The MSU men's basketball team sent a clear message to the nation at Saturday's Green and White game - look out below.

The Spartans put on an offensively charged, highly athletic performance at the annual intrasquad scrimmage, which served mainly as a showcase of what each MSU player had been working on all summer.

Junior swingman Alan Anderson and junior guard Kelvin Torbert appeared comfortable with their improved perimeter shooting - the pair made six of nine 3-point attempts - sophomore center Paul Davis and redshirt freshman forward Delco Rowley were aggressive in the low post and sophomore guard Maurice Ager nearly put on a shooting clinic.

Ager led the Spartans with 34 points, 25 of which came in the first half on 5-for-6 shooting from behind the 3-point line. Davis was second on the team with 27 points and led the team with 17 rebounds.

Though the Green team outlasted the White 109-96, most players swapped sides and reversed jersey colors at half-time. The interchange of players, though, showed MSU's offensive depth, junior guard Chris Hill said.

"We've got so many different guys," he said, alluding to Ager's improvement and freshman guard Shannon Brown. "So many guys are able to do so many things. We have explosive, explosive players who can take it to the basket."

One of the most refreshing performances from Saturday's scrimmage came from true freshman guard Brandon Cotton. The Detroit native scored 14 points and dished 9 assists while showing a solid, though early, understanding of head coach Tom Izzo's pro-style offense.

