Texas Tech vs. Michigan State in Valero Alamo Bowl.

Each comes in averaging 30+ points & 400+ yards of offense.

Let's go bowling!

This is Huge.

In case you don't know, The Spartans play a rematch with The NC Tar Heels tonight. It feels like yesterday that I was standing in a parking lot in downtown Detroit after the Final wondering what just happened. They stuck it us on our home turf (or at least close to it) now, let's do it to them.

GO GREEN

9pm on ESPN




See : http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=4702524

SPARTAN STADIUM U2 TICKETS

U2 is Going Green! U2 is playing Spartan Stadium this summer! The tickets just went on sale this morning and the general admission tix on the field seem the best deal.

I will see you in the middle of the block S at the 50 yard line! See this link : http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0800436AF87D591E?artistid=736365&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

U2 to play East Lansing in June

BY STEVE BYRNE
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

U2 is going green.

The famed Irish band announced early this morning that its current tour will include a stop at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on June 30. Ticket details are still to be announced, according to the group's Web site, U2.com, and the tour's promoter, Live Nation.

The band has been on the road playing stadiums worldwide since July, but its initial North American leg did not include a Michigan visit. The band last played here at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November 2005.

Spartan Stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000 for football games, has infrequently hosted major music events. The last big-time rock concert held there was a Rolling Stones date in 1994.

The quartet does have a small connection to MSU. On its second North American tour, it played the popular campus bar Dooley's in December 1981.

U2's 360 Tour was so named for a unique 360-degree set design that provides an unobstructed view for the entire audience.

The set includes an 164-foot-high structure dubbed the Claw, a cabana-like monolith that looms over the entire set, houses speakers on all sides and features a 14,000-square-foot video system.

The full list of tour dates is available at http://www.u2.com/tour/

The Road Starts Here. The Road Starts Now...

Believe it or not Spartans, It's Basketball Season. The Road to The Final Four & last year started as a dream and ended 17 points shy of a National Title. Lace up them hightops - Here we go again.

The first game is tonight and if you can't find it on your TV set, go to www.ESPN360.com where you can watch it for free online.

GO GREEN!

Hangin' In Izzo's Basement

When the topic of QBs comes up tomorrow

There has been a lot of talk about that other QB who lost to Michigan State last week. When the topic comes up, be sure to know your facts about who the best passing team is in The Big Ten.

MSU Stats to Chew On...

Total Passing Yards = MSU ranks #8 in the nation, #1 in The Big Ten

Passing Touchdowns = MSU ranks #4 in the nation, #1 in The Big Ten

Passing 1st Downs = MSU ranks #6 in the nation, #2 in The Big Ten

Longest Pass Play = MSU ranks #3 in the nation, #1 in The Big Ten

Passing Yards per game = MSU ranks #1 in The Big Ten

GO GREEN.

Yeah, This isn't a Rivalry.

Stats of note following the 2009 MSU v UM game :

Final Score :
MSU 26
UM 20

Yards Total :
UM 251
MSU 417

Rushing Total :
UM 28
MSU 197

Rush Average Yards Per Carry :
UM 1
MSU 4

Rushing :
Kirk Cousins (MSU QB) 75 Yards
Denard Robinson (UM Rush Specialist QB) -9 Yards
Brandon Minor (UM RB) 2 Yards

Has anybody seen Sam McGuffie?

GO GREEEEEEEN.

FIRST-AND-10 (what you need to know about the MSU-Notre Dame matchup)

Saturday’s game marks the 73rd meeting between Michigan State and Notre Dame. Eight of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. The visiting team has won seven of the last eight meetings, with Michigan State posting a 23-7 victory in Spartan Stadium last September. Overall, the Spartans have won nine of the last 12 meetings, including six-straight victories in Notre Dame Stadium. The six-game winning streak marks the longest run by an Irish opponent in the 78-year history of Notre Dame Stadium.

SPARTANS RANK SECOND IN ALL-TIME VICTORIES vs. NOTRE DAME

Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories (27) over Notre Dame. Only Southern Cal (33) has posted more wins over the Irish than the Spartans.

• Eight of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. The visiting team has won seven of the last eight meetings, with Michigan State posting a 23-7 victory in Spartan Stadium last September. Overall, the Spartans have won nine of the last 12 meetings, including six-straight victories in Notre Dame Stadium. The six-game winning streak marks the longest run by an Irish opponent in the 78-year history of Notre Dame Stadium.

• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories (27) over Notre Dame. Only Southern Cal (33) has posted more wins over the Irish than the Spartans.

• Since 1949, the winner of the Michigan State-Notre Dame game has been presented the Megaphone Trophy, sponsored jointly by the Detroit alumni clubs of both schools.

• The Michigan State-Notre Dame series began 112 years ago in 1897, making it one of the 27 oldest rivalries in college football. It also ranks as one of only three rivalries – joining Army-Navy and Auburn-Georgia Tech – that does not involve either intrastate or current conference rivals.

• Michigan State has compiled a 31-12 record (.721) in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999, including an 8-4 mark under Mark Dantonio. The Spartans have won 14 of their last 19 non-league games.

• Fifth-year senior Blair White leads the Spartans in receptions (16), receiving yards (267) and touchdown catches (2). White ranks second in the Big Ten in both receptions (8.0 per game) and receiving yards (133.5 per game). He also is listed among the NCAA’s Top 10 in both receiving yards (No. 6) and receptions (No. 7). White recorded his second-straight 100-yard receiving game with seven catches for 105 yards against Central Michigan. He had a career-high nine receptions for 162 yards and two TDs in the season opener against Montana State.

• Sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the NCAA in passing efficiency with his 186.7 rating. In two starts, Cousins has completed 23-of-35 throws (.657) for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He hit 13-of-18 passes for 164 yards and a score in MSU’s 29-27 loss to Central Michigan. With the score tied at 20, Cousins went 5-for-5 for 59 yards on a 13-play, 80-yard drive as the Spartans took a 27-20 lead on his 35-yard TD strike to B.J. Cunnigham with 7:33 left in the game.

• Junior linebacker Greg Jones leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA, averaging 14.5 tackles per game. Jones matched his career high with 15 tackles against Central Michigan. He has recorded double-fi gure tackles in nine consecutive games, averaging 12.8 stops during the streak. Jones also is listed among the Big Ten leaders in sacks (tied for first with 1.5 for 11 yards) and tackles for loss (tied for third with 4 for 19 yards).

• Lou Groza Award candidate Brett Swenson leads the Big Ten in kick scoring (10.0 points per game) and ranks third (tied) in fi eld goals (2.0 made per game). He leads the team in scoring with 20 points, converting all four field-goal and all eight extra-point attempts. Swenson ranks first among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision active leaders in scoring, with 296 career points. His 56 career field goals rank second among all-active NCAA FBS kickers and third in MSU history. Swenson has made 74 consecutive PATs.

THE LAST MEETING –

Sept. 20, 2008, in East Lansing, Mich.: Javon Ringer rushed for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 39 attempts, carrying Michigan State to a 23-7 win over Notre Dame. Ringer became the fi rst player to run for 200 yards in consecutive games in Michigan State history. The Spartans took a 13-0 lead into the fourth quarter, then sealed the victory by handing off to Ringer on all seven plays of a 77-yard drive he capped with a TD with 2:16 left. The Irish turned the ball over three times and missed two field goals, hurting their chances of starting 3-0 for the first time since 2002 and the second time in 12 years. Jimmy Clausen was 24-of-41 for 242 yards with a TD and two interceptions in the fi rst half, one of which was in the end zone on a play that was overturned by a video review. Clausen was sacked three times - after not being sacked in the fi rst two games - and was hurried and hit numerous times. Michigan State shut down the Irish’s running game and the sacks led to them fi nishing with 16 yards rushing and seven points. Michael Floyd caught a 26-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter, getting Notre Dame within six points, after fumbling at the Michigan State 20 early in the third. The Spartans got off to a good start, limiting Notre Dame to minus-5 yards on its fi rst two drives and kicking a fi eld goal on their opening possession. Clausen’s up-for-grabs pass in the end zone to a double-covered Duval Kamara was ripped away by safety Otis Wiley on Notre Dame’s third drive. It was originally ruled incomplete but overturned by replay. Clausen threw another poor pass in the second quarter and it was picked off by Wiley at the Notre Dame 22, setting up Ringer’s fi rst TD. His highlight of the day was a 63-yard run that set up his second TD.

THE LAST MEETING IN NOTRE DAME STADIUM –

Sept. 22, 2007, in Notre Dame, Ind.: Brian Hoyer threw four touchdown passes and Javon Ringer rushed for 144 yards to lead Michigan State to a 31-14 victory over Notre Dame. Michigan State (4-0) became the fi rst opponent to win six in a row at Notre Dame Stadium. The Spartans blew the game open with a pair of third-quarter TDs, a 16-yard catch by Mark Dell and a 30-yard catch by Kellen Davis on a fourth-and-2 play to make it 31-14. Davis also had a 3-yard TD catch and Devin Thomas had a 7-yard scoring catch. Notre Dame finally scored its fi rst offensive touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run by Travis Thomas to cap a 9-yard drive in the first quarter. The score was setup by a Michigan State fumble. Hoyer was 11-of-24 passing for 135 yards as the Spartans amassed 354 yards total offense. Jehuu Caulcrick added 83 yards rushing for the Spartans. Jimmy Clausen was 7-of-13 passing for 53 yards for Notre Dame, while Evan Sharpley, who played the fourth quarter, went 4-of-7 passing for 33 yards. The Irish, who had given up 23 sacks through their first three games, were sacked four times by the Spartans. MSU defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic sacked Clausen for a 17-yard loss and stripped the ball from the quarterback in the second quarter.

Rich Rodriguez knows the gravity of U-M’s situation

August 31, 2009

By DREW SHARP
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Rich Rodriguez looked like a beaten man — and the season hasn’t started yet.

“There’s nothing there,” he told me Monday, regarding an impending investigation into alleged wrongdoing in his program.

