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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

AP Names MSU's Javon Ringer First Team All-American

Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- For the 90th time in school history, Michigan State has a consensus All-American.

Javon Ringer was named to the Associated Press All-America first team Tuesday, less than a week after he earned the title of Walter Camp All-American in Orlando, Fla., the site of the Spartans' Capital One Bowl game against Georgia.

The senior captain from Dayton, Ohio, accounted for 96 percent of his team's rushing yards this season (1,590 of 1,661), led the nation with 370 carries (of his team's 477) and is proud to be still standing relatively unscathed from the most significant workload of his life.

"By playing for Michigan State, I've been fortunate enough to have an opportunity to perform on a national stage," Ringer said in a statement released Tuesday night by the school. "In this offensive system, I've been asked to play an important role and that's certainly not something that I've shied away from.

"I've taken my share of hard hits, but I've been fortunate to play the entire season with just some bumps and bruises."

Ringer is the first MSU player since receiver Charles Rogers in 2002 to be named All-America at an offensive or defensive position.

Brandon Fields, a punter, was the school's last All-American in 2004, followed by kick returner DeAndra Cobb a year earlier.

When informed Tuesday night by The Detroit News of Ringer's accomplishment, mentor Lorenzo White, a two-time All-America tailback for the Spartans, gushed with pride about his prized pupil.

"Everybody knows what kind of work he put in this year," White said. "It shows his durability and qualities that will make pro scouts look at him and say, 'He's tough, a team player and among the top at his position.' "

The two running backs talk often and share stories about the demands often placed on the job.

Regular season practices typically gave Ringer enough work, but not to the point of exhaustion. Bowl practices, however, at least the seven since Tuesday have been a different animal, Ringer said.

"I've done a lot," said Ringer, who mentioned 50 and 60-yard sprints in recent sessions . "I want to hit, I like hitting."

"I don't want to go the whole month without being tackled and then get hit for the first time against Georgia."

Durability is one of Ringer's strongest qualities.

Trainer Jeff Monroe told The Detroit News last month that Ringer responds well from basic treatment. Enhanced pharmaceuticals like anti-inflammatory medicine haven't been needed because Ringer deals with pain so well.

Ringer overcame several unexpected health issues this season, including a stomach virus that caused him to lose at least 10 pounds before a Nov. 1 game against Wisconsin.

Against the Badgers, ailing from the condition, he accounted for 64 all-purpose yards to become the school's career leader in the category.

On Oct. 25, Ringer overcame what was initially thought of as a severe hamstring injury in practice to blast Michigan for 197 yards and two scores.

Team officials said after the 35-21 win in Ann Arbor that Ringer could barely walk off the field when he injured the hamstring two days before the game.

Coach Mark Dantonio has repeatedly called Ringer a "true Spartan warrior" willing to make any kind of sacrifice for the team's benefit.

Ringer has tried to set such an example all season and brought his entire offensive line with him to a postgame news conference after a 23-7 win over Notre Dame on Sept. 20.

"Since arriving at Michigan State, my focus has been on becoming a complete back; someone willing to do whatever it takes to win," Ringer said.

Ringer's mother, Darlene Ringer, said she still is amazed at her son's ability to take a pounding and keep going.

She never questioned Dantonio and his staff's decision to have such a persistent running focused on her pride and joy.

"Javon would tell me he was sore, he's not inhuman, but he never wanted to be too vocal about it," Darlene said. "I would tell him, 'If you're tired, tell the coaches.' But I knew then and still know now that would never happen."

Penn State-Michigan State: Obama to Dantonio, "Yes We Can!"

This Saturday's matchup between the Michigan Sate Spartans (9-2) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1) resembles another huge test of time and perseverance—two factors which recently decided the presidential election. Like that fight, Penn State offers a heavily lauded team led by Joe Paterno, the elder statesman of college football. A man that, like John McCain to the Republicans and America, has unquestionable integrity and commitment to his chosen profession.

On the other sideline stands Mark Dantonio, scarcely two seasons into his tenure as head coach of MSU, leading a group of Spartans that have received only the slightest of backhanded praise, parceled out by tight-lipped "pros" of in-state publications and national news giants throughout the past three months. These Spartans were not expected to be here, just like Barack Obama was not supposed to be on the presidential ballot, let alone win the big game. Surely the other teams normally perched atop the Big Ten may be asking, "who invited them?" to this final championship-deciding weekend. But guess what, they are here, and they have a great chance of shaking up the world of college football Saturday by beating Penn State.

