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.