We're a week into the Big Ten basketball season and already I can see the emails. Michigan State sucks. They're 0-2. What's going on? And from other parts of the state, Michigan's 2-0, they're tournament bound. You sold them short.

Two words for everyone: Chill out.

I watched MSU's game against Indiana today and there's no disputing the fact the Spartans were terrible. Regardless of the reason, there's no excuse for a performance like that. But that doesn't change my opinion that MSU is a tournament team.

The Spartans are 13-4 and should get healthy this week with two conference home games against Northwestern and Illinois. Then they travel to Penn State, a slippery but winnable game, and close January with what should be an easy home win against Minnesota and two tough road trips to Illinois and Ohio State. A 4-4 January - that's how things look to be shaking out - would keep MSU on track for eight or nine conference wins, and that's all the Spartans need to get in the dance. The selection committee will excuse Thursday's loss to Iowa (no Raymar Morgan and a hobbled Maurice Joseph), and MSU has a chance to impress with a strong finish that includes four straight home games and trips to Michigan and Wisconsin.

If you're a Michigan fan, let me be the first to warn you not to get too high on your team just yet. The Wolverines still have some serious questions in the backcourt. Dion Harris can run the point against Northwestern, but not Indiana or Ohio State or Purdue, who just happens to be next on the schedule.

Despite its 2-0 conference start, Michigan still has a long way to go to reach the NCAA tournament - longer than MSU, in fact. The Wolverines have no quality out-of-conference wins, no cache with the committee, and a brutal final six games against MSU (twice), OSU, Indiana and at Illinois and Minnesota, two tough places to play in the Big Ten.

I don't mean to rag on Michigan. Ekpe Udoh has been a bright spot so far this year and Lester Abram is showing signs of snapping out of his funk, but Saturday's trip to West Lafayette is an important test and one that'll give us a better read on the Wolverines.