How did Barack do it? Go to CNN to find that out.

How will Michigan State do it? Read on...

Freedom. MSU has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Just like Barack Obama, Michigan State is not SUPPOSED to be in the position they are in. Nobody expected they would be playing to win the Big Ten and go to The Rose Bowl. Nobody. Not even I could have dreamt nor hoped for this opportunity. Penn State will be playing in front of 100,000 people who expect them to win but who are truly heartbroken about how the Lions blew their chance at a national title. The pressure on them will be huge. Win one for JoePa. Make up for Iowa. Don't fall apart any further. Sure, everybody will be asking "can Michigan State win the big games?" as they have before the Northwestern game, the Michigan game, the Wisconsin game, the Notre Dame game, etc. Now, I'm lying by saying MSU has nothing to lose, if Javon Ringer goes off and runs wild, he will be on the Heisman stage. That alone will give added momentum. Also, look for Mark Dantonio to take chances, run some odd plays. He knows the truth that you cannot win big unless you bet big.

Unity. Just like the Democrats ran a focused, finely-tuned message-machine, Michigan State's football team is the ultimate example of a coalesced team. The German school of psychology calls this "Gestalt." According to Webster, Gestalt is defined as: "a structure, configuration, or pattern of physical, biological, or psychological phenomena so integrated as to constitute a functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts." You may look at Michigan State on a position-by-position basis and think they don't match up with Penn State. Watch some game film. Note how when Javon Ringer scores any of his 20 touchdowns this season, he doesn't pound his chest and prance around like a fool in heat. He hands the ball to the official and greets his linemen with thanks and class. Watch how just when you think Mark Dell is the only option to make a first down grab, some unknown receiver streaks across the middle and burns the opposing defense for a 60-yard TD. The power of team unity is often preached, but seldom attained or harvested as it has been on the field this year by MSU.

Rest. The Spartans have enjoyed their bye week at exactly the right moment in the season. As Penn State was beating up on Indiana to make up for their less-than top-5 showing at Iowa, The Spartans were resting and watching the Nittany Lions' every move. MSU will have its full complement of offensive and defensive weapons to choose from come game time.

Let it snow. Inclement weather is always the great equalizer in football. With the nation's leading rusher in the backfield, who has not fumbled once in 350+ rushes, The Spartans should fare just fine on the ground and open it up when needed. (Refer to QB Brian Hoyer's 60-yard connection through the air with Blair White between two receivers in last week's Purdue game). The weather is forecast to be 30 degrees and snowing.

No doubt. One of the weirdest looking written words in our fine English language is the downfall of any sportsman. Now that Penn State has been beaten, they have that incessant, creeping, clawing demon of doubt rooted in their minds. It may not be big, it may not be overwhelming, but once you know how to lose, you will lose again. If MSU can score first or take a two-score lead, look in the Penn State players' eyes as they search the scoreboard for more time and an answer. Key stat: Penn State was only leading 10-7 at halftime at home last week against Indiana, a team that is dead-last in the Big Ten standings, as well as defense (along with probably every other stat).

Underdog? The Spartans could teach Rodney Dangerfield something about "No Respect." It doesn't matter how many games we win, how many opponents go down, it's never enough. It's always "this next game will prove the old demons are finally laid to rest," "this next test will really prove if the Spartans have changed." Guess what sportscasters, that's old, stale, tired, done, kaput. This potential 11-2 season is way more than any Spartan could have hoped for, and if the team doesn't even show up for the game on Saturday, it's been a season to remember. Someone please take that albatross from around our green-and-white necks and shove it up the next ESPN commentator that says it.


Sorry GramPa Joe, there's a new coach in town named Dantonio leading a team who wants it more, and they will take it on Saturday.


Calling all Spartans! Be sure to join www.SpartanZone.com and post your green-and-white heart out.

Virus limits Ringer to 21 carries, 54 yards

Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- If you're wondering why Javon Ringer looked slower than usual Saturday against Wisconsin, he had a legitimate excuse.

Ringer wasn't near 100 percent healthy because of a virus he caught during the week that led to a 10-pound weight loss in a matter of days.

"That's what the doctors tell me," Ringer said. "I haven't eaten, by body had been aching, I haven't been sleeping. My body has been hot one moment and cold the next."