“There’s nothing there,” he said, staring down and slowly shaking his head. “It’s disheartening because you want to create a program where the kids are self-reliant.”

Apparently there is crying in football.

With his program under attack, Rodriguez seemed overwhelmed at his weekly news conference when pressed to defend his actions and integrity. Words lodged in his throat. And suddenly the coaching machine looked human. He looked sincere. He looked scared.

But saying he loves his players won’t save Rodriguez if U-M’s internal investigation validates player allegations raised in an exclusive Free Press investigation.

Rodriguez knows he’s in trouble. NCAA investigations are the antithesis of the American criminal justice system. You’re guilty until proven innocent.

Overworking players through the vagueness of what’s ruled mandatory and what’s ruled voluntary isn’t as sexy as academic fraud or as damning as boosters providing players with luxury SUVs and baked goods with one-hundred dollar bills as frosting.

But these accusations cut to the core of the NCAA’s biggest hypocrisy — the idyllic illusion of the student-athlete, at least as it pertains to football. And that should be Michigan’s greatest worry at the onset of the any inquisition.

The NCAA might have no alternative but to stain the sainted image of Michigan football if it means protecting the greater fallacy of major college football as a part-time academic diversion.

Football is a full-time job at Michigan. It’s a full-time job at Michigan State.

But it took a possibly poisonously divisive Michigan football family to finally bring this pretense into the national spotlight. Eventually, the NCAA might need to weigh the merits of tossing the football program with the most victories under the wheels of its morality bus.

Don’t bore me with justifications that everybody fudges the 20-hour-a-week or that every coach has somebody from his staff monitoring off-season workouts that are supposed to be at the discretion of the players.

How many times have we told the cop who pulled us over for speeding that everybody on the freeway was motoring at least 10 miles over the speed limit? Yet you got caught and got the ticket.

If it’s proven that Rodriguez broke NCAA rules, regardless of their practicality, Michigan has no alternative but to fire him — or risk exposing an internal hypocrisy of wanting to win the self-proclaimed “Michigan way.”

They can’t have it both ways.

Contact DREW SHARP: 313-223-4055 or dsharp@freepress.com.

Spartans land Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett

Spartans land Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett

BY MATT DORSEY
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio got some good news Thursday when Detroit Crockett star Tony Lippett committed to the Spartans.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder will play wide receiver for the Green and White.

Lippett has played quarterback the last two years for Crockett and put up very respectable numbers as a passer and a rusher. But catching the ball is where his future is most promising. Lippett grew up playing receiver in the Detroit Police Athletic League, so the transition to the position should be an easy one.

The last few weeks, Lippett has been wowing scouts and recruiting analysts at regional events. In April, he attended the Badger Sports 7-on-7 tournament in Columbus, Ohio. That event featured all-star teams from Midwestern states competing against each other. Lippett was one of the most productive wideouts there, often the go-to receiver for Team Michigan.

A few weeks later, Lippett attended the Nike camp at Penn State. That one features many of the best players from the Midwest and the East Coast. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell had this to say after seeing Lippett in action: “He was outstanding in drills, his feet were great, he ran good routes. I thought he was the best wide receiver out here."

In addition to his exceptional size, Lippett is very fast. He has clocked a 100-meter time of 10.8 seconds and routinely runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range.

Lippett's commitment to the Spartans fulfills coach Dantonio's desire to recruit the state -- and especially the Detroit area -- as thoroughly as possible. Spartan assistant coach and Detroit native Dan Enos served as the primary recruiter of Lippett.

Lippett becomes the second commitment to Michigan State for the class of 2010, joining Traverse City linebacker Max Bullough.

Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for spartanmag.com and rivals.com

How to Drown Your Final Four Sorrows

How to Drown Your Final Four Sorrows

THE SPARTINI

A drink recipe by PMY

Olive Juice (for the green)
4 oz. Skyy Vodka (for the white)
4 olives on skewer (for final four)
One drop each blood, sweat and tears

Shake, Serve, Drink

(Note: for all your gin drinkers out there,
sub lime for the green and gin for the white)

SpartyOn Spartans!

A Game of Survival for Michigan State Center Goran Suton

April 2, 2009
A Game of Survival for Michigan State Center

By JOE LAPOINTE New York Times

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The family photograph from 10 years ago shows 13-year-old Goran Suton and his older brother, Darijan, playing basketball outside their home near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The backboard built by their grandfather Nikola has their names painted on its bare wood. What the picture does not show is the overgrown field of tall grass and weeds nearby where the loose balls sometimes rolled.

The boys did not chase them there for fear of land mines left from the civil war of the 1990s, which forced the family from its home for seven years. “Our grandfather would say, ‘Please don’t go there, I’ll get the ball,’ ” Darijan Suton said.

Goran Suton said: “We’d beg him not to. He’d still do it. Thank God he didn’t step on a mine.” Later, the men who cleared the mines found three live ones in that same field. “Very close,” Darijan Suton said.

A year later, the family left Europe as refugees to join relatives in Lansing, Mich. The grandfather stayed behind. Goran enrolled at Everett High School, not realizing that Magic Johnson had played there in the 1970s before moving on to Michigan State.

Goran, who had played organized basketball in Bosnia, was rediscovered by his new classmates on a nearby playground. “They went to the basketball coaches and said, ‘Hey, there’s this tall white kid who’s got some moves,’ ” Darijan said.

As Goran Suton’s first decade in America nears its end, he is even taller, at 6-foot-10, and is making more moves on more prestigious courts. As the starting center for Michigan State, he will play this weekend at Ford Field in Detroit in the Final Four of the N.C.A.A. tournament.

In the Spartans’ first four tournament games, Suton has played the best basketball of his career. Last weekend he was the most valuable player of the Midwest regional. But in Saturday’s semifinal, Suton’s opposite center will be Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut.

If the 7-foot-3 Thabeet and the favored Huskies vanquish the Spartans, it will end a magical run at Magic Johnson’s old college. But if Suton and the Spartans prevail, the late-blooming center and his teammates will advance to the championship game on Monday night.

“The guy is a monster,” Suton said of Thabeet. “You have to be smart about it. Keep him away from the basket. Hopefully, get him in foul trouble. It’s a challenge. I’ve been challenged the past four games in this tournament. I’m going to take this challenge.”

It is hardly the biggest challenge of Suton’s young life. When war broke out in the former Yugoslavia, the family fled to Serbia because Suton’s mother was Serbian and Christian Orthodox and his father was Croatian and Christian Catholic.

At that time of ethnic cleansing, people were killing and dying over nationality and religion. “I’ve seen some pretty graphic things,” Suton said. “People walking without legs. What happened over there was a disaster. It’s a tragedy. You just try to move on.”

When peace came, Suton said he helped a cousin search for his father. They had heard he might have died in a mass murder. They went to a large tent, where families looked at bones.

“It smelled so bad there I almost vomited,” Suton said. They never located the remains. After the family emigrated, Suton quickly learned English, adapted to American customs, led Everett to a state championship and became an American citizen.

He followed Johnson’s path to the nearby university, but his college coach, Tom Izzo, was not always pleased with Suton’s intensity. Even after Suton lost 20 pounds of junk-food weight, Izzo complained about his focus and effort.

“The live-and-die of a game usually isn’t the same for people that have seen life and death,” Izzo said. In some ways, Izzo has said, he has learned as much from Suton as Suton has learned from him.

But Izzo also said Suton told him that he wanted the coach to yell at him when his performance lagged. “Some people need to be pushed,” Izzo said. “I just want him to work harder every single minute on the court.”

Suton agreed. “It’s something that works for me,” he said of Izzo’s demanding ways. “I seem to respond. I don’t think anybody’s going to run as fast on the court as if somebody was shooting behind them. At times, I need a motivator and a screamer.”

It certainly worked in this, his senior season and fifth year at Michigan State, as Suton led the Big Ten in rebounding. In the tournament, Suton leads the Spartans in scoring with 14.3 points a game and in rebounding with 11.5.

Against Louisville in the regional final, Suton scored 19 points and hit three of three shots from 3-point range, the most of his career. Even then, however, Suton’s coach and teammates had to urge Suton to shoot.

Guard Travis Walton, Suton’s close friend and roommate, was one of them. Walton said Suton, whose nickname is G, sometimes lacks what is called, in figurative terms, a killer instinct.

“G is a happy person,” Walton said. “There is a kind of excitement and joy to his face all the time.” Izzo agreed, saying, “You won’t find a better kid, a better student, a better person, a better teammate.” Izzo also has called Suton a Larry Birdish rebounder.

Although not a great leaper, he is instinctive about positioning. With good peripheral vision, he passes well. His deft footwork comes from playing soccer in his native country. And his rebounding belies certain stereotypes about European players.

“Coaches have told me European players are usually soft, they spend their time outside, they don’t rebound,” Suton said. “You can’t make a statement about a whole continent.”

Suton’s good-natured bearing does not mean he shrugs off failure on the court. Early in his freshman season, in the Maui Invitational, the Spartans played Gonzaga in a game that lasted three overtimes.

With 4.6 seconds left in the third overtime and the Spartans down by a point, Suton missed a layup that could have won the game. Instead, Gonzaga got the ball back and scored two more points to win, 109-106.

“That still hurts, that will never stop,” Suton said of his missed layup. “I remember crying my butt off, feeling like a loser, and I lost everything in one of the greatest games in college basketball history. That’s something that’s always going to stick.”

If that was his worst moment in basketball, what was the best? “This is it right now,” he said. “I don’t think I’d get to play in front of 70,000 people if I’d stayed in Bosnia. I’m going to get my degree. Things are going well right now.”

Regarding the unusual trajectory of his life, Suton said: “I’ve seen both sides of the world, life and death. Basketball is something I love. There is a difference between basketball and stepping on a land mine.” His world, he said, is “a joy — it’s just a joy.”

