In the men’s NCAA tournament, both the Michigan Wolverines and Tom Izzo’s Spartans have advanced to the Sweet 16 round. Over in the women’s tournament, Kim Barnes Arico’s Wolverines and MSU both got knocked out in the second round. And in college hockey, the Frozen Four tournament is officially underway.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition producer Caoilinn Goss to talk about the conference tourney, college hockey, and more.
Caoilinn Goss: Dusty May’s Wolverines rallied in the second half to defeat Texas A&M last weekend. Up next, Michigan will face Auburn University, the top seed in the tournament. Michigan’s a five seed. John, what’s it going to take for the Wolverines to vanquish the tournament favorite?
John U. Bacon: A whole lot, Caoilinn. So let's think about the past for a moment before the dark future. The job that Dusty May and his Wolverines have done is amazing. All five starters played somewhere else last year. This is the new model these days. So they'll have to play their best game. Turnovers are the bug-a-boo for them. No turnovers. They've got to shoot well. And frankly, Auburn can't play its best game. If they do, then Michigan loses. But that's not the point. The point is whatever happens from here on in is gravy.
CG: Michigan State will take on Ole Miss in Atlanta tonight. MSU is the No. 2 seed. Ole Miss is No. 6. Tom Izzo and the Spartans are making their 27th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Izzo has been at this so long his freshman guard Jace Richardson is the son of a player he coached 25 years ago — a member of the 2000 national championship team, Jason Richardson. Do you think this year’s team has what it takes to make it to the next round of the tournament?
JUB: Absolutely. Now, they have the same problem Michigan's got. If they win tonight, and I think they will, they will play probably Auburn, if Auburn beats Michigan. So, same problem. But Izzo's team is a much better team. They beat Michigan twice. They've got all the pieces, including Richardson, who's probably their best player. Again, looking at the bigger picture, 27 consecutive NCAA tournaments. As you pointed out, that is a generation's worth. That is worth noting right there. And, unlike Michigan's approach, four of his five starting players played at Michigan State last year. That's the old school model. The job Izzo has done, you got to pause and bow. It is really incredible.
CG: Yesterday was Opening Day for Major League Baseball. The Detroit Tigers opened against the L.A. Dodgers. Last year the Tigers made a historic run, to make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. What are your thoughts on this brand new season?
JUB: Well, hope springs eternal and hang on to that because the team they're playing this weekend is the L.A. Dodgers. L. A. Dodger's have by far the biggest payroll in Major League Baseball of $322 million. That could fund a small city. Pretty amazing there. And the Tigers are 18th with about a third of that, $132 million. So, how'd they get there last year? They got there through great pitching thanks to my former student, Chris Fetter. There's a shameless plug for you, Caoilinn. Great guy, great coach, won the award for being a great coach last year. And [Tarik] Skubal, of course, their Cy Young Award winner. This year, they've added almost nothing to the roster. [Christopher] Ilitch has proven to be pretty parsimonious with the budget, so don't expect the Tigers to be any better this year than last year.
CG: And the Tigers lost the first game in their series against what some are calling the “new evil empire” 4-5 last night. Their series against the Dodgers continues tonight in L.A.
In college hockey, Michigan State got knocked out in the first round of the Frozen Four last night, despite being the No. 2 seed. The Spartans lost to Cornell 4-3 with just ten seconds left. I feel like we haven’t talked about college hockey enough… CAN you talk about college hockey enough?
JUB: [Laughs] See, this is why we're friends, Caoilinn, right there, boom.
CG: [Laughs]
JUB: I love college hockey. It's a great variety of the sport, in some ways better than the NHL. They play fewer games, they have more energy, and you can see them develop. It's lot of fun. Furthermore, if you're in this neck of the woods, the Michigan Wolverines have made the Frozen Four the last three seasons, the Final Four of hockey. And they're not gonna make it this year because they're already out. Coach Adam Nightingale at Michigan State has done a phenomenal job to build this program. Frankly, they have probably less talent than Michigan, but they're more disciplined, they play defense. That is coaching.
Editor's notes: Some quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full interview near the top of this page.
The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