The Spartans' top running said he weighed in at about 192 Saturday, the lightest he's been in years. Once the appetite is back, Ringer will know he's recovered.

"I love to eat," Ringer said. "Once I start eating, I know I'll gain my weight back quick."

Entering Saturday's game as the nation's leader in rushing touchdowns (16) and carries (300), the 5-foot-9 playmaker finished Saturday with a season-low 54 yards on 21 carries.


Ringer did, however, score two key touchdowns to get MSU back in the game.

Both came from distances of two yards late in the third quarter and midway through the fourth.

In post-game interviews, Ringer expressed plenty of happiness about the win, but also some frustration that he couldn't be in the best shape.

"A lot of times I felt like maybe things could be a little different if I had a little more kick in my step," Ringer said. "My teammates knew I wasn't feeling too good, my offensive line knew I wasn't feeling too good.

"I'm just glad everybody continued to work. This is a team thing."

NOTE FROM SpartyOn.com :

Despite only carrying for 54 yards this Saturday, Ringer amazingly is still the #1 running back in the country leading all others with 321 carries, 1,427 yards and 18 touchdowns. Even more unbelievable is the fact that in those 321 carries, Ringer has not fumbled once all year.

Hail to The Victors : The Michigan State Spartans Deliver The Goods In Ann Arbor

Hail to The Victors : The Michigan State Spartans Deliver The Goods In Ann Arbor. Patrick Yore of SpartyOn.com - Saturday, October 25th, 2008, Ann Arbor, Michigan

This beautiful fall day in Michigan had many sights and sounds that will be remembered and resound for a very long time. Beating a 2-5 team normally doesn't mean a whole lot, but today was special. Here are the images that will bring many a Spartan joy and haunt Wolverine fans forever...


Sparty Gets a Huge Tackle

Brian Hoyer tagged Blair White and burned UM for a 61 yard touchdown that ended with White running directly into the clutch of Sparty, Michigan State's brut mascot. Against a sea of green and white, the Spartan Marching Band was in that corner of the endzone too, and were so excited they rushed to gain composure and play the fight song in celebration.


Brandon Graham Eats Dirt and His Words

With about 2 minutes left in the first half, Javon Ringer jumped to the outside and jumped back in the Heisman race. Javon hit the line, spun outside and ran away from the entire UM defense for a 64 yard burn to his 15th rushing TD of the season. UM made an inept effort to chase him down, and guess who fell flat on his face, failing to catch Ringer as he crossed into the endzone? Mr. Brandon Graham who guaranteed a Michigan win. I wonder who had a more enjoyable view of that play. Graham with a face full of turf, or Mike Hurt, his brother in BS?


Sam McGuffie Gets Welcomed to The Big Ten

FIrst of all, no one, including me, wants to see anyone get hurt. Sam "Hopalong" McGuffie was UMs leading rusher coming into the game averaging like 65 yards. He had 10 yards rushing today. One run ended in a crushing fashion between three MSU defenders. Vary scary to watch, this clean attack was a great example of how violent the hits are delivered by The Spartan Defense. Sam, please report back to your brothers in The Big 12 how much you enjoyed your first rivalry game against State. Please post a response to let us know if this guy's ok.


Javon Ringer rips off 10 yarders late in the 4th

Michigan defense is normally a force to be reckoned with. Michigan was supposed to have some voodoo conditioning system that would overwhelm opponents late in the game. Watch State's last two drives and you will see a beautiful illustration of heart, soul, teamwork and sheer power.


Mark Dantonio's Smile

Mr. D couldn't help it. However much he tried, however much he preached that the game isn't over until it's over, he cracked a huge smile with around a minute left in the game. Maybe it was converting a 4th and 1 to seal the victory? Whatever he was thinking about, he wasn't smug. He wasn't waving a fist in his opponents face. In fact, he wasn't even looking at the other sideline. He was facing his players and his assistant coaches, knowing that his team of great young men came together and did what they were asked and supposed to do all day, up and down the field marked with a huge block M.

______________________________________________________________


An observation... Much has been made about how UM has many excuses as to why they are so pitiful this year. Mainly that it's Rod's first year and that they lost so many players. The next time you give UM a free pass on these grounds, remember a few of the Spartans who were missing from the roster this year including Devin Thomas, Drew Stanton, SirDarean Adams, Mike Bacon, Ervin Baldwin, Jehuu Caulcrick, Peter Clifford, Kellen Davis, Kaleb Thornhill, etc. Also reflect on where MSUs program was at the end of 2006 with John L. Smith, when a new coach walked onto campus at Michigan State then in HIS first year went 7-6, took his team to a bowl in Florida and barely lost to the #10 ranked team in the country.