Spartans win big for Detroit

Sunday, March 29, 2009 - Bob Wojnowski Detroit News
Spartans win big for Detroit

INDIANAPOLIS -- It could not have been more perfect. It could not have been more complete. The Michigan State Spartans played with their eyes straight ahead, affixed on a destination a year in the making, or a lifetime in the making. And now, it's hard to imagine a Final Four more tantalizing than the one Detroit just landed.

Michigan State's road here was blocked by a hot No. 1 overall seed. But if you watched the Spartans in a remarkable performance Sunday, you saw what everyone saw -- there was no way they'd be stopped.

So the Final Four will have a magnificent splash of green, just as Tom Izzo and his team dared to believe when the season began. In a game all about a journey, Michigan State thrashed Louisville, 64-52, to win the Midwest Regional and earn a shot at another behemoth, Connecticut, on Saturday at Ford Field.

Detroit needed the boost of home-state flavor. With one tough green team joining bluebloods Connecticut, North Carolina and Villanova, this could be a memorable Final Four.

And isn't that perfect timing?

Let's be honest here. The excitement for the event just ratcheted magically, with an intriguing mix of college basketball glitz and local grit. Our economy is a mess, and cripes, it's still snowy, but there's certainly something worth celebrating this week.

"You couldn't have dreamt this up, it's so incredible," said Magic Johnson, the legend himself, smiling as Michigan State players celebrated. "Oh, my goodness, this is the greatest feeling in the world -- for Detroit and the whole state of Michigan. There will be so many people in town, so much green and white. We needed this."

The storybook symmetry doesn't end there. Thirty years after Johnson and Michigan State essentially birthed March Madness with the 1979 national championship victory, the Spartans are back, pushed by the echoes of the past and the voice of their feisty coach, pulled by the specter of playing for the title close to home.

5th Final 4 berth in 11 years

MSU may be Green, but it's not too green to know what this means. The Spartans were underdogs, but they were the No. 2 seed in the regional, and this is their fifth Final Four berth in 11 years, cementing the program among the elite.

Goran Suton shot them there with 19 points Sunday, but it's never about just one player.

On the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium, players danced and hugged and even cried, and when they climbed the ladder to snip the nets, it was the shortest journey to continue the longest journey. This was about defense -- playing D to get to the D.

"I didn't doubt it one time," guard Travis Walton said. "When things went wrong, I didn't doubt it. I know this -- when things go a little sideways, don't ever give up on your goal. Never think it's unachievable."

Walton symbolizes the Spartans because he's their senior leader, and he plays as if his reputation depends on every possession. Izzo coaches that way, too, and what a dichotomy as the fancy Cardinals tried to race up and down the floor, while the Green Machine kept stepping in their way.

Izzo was pacing and cajoling all game, stomping his foot so loudly at times, you could hear it across the floor. The Spartans' defense often catches opponents by surprise, and they probably won't be favored in the Final Four. But you can bet they won't be overlooked

Ford Field, with the unique configuration of a basketball court right in the middle, will be a daunting place for the visitors. As much as that, it'll be a much-needed gathering place.

"In Detroit, let's face it, it's been a tough time," Izzo said. "I'm just hoping we're a silver lining in what's been a bit of a cloudy year.

"I'm hoping we're the sunshine, something to embrace."

A rebound team in a rebound city? Well, why not?

Remember, this is a team that lost by 35 to North Carolina in a Final Four "preview" at Ford Field in December. This is a team that rolled to the Big Ten title, even as Izzo fretted about the lack of consistency. This is a team that broke away from Louisville with little help -- no points -- from one of its key players, Raymar Morgan.

Suton is shooting force

How do you explain it? How does an easy-going senior like Suton suddenly become such a hot-shooting force? How does a soft-spoken freshman, Durrell Summers, become deadly in the biggest games? For Summers and guard Kalin Lucas, both from Detroit, the pull of the hometown meant everything.

Lucas said he grew up about 10 minutes from Ford Field. Summers nodded toward the back of his locker, toward the cap with the Olde English D.

"We kept it way, way back in our minds, because we didn't want to make it a distraction," Summers said. "But as we got closer and closer, we started talking about it.

"That's what we were playing for, and we were gonna do whatever it took to get there."

Not many people saw this coming (uh, me included), and Izzo wasn't sure he saw it coming until a 10 a.m. meeting Sunday, when he saw the look in his players' eyes.

"I went from worrying about the game to leaving that room thinking we were going to win it," Izzo said. "I don't know if we're at our best yet, but we took a giant step."

That's the scary part -- the Spartans can play better, especially on offense.

But the feeling this day, for Michigan State and Detroit and a crushed area desperately seeking something to root for, it doesn't get better than this.

Cool hand Lucas: Spartans guard's clutch play puts Michigan State in Elite Eight

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Bob Wojnowski : Detroit News

Cool hand Lucas: Spartans guard's clutch play puts Michigan State in Elite Eight

INDIANAPOLIS -- The run is alive, just barely, just by the skin of Michigan State's tough grizzled chin. The Spartans were tested in every way Friday night, down to the final rattling minute, and when they needed the biggest plays of their season, Kalin Lucas delivered them.

Michigan State's 67-62 victory over Kansas in the Midwest Regional was a testament to perseverance, because this looked for the longest time like a game the Jayhawks planned to swipe. Kansas' two-star tandem of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich was relentless, but in the end, the Spartans had a few more bodies.

If you're looking for omens, how about this? Lucas hit the big shots to win it right here in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Lucas is the oil in the Spartans' attack, although he got plenty of help from Goran Suton. The Spartans sputtered early, and trailed by 13 against the defending national champs. But Lucas' three-point play with 48.1 seconds left capped the comeback and put them on top 63-60. He created space on his own, drove to the basket and drew a foul on Collins. After that, Lucas hit five straight free throws to seal it.

The Spartans aren't doing anything easily now, but hey, it's the Sweet 16, and it's not supposed to be easy. Speaking of that, top-seeded Louisville is next on Sunday at 2:20 p.m., and if the Cardinals' 103-64 pasting of Arizona is a clue, that will be a huge challenge, the final step before a possible trip to the Final Four in Detroit.

This was just like Michigan State's tense five-point victory over USC last Sunday, and it sent the Spartans to their sixth Elite Eight in 11 years. And trust me, they'll be significant underdogs against the deep, athletic Cardinals, not that it bothers them.

The Spartans don't have the offense to stomp these opponents, but boy, when they need defense and clutch plays, they know where to look. They trailed 60-55 with 3:22 left, but grabbed six straight rebounds and scored eight straight points, as stirring a finish as you could script. Lucas stole the ball from Collins right before his basket that broke a 60-60 tie.

You'd call it unusual if you hadn't seen this before from the Spartans. Tom Izzo's team is compensating for shaky offense with sweaty scrapping.

"Kansas is a very, very good team," Izzo said. "But I'm really proud of the way our guys fought back when they could have died a few times."

Slipping away

Down big in the first half, the Spartans had to be seeing everything flashing before their eyes, including the long-dreamed trip to Ford Field. Various Jayhawks kept flashing before their eyes too, and it usually was Collins.

Michigan State's nerves seemed rattled, especially those of Raymar Morgan, who missed his first five shots, then recovered to collect a game-tying dunk with 1:51 left. Clutch, finally. And if you inspect the numbers, Michigan State's tandem of Suton (20 points) and Lucas (18) ultimately out-dueled Collins (20) and Aldrich (17).

"The type of person Kalin is, when he plays against another big-time guard, he kind of wants to prove himself to the nation," guard Travis Walton said. "I think he took it personal. At the end, he wanted the ball in his hands."

That was what the Spartans needed to see -- someone taking the ball and commanding the offense. For much of this game, they pounded back the best way they know how, with defense. Freshman Draymond Green continued his climb from unheralded to unfazed, one of the big bodies the Spartans kept tossing out there.

Built to outlast

This was a battle of attrition, to see if the Spartans' deep, physical roster could wear down Kansas' twosome, and the tension was obvious. At one point, Collins and Green bumped bodies and jawed, before officials jumped in.

Finally, after a multitude of Sweet 16 blowouts, this was a terrific slugfest between storied programs, and it was nothing like Michigan State's 75-62 hammering of Kansas in East Lansing on Jan. 10. Izzo and the Spartans had downplayed the significance of the rematch, but make no mistake, the Jayhawks wore that first-meeting beating like a bruise.

No one took it more personally than the tough junior guard Collins. He'd been harassed into eight turnovers back in January, although he did manage 25 points, most when the outcome was decided. This time, he went right at Michigan State, right from the start.

This was real danger for the Spartans, who seemed tense on the raised floor in the big football stadium. College basketball is a game of runs, and if anything was ridiculously apparent in the Sweet 16, it's that runs are hard to stop. My goodness, Louisville's 39-point stomping of Arizona here was a clinic in athletes unleashed.

Stilted start a surprise

The Spartans were the last Big Ten team standing, and in the first half, that was the problem -- they were just standing. With Collins' quickness and Michigan State's turnovers, the Jayhawks kept beating the Spartans down the floor. No, they're not a prototypical plodding Big Ten team, so it was odd to see.

Aldrich helped give Kansas a surprising edge in rebounds, sneering at Michigan State's strength. But the Spartans sneered back, and sent their Gang Green after him, including the suddenly effective Green. And when Gang Green sets in, you know what happens. Theoretically, limbs are rendered useless, although it took a while for Aldrich and Collins to finally wilt.

"Kansas played a great game, they were digging and we were digging," Walton said. "I think at the end, us pressuring them and running bodies at them kind of tired them out."

This was classic Michigan State basketball under Izzo, beautiful in its brutishness, and at the end, in its brashness. That was true poise down the stretch, from Lucas and Suton and others. The Spartans showed their best in the desperate waning seconds, just in time to continue a run that somehow keeps churning.

"He's still a basketball freak" Jud Heathcote on Magic and the 1979 Championship

This is hilarious...

CHECK OUT THIS LINK

It was 30 years ago today, and Magic Johnson taught the world how to play

It was 30 years ago today, and Magic Johnson taught the world how to play.

