Moneyball is always a great way for Michigan State fans to connect with, and get previews of, the Spartans before the season officially begins. It’s a pro-am that’s played in a local high school gym with dozens of names that people haven’t heard before.
It’s a fun event and I hope Tom Izzo always lets his players choose to be in it.
But the past week was a little scary for Izzo as he watched Coen Carr have his leg slip out from underneath him on a casual play. He was fortunately OK, but that should have been the first sign to pay for better floor conditions so his guys aren’t constantly risking injuries.
So that was last Thursday. On Tuesday, something similar happened with Carlos Medlock Jr.
Nathaniel Bott caught the moment when Medlock Jr. made a tough turnaround jumper, backpedaled, and slipped on a slick surface on the floor near the bench but landed in a way that avoided a serious leg injury. He did a couple of pushups for good measure so the crowd didn’t worry about him potentially being injured.
Good example here, with Carlos Medlock hitting a tough turnaround, slipping, then doing a few push-ups for the crowd https://t.co/MtRgr31g9u pic.twitter.com/ekwyEN3vio
— Nathaniel Bott (@Nathaniel_Bott) July 14, 2026
Shortly after this, Moneyball decided to suspend the games for the remainder of the day and then have a discussion about the upcoming schedule. Obviously this is no one’s fault, but if the conditions on the floor aren’t good for some reason (maybe due to the crazy humidity and heat wave), then it’s better to look out for the health and safety of players than to risk it to put on a show for the fans.
We can all understand if they decide to suspend it for the summer, and honestly, most of us would be just fine with that, if not elated. I still like Moneyball to continue over the years, but until the floor conditions are figured out, I just don’t see the point in risking serious injuries.
Michigan State has a national title to win.
Tom Izzo will probably be more cautious with Moneyball
Like I said, this is no one’s fault and you can’t control heat and humidity, but maybe when the weather is like this and hardwood floors just become slippery nightmares, it’s smart to pre-cancel games.
Carr’s slip last Thursday should have been the first red flag, but I’m glad the league decided to suspend play right after Medlock went down on the sideline. Jeremy Fears (I’m assuming that’s him with the No. 1 blue jersey on the opposing bench) was even shaking his head after Medlock went down almost in frustration.
Izzo will probably always let his players participate, but you know he’s going to hold them out if there’s any possible risk for heat or humidity that could even flirt with creating hardwood issues.
He’ll always be a little more cautious. Risking long-term injury is just not worth it even if it only improves a player’s average risk of injury from like 12.1% to 12.2% (totally made up numbers by the way).
Enjoy Moneyball while you can, Spartan fans.
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