______________________________________________________________


The Bottom Line :

- The game was the 101st meeting of the two schools

- Final score = 35 to 14. Any questions about this, refer to this article

- Javon Ringer rushed for 194 yards, scored 2 TDs including a 64 yard run. Sam McGuffie, UMs leading rusher in 2008 had ten yards total

- MSUs Trevor Anderson had 3 sacks

- Blair White, a walk on at MSU, had 143 yards receiving on 4 receptions including a 61-yard long TD catch and run on State's first possession

- Brian Hoyer went 17 for 29 and 282 yards, with 3TDs and no interceptions. UMs Threet completed 48.1% for 168 yards and was intercepted 3 times

Good game Wolverines, Victory for MSU!

___________________________
visit www.SpartyOn.com

Are You There God? It's Me, Sparty...

Sparty: Hello God. It's me, Sparty. What are we doing wrong, God? How have we displeased you? Unlike our brothers in blue to the east, we try to be humble. We don't regale ourselves in gold and too many fine German sports coupes. We are men of the earth who strive to make this gift of the world a better place.

What will it take for us to win on Saturday, God, and make those maize and blues eat their proverbial crow, o glorious one?

God: Thou must keep it simple, my Spartan son. What are the simple keys to how Michigan State can beat UM Saturday, you ask? Stick to this, and ye shall prevail. Waver far from the course, and it may be another long year. (By the way, when I said I made man in my image, I was definitely thinking of you, Sparty.)


1. Score First - Take the ball if you win the coin toss and score first. Whomever can score first will set the tone for the whole day. UM's fans have been known to turn on their own teams on a dime, and if State can score quickly and confidently, the mood will be deflated. (See Wisconsin game this year).

2. Run Up the Middle - Take it straight to them. Do it again. Then do it again.

3. Run to the Outside - Give Javon the ball off tackle. We've all seen the trap blocking in the middle that takes way too long. Let the man run wild.

4. Pressure Defense - Put a ton of people on the line, right in Threet's face. Make him throw too soon. Put him on his back. Plug up the inside where the hoss Minor can bowl over people once he's up to speed.

5. Tackle - I'm not talking about diving for a running back's knees or pushing someone out of bounds. I'm talking about wrapping them up and driving a shoulder through to their spine on every play, every down.

6. Confuse UM's O-Line - Watch the Penn State game. It's UM's Achilles' Beer Gut.

7. Let It Rain - Michigan's Keystone Cop offense will look even more bumbling in the rain. Inclement weather always favors a team that runs well, and this can be summed up by the name Javon.


May the best team win, my son. Just know I'll be sporting my green tunic tomorrow. The rest is up to you.

__________________________

Author's Note

This game is kind of a perfect storm, a perfect setup if you will. MSU, who almost always came in as the underdog for years, is now favored. UM has become the laughingstock of the entire NCAA, their fans boo their own team off the field, and Rich "DickRod" Rodriguez is making John L. Smith look like a rootin' tootin' genius.

Which team has more to prove, or to lose, for that matter? One that can go 7-1 and finally shatter their Sisyphus complex, or another that can claim their whole season redeemed by playing spoiler to their rivals?

Luckily, last weekend's loss by MSU to OSU will give the Wolverines a false sense of hope and give the Spartans even more venom to bring to the trenches.


Strap it up, gentlemen—let's finally let the hitting do the talking.

Northwestern : Wildcats or Just Puss' in Boots?

SpartyOn.com Week 7 Pregame Checkdown : Don't Believe the Hype : MSU vs Northwestern

When it comes to the Northwestern Wildcats versus Michigan State Spartans this weekend, don't believe the hype. If you read the blogs, sports websites and papers, the game is supposed to be a shootout between two leaders in the Big Ten. One will be proven unworthy of their lofty perch, and I'm thinking a lot of purple-wearing people are going to be Green with envy when the clock hits zero.

We all know about NCAA rushing leader Javon Ringer and last year's offensive explosion by C.J. Bacher, but let's look at the lesser known facts that will make the true difference...


