Not So Fast

A little personal anecdote with some Oakland County-flavor about why you can never count a team out even when they're up against it the most – alas Michigan State's hoop squad  following losing Kalin Lucas.

The Set-Up:

Saginaw's very own, Draymond Green has been a masterful presence on the court and in the lockeroom for the MSU Spartans these past two tourney runs into the NCAA Final Four. Without Green's contribution and big time playmaking, Team Sparty would have probably wilted under the prospect of playing without their all-Big Ten floor-general, Kalin Lucas, down with a torn achilles since the first half of the team's second round win over Maryland. Green has been compared to Mateen Cleaves in the shape of a 240 pound, 6-7 beefy forward. I think that's an accurate comparison. They both have the hearts of a lion and the "x-factor/clutch-play" intangible that separates the special players from your just run of the mill good players.

Now, If you ever had the pleasure of seeing Green play his prep ball with the back-to-back Class A state champ Saginaw HS Trojans in 2007 and 2008, you shouldn't be surprised at what he's been able to do since joining Team Sparty two years ago. That goes two-fold for the Clarkston Wolves. Head coach Dan Fife and the Wolfpack had their hearts literally ripped from their bodies when they lost to Green's Trojans in the '08 Elite Eight. Just like a few weeks back when many around here were writing the Spartans' Final Four chances off due to Lucas' departure from the line-up, the Saginaw fans were starting to head to the turnstiles with when C-Town had a five point lead and forced a turnover to take possession of the ball with under 90 seconds remaining in OT. Many thought the game was over and Fife's Wolves were heading to the Final Four for the first time since the Tim McCormick-era. Those people didn't know what a true winner Draymond "The Dancing Bear" Green really was. They soon found out.

The Breakdown – aka…..how Burney himself plays into this story (very marginally mind you) and how that 08 quarterfinal showdown concluded.

Okay, so here's my own personal "its not over till its over" anecdote I promised at the beginning of this blog entry.

I was covering the Country Day-Powers Class B quarterfinal that night two years ago in North Branch when that game was taking place. In the lockeroom with the victorious Chargers, who upset the defending state champion, Yellowjackets, word began to spread that Clarkston was about to pull the upset. By the time, I made it to the media room, people were saying C-Town was going to win. I made it back to the OP HQ an hour later and asked what happened and to my great surprise, I was informed Saginaw had comeback to beat C-Town in double overtime. I was shocked. However, thinking back, I shouldn't have been because I knew what a super baller Green was. He willed the Trojans to victory. His free throw in the final seconds of the first OT forced the second OT and his slam dunk to start the second OT helped spark a 13-4 game ending run by Tha Sagnasty to garner the almost improbable contest-winning rally. Green finished the night with 14 points and 18 rebounds.

All that said, don't be surprised to see "The Dancing Bear" lead the Spartans to the National Title when the tourney's over next Monday night. And if he does, I'm sure Dan Fife will be watching somewhere smiling, knowing that Green had to first run through the gauntlet that was his own nails-tough Wolfpack to make it to the promise land he finds himself immersed in right now.