The Jekylls meet the Hydes

Southeast Region
#7 UCLA Bruins (22-10) vs #10 Michigan State Spartans (19-14)
Thursday, March 17
6:20 pm PDT
TV: TBS

The Jekylls meet the Hydes

By Jon Gold on March 16, 2011 4:20 PM
Inside UCLA with Jon Gold


TAMPA -

Dr. Jekyll, meet Dr. Jekyll.

Mr. Hyde, meet Mr. Hyde.

When seventh-seeded UCLA meets No. 10-seed Michigan State tomorrow in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum, it will be a matchup of four teams.

The two-faced Bruins have been both brilliant and buffoonish, wins over highly ranked BYU and Arizona, losses to bottom-feeders Oregon and Montana.

Likewise, Michigan State has been schizophrenic, 10-10 in its last games, an 18-point win over No. 8 Purdue last Friday followed by a 13-point loss to unranked Penn State the next day.

When asked how he prepares for a team that has proven that it can be so good, but also so bad, Spartans head coach Tom Izzo just laughed and gestured wildly.

"I would've liked to have been in this room when you asked (UCLA head coach Ben Howland) that question about us," said Izzo, who has guided Michigan State to two-straight Final Fours and six overall. "What you have here are two misfits. We both had our issues. But you always prepare like it's for their best, because once they've done something, that's what they're capable of doing on any given night."

And to be sure, UCLA's best has been better than most.

But its worst has been shockingly bad, a 76-59 defeat to the Ducks in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament just seven days ago.

The Bruins are taking that loss - and other disappointing performances this season, even in the wins - as motivation heading into the tournament. They are well aware that most of the time this year, the only team to beat UCLA has been UCLA.

"Throughout the whole season, we've been our worst enemies," freshman center Joshua Smith said. "It's not always necessarily what the other teams have been doing; a lot of times it's what we do and what we don't do."

In the Oregon loss - and losses at Cal and at Washington - that meant defending the perimeter.

Against the Spartans, they can afford no such lapses.

Not against one of the premier guards in the nation, senior Kalin Lucas, who averages 17.2 points per game (20.9 in his last 14) and has played in an astounding 322 NCAA Tournament minutes.

Not against Lucas' talented backcourt mates Durrell Summers and Keith Appling.

Certainly not against Izzo, who is known for exploiting matchups all the way to the final weekend, his .745 Tournament winning percentage, six Final Four appearances and 14-straight Tournament berths all ranking third among active coaches.

"Kalin and Coach Izzo over there, I've lot of respect for them," UCLA junior point guard Jerime Anderson said. "They have played in so many games. They're a proven NCAA Tournament team. But that was the past. We're here right now, in the present."

Still, UCLA is wise enough to know that its opponent is not simply battle-tested. The Spartans really are the Spartans of Greek mythology, moving from war to war, conquering region after region.

Michigan State has advanced to consecutive Final Fours - first as a two-seed in 2009, then as a five-seed in 2010 - after a Sweet 16 appearance the season before.

It is a veteran group, savvy, technical, poised. It's a credit to Izzo that the players still listen to him. At this point, they can just about coach themselves.

And then there is UCLA, 32 total NCAA Tournament minutes to go around - 19 for junior guard Malcolm Lee, 13 for Anderson, both as freshmen in 2009.

"At the end of the day, it's a basketball game," Howland said of Michigan State's decided experience advantage. "Our guys have been a part of a lot of those, this year, and in years past. They definitely have a lot of players that have a lot of experience in the tournament, and you can't make up for that. But we're going to go out and play really hard and really try to play to our potential, and if we do that, good things are going to happen."

And that's what Howland has been preaching to the players after a 22-10 season that seemed more-hot-and-cold than a gallon of Icy Hot.

Similarly, that's what Izzo has been telling his Spartans, who limp into the tournament as a 10-seed, an unfamiliar spot for a very familiar face.

"We do our jobs, but players play the game; they just do," Izzo said. "At the end of the day, there aren't many coaches that get to play against each other. Where Ben and I can help is we have some tournament experience. It probably helps (him) more than me right now, because he's got to sell that to his players."

It's been a difficult sell-job for Howland at times this season.

But as the team re-enters the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence, the Bruins sound like they know what to expect.

Out of Michigan State, sure.

Out of themselves, more importantly.

"We have no opportunities to slip up, Anderson said. "We have to be on our game, on our game every game. When we have that type of press on our team, I think that helps. It's going to force that sense of urgency on us right away and at all times."

"Our guys are pretty proven in playing in big games, games with a lot of hype around them."