SpartyOn.com
by Patrick Yore 3-26-2009

These Spartans Are Ready for Epoch Battle

As images of grown men in short-shorts throwing down monster dunks sporting porn-star mustachios flashed upon my TV late last night, the reasons why the 2008 Spartan Basketball team is ready to cut down some nets in Motown became radiantly clear. Watching the replay of the 1979 Championship Game taught me this year was meant to be.

Today marks the 30th anniversary to the day that College Basketball grew up. I don't need to rehash the game, but you should definitely watch it again on BTN if you get the chance. Greg Kelser was a monster. Mike Brkovich was the man with the ugliest name and the most beautiful pullup and pop.

It's waaaay too early to look beyond the Kansas game tomorrow. Sure, State put the beat down on those birds, leading 37-18 at the half and showing the weakness of a two-man game against a multi-headed hydra of a basketball machine like MSU.

Just ask The University of Michigan's coach John Beilein, Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims how the Spartans play against a two-man game.

Sure, the 'experts' seem to think that Kansas 'is not the same team' and has totally matured since their loss, somehow acting as though MSU has existed in a state of suspended hibernation that whole time. Sure, the 'experts' emphasize how young Kansas is compared to last year's National Championship team, also seemingly oblivious to the equally young MSU team (Draymond Green, Delvon Roe and Korie are all Frosh, while Chris Allen, Durrell Summers and even Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas are just wet behind the ears Sophs).

Michigan State has home court advantage in this one. They just played the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, they won their 2000 National Championship in Indy, Magic Johnson and company beat Digger Phelps' Notre Dame in the MidEast (yes, that's right, no, not in Dubai) Regional Final on their way to the 1979 Championship, and Indy is an easy drive for Spartans from Michigan, Ohio (many Spartans are Ohioans) Chicago and beyond. This is Big Ten Country.

This game will be rough. There were nearly 60 fouls in the first matchup. Izzo should be running charging drills all week. I'd line my players up and drive a Harley Davidson at them blaring some Metallica. If they move, they don't play in the game. Get Sharon, Sally, Sherry Collins or whatever his name is to foul out in frustration.

Is anyone not drinking the Cole Aldrich Kool-Aid? He's a fine player, but remember his last game was against Dayton who shot 21% from the field. Their biggest inside threats were guys who averaged about 3 points and 3 rebounds a game. In a similar matchup against Robert Morris, Goran "War In Eastern Block Countries Can't Hold Me Down" Suton grabbed sixteen rebounds, twelve in the first half alone. This Spartan Senior has played in four NCAA Tournaments and was on Bosnia's national team at the age of 14 during the Bosnian War. Do you think he's ready for battle? Do you think he can dig deep in crunch time?

Kansas had their shining moment (which for the record I think is kind of a poof song and tradition for the Tourney) last year and though I think it's a year early for MSU, but many of the chips are falling in their favor.

Motivation? You want motivation? Let's talk Motor City motivation. I was born in Michigan, but like many have bolted for the sunnier climes of California. In this mess the Republicans cooked up and called an 'economy' kind of like McDonald's calls some menu items 'healthy' who do you think is struggling the most? Believe me, it's not Wall Street money managers that have had income declines from seven figures to the high sixes. It's Detroit, plain and simple.

Detroit is a great city with great people and those people would love nothing more than to welcome their green-clad boys home and give them a weekend of joy like hasn't been seen in that town for a long time. It can act almost like a miniature Olympics a la Beijing, although I think Detroit's air quality is still better, especially this time of year. These Spartans can win these games for a lot more than just themselves.

This season has been a huge struggle for State. I can't think of a season where I've seen MSU fight so hard to win games. Some may say that shows weakness. I believe that great success can only be truly enjoyed after great effort. Izzo has kept this team on a steady incline all year. Every game, another individual rises to the occasion and becomes that man who, by the combined hard-nosed effort of his team, reaches deeper inside themselves and finds the guts and composure to ensure the win.

This steady improvement, game after game, inch by inch, and shot by shot will hopefully culminate and peak at the exact moment Izzo climbs the ladder in Motown.

But for now, let's root on or brothers-in-arms Purdue, get some rest, and wake up tomorrow with fire in our bellies, and blood in our eyes, for tomorrow night, Kansas dines in hell.

CBS MSU vs Kansas Preview

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Final Four basketball court makes stop in Lansing

Final Four basketball court makes stop in Lansing

Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- The basketball court to be installed at Ford Field for the NCAA's storied Final Four made a stop at the State Capitol today on its way to Detroit.

The maple floor was manufactured by Connor Sport Court International of Amasa in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The floor was transported on a flat-bed truck covered with a banner that said: "Final Four on the Road to Detroit Produced by Connor Sport Court International, A Proud Michigan Company."

"We're not only hosting the Final Four, but we have the floor for the Final Four made in Michigan," said Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

The governor said she's looking for Michigan State University to win the Midwest Regional this weekend and head to the Final Four.

"Sparty on. Let's hope they're actually standing on one of the floor boards," she said.

Ron Cerny, CEO of Connor Sport Court International, said his company has made the hardwood floors for the last four NCAA championship games and the court for this year's women's final in St. Louis.

The men's basketball semifinal round, the Final Four, is slated for April 4, followed by the postseason championship game on April 6.

Michigan State deals Duke a stunning loss

Michigan State beats top seed and its former coach

Michigan State 63, Duke 49

David Goricki / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- The drama started before the game even began Tuesday night at Breslin Center.

It was former MSU coach Joanne P. McCallie's return and the Spartans fans gave her a chorus of boos as her name was introduced as Duke's head coach before the NCAA Tournament second-round game between the Spartans and Blue Devils.

The Spartans then sent McCallie's top-seeded Blue Devils to the sidelines.

Players were diving for the ball after the opening tip and the intensity didn't let up until the final buzzer, signifying a 63-49 MSU win.

The Spartans, the No. 9 seed, were playing with a "Nothing to Lose" attitude and a passion to fight for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. They jumped out to a six-point first-half lead, then showed their poise after the Blue Devils pulled even in the second half.

The Spartans finished the game with a 16-2 run. They advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday.

MSU, playing without a true point guard, received an outstanding performance from its lone senior Mia Johnson.

Johnson, benched as the starting shooting guard earlier this season, ran the offense and did a good job handling Duke's pressure. She also attacked the basket.

Johnson had 17 points, four assists and one turnover.

Johnson scored on consecutive driving layups to give the Spartans a 55-47 lead with 1:54 left.

Instead of MSU losing its poise, it was Duke which did.

MSU played strong interior defense against Duke. It held 6-foot-5 All-American Chante Black to four points.

Kansas City Star Reporter Thinks State Will Roll Over Kansas. Again.

Kansas City Star Reporter Thinks State Will Roll Over Kansas. Again.

KU ready to beat Michigan State? I don’t think so

JASON WHITLOCK COMMENTARY
Kansas City Star
Posted on Sun, Mar. 22, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS | It would be a shame if Kansas basketball players and their relatively small contingent of traveling fans left the Metrodome believing the Jayhawks proved this weekend they’re ready for a rematch against Michigan State.

“Sadly mistaken” doesn’t do justice to how little the Hawks demonstrated in advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen with victories over North Dakota State and Dayton.

We already established that Friday’s 10-point victory over the Bison was a product of a ridiculous strategic error by North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips.

Sunday’s 60-43 laugher over the Dayton Flyers simply confirmed what I’ve always believed about the unfairness of the Big Dance. Thanks to a flawed seeding process and a horrendous, first-round performance by Bob Huggins’ West Virginia Mountaineers, the third-seeded Jayhawks were blessed with the privilege of playing the most unskilled team left in the tournament.

Honestly, I played on and coached better-shooting intramural teams in college than the 2008-09 Dayton Flyers.

Dayton, the runner-up in the Atlantic 10, might be on par with Colorado, the last-place team in the Big 12. Yes, in November Dayton beat Auburn and Marquette on back-to-back nights. November is college basketball’s exhibition season. The results shouldn’t count.

I’ve never seen anything as pathetic as Dayton’s offense. On Saturday, I spent much of the afternoon wondering how Chris Wright, a big-time recruit, landed at Dayton. Sunday he provided an answer. He can’t finish at the rim, in the paint or on the perimeter. He’s Kansas State’s Dominique Sutton without the defensive intensity.

Wright is so raw that a vegan would put him in the microwave.

The Flyers shot 22 percent from the field.

Yeah, you can delude yourself into thinking Kansas played amazing defense. Not true. The Flyers hurled themselves into the lane and threw up shots into the outstretched arms of Cole Aldrich, who recorded what is believed to be the third triple-double in Kansas history.

Young McHale scored 13 points, snagged 20 rebounds and rejected 10 shots. I love Young McHale. If he stays in college four years, he’ll likely be one of the 10 best players in Kansas history and have a chance to be a Young Bill Walton, the last great white NBA center.

After offering that bit of context, let me say emphatically that Aldrich’s triple-double on Sunday was the least impressive I’ve had the pleasure to witness. The Flyers missed so many damn shots that $weet Lew Perkins was credited with five boards. Every time Wright sailed into the lane he gently placed the ball in Aldrich’s hands. Some of Aldrich’s blocks should have been scored as steals.

The truth is Kansas played poorly on Sunday. Oh, the Cole and Collins Show performed to rave reviews. Sherron Collins knocked down 11 of 19 shots, scored 25 points, snatched seven rebounds and avoided a turnover. Mario Little turned in an efficient 16 minutes, hitting three of four shots and hauling in six boards.

The rest of the Hawks were worthless.

Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed missed eight of their nine three-point attempts. Tyshawn Taylor was a turnover machine (six). The Morris Twins combined for two points and five rebounds in 31 minutes.

The Jayhawks turned the ball over 17 times, missed half of their 22 free-throw attempts and 13 of 16 three-point shots.

Dayton is the only team that played on Sunday that would have lost to Kansas.

The Cole and Collins Show won’t beat Michigan State on Friday.

