http://www.statenews.com When the MSU men’s basketball team faces No. 1 North Carolina at 9:15 p.m. tonight at Ford Field in Detroit, it won’t just be facing the best team in the country. The Spartans could be facing one of the best teams in college basketball history. “Is this one bigger because it’s at Ford Field and that’s where the Final Four is?” MSU head coach Tom Izzo asked rhetorically. “No, it’s bigger because … there’s been talk about, ‘Is this one of the best teams ever?’” en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:56:06 -0500 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29474 I’d rather we bring our hottest of hot games close to the onset of March Madness, and during our Big Ten Championship hopes. This is a fluff game, but a good skill show and tell one, no doubt. Go State! Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:51:20 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29474 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29484 … This is a fluff game … I’d say the same thing if the roles were reversed … Heels by 18 on your national championship court … see you in April Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:08:03 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29484 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29486 Given our early injuries and the fact the Heels are ridiculously good, I think the best we should be hoping for is a competitive game. Our young guards need to show up and we just need to avoid getting embarrassed. It’s always better to lose early and Izzo will coach them up in time for March. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:32:11 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29486 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29494 by the way, Heels82, the heels may win by 18, even if the game was at home, but it’s not…our national championship court is on our home floor…the game is at Ford Field…way to research before you put it in print…and you’re right, we will see you in April. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:53:40 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29494 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29496 Jason, thanks for the snarky comments about the championship court. If you did your research you would know that MSU transported the court down to Ford field on Friday. Hope you don’t keep track of your girl like you do the court. Maybe she is out of town too with a crew of guys lay’n her down. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:23:50 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29496 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29497 http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081202/SPORTS0202/812020363/1004/SPORTS Jason, This should explain everything … According to Detroit news MSU will be the home team at Ford Field, and it’s they’re bringing as much of Breslin Center as possible. The iconic green-and-white basketball floor, a cherished souvenir from the 2000 NCAA championship, travels well. The university bought the floor, which was made in Dollar Bay, Mich., after MSU won the national title on it in Indianapolis. The floor has moved a few times since the Final Four: going back to the U.P. for some post-championship refinand a 2007 Midnight Madness trip to Munn Ice Arena. The MSU staff knows how to pack and move the floor with efficiency. The 210 hardwood pieces were dismantled and three basketball hoops collapsed to make the trip from East Lansing to downtown Detroit. Snow and slippery conditions delayed the journey a bit Monday morning, but everything arrived safely by mid-day. The floor, which was carefully packed in marked order into padded and sealed pallets on wheels, was unwrapped and assembled by the afternoon. It was kept at a steady temperature, helping curb wood’s tendency to shrink/retract in cold weather. Installation is a tedious and deliberate process. A staging company moved in Sunday, laying down a protective cover, plywood boards and a stage on Ford Field’s FieldTurf surface Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:28:30 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29497 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29507 I just got owned. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:26:40 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29507 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29508 I expect UNC to win tonight but have great respect for Coach Izzo and the Michigan program. He’s an excellent coach with outstanding players.Anything can happen, remember WKU/Louisville? I also believe the Spartans will be better in March than December because of their age and injuries. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:35:03 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29508 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29509 Heels82…please take Hansbroughs balls out of your mouth and insert some humble pie. Everyone knows UNC is the best team in the nation right now, but any team can lose on any given day. It’s what makes college b-ball awesome. I hope tonight’s game is a bit better than the stinker last night DUKEvsPURDUE. GO GREEN and I hope psycho T doesn’t play to improve our chances. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:38:41 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29509 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29515 DJ – our humble pie comes in the form of football season … every year. The word down here is Hansbrough may sit this game out due to his shin. We’re already without our best defensive player in Ginyard, Hansbrough would be another huge shot in the arm now, but should prove beneficial in the long run (as long as we don’t lose another big man; see Tyler Zeller). Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:14:19 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29515 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29528 The writer for this article needs to do a better job researching. Marcus Ginyard hasn’t played a game this year, thus hasn’t started a game and certainly hasn’t averaged 10 points a game. Also, if you are going to mention the injuries that will hinder the Spartans, you should also include the injuries the Tar Heels are dealing with (questionable Hansbrough, Ginyard out, Zeller out). Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:59:25 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29528 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29536 Would it be too much to ask for T. SNews to publish where this will be televised? Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:43:40 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29536 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29546 Heels you sure read alot of Michigan paper websites for such a heels fan. Are you stupid or do you just think the State News has good editorial pieces about UNC? Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:25:38 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29546 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29558 That sucked. Can somebody please tell me why the hell we are playing this game at Ford Field??? No one showed up! What a waste of time and resources…and the team would have been better off with a real home court advantage. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:30:37 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29558 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29565 Make that headline: “Under the Heels of History”. We were STOMPED big time. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:56:06 -0500 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/29565