Northwestern :

- Opponents have 10 combined wins in 26 games including Syracuse 1-4, Ohio 1-5
- Beat Duke, that perennial powerhouse by a walloping four points
- Northwestern's D-line has 17 sacks already this season, that's great, but MSU's offensive line has only given up only two sacks in six games, that's right, two
- Shonn Greene had 159 yards rushing against NW and averaged 7.6 yards per carry which bodes well for Ringer
- Running back Tyrell Sutton did not practice Wednesday


Michigan State :

- Chicago is full of Spartan graduates and the Northwestern stadium is definitely not an imposing place to play
- Hoyer, Dell and B.J. Cunningham are on track to make defenses think twice about keying on Javon every play. Confusion in a defense kills.
- MSU's defensive backs will get multiple interceptions in the game not only because of their tenacity and intelligence, but because of the new-found strength of their brothers up front like Trevor Anderson on the Spartan D-line putting pressure on QBs and forcing errors
- When it comes to close games, a great kicker is solid gold. Enter Brett Swenson, 12 for 13 on the year.
- Don't get too excited about the Spartans being banged up, according to the official depth chart for Saturday, MSU is at full strength at every position, including Otis Wiley.

It has been two weeks since Northwestern have given or taken a real hit. Last Saturday, the 'Wild' cats (on their bye weekend) sat around their dorm rooms watching MSU gel even tighter as a solid team and emerge from a knock-down street fight with a very respectable Iowa team stronger, more confident, and ready to take on all comers. The bumps and bruises sustained in that game will only fuel Michigan State's desire to dominate in Evanston on Saturday.


Predictions :

Javon goes for 200+, Bacher gets sacked at least three times and is picked off twice

MSU 37 - Northwestern 21


www.SpartyOn.com

8 Great Things About State : The Spartans Have Arisen

SpartyOn.com - Storming into week four of the football season on Javon Ringer's quadriceps, the 2008 Michigan State Football Team welcomes the Domers of Notre Dame into Spartan Stadium on Saturday with cautious eyes and an appetite for blood.

Here are eight things to know about The 2008 MSU Team that has everything to prove while washing away lingering demons from the last home game versus their piously positioned rivals from the banks of the Old Saint Joe :

1. State blanked a Florida Atlantic team 17-0 last Saturday that had scored a combined 101 points in their first two games.

2. Javon Ringer is the top running back in the NCAAs this year with 9 rushing touchdowns.

3. MSU traveled 2,328 miles to Cal for their first game of the season where Brian Hoyer passed for 320 yards, they scored 31 points and had the ball with an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds. The end of the game was being played at 11:30PM Michigan time.

4. Many members of the current team played in the infamous Sept. 23, 2006 Typhoon Bowl. It started out a celebration of the 1966 infamous "Greatest Game Ever Played" and ended in a complete disaster in front of the entire country on TV. Memories of that game will be expunged on every snap, on every hit, on every tackle.

5. MSU has beaten ND in 8 of the last 11 games.

6. The State Receiving Corps of Deon Curry, BJ Cunningham and Mark Dell will finally be at full strength this weekend for the first time this year.

7. 312.2 Pounds. That is the AVERAGE weight of the Spartan Offensive line that has only given up one sack in three games.

8. Mark Dantonio embodies not only the Spartans, and the University but he truly embodies Sparty himself. Not the world's largest free-standing ceramic sculpture, but the old Sparty Mascot. Not just in his always furrowed brow, nor his dark, concerned eyes that cast upon foolish linemen (I was one in high school) that jump offside at the exact wrong moment, but in his demeanor and foreboding presence. It takes a lot to make Dani-boy smile, but then again, The Spartans are treading a precarious path of ice like a young lad on a frozen lake in wintertime. The boy wants to enjoy every step, but he knows he can't. He must stay alert, always aware, because every step could bring shocking misfortune. There is no cowboy-cussin' BS with Dantonio, just like the Spartans of Greece and The Spartans of East Lansing, Michigan. Wouldn't it be great to see him show up on Saturday with a 5 o'clock shadow? The team has taken on his personna, his drive and his hell bent focus on settling for nothing but delivering the very best for their team, fans and university.


Better paint an extra layer of gold paint on those Riddels and stock up the medicine chest with Advil, this is going to hurt.


( the author runs THE Michigan State University Tailgate Website www.SpartyOn.com and blog at www.SpartyOnBlog.com )