The second-seeded Spartans, who spanked Kansas in January, looked like a national-title threat on Sunday in their close victory over a highly skilled Southern California squad. Michigan State looks better when it plays outside the Big Ten — all the Big Ten teams do. The style of play in the conference is so physical that the teams beat each other up and look bad doing it.

Against USC, an unfamiliar opponent, the Spartans appeared athletic, smooth and tough. They looked a lot better than Kansas.

So did the Missouri Tigers, who slipped past Marquette in the West Regional.

Are you getting the picture?

Good teams were tested this weekend and passed those tests. The Jayhawks have yet to be pushed.

There’s no reason for the Jayhawks or their fans to get cocky. There’s no reason to believe the Hawks can beat Michigan State.

Walton steers MSU past Trojans

Walton steers MSU past Trojans

March 22, 2009
By DREW SHARP FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s a race against time that the senior inevitably loses. A college career’s end lurks ever so close, but Travis Walton wasn’t ready to say good-bye just yet.

“They’re going to have to send me out of this tournament kicking and screaming,” said Walton as Michigan State toasted another Sweet 16 invitation Sunday. “I think you saw a team that stepped up and made a commitment not to lose this game. That meant doing whatever needed to be done to win.”

For the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year, that meant delivering a career offensive day.

Southern Cal might not believe it in the aftermath of the Spartans’ 74-69 second-round victory in the Midwest Regional, but the Trojans did read the scouting report accurately: Leave Walton alone on the perimeter. He can’t hurt you from there.

But his 18-point game provides another footnote in the enduring NCAA tournament history of players rising up at the right moment, finding strength in what once was weakness.

“Quite simply,” coach Tom Izzo said, “that’s what champions do.”

Walton doesn’t desire becoming Izzo’s first four-year player not to play in a Final Four. He understands the importance of legacies with this program. It’s all about the banners you raise, the championship caps you wear and the victory nets you cut down.

Not that he needed more inspiration, Walton nonetheless found an extra gear of motivation from a pregame video that the team managers produced. The presentation invoked memories of special tournament moments like Rip Hamilton’s buzzer-beater in 1998 that advanced Connecticut into the Elite Eight.

The message behind the montage: You too can be legendary — if you crave it bad enough.

This victory was an important stepping-stone for the Spartans. Walton’s shooting exhibition will command much of the attention. But Durrell Summers and Chris Allen emerged from shooting inconsistencies. Kalin Lucas ran the offense near flawlessly late in the second half as the determined teams traded blows and baskets.

Each second that ticked off raised the importance of each possession and the magnitude of each mistake.

This game was vintage Madness.

“I’m going to enjoy this one for a while,” said Izzo. “It was special because I think we might finally be seeing these guys taking ownership of this team. They didn’t crack when we made a couple mistakes. They maintained poise, and that’s so awfully important the deeper you get into this thing.”

Walton didn’t only shoot the ball. He made some late coaching decisions. Izzo wanted to take out freshman Draymond Green, but Walton waved him off — telling Izzo they had their defensive team on the floor.

Izzo listened.

Seedings are deceptive when approaching the second round. The Trojans were a 10th seed in timing alone, not talent. The Spartans had their share of injuries and scrambled starting lineups, but their woes were nothing compared with USC’s. Sunday was the 10th time this season that their regular starting lineup was available.

They were a late, unexpected invitee to the tournament, needing the Pac-10 tourney championship for admittance.

When healthy, the Trojans are the quality of a fourth or fifth seed. There was some pregame lamenting that Michigan State might have been better off playing seventh-seeded Boston College because the Eagles weren’t terribly athletic, but if you think you’re worthy of national championship consideration, you should be able to step it up regardless of the level of competition.

Walton did just that. He would not let Michigan State lose.

Who would’ve guessed — through the endless pregame blather about what the Spartans needed for victory — that the correct answer was 18 points from a guy who didn’t total 18 points for five straight games this season?

“My job is to play defense,” Walton said, “but I’m a basketball player, first. And that means you’ve got to be confident enough to take the shot when they’re sagging off you, daring you to shoot. If you leave me open, I’m going to shoot the basketball, make it or miss. (USC) kept leaving me open.”

The Spartans celebrated like it was a victory over a higher seed. They were understandably concerned about the Trojans’ length and athleticism, but they had the guy with the bigger heart.

Suton leads Michigan State in rout of Robert Morris

Suton leads Michigan State in rout of Robert Morris

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Goran Suton scored 11 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, as the second-seeded Michigan State Spartans easily advanced with a 77-62 rout of Robert Morris in first-round action of the NCAA Tournament in the Midwest Region.

Suton helped the Spartans (27-6) outrebound the Colonials (24-11), 49-28, including a 17-8 edge on the offensive glass. Michigan State, the Big Ten's regular-season champs, got 16 points from Raymar Morgan and 16 from Draymond Green, who normally averages just over two points a game. Green went 7-of-8 from the field.

"After we came out there and lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, we had a great week of practice," Suton said. "I think we performed well. Hopefully, we'll carry some of this intensity into the next game."

Kalin Lucas provided 13 points, while Chris Allen had 10 for the Spartans, who will now face Southern California in the second round. The Trojans topped the Boston College Eagles, 72-55.

Jeremy Chappell led the Colonials with 11 points and seven rebounds, and Jimmy Langhurst had nine points for the Northeast Conference regular season and tourney champions. Mezie Nwigwe contributed eight points in the loss.

"I'm never satisfied with a loss," Chappel said. "Of course I wanted to win, who doesn't want to win their last game? Who doesn't want to go out on a bang? But you know, we played our hardest against a top-10 team, a number-two seed. Nobody quit on the team, that was the biggest key. Hopefully next year, with our returning players, they have the same drive to get back to where they are right now."

The Spartans got off to a quick 7-2 lead, but Robert Morris fought back to cut its deficit to 19-18 after a Gary Wallace jumper just past the eight-minute mark.

Michigan State went back up by five, 26-21, after a pair of Lucas free throws, but seven straight Robert Morris points, capped by a Nwigwe three, put the Colonials ahead by a pair with six minutes left.

The Spartans, though, closed the half on a 15-2 spurt to take an 11-point halftime lead. Green started it by tying the game at 28 on a layup, and he hit another basket with just under two minutes to close out the period's scoring, as Michigan State held a 41-30 advantage.

The second-seeded Spartans wasted no time turning the game into a rout in the second half, scoring the first 11 points of the period. Lucas had four of the points, and Green's layup 4 1/2 minutes in made it a 21-point margin.

Suton's jumper with 10 1/2 minutes left gave Michigan State a 64-41 advantage, and the game was never in doubt down the stretch.

Game Notes

Michigan State shot 45.9 percent from the field, while Robert Morris shot 41.0 percent...This marked the first-ever meeting between the two schools...The Spartans improved to 44-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, while the Colonials are now 1-6...Michigan State has made 12 straight tournament appearances, which is the fourth-longest active streak behind Arizona (25), Kansas (20) and Duke (14)...Suton's career-high in rebounds is 20.

Obama: Spartans To Elite Eight

Obama: Spartans To Elite Eight

Mike Fowler GoSpartans.net Mar 18, 2009

When filling out his bracket on ESPN, Obama said of Michigan State's first round contest against Robert Morris "Izzo always has great teams" as he selected them to advance.

DETROIT - President Barack Obama picked Michigan State to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
When filling out his bracket on ESPN, Obama said of Michigan State's first round contest against Robert Morris "Izzo always has great teams" as he selected them to advance.

His bracket included a second round repeat of an early season matchup between the Spartans and the Kansas Jayhawks. Obama said "they're going to win it again," of the matchup.

But he drew the line when confronted with a potential Elite Eight matchup of the #2 seed MSU against the #1 seed Louisville Cardinals. There Obama picked the Cardinals.

While his picks have draw differing levels of interest and reaction, GoSpartans.net has the Spartans making it past Louisville into the Final Four and as a darkhorse to win the National Championship.

Bracket Research : MSU Spartan Basketball Video Archive 2008-2009

Follow THIS LINK for all of the best Michigan State Basketball Videos from their Championship season. SpartyOn Spartans - good luck in the NCAA Tournament! Hope you cut down some nets in Detroit!

http://www.spartyon.com/

MSU vs Robert Morris Preview on ESPN

MSU vs Robert Morris NCAA Round 1 Game Preview on ESPN

CAPUTO: The road to Detroit is a smooth ride for the Spartans

CAPUTO: The road to Detroit is a smooth ride for the Spartans

Monday, March 16, 2009 11:48 AM EDT

By PAT CAPUTO
Of The Oakland Press

College basketball is defined by its elite programs. Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, North Carolina. Since Tom Izzo has been at Michigan State, it’s been difficult to gauge exactly where the Spartans lie on that curve.

On one hand, they have reached the Final Four four times in the past decade.

On the other, it’s been just once since 2001 — and that was four years ago. It’s been nearly a decade — 2000 — since they won the NCAA championship.

Yet, none of that will matter the next few weeks. Turned out losing to Ohio State in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, and not getting a top seed in the NCAA field, wasn’t such a big deal after all. Honestly, the Spartans’ road to the Final Four at Ford Field couldn’t have been paved any better by the selection committee Sunday.

Michigan State is clearly a better team than any it will face, at least until a possible Elite Eight matchup against Louisville — the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. And that is a game the Spartans are certainly capable of winning.

Also, State will be close to home throughout the tournament, actually in Big Ten territory the entire time if it advances — at Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Detroit.

What a great draw — and perfect year for the Spartans to be thrust into such a prime position.

The debate about whether Michigan State is an elite program has been rendered a moot point by the way this season has unexpectedly twisted. It was anticipated North Carolina would dominate, but it hasn’t, and the Tar Heels aren’t nearly as threatening with Ty Lawson hurting. UCLA has been decidedly beatable.

Duke has played better of late — winning the ACC Tournament — but has mostly been inconsistent. There is a theory all the Big East does is beat up on each other, but is that really a great conference? Connecticut hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game since 2006. Pittsburgh is solid — nothing more. Kansas is the defending national champion and could face MSU in the Sweet 16. The Spartans have beaten Kansas this season, and the Jayhawks didn’t return most of their key players.

