Though no championship banners will be raised or titles claimed, the members of the MSU men's basketball team should hold their heads high.

The Spartans battled their way through a grueling season, and their suffering paid off in this year's Big Dance.

Some might view MSU as just a Cinderella, but Spartan fans everywhere know we weren't wearing glass slippers. More like steel-toe boots as the Spartans kicked down the dance door and entered the Elite Eight.

That was nearly the exact goal of coach Tom Izzo back at the start of the season.

It was Midnight Madness when Izzo said he wanted to place the Spartan basketball program with the elite of the nation and return to the Final Four.

And though maybe no one wants to admit it, the team did reach its goal, joining the elite.

If not elite, what do you call a program that has reached the Sweet Sixteen five times in the last six years?

If not elite, what do you call a program that has reached the Final Four three times in the last five years, winning the national championship in 2000?

And if not elite, what do you call a program that will return all but two of its players, and will welcome a premier recruiting class led by two McDonald High School All-Americans?

This Spartan team showed frequent flashes of brilliance, beating Kentucky on the road, sweeping Big Ten rival Indiana and finishing the conference season on a hot streak that wouldn't cool off until defending champs Maryland and No. 2 seed Florida were knocked out of the tourney. Only then did the Spartans lose steam as they bowed out to No. 1 seed Texas.

If the last month of play by the Spartans is any indication of next year's success level, then not only can you call the program elite, but it will also raise the bar for the rest of the nation.

At least the season ended with a bang, or maybe that was just the tear gas guns going off.