Nobody respects Tom Izzo more than I do. I think he’s a great coach. I think he’s an even better person.
But lets be honest here: If he wants to get his program back to where it was during the salad days, when the Spartans were a bonafide threat to win the national championship each year, he’s going to have to find a way to measure up better in late-season conference road games.
It’s one thing to lose some of those games. That’s bound to happen. But the Spartans weren’t even competitive - again - Tuesday night at Purdue.
They were well-rested. There really wasn’t any excuse for it. It’s a sign something is still missing. It’s an intangible factor, as much as anything else. There is plenty of talent on that team. The Spartans are the best team in the Big Ten. Why can’t they play like it at Purdue? That’s three blowout losses in a row there.

Random Thoughts

- Funny how nobody really talked much about Gary Sheffield during the off season, but he was the first one seemingly everybody in the media went to on the first day of full-squad workouts at spring training. Like him or not, Sheffield spices up the game by speaking his mind. I see that as a good thing.

- At least A-Rod admitted he used performance enhancing substances. What I have to be suspicious about, however, is the degree. I think it would be naive to think he used them for just a three-year period. He had a great year in 2007 - perhaps his best. To me, that has to come under question, too.