Oklahoma is kind of a one-man team — Blake Griffin. Memphis hasn’t beaten anybody of note. The Southeastern Conference is so down that only three of its teams have gotten into the tournament. Kentucky isn’t one of them. Neither is Florida, which won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007.

There are, of course, two ways to look at it. One is, it’s because of parity. The other is, it’s because of mediocrity.

This not only benefits MSU’s attempt to claim elite status should the Spartans reach the Final Four, but it has helped bring Michigan back to respectability.

As a 10th-seed, the Wolverines’ tournament road will be much more difficult than that of MSU. Clemson in the first round is a winnable game. Oklahoma in the second round will present a difficult task.

The beauty comes from just getting in for the first time since 1998. There are years when a 20-13 overall record, and splitting its Big Ten games, would have left Michigan out of the tournament. Eleven years is a long wait. Beating Duke and UCLA this season, and getting those 20 victories, is a huge step forward from the nine wins U-M secured last season. The bid is a just reward. John Beilein is ahead of schedule. He is doing a terrific job.

Given Michigan’s brand name, and Izzo’s success, this is a state that can carry two premier college basketball programs. It would be welcome if Michigan and Michigan State kind of got a Duke-North Carolina thing going. The promise is there with U-M’s potential resurgence.

But once the NCAA tournament begins, the spotlight figures to fall on Michigan State above all the programs in the field.

The Final Four is a massive event for this area — no matter what. But the local flavor would get a lot spicier if the Spartans are at Ford Field.

This isn’t Izzo’s most-gifted team by a longshot, but more than any of his squads since the Mateen Cleaves’ era, it plays in his image.

The Spartans have the great point guard in Kalin Lucas — and everybody else scraps and goes to the boards. The Spartans are deep. They have played well on the road. They have overcome ailments that left key players such as Raymar Morgan and Goran Suton out of the lineup for extended periods.

The selection committee didn’t hinder the Spartans’ chances to come full circle back to the elite status they had earned earlier in the decade — it only enhanced them.

Being the Final Four is at Ford Field would only make the Spartans’ redemption that much sweeter.

Izzo's methods have Spartans looking Final Four-ready again

Izzo's methods have Spartans looking Final Four-ready again

March 14, 2009
By Dennis Dodd CBSSports.com Senior Writer

It's up to Michigan State to save the Big Ten's reputation.

You know the one: slow, plodding, boring. Tom Izzo probably doesn't much care what the reputation is because his Spartans fought through it to dominate the Big Ten.

Kalin Lucas is the third Spartan to be named Big Ten Player of the Year in Tom Izzo's tenure. (Getty Images) Heck, Izzo helped create the reputation. Remember his football drill? Players suit up in football pads and scramble after rebounds in practice. It has paid off in four Final Fours and the 2000 national championship.

It wasn't easy this season with the league descending into a nightly wrestling match. Center Goran Suton missed six games with a knee injury. Raymar Morgan missed three games and was limited in six others. Freshman Delvon Roe has had two knee surgeries since 2007.

"This is the healthiest we've been all year ...," Izzo said. "Our best basketball is yet to come."

Michigan State's lofty seed was earned after it won the league by four games while winning 13 games against the top 50 in the RPI. Point guard Kalin Lucas became Big Ten Player of the Year.

Typical of Izzo's great teams, this one goes nine deep. That helps when Lucas is the only starter to score in the first half, as he was in the Big Ten quarterfinals against Minnesota. The reserves had to carry the Spartans against a Gophers team desperate to get an NCAA bid.

A disappointing loss to Ohio State on Saturday in the Big Ten semis has an upside. The Spartans get an extra day of rest for what could be an epic March.

Having faced almost every kind of adversity, these Spartans are made for a tournament run. It's time. Every player that has stayed four years under Izzo has been to a Final Four. The last Final Four was 2005.

Those drills paid off. The Spartans are in the top five nationally in rebound margin. They have a loaded backcourt with Lucas, a combo guard who averages almost 15 points. Senior guard Travis Walton has been playing some point guard and is second in assists.

Looking for weaknesses? Turnovers (14 per game) and free-throw shooting (69 percent). Michigan State is third worst in the Big Ten in both categories.

Look for three key seniors to be the inspiration. Walton might be the Spartans' best on-the-ball defender. Suton is the serviceable big man that so many teams lack. Marquise Gray plays only 10 minutes but averages more than three rebounds.

Those seniors are important also because they are the ones who are going to keep Izzo's Final Four streak alive -- or not.

Spartans' route covers Big Ten turf

Spartans' route covers Big Ten turf

March 16, 2009

BY SHANNON SHELTON FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State fell exactly where Tom Izzo said it would be when the NCAA announced its pairings for the 2009 tournament.

And that spot might be the best situation for the Spartans -- a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region.

The Spartans will travel to Minneapolis for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament and advance to the regional rounds in Indianapolis if they survive the first weekend. MSU plays 15th-seed Robert Morris of the Northeast Conference on Friday, with the winner facing the winner of the game between No. 7 Boston College and No. 10 USC on Sunday.

"I think we've got a tough bracket," said point guard Kalin Lucas. "There's some good teams in here."

With Detroit hosting the Final Four in April, the idea of traveling a Minneapolis-Indianapolis-Detroit route through the tournament is a favorable one for the Spartans. If MSU hadn't lost in the semifinal of the Big Ten tournament and potentially earned a No. 1 seed, it could have been in the West, requiring a trip through Phoenix.

"It would be a storybook dream," Izzo said about the potential travel to Detroit. "We could get out of the first weekend, which we all know will be very difficult, and going to Indy would be great for us. All three places are in Big Ten country."

Louisville, the winner of the Big East Conference tournament, earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest.

By advancing to a 12th consecutive NCAA tournament, MSU now has the fourth-longest current streak in college basketball. Arizona maintained its record as the school with the top streak, and now has been invited to 25 straight tournaments. Kansas is second and Duke is third. Kentucky, which had 17 consecutive tournament appearances, ended its streak this year.

"I think that's a great thing for the program," Izzo said. "I think what is most pleasing to me about the 12 years ... one thing we never did was fall off the map."

Michigan State opens Big Ten in dominating fashion

Friday, March 13, 2009
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

Michigan State opens Big Ten in dominating fashion

INDIANAPOLIS -- Travis Walton, the Big Ten's defensive player of the year, led a second half surge as Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 64-56, to advance to the conference tournament semifinals.

Michigan State plays the winner of this afternoon's Wisconsin-Ohio State game on Saturday.

Walton led the Spartans with his defense and assists, including two alley-oop passes that led to dunks.

Durrell Summers caught Walton's first lob early in the second half for a one-handed dunk. Marquise Gray caught another about 90 seconds later for a dunk.

Gray's dunk gave the Spartans a 44-36 lead, and they retained control the remainder of the game.

Walton finished with four points, a season-high six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Against a trapping zone, the Spartans had to rely on their bench to get an edge midway through the first half.

Gray and Chris Allen combined for 21 of the Spartans' first 31 points.

Allen finished with a team-high 17, including 12 in the first half.

Gray scored nine of his 11 points in the first half.

New MSU v UM Video Hot Off The Press...

Michigan State in Class of Its Own

Posted Mar 8th 2009 2:30PM by MATT SNYDER

When it comes to the Big Ten, there are a few tiers of similar teams. Illinois and Purdue are similar. Iowa and Indiana are similarly bad. There's a big amoeba in the middle where every team is on the bubble. Then, you are left with Michigan State. They are in a class all by themselves.

Sunday we received another reminder, as they turned Purdue away despite a sub-par shooting performance.The pressure defense and the quick-paced offense were just too much for the Boilers.

Kalin Lucas -- who will be named Big Ten Player of the Year very soon -- paced the conference champs with 19 points. Goran Suton, on his senior day, recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 boards.

As for Purdue, they shot even worse than the Spartans. You can't expect to win in the Breslin Center when you shoot less than 30 percent from the floor. Robbie Hummel couldn't hit the broad-side of a barn, while Chris Kramer, Lewis Jackson and several others did their part in the mason's convention.

The main story of this game, though, is just how much better Michigan State is than everyone else in the conference. Their main competition in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament would likely be Illinois or Purdue -- both of whom enter the conference tourney on two-game losing streaks -- but Michigan State is just a much better basketball team than both of them.

Should the Spartans not win the conference tourney, it will have been a huge upset. They should be plenty motivated, as they still have an outside shot at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I believe the Big Ten Tournament will be one of the most exciting conference tournaments in the nation, as long as you are only looking at the first two or three rounds. In the championship, I just can't see anyone hanging with the Spartans.

When March Went Mad : New Book by Seth Davis

Cool new book just released...

The dramatic story of how two legendary players burst on the scene in an NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball

Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA.

In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans and Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges—who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams—and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition. When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice—to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television—and the sport we now know was born.


AMAZON LINK : http://www.amazon.com/When-March-Went-Mad-Transformed/dp/0805088105

No. 8 Michigan State claims Big Ten title with win over Indiana

Bloomington, IN (Sports Network) - Kalin Lucas scored 15 points and Raymar Morgan added 14 points and seven rebounds, as eighth-ranked Michigan State claimed its first Big Ten championship since 2001 with a 64-59 victory over Indiana at Assembly Hall.

Lucas also had five assists, while Durrell Summers finished with 10 points for Michigan State (24-5, 14-3 Big Ten), which has won four straight since dropping a 72-54 decision to Purdue on February 17. The Spartans will host the Boilermakers in the regular-season finale for both teams on Sunday.

Chris Allen and Delvon Roe each donated seven points apiece for the Spartans, who improved to 8-1 in league road games.

Verdell Jones led Indiana (6-23, 1-16) with 15 points and five boards. The Hoosiers have dropped eight straight games since claiming a 68-60 win over Iowa on February 4. Indiana will end its dismal season when they visit Wisconsin on Sunday.

