the second half, MSU has shut out the Cats 9-0 and once again is threatening to pull away.

13:35 -- Steve Kerr is in the house! Oh, actually that's Craig Moore, but it's easy to explain the confusion. The streaky junior guard is currently on a hot streak, knocking down treys on three consecutive possessions. He also showed some stingy defense, drawing a charging foul and also forcing an MSU foul on a loose ball. It's games like these that keep Moore in the lineup despite his more frequent 2 of 10 shooting performances. Well, let's enjoy it while it lasts.

11:27 -- I haven't seen Cloverfield yet, but I suspect the monster sort of resembles MSU's Raymar Morgan, who just shook the rim with a frightening dunk. NU looked scared, and rightfully so.

7:28 -- 64-45 MSU. Whatever momentum Moore generated seems to have dissipated and the game is headed to its inevitable destination -- with NU on the short end. Well, at least they gave the fans who braved the cold a few moments of excitement.

The game also gave some shirtless students with their chests painted a chance to get on ESPN2, so there's that.

2:24 -- Things are winding down, with MSU ahead 69-56. The final score isn't likely to be too embarrassing for the Cats, but this game has never really been in much doubt. Still, things could have been a lot worse.

FINAL SCORE: MSU 78, NU 62.

Good night from Welsh-Ryan Arena. Until next time....