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As I sit down to watch Michigan State take on #21 Purdue at home, I can’t help but cringe at the fact that Tum Tum is starting at the 1 tonight for the Spartans. While most of the cringing I
am going to do tonight will likely be caused by Caleb Swanigan treating Kenny Goins like a red-headed stepchild, this decision makes my stomach tie itself into knots as well. It has become
abundantly clear that this is no longer Tum Tum’s team. The offense shuts down with him on the court, and teams don’t have to respect his offensive game until he gets to within 6 feet of the
basket. Yes, he is still a ball of energy on defense and the players clearly respect his opinion. But as the record creeps to .500, Spartan fans have to wonder when Cassius is going to get
his starting spot back permanently. This controversy sort of reminds me of another controversythatwasntacontroversybutreallywas that Michigan State sports fans sat through recently. Mark
Dantonio refused to turn the reins over to Brian Lewerke until the season was lost. Then he went and broke his leg and we had to go back to O’Connor…. but I digress. Tom Izzo cannot fall
into the same trap as Marky Mark. He has to turn the reins over to Tum Tum, and he has to do it before it’s too late. Less than two months from now, the tournament selection committee will
release their rankings. Somehow, someway, Joe Lunardi still projects Michigan State as a #7 seed. I don’t buy it. If the rankings came out today I would be surprised to see Michigan State as
anything higher than a 9 or a 10 seed — and that’s if they are even lucky enough to make the field. I’m not sure this team would be good enough to beat mid-majors like Northeastern or
Middle Tennessee State with Tum Tum at the helm. Don’t let this become a lost season. Don’t break the streak. Turn Cassius loose, and see what happens. **Editors note as I write this we are
beating Purdue by 3 midway through the first half. Let’s see if it holds up**