Michigan State Is Quickly Becoming a Thanksgiving Tradition as Spartans Set to Face Arkansas
· Yahoo Sports
Thanksgiving Day.
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Family and friends, turkey and an endless spread of delicious food, laughter that somehow turns into arguments before turning back into laughter with just a hint of lingering disdain, football, suffering for Detroit Lions fans, and now... Michigan State basketball.
Those things are becoming synonymous with Thanksgiving as America takes a day away from work to gather with loved ones and celebrate. While the history of Thanksgiving is certainly a conversation of its own, that's not what we're here to discuss today.
Instead, we're talking about what Thanksgiving has become for so many families: a hectic dash from one house to another, packed with relatives almost as tightly as the stuffing inside the turkey everyone is preparing to devour.
Whether your family eats before or after the Detroit Lions game, there's almost always a three-hour block reserved for what has historically felt like a Lions funeral. Outside of a brief two-year stretch, Detroit's season has often felt like it was laid to rest on Thanksgiving afternoon, leading to heated debates among family members who all believe they know exactly how to fix the franchise.
Then it's off to dinner, another family gathering, or maybe a backyard football game of your own.
That was the routine until last year.
Michigan State took center stage on Thanksgiving night against North Carolina, tipping off almost immediately after the Lions' loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Suddenly, fans of both the Spartans and Lions had another team to rally behind. Michigan State had an opportunity to either add to an already miserable Thanksgiving or help salvage a day that had become another emotional roller coaster for Detroit sports fans.
Thankfully for Spartans fans, Michigan State showed up.
The Spartans dominated North Carolina from start to finish, controlling the game on both ends of the floor. It was exactly the kind of performance that reinvigorated a fan base that had spent much of the early season searching for answers.
Now, one year later, the Spartans are set to lace up their shoes on Thanksgiving once again, continuing what could become a brand-new holiday tradition: Michigan State basketball on Thanksgiving Day.
This year's opponent will be the Arkansas Razorbacks at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the very building that will also host this season's Final Four. Whether it's simply a coincidence or an early bit of foreshadowing remains to be seen, but both programs would certainly love to make another trip back to Detroit in April.
The matchup also renews one of college basketball's more entertaining coaching rivalries between longtime friends Tom Izzo and John Calipari.
Combined, the two Hall of Fame coaches have made 14 Final Four appearances and have split their six career meetings evenly, with each coach owning three victories.
Their most recent meeting came during the second game of last season. Michigan State struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just one three-pointer the entire afternoon, but freshman Cam Ward provided a huge spark off the bench with 18 points and 10 rebounds, recording his lone double-double of the season.
Despite the poor shooting performance, the Spartans escaped with a 69-66 victory over Arkansas, allowing Izzo to even his all-time record against his longtime friend and coaching rival.
Now the two will square off once again at a "neutral" site that will almost certainly feel like a home game for Michigan State thanks to the expected crowd advantage inside Little Caesars Arena.
The spotlight will be even brighter this time around.
Last year's Thanksgiving matchup between Michigan State and North Carolina produced record-breaking television numbers for FOX, peaking at 13.41 million viewers between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. ET. It became the most-watched regular-season college basketball game in the network's history.
If this year's matchup delivers the same kind of excitement, don't be surprised if Thanksgiving and Michigan State basketball become even more synonymous for years to come.