When MSU mens basketball head coach Tom Izzo recruits players he promises them the chance to win championships and to play against great players.
Izzos three newcomers, freshmen guards Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert and guard-forward Alan Anderson, will take advantage of that final promise when they play an exhibition game against the Magic Johnson All-Stars with the legend himself on the floor.
The game is at 9 p.m. Friday at the Breslin Center.
Michigan State has a great tradition of keeping their players coming back, Hill said. In the summer we got to play against (San Antonio Spur) Steve Smith and Shawn Respert and all the great players from Michigan State. And to be able to meet Magic Johnson and play against him is an unbelievable, unbelievable thing.
Torbert said playing against one of the best players ever will be a dream come true for him.
It will be just something you dreamed about since you were little, Torbert said. Just watching him on TV as a young man thinking, Man, I want to go out there and play with those guys, just match up with them. It will be like a dream come true.
Anderson wore No. 32 in high school after the MSU and L.A. Laker legend and said he spent his childhood watching the Lakers with his family.
But he said if given the chance to guard Magic - who is listed at guard, forward and center - he will not back down.
Its going to be tough for him and me because Im going to come hard at him, Anderson said. You cant ever let your opponent know youre scared of him.
But the three freshmen said they understand how important it is to play against the All-Stars and their roster full of ex-MSU stars such as Respert, John Garvalia, Pig Miller and Carlton Valentine.
Just coming out the first game playing against a lot of pro-caliber athletes, thats going to help us out a lot, Torbert said. Because you dont see that type of competition in the college game, so I think thats going to get us ready for the preseason and the regular season.
Hill agreed with Torbert and said its good to finally play someone other than his teammates.
Weve been going all preseason hard these two or three weeks banging up against one another, Hill said. I think its definitely time - I think were all ready to go up against somebody else.
And at this point, no one seems too starstruck over Johnson. Sophomore guard Marcus Taylor, who has known Magic since he was 10, said the team wont hold anything back on the legend.
I doubt (the team will be starstruck), Taylor said. All of our lives weve played against great players, so were going to come in there with a lot of confidence and I think well be ready for Friday.
But Hill doesnt take Taylors approach. He said hes not sure how hell react if he finds himself face-to-face with Magic, but plans to play hard and learn.
I dont know how Ill react (if I guard Magic), Hill said. Right now Im just incredibly excited to have that opportunity, and its just an honor to play against him. And Im hoping to try and learn as many things as I can. But still Ill go at him with everything I have.
And by having Magic at the Breslin Center, Torbert said it will become an extra reminder to what being a part of the MSU program really means.
(The game) is going to be something sweet, Torbert said. Its something nice because every time you walk in that locker room you see all of those guys jerseys hanging up so thats just a little reminder of where you want to be, what you want to do. You want to do all of the things that they did.