Bill's Blog: It's Battleship Basketball For MSU

It is Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, also known as 11-11-11. Also, and most importantly, it is Veteran's Day. The day where we honor those who have bravely served our great country. First, let me say thank you to those currently serving in our armed services and those who have given their time, bravery and in some cases, their lives to allow us to live freely in the greatest country on the planet! There is no better place to live than the U.S.A....How do I know this? Because we get to play basketball on battleships!...("America, F*&% Yeah!")

Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans will kick off their 2011/12 season against the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina in San Diego aboard the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson. They've removed F-18s and helicopters and installed a court, bleachers and scoreboards. It looks really cool.

Four thousand sailors will get to watch the No.1 team in the country take on the MSU Spartans. As much as I'm rooting for the Spartans, I don't think they have a shot of winning this game. The Tar Heels have beaten them 5 straight times including the 2009 Championship game and UNC is everyone's favorite to win it all this year.

Tom Izzo even joked that the wind might help MSU's shooting accuracy. There is a 20 percent chance of rain for tonight's game, in which case the game will be moved to a makeshift court in the ship's hangar.

Hopefully for the Spartans, The Carrier Classic will be an "instant classic" and they can make a good showing. My only question is, who has to get the ball if it bounces overboard?