LIU Brooklyn coach Jim Ferry: 'We respect Michigan State, but we aren't afraid ...
18.05.12
EAST LANSING -- When Jim Ferry and his Long Island University Brooklyn players learned their bracket for their second straight trip to the NCAA tournament, no one was excited. In fact, Ferry and his team were irritated.
They thought they deserved higher than a No. 16 seed. And certainly they figured they wouldn't have to play a team like Michigan State right out of the chute. But this is exactly what the Blackbirds -- and Northeast Conference champions -- are facing when they play the No. 1 seed Spartans on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio.
"It's the seed we got," said Ferry, who was battling a cold as he spoke on the phone Wednesday from Columbus. "We accepted it and came in Monday morning to start preparing for Michigan State."
Now that Ferry has spent a couple of days studying MSU, he said his team would have its hands full against the Spartans' big, physical frontline and the versatility of forward Draymond Green.
"Their guards are really good, too," Ferry said. "I really like Keith Appling."
Source: Detroit Free Press