81-49

You don't often see a basketball game where one team wins as big as MSU just did, and it was never even that close. Here's how bad it got: from the 16:31 mark of the first half to the 5:56 mark of the second half, Sparty was doubling up on Iowa. It was 73-33 when State started playing the cheerleaders and all the players' moms who were wearing their son's jersey.

The worst part is that it's not surprising at all. Iowa ALWAYS gets killed by Izzo up in East Lansing. ALWAYS. It doesn't matter how good either team is, you just know State's going to crush Iowa up there. The closest Alford's ever come to winning in East Lansing? 14 points. Two touchdowns. Yeah.

This, effectively, buries all tourney hopes for the Hawkeyes. It's a little irritating that people were talking about it at all over the past few weeks, but that talk has to be over now, right? Their RPI is in the 80's, they have 12 losses, and their best non-conference win was over... buckle your seatbelt... Toledo. Do you really think the selection committee gives a shit if the Hawks go 9-7 in the Big Ten???

Here's what we know: Henderson and Freeman can't take care of the ball. Their turnover numbers make Pierre Pierce look responsible. So the Hawks need a point guard badly. Alford's bringing in this kid named Dairese Gary, and we all know how well you can trust someone with two first names. So after Gary, then what? You need more than one guy to run the point, and it looks like the only thing Iowa can do to help Freeman is, well, hope and pray. The kid's a maniac. Also, the Hawks brought in some kid from Indiana who's 6'6", runs the 2, and... well, he looks like this:



Sweet.

Purdue's coming here Wednesday. Here's how it'll go down: Iowa's going to drop about 75 or 80 on them, win by 10, maybe climb a spot in the two in the RPI, and it won't make a lick of difference. This is Iowa basketball.