Chris Solari

Created this a year ago and parked it. Find me there next. But I'll leave you here with this: Steve Finamore died today. Awful. One of the last conversations we had was about how freeing it felt for him to quit social media and how life is too short for unnecessary bullshit. ✌️

Michigan and Michigan State get the solo national windows to start Saturday’s action. They can probably thank VCU for that.

MSU-Louisville at 2:45 p.m. Saturday on CBS.

Who doesn't like an ambulance as a backdrop? That's what we thought. Here are 7-plus minutes of the sharpest, most concise, intellectual MSU basketball analysis you'll ever see, after the Spartans' NCAA tournament win over North Dakota State. Enjoy. lansingstatejournal.com/videos/sports/…

Michigan State looks good to start March Madness in 92-67 rout of NDSU freep.com/story/sports/c…

Fears finished with 11 assists and seven points, which snapped his 20-game streak scoring in double digits. Cooper finished with 20 points to tie a career high and added 10 rebounds.

Starting lineups coming.

FINAL: MSU 92, NDSU 67. Spartans advance to Saturday's second round to face 6-seed Louisville (time/TV TBA later tonight)

Fears stuck on 11 assists after both Kohler and Fort missed open 3s, but MSU still up 76-56 on NDSU with 6:15 to play. Cooper tied his career high with 20, and Kohler a rebound short of a double-double.

Cooper powers through an NDSU block for a bucket. He's tied his career high with 20.

Cooper and Kohler are such underrated post passers.

In case you're wondering, MSU's single-game assist record is 20 (Mateen Cleaves vs. Michigan in 2000). And the NCAA Tournament single-game record is 19 ... by Markquis Nowell when Kansas State beat the Spartans in OT at MSU on 3/23/23. Jeremy Fears Jr. has 9 assists at halftime.

HALF: MSU 45, NDSU 25

Not a chance that Fears doesn't know he's on the verge of a special game after that steal and lob to Carr over an NDSU defender on the break. Up to nine assists and MSU's lead up to 45-25 with 30.3 left in 1H as Izzo calls his use it-or-lose it timeout.

Cooper has 12 points and Fears has 8 assists, but MSU has 19 points off the bench with 3:24 left 1H and leads NDSU 37-22. Ward with 8, Wojcik/Fort each with 4 and Teng with 3.

Cam Ward coming out party. Huge block, then steals the inbound for a breakaway layup with a Eurostep.

NDSU is now starting to run double-teams at Fears up high, especially as MSU is attempting to exploit mismatches in the paint.

Fears now with eight assists after a lob to Cooper for a dunk and foul with 6:14 left 1H to put MSU up 30-18 on NDSU. The MSU single-game NCAA Tournament record is 14 assists - Magic had games with 14, 13 and 12 and is on record-break watch.

Denham Wojcik and Trey Fort doing some work here.

After NDSU made 4 of 5 shots to start the game, MSU's defense has turned off the water and forced five straight misses. Spartans up 21-10, 12:00 left 1H.

Make that six assists as Fears hits Kohler for a trail 3. Timeout NDSU, as MSU's lead quickly swells to 21-10 with 12:20 left 1H. Ward and Fort have been doing it at both ends with 8 combined points in the last ~1:20 of game play.