MSU men's basketball coach Tom Izzo has made his goals for the 2002-03 season no secret.

Izzo wants the Spartans, who are ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason poll and 10th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, to bring MSU basketball back to a level of play unmatched by anyone.

"I'm really looking forward to this year, maybe as much as any I've ever looked forward to," Izzo said. "Our goal is to go where we've never gone before.

"We're looking for championship effort, so we can take this thing to an elite level. Our goals are back to winning championships."

The Spartans of course won the 2000 National Championship and that trip to Indianapolis was their second of three consecutive trips to the Final Four. The Spartans also won four consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1998-2001.

However, last season MSU only had one senior on the squad and was riddled by injuries for most of the 2001-02 campaign. The result - a fifth place finish in the Big Ten and a first-round loss to North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament.

But the returning Spartans remember the first-round loss and the disappointing 19-12 record that preceded it. They say they're behind them. The only thing on their minds is making this season a remarkable one.

"Elite means every championship, every game," senior forward Aloysius Anagonye said. "It means Alaska to the Big Ten to the Final Four to the national championship. There are no limitations on being elite."

The task may not be an easy one as the Spartans only have three seniors this season, two of which are expected to play a significant amount of minutes. But that didn't dishearten Izzo, who said the team has a lot of bodies on a 17-man roster who can step up and play.

Izzo said with injuries becoming a norm for the Spartans, having that many players on the bench is necessary.

"Just when you think you have enough talent, you look on the sidelines and see three or four guys sitting there with you," Izzo said. "I do think we can go 10 or 11 deep. So I think we can play a little more reckless, and I think it's going to be a little more fun. And I think it's going to bring us more wins."

Izzo already has seen players joining him on the bench. Junior forward Adam Wolfe is still recuperating from a hamstring tear suffered last season. Sophomore guard Kelvin Torbert underwent surgery Nov. 2, to remove bone chips from his left ankle and is still recuperating. He is expected to be out the first week of the season.

Maurice Ager suffered a stress fracture in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined another four weeks. Sophomore guard Chris Hill slipped on some water during MSU's exhibition contest against Nike Elite on Nov. 13 and injured his groin. Izzo said he can move up and down the court fine, but his lateral movement has been slowed.

"Had we had this many injuries on the perimeter last year, I don't know if we would have had a starting five," Hill said. "But at least with the injuries right now, we do have the depth, and we do have a bunch of young guys that can step up."

Just as freshmen were expected to step up and play significant roles last season, this season will be no different. But luckily for Izzo and the Spartans, MSU picked up some talented incoming freshmen.

Center Paul Davis was listed as one of the top-five recruits in the country, averaged just under 30 points a game in high school.

Izzo called Ager the Spartans best leader and one of their best athletes. He also can play significant roles at either guard spot. Forward Erazem Lorbek, a Slovenia native, has solid passing, dribbling and shooting skills, something uncommon for traditional 6-foot-10 centers.

"A lot of these players haven't proven much," Wolfe said. "A lot of the older guys have played a lot, but the younger guys haven't logged the minutes, and especially with injuries right now, we just don't know.

"But I think that our seniors will bring good leadership, and we'll see what happens."

Because of the injuries, the projected starting five looks to have junior college transfer Rashi Johnson at the point, Hill at shooting guard, sophomore Alan Anderson at small forward and Anagonye and Adam Ballinger playing power forward and center, respectively.

Still, the Spartans are ranked in the top 10 nationally and the Big Ten media predicted the Spartans to take the conference title.

And as Izzo put it, the Spartans are planning on living up to that level - and then some.

"Everyone has said we'd become the hunted and not the hunters," Izzo said. "Well, I went back to the (Upper Peninsula) this summer and bought a hunting license, so we're back hunting and what we're hunting for is to take this program places it hasn't been before."

Izzo said he wants pressure on himself and his players

"I think it's much better to be ranked in the Top 15 of all the polls," he said. "There was a time that use to bother me, but after last year, I realize those are the things I crave.

"So whatever expectations you have this year, they won't be as big as ours."

Chris Mackinder can be reached at mackind8@msu.edu.