Brian wrote:DieHardMSUFan wrote:PeKaph wrote:Can't argue with that analysis. Mallett should not have been MOP. His TO ended the game. Odom was the best player on the court.
This is the TOURNAMENT MVP, not the FINALS MVP, and not the PLAY AT THE END OF THE GAME MVP. Mallett averaged 14.3 pts, 9.3 reb, 2.3 assists and 1.6 TOs in 35 minutes per game. Odom averaged 12.3 pts, 4 reb, 3.3 assists and 2.6 TOs in 30 minutes. Odom had a great tournament and was a big reason for their finals win, but Mallet was better thoughout the tourney. If you are going to kick Mallett because of a TO, then you must kick Odom as he averaged more TOs per game than Mallett, which is a bad argument. And if you are going to look at the end of the game....isn't it Odom that choked on a FT to keep MSU in the game with 20 seconds to go? Kelly was the clutch player that knocked both of his down to get the lead to 4.
I thought Mallett fumbled the ball out of bounds as well, but a friend watching on TV told me an ISU player knocked the ball out of his hands out of bounds. Don't blame Mallett, credit good D. Still, that one play does not define a tourney.
I told the group I was with that I was with right after the game that the shame of MSU losing is that they would not give Mallett the MVP since they lost, as he was clearly deserving. Credit the voters for getting this right regardless of who won the game.
Odum also has the ball in his hands 99% of the time, made a game winning shot at basically the buzzer, and completely took over the Wichita State game on defense(ask any WSU fan). His team also won and he played the 6, 2, and 1 seed. MSU played what the 8, 5, and 3? Also, Mallett said he lost it out of bounds and NO ISU player touched the ball! Your friend was drunk.
Mallett was great but they got it wrong IMO. Oh well, time goes on.
No problem, Odom averaged 2.6 steals per game, Mallett averaged 1.3 steals per game. Mallett made to HUGE 3s in the final game to give MSU a prayer of winning that game. Yadda yadda yadda. Both played greats in the tourney, and it is no farce that Mallett won it. Statistically, he was the better player, and there is no requirement of winning the tournament to the tournament to get the MVP. Would you be arguing for Odom if ISU lost? I don't think so.
As I said in my post, I though Mallett just lost it out of bounds, but that does not define his tournament. He clearly deserved the MVP. The voters did not know the outcome of the game when they cast ballots, which is fine as it is not a factor. If Odom was better, they would have voted for him regardless of the outcome.
