This evening, the MSU men's basketball team is putting a mortgage on the program's future.
After a season marred by injuries and deflated expectations, the increasingly healthy No. 7 seed Spartans are clashing with No. 10 seed Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 7:10 tonight in Tampa, Fla. Anything less than a victory, and the new core of young Spartans are in danger of carrying the one-and-out label.
"It's a once in a lifetime thing," sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson said. "You see all the excitement when all the smaller Division I-A schools make it. Everybody doesn't get the chance."
MSU (19-12) has that chance and it needs a win. After last year's disappointing 69-58 first-round loss to North Carolina State after advancing to three consecutive Final Fours, another first-round loss could be devastating to the confidence of MSU's trio of sophomore talent - Anderson, guard Chris Hill and guard Kelvin Torbert.
"Last year, letting the team down the way I think I did," Anderson said, "this is something to get the confidence back in it."
Anderson played only 13 minutes against N.C. State, fouled out and scored five points. Torbert had 2 points and grabbed 7 rebounds - and Hill was the team's bright spot, netting 21 points.
"(Head coach Tom Izzo) knows we're the future," Anderson said. "We're the young guys, we're coming up. We're going to have to set all the good examples and be leaders."
The stage is set for sophomore redemption, but Colorado is a tough draw for a team looking to make an immediate impact on the tournament brackets.
The Buffaloes (20-11) knocked off five tournament teams and played in the nation's toughest conference. Izzo likened their style of play to a Big Ten team - physical, grinding and potentially explosive.
"They are a team that has beaten Texas and Kansas at home," Izzo said. "It's an evenly-matched first-round game. If we play how we have for the last month and a half, we can win."
Izzo's sentiment has naturally been adopted by his optimistic team, but the desire for a postseason victory and a championship appearance looms larger over the squad than any other factor.
Even the freshmen know the importance of this postseason, touting their determination for a ring like seasoned veterans.
"(The sophomores) not tasting success is a good and bad thing, though," freshman center Paul Davis said. "Because they're going to be hungry to get past the first round. They got a little taste of what it is and this is their year to shine."
Should the sophomores stumble, though, the freshmen have held their own in the young postseason. Davis, guard Maurice Ager and forward Erazem Lorbek all played impressive defense in the Big Ten Tournament and combined for 48 points in two games.
But while there has been optimism on this team all season, MSU could face a harsh reality if the Buffaloes show the Spartans up.
"We just have to go play the game," Izzo said. "Now we're on a big stage. Now everyone we play, we know if we don't play well, we're not going to win."