Malik Story and Nick Williams each went for 11 points, while Matt Roth logged 10 for the Hoosiers.

Indiana played the majority of the contest without leading scorer Devan Dumes, who left three minutes in after his left leg was rolled up on following a Roe layup. Dumes went to the locker room and returned to the bench a few minutes later with an ice pack on his knee, but did to return.

In the second half, with Michigan State up by 13 at 56-43 near the midway point, the hosts continued to play with pride and wouldn't go away.

Brett Finkelmeier's layup sparked a 14-3 Hoosier run over the next several minutes and following a 1-of-2 effort from the line by Jones, trailed by two, 59-57 with 3:31 left to play.

Even though the Spartans went ice cold from the field during the Indiana spurt, Michigan State would tighten things up on the defensive end in the closing minutes.

Morgan's putback slam off a missed three by Summers gave MSU a 61-57 lead with 27 seconds left on the clock. Both teams would exchange free-throws in the remaining seconds and the Spartans would hold on to claim the victory and the Big Ten title.

MSU vs Illinois BBall 2009

Spartans are Big Ten champs

Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Michigan State 74, Illinois 66
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Michigan State is a Big Ten champion.

Whether it wins the title outright remains to be seen after Sunday's thrilling 74-66 victory at Illinois against the conference's best defensive team.

A win Tuesday at Indiana would complete the mission and give coach Tom Izzo his first outright title since the 1998-99 season, a campaign that ended with a Final Four appearance.

Against the Illini, the Spartans pulled away in the final 1:09 during a pivotal stretch that included two Durrell Summers dunks and three Raymar Morgan free throws.

After Goran Suton sat more than seven minutes with four fouls, he ended the afternoon with a pair of free throws in the game's final seconds.

Illinois never led in the contest but tied the score at 58 at the 7:20 mark with a Jeff Jordan steal of a Korie Lucious pass and layup.

Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with a team-high 18 points. Raymar Morgan added 14 and Delvon Roe finished with 10.

Shannon Brown is Now a Laker : 2-17-09

Michigan State up to No. 6 in new AP poll

Detroit Free Press

The Spartans jumped three spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll released today to No. 6. In the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, MSU is No. 5.

Michigan State defeated Michigan, 54-42, last Tuesday. MSU also benefited from losses by Duke, Wake Forest and Marquette last week.

Michigan, who rebounded from the MSU loss with a 70-67 overtime win at Northwestern on Sunday, did not receive a vote in either poll.

Connecticut (24-1), the runaway No. 1 for a third straight week, hosts No. 4 Pittsburgh (23-2) tonight. Oklahoma (25-1) held No. 2, while North Carolina (23-2) stayed third.

Washington, which was ranked for two weeks before falling out for one poll, returned this week at No. 22 and was joined by newcomers LSU and Dayton, which were 23rd and 25th.

They replace Utah State, Ohio State and Florida State, who all lost one game last week.

Michigan State in the Home Stretch

After MSU's much welcomed win in Ann Arbor this past Tuesday, every Spartan can take a deep breath, relax and prepare for the final six games of the Conference play, the Big Ten Tourney and hopefully a deep run into March. Here are some notes to consider about our boys in Green :

• 57 points = the combined amount that MSU beat Minnesota and Indiana by, their last two opponents. The Gophers shot just 28.8 percent. The Hoosiers were slightly better at 31 percent. Minnesota and IU combined for 16 assists and 37 turnovers.

• The two game results before the UM game = MSU 76, Minnesota 47 and MSU 75, Indiana 47. At game time, Minnesota was the #2 team in the Big Ten. State lead that game 57-19 with 12 minutes left in the entire contest.

• MSU leads the nation in rebounding margin this year.

• After the Michigan game, The Spartans have an entire week off to study, heal and prep themselves for the stretch run into The Big Ten Tourney and March Madness.

• A Big Ten Championship is in their grasps right now at 10-2 alone atop The Big Ten with Illinois two games back at 8-4. MSU beat Illinois on January 17th to cap off an eleven game win streak.

• State's toughest games left on the schedule are looking to be at Purdue on Tuesday Feb 17 (who has tanked as of late thanks to a Robbie Hummel back injury) and at Illinois on Sunday March 1st. The key to those games will be getting and keeping a lead to quell any home team fan melee.

• MSU's currents rankings are AP 9th, ESPN 9th, RPI 6th. The RPI ranking defines the seeds for the NCAA Tourney.

• Since the loss to Penn State, MSU has been without their second leading scorer Raymar Morgan who was considered to be a pre-season first team Big Ten All American. He should finally be well and rested for the February 17th Purdue game.

• In the past few days, the teams ranked numbers 5, 6 & 7 in the AP poll have lost, this should work wonders for out chances of getting a #1 seed in the Tournament :

#5 Louisville lost to Notre Dame by 33 points
#6 Duke lost to #3 UNC
#7 Wake lost to unranked NC State
#10 Marquette lost to #13 Villanova
#11 UCLA lost to #18 ASU


www.SpartyOn.com

MSU vs UM 2009 Basketball Recap

Visit SpartyOn.com to see the Big Ten Network recap...

Michigan State beats Michigan 54-42

The Spartans have won 16 of the last 19 in the series.

The Spartans (20-4, 10-2 Big Ten) have won three straight to open a 2.5 game lead over Illinois and Ohio State, moving closer to their first conference championship since 2001.

Michigan State held its third straight opponent to fewer than 50 points for the first time since the 1951-52 season.

Michigan State is 7-0 in true road games, joining Connecticut, Louisville and Utah State as the only undefeated Division I teams on opponents’ home courts.

The Spartans are 6-0 in the Big Ten on the road and are a win away from matching their school record set in 1978, Magic Johnson’s freshman season, and 1999, when they won their second of four straight conference titles.

MSU is 10-2 in the Big Ten; everybody else in the league has at least four losses.

Michigan State has a week to prepare for its toughest remaining game, at Purdue. No matter what happens in that one, the Spartans will be in sole possession of first place with five games left. Three of those five will be in East Lansing. One of the road games is against Indiana, the worst team in the league.

It is hard to imagine the Spartans losing three more games. And even if they do, somebody else would have to run the table to knock MSU out of first place.

Kalin Lucas made 13 of his 15 points after halftime.

The Spartans were without second-leading scorer Raymar Morgan.

Travis Walton, with some help from his friends, shut down Harris. Harris had just two points in the first half and finished with seven total on 2-of-10 shooting after entering as the Big Ten’s second-leading scorer. U-M forward DeShawn Sims made nine of 14 shots. The rest of the Wolverines were seven for 32.

Michigan made 32 percent of its shots in the first half, made just two 3-pointers on 10 attempts and gave up nine points off eight turnovers.

The Wolverines made 35 percent of their shots overall and missed 20 of 24 3-pointers.

MSU alumnus, film producer back in town, available for media interviews

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University alumnus Bill Mechanic will be back in town for a prescreening of his latest movie, “Coraline,” the first stop-motion – a frame by-frame animation technique – film to be shot in 3-D and scheduled for release Feb. 6.

“Like many alums, I have always felt a debt and a loyalty to MSU for getting me started in the world at large,” said Mechanic, executive producer of the film. “With ‘Coraline,’ the connection was very direct. ‘Coraline’ is the story of a family that moves from Michigan to Oregon.

“Coraline” is based on Neil Gaiman’s best-selling children’s book of the same name. Henry Selick, who directed “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” is the movie’s director. In the movie, Dakota Fanning plays the voice of Coraline and Teri Hatcher plays The Mother and The Other Mother.

While making the movie, Mechanic made sure that his alma mater was not overlooked even in the smallest of details.

“While we were in the preproduction phase, the costume designer was showing me the key outfits for the principal characters,” he said. “Everything was great until we got to The Father who, to my chagrin, was wearing a U of M sweatshirt. I said: ‘Not on any movie I produce!’ And so, at no small expense, a specialist had to knit a new miniature MSU sweatshirt The Father now wears in the movie.”

In cooperation with MSU Athletics, the MSU College of Arts and Letters is hosting an invite-only, sold-out, prerelease and reception on Feb. 1 at Celebration Cinema’s IMAX Theatre lobby, 200 E. Edgewood Blvd., Lansing. However, Mechanic will be available for interviews from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Media should check in at the registration desk located near the IMAX Theatre lobby.

MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo and football coach Mark Dantonio are scheduled to attend the events with their families.

Mechanic, who owns California-based Pandemonium Films, earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Arts and Letters in 1973. He is the former chairperson and CEO of 20th Century Fox, which under his supervision produced award-winning movies such as “Titanic” and “Braveheart.”

For more information about MSU’s College of Arts and Letters, visit www.cal.msu.edu. To listen to a podcast with Bill Mechanic, visit http://spartanpodcast.com/?p=488. For more information about “Coraline,” and to watch a trailer of the movie, visit www.coraline.com.

MSU vs Minnesota Basketball 2009 Recap

MSU was winning 56-19 with 12:30 left in the entire game

MSU Ranked #4 Overall in RPI

Michigan State is currently ranked #4 overall in the RPI NCAA Men's Basketball poll. This means that if the tournament selection was today, The Spartans would receive a #1 seed in the tournament. The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. Created in 1981, the RPI is a tool used in selecting and seeding the 65 teams for the NCAA Men's basketball Division I tournament.

See THIS LINK : http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/polls?poll=5

Live Radio Stream Added to SpartyOnBlog.com

Visit SpartyOnBlog.com and look in the upper right corner for the embedded live radio stream from Detroit's 97.1 WJR AM. Now whenever MSU is playing live you can listen to the game! Sweet.

MSU Lands 8 of the Top 11 Football Recruits in Michigan for 2009

Knowing the value of having soldiers that will fight harder and die with their boots on for their homeland, Michigan State has secured commitments from 8 of the top 11 football recruits for next fall.

Follow this link for details :

RIVALS TOP MICHIGAN RECRUITS FOR 2009

It was a program win, of sorts

January 18, 2009
Jim Comparoni of SpartanMag.com


EAST LANSING - This was a program win of a different kind.

