Must See Sports – Fourth Weekend of January 2013

Last 2012 weekly advantage/disadvantage record: 4-4
FINAL Must See Sports 2012 record (excluding series): 84-49

FINAL Advantage/disadvantage record in series, 2012: 12-9-1
2013 Advantage/Disadvantage Record: 3-1 

Must See Sports is back after a lengthy layoff.  With the NFL season approaching its end, the hardwood is going to dominate the sports scene for the next couple of months. If you are like a lot of sports fans and been immersed in the NFL, let’s get you caught up.

Sunday, January 27

NCAA Men’s Basketball

(13) Michigan State Spartans at (7) Indiana Hosiers

The winner of this game will sit atop the Big 10. Michigan State has been on the cusp of a top ten ranking all season. With consecutive wins over Ohio State and Wisconsin, the Spartans, yet again, have a chance to rise to the elite ranks, which will matter come March. Junior Keith Appling (14 PPG, 4 APG) has continued to assume his veteran leadership role. In a game that will be very close, MSU coach Tom Izzo can take solace in knowing that Appling, a point guard who has averaged over 35 minutes per game in Big 10 competition, has only missed three free throws in his last five games.

As for the Hosiers, I have been of the opinion that they have been overrated all season. Their super sophomore forward Cody Zeller (16 PPG, 8 RPG) is the real deal but Indiana only has one signature win, over then #14 North Carolina in November (UNC is not ranked today). They melted in overtime to in-state rival Butler last month and lost to unranked Wisconsin last week. 

The Spartans are playing well and with urgency and I have yet to be really sold on an Indiana performance.

Advantage: Michigan State

Appling has some hops, too. 1

2013 NFL Pro Bowl

Standard formations…no blitzing…no strategy…being named to the Pro Bowl is soon going to be like winning a gold glove. It’s an honor, but one day it will have nothing to do with something we will see on the field of play if the product continues to be so bad. What we’ll see on Sunday won’t have much to do with football, either, but if you are jonesing for some pigskin, it’s the only item on the buffet.

If I am going to watch football that doesn't really matter, I'd rather watch the Los Angeles Temptation of the Lingerie Football League. 2

Wednesday, January 30

Happy birthday to me! Yours truly turns 38 on this day. Pickings are a little slim in the sports world, though.

NBA

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets

Two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference square off in what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Winners of 10 out of their last 11, the Nets (so far) have demonstrated that the controversial decision to fire Head Coach Avery Johnson and replace him with P.J. Carlesimo may have been the right one.

Center Brook Lopez (19 PPG, 7 RPG, 2 BlkPG) and point guard Deron Williams (17 PPG, 8 APG) have been an unstoppable offensive force while power forward Reggie Evens (9 RPG) has made the Nets extremely tough under the glass. LeBron James (27 PPG, 8 RPG, 7 APG) and the defending NBA champion Heat have gotten out to a quiet first place start in the early half of the season. Their Achilles heel has been in the paint and under the glass. With this game being played in Brooklyn and the energy that can be expected with the Heat visiting, I think the Nets will have just a little more in the tank. 

Advantage: Nets     

Lopez and James have battled under the basket before. 3

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1) Image from www.freep.com
2) Image from www.themajors.net
3) Image from www.nj.com