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MSU basketball staying mum about Kentucky

Izzo also weighs possibilities of no captains, redshirting Ellis

November 7, 2013
	<p>Senior center Adreian Payne goes up for a jump shot during the game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Nov. 4, 2013, at Breslin Center. The Spartans beat the Crimson Hawks, 83-45. Danyelle Morrow/The State News</p>

Senior center Adreian Payne goes up for a jump shot during the game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Nov. 4, 2013, at Breslin Center. The Spartans beat the Crimson Hawks, 83-45. Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Photo by Danyelle Morrow | The State News

The first rule about playing Kentucky is don’t talk about Kentucky — at least until next week.

With five days until the highly-anticipated matchup between the No. 2 MSU men’s basketball team and the No. 1 Wildcats at the State Farm Champions Classic in Chicago, the thought on the minds of many surrounds what to expect from the Spartans.

Yet senior center Adreian Payne and others declined to discuss anything except Friday’s regular season opener with McNeese State (7 p.m., BTDN).

“We’re just taking it a game at a time and just trying to get prepared the best that we can be,” Payne said. “The only thing that can really hurt us is if we don’t come out and play to the best of our ability. We can’t come out with one bad half and a good second half. That won’t do us no justice.”

A former five-star high school player out of Dayton, Ohio, Payne was recruited by many top coaches across the country, including Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Although Calipari has a knack for bringing the most talented recruiting classes to Lexington, Payne elected to go with MSU’s Tom Izzo — and will look to get the program back to the Final Four for the first time since 2009 with the Spartans this season.

However, Payne wasn’t budging when the topic of Kentucky was broached on Wednesday.

“We’re not allowed to talk about Kentucky right now,” he said.

The sentiment was echoed by several players including senior guard Keith Appling, who didn’t flinch at letting a few reporters know that MSU’s next opponent is McNeese State, as if someone might have forgotten.

But Appling might have a point, as it will be the final regular season opener of he and Payne’s career, kicking off what many anticipate will be a special season for the Spartans.

“I feel like I don’t just look forward to the opener. I mean, I look forward to playing every game out on this floor because the fans are great,” Appling said, slumped over in his chair with a tired smirk. “The atmosphere is just unbelievable. Each and every time I have the opportunity to step on this floor and compete, I’m looking for it.”

The Champions Classic takes place at Nov. 12 in Chicago (7:30 p.m., ESPN) and tickets for the event still are available at espnevents.com/champions-classic.

No captains, No Ellis?

A year ago, the Spartans had three team captains. This year, they might not have one.

At least those are the words of Izzo, who addressed the media for several minutes Wednesday, proclaiming he isn’t any closer to a decision on naming an official captain.

“If I were you guys (the media), I wouldn’t worry about it because that’s the one thing that I decided this year, that I’m nowhere and it’s not anything bad,” Izzo said. “It might be the first time in Michigan State history that I name the whole team captain because I think they all get along, they all do the job and I haven’t even thought about it, you know.”

Former center Derrick Nix, junior guard Russell Byrd and Appling shared captain duties in the 2012-13 season, but ultimately failed to match the same level of leadership that was famous with former Spartan Draymond Green.

Izzo also addressed the notion of potentially redshirting freshman guard Alvin Ellis III, saying he’s leaning toward not doing it, but will leave the decision up to Ellis and his family.

“Alvin, because he’s a little better than I thought he was, it almost makes me want to do it more,” Izzo said. “It’s all his decision and in this day and age … It’s a little bit harder and we’re gonna have another talk. It’s totally his and his family’s decision.”

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