Michigan State's 63-57 defeat of Illinois on Saturday was not a landmark victory. It won't serve as a turning point for the team or entire program the way a "program win" is supposed to.

But it was a program win in that the program itself - the fans, the traditions - carried the Spartans to victory.

Illinois needed to beat more than just the guys in the Michigan State uniforms, Saturday. The Illini also had to beat the emotion of Morris Peterson's return, and his family, and his jersey being raised to the rafters, and the impact it had on the Breslin Center crowd, and on Marquise Gray.

Izzo said it had been five or six years since Breslin was as emotional as it was on Saturday. I think he's wrong. It's been longer than that.

Izzo's eyes welled up when Peterson's No. 42 was raised and retired. And they welled up again in the postgame press conference when he talked about this day, this crowd, this energy.

"It was like old times," he said.

As part of the ceremony, the Breslin crowd watched a superbly-produced video montage of Peterson's greatest hits.

The night before, Izzo took a copy of that video home. His wife, Lupe, showed the video to their kids. Izzo's son, Steven, wasn't yet born when Peterson threw down that alley-oop jam late in the Iowa State game, at the Regional Finals in 2000. Izzo's daughter, Raquel, was barely out of kindergarten at the time.

"My wife said it best when we were watching the video," Izzo said. "She looked at Raquel and said, 'If it wasn't for Morris, we probably wouldn't live like we live.'"

Peterson still thanks Izzo for offering him a scholarship out of Flint Northwestern back in the fall of 1995, when Peterson wasn't a blue chipper, and neither was Izzo.

Peterson committed to Izzo before Izzo had ever coached a game. Peterson was part of a three-man class that included Antonio Smith and Jason Klein. Smith and Klein were at Breslin Saturday, too, with Smith wearing a Peterson NBA jersey.

Peterson wanted to be a part of what Izzo was building. Smith and Klein were rated high as recruits. Peterson was the quirky question mark.

That was an era when Izzo was practically killing himself, trying to beat Michigan for top in-state talent when history and the FBI would prove the Wolverines were paying players. Izzo thought he had a shot at Albert White and Robert Traylor. When he didn't get them, Michigan State signed Smith, Klein and Peterson.

Would there have been room for Peterson if Izzo had gotten his wish and signed those guys who went to Michigan? Probably not. But this game of basketball has had a way of blessing Izzo at times when he thought he was cursed. He got Peterson. And he thanks the basketball gods every night for curses like that.

THE PETERSON PROJECT

It took a lot of work, discipline, tough words and expensive lessons to yield the Peterson we came to know. For Izzo's first three games as head coach, at the Maui Invitational late in the fall of 1995, Izzo left Peterson in East Lansing rather than letting the freshman accompany the team to Hawaii. Peterson had missed some classes. Izzo had warned him. And then Izzo had to make a stand.

A year later, we heard Izzo say things like, "We are still trying to find anyone on campus that Morris can guard."

Then, two years later as a redshirt sophomore, Peterson broke his non-shooting hand while landing awkwardly after finishing, ironically, an alley-oop during Michigan State's victory over Gonzaga in the annual holiday classic tournament at Breslin.

Contrary to revisionist legend, Peterson was a pretty good player before he broke that hand, before he wore "the club." He scored 17 points in his first game as a redshirt freshman in 1996. He was inconsistent as heck, and pretty soft. But he could score, and the Spartans needed his scoring badly.

The Monday after the Gonzaga game, I remember Izzo delivering the news at a press conference that Peterson had broken a bone in his hand and would be out indefinitely. When Izzo said those words, I thought the injury would cost the team a few games, just enough to miss out on the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. I remember exactly what I was thinking, that he and this team wouldn't be able to overcome the loss of Peterson. And it would cost Izzo his job.


I looked around the room. I happened to notice MSU's women's basketball coach Karen Langeland's reaction to the news. She shook her head in sympathetic disbelief. I suspect she might have thought the same thing I was thinking.

But the injury wasn't quite as bad as first believed. Peterson could play, but he would have to wear a cast. MSU lost two of its next three anyway, and I was more sure than ever that Izzo wouldn't survive.

Peterson fancied himself as a tall ball handler and scorer. But he could do neither with the cast on his hand. He had to finally focus on defense and rebounding if he wanted to remain in the playing group. He did, and when the cast came off later that season, Peterson had transformed as a player. Flint toughness had apparently been lying dormant within him. And MSU came out of nowhere to win Izzo's first Big Ten title that year.

At some point during that season, as rumors of his inevitable firing subsided, Izzo began referring affectionately to the cast as "the club." Izzo told MSU trainers to save the club. Put it somewhere. Lock it up. Keep it.

To Izzo, "the club" meant something. It symbolized so much. It was another one of those mysterious curses that Izzo would later be thankful for.

Peterson became All-Big Ten as a junior while serving as the sixth man. Izzo still uses the Peterson example when motivating players to compete hard when coming off the bench. It's part of the fabric of this program.

Izzo gave "the club" back to Peterson, Saturday, during the ceremony. Peterson flashed that goofy smile in thanks. Always a button-pusher, Izzo enlisted Gray to hold a framed Peterson jersey and present it to the Peterson family, his fellow Flint residents.

Then Gray took of his warm-ups, and got ready to play.

SATURDAY'S SIXTH MEN

Gray checked in just two minutes into the game, fittingly as the sixth man. After one possession, he looked charged up. After two possessions, he had an offensive rebound.

On the third possession, he set a perfect, heavy, Anagonye-sized screen on Alex Legion, knocking the Illinois player off-balance and careening toward the baseline.

An instant later, Gray received a pass and hit a power lay-up while being fouled. It was as forceful a sequence as he has ever had, and a one-clip highlight that could stand up to anything Smith or Andre Hutson ever did. Seriously.

In celebrating the play, Gray snapped his chin up and down, nodding fiercely as he bang-stepped toward Delvon Roe for a chest bump that might have collapsed the lung of a weaker man. Then Gray went nose-to-nose with Travis Walton for a volley of That's what I'm talking 'bouts.

Izzo crossed his arms, smiled, nodded approvingly with eyes watering again. He knew he had a different Gray on this day. Cue your DVRs to the 15:49 mark of the first half and watch it again. It's worth it. There was so much human spirit packed into those few seconds, so much more than just basketball.

I turned to SpartanMag.com associate editor Paul Konyndyk and said, "Gray is different today, for one reason and one reason only. Because he's playing in front of Morris Peterson. And Izzo knows it."


You'd have to know Gray to understand, and you'd have to know Flint to understand, and you would have to understand the sense of responsibility that Izzo and former players instill in the current players. It all came together and produced a perfectly-frenzied Gray.

Izzo pushed Gray's buttons the way he pushed everyones' buttons a week earlier for the Kansas game. Don't look now, but Izzo might be in the middle of orchestrating quite a symphony this season.

Gray is a great guy with a great heart. But he hasn't seemed driven during his four-and-a-half years at MSU. He is not a competitive killer. Maybe personal goals don't motivate him. But you give him a sense of duty to honor a guy like Peterson and there aren't many man-made walls that can contain him.

About 18 hours earlier, Izzo had a sense that this might be coming. With Peterson in the room, the coach had one of those Come-to-Izzo moments with Gray. They talked for more than an hour.

When Izzo talks to Gray, it's more than coach-to-player. It's mentor-to-pupil. Izzo has known Gray since he was a pre-teen. This is a public university and Gray grew up in Izzo's district.

Back in '96 when Peterson was the target of many Izzo lectures, it was mentor-to-pupil back then, too, but Izzo hadn't yet established the thick credibility that he has today. Peterson believed him anyway, and followed.

Peterson has accumulated in his heart and soul more than 14 years of pro-Izzo testimonials. So have Smith and Mateen Cleaves. When they tell a young man from their city that they can trust Izzo, and to do what he says, it strikes a chord of local lineage that few programs can match. This was a precious resource on Saturday.

With Peterson watching, and Gray in sky-walk mode, Izzo called upon Gray to check into the game earlier than usual. And all Izzo could do was worn people to get out of the way when Gray went to the rim because he might bring the backboard down with him.

Gray had nine points and five rebounds in nine minutes in the first half, marking probably the best half of basketball he has had as a collegian. Capitalizing on Gray's horsepower, Izzo called for an alley-oop lob for Gray. Gray caught Draymond Green's pass near the rim, but Illinois had the play well-scouted, with Calvin Brock sagging down low. No matter. Gray elevated and slammed it anyway, and he might have dunked Brock through the rim along with the ball, if Brock had gotten any closer.

Still, Michigan State trailed by seven at the break, making one wonder what the score might have been if Gray hadn't been so strong.

"The bright spots of the day were, in order, Morris Peterson, our fans, and Marquise Gray," Izzo said.

Gray finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. MSU didn't have many quality individual performances on this day. But Gray was one of them. The Breslin crowd carried the rest.

Three times midway through the second half, MSU cut Illinois' lead to a single point. And three times the Spartans failed to produce the go-ahead points as the Breslin crowd remained coiled and ready to explode.

The build-up created a powder keg. When MSU finally took the lead on a Raymar Morgan free throw with 4:48 left, the place erupted. When Kalin Lucas hit two more free throws, there was hysteria. And when Walton fed Morgan for a lay-up while being fouled to make it 59-54, it felt like a championship moment. Precious few times has Breslin been that loud, with fans jumping around.

"We didn't play good and won," Izzo said. "But let's face it. That wouldn't have happened on the road. That happened because of the fans in the stands.

"But we sometimes forget that back in the championship years the fans in the stands won us a lot of games. Today, the home court deserved a lot of credit."

Izzo knew the Peterson ceremony would be awesome. He had a feeling Gray would be great. But the fans were a pleasant surprise.

Izzo had hoped to see the place hop again, during some game at some point, and see them party like it was 1999. But deep down, he probably wasn't sure if his home crowd would ever have the innocent exuberance it had back in Peterson's era. But on this day, it did, for this program win.