The media got its first look at the 2002-03 MSU men’s basketball team Tuesday afternoon and the Spartans have high expectations for the upcoming season.
The Spartans, which are coming off a 19-11 season and a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, are looking to bring their game back to a higher level.
“We took a look at last year and the last three years to see where we need to go and how we’re going to get back to elite status,” Spartan basketball head coach Tom Izzo.
“Looking back at last year, we didn’t have any expectations, we just wanted to survive. This year, many of the polls that have already come out have us ranked in the top 15 and I want that pressure.”
It also shouldn’t be a surprise Izzo is looking for nothing less than championships.
“Our goal is to go where we’ve never gone before,” Izzo said. “We are looking for a championship effort to take this team to an elite level and bring back some championships.”
However, one comment was a bigger surprise.
“I want to be a better-scoring team,” Izzo said. “We are going to run from when the ball is thrown to when the game is over.”
The Spartans have been known for their daunting defense in the past and have proved it by being near the top of the nation in defensive rebounds over the last four years.
But in order to run, the Spartans will need a steady point guard - something they don’t have at the moment. The Spartans will expect sophomore Chris Hill, the team’s top returning scorer from last year, to play a significant amount of time at the point.
Aside from Hill, junior college transfer Rashi Johnson is the other candidate for the position. Izzo said he still has some developing to do.
The rest of the lineup will be mixed, but Izzo said that’s not a bad thing.
He said MSU can go 10 to 11 players deep, allowing the team to save some energy. If all the players stay healthy, he said it should bring in more victories.
The leadership role will be taken by senior forward Aloysius Anagonye.
“Sure the faces have changed, but the attitude is still there,” Anagonye said. “I will be taking a leadership role. If you’re a senior and not looking to be a leader, you shouldn’t be playing basketball.”
And with MSU’s expectations, a solid year doesn’t just garner a NCAA Tournament berth.
“We have a new-found attitude and that is something that will help us down the way,” Hill said. The only losses from last year’s squad are Marcus Taylor, who skipped to the NBA, and Matt Ishbia, who is now a graduate assistant for the team.
“We definitely want to raise our games this year,” Tolbert said. “We want to make a statement.
“We want to be the best team to ever come through Michigan State.”
