I think if you ask Illinois basketball fans who their 2nd-favorite team is....a big number of them would say Michigan State.

Now...I never sensed any special bond between Illini fans and MSU  when I was growing up in Central Illinois three decades ago.  I mean...the Spartans were just another team to play in the Big 10 (back when there WERE 10 teams).  But something has changed that relationship in recent years.

I think the fondness for the Spartans has grown in this decade for a couple of reasons. 

One is the fact that Tom Izzo is a very likeable guy.  He comes across as the guy-next-door who just happens to coach at a major basketball program.  And having seen Tom up close in action...he is just what he appears to be...a nice guy.

Second...Izzo is a very close friend of our own down-to-earth coach...Bruce Weber.  They call and text each other often and their families remain close. Both men had similar paths to the jobs they have now.  Both were long-time assistants to famous Big Ten Coaches (Jud Heathcote and Gene Keady)...and both men spent a lot of years on the recruiting trail as assistants...and ..by the way...not making very much money.  And both Izzo and Weber came from hard working families and backgrounds (Izzo-Upper Michigan/Weber-Milwaukee).  Both are humble men and remember where they came from. They are two of the good guys in college basketball who do things the right way.

I know that talking to Bruce Weber...he has the utmost respect for what his friend  Tom has accomplished in East Lansing.

But I think the one event that caused me to really come to admire Michigan State and it's fans was when both schools were at the Final 4 in St.Louis.  When MSU played North Carolina in the semifinals that year...the Illini fans were cheering on their Big 10 brothers.  When the Illini played Louisville on that Final 4 Saturday in April 2005...the MSU fans were roaring their delight when Illnois beat the Cardinals to advance to the title game.  It was an amazing scene that day as two high profile basketball teams and their fans were in admiration and respect for what each other had accomplished to get to that special weekend.

So if the Illini cant be in the Final 4 each year...I hope Tom Izzo and his crew make it there as much as possible.  Maybe someday the Illini and the Spartans can be there together again.

Plus..hasnt it been fun the last couple of weeks to put all the East Coast experts in their place and prove to them that there is some quality basketball being played somewhere other than on the Eastern seaboard?!

Think about it...The Spartans have defeated the Pac-10 Tournament Champion (USC)...the defending national champion (Kansas)....the overall #1 seed and Big East Champion (Louisville)..and another top seed and heavy favorite all year to win the title (UConn) in successive games. 

Now if they can just get some revenge for Illini fans by beating the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday night.  They will be big underdogs...but the journey to get to this point has been fun. 

In my mind.... Illini orange will always be #1...but Spartan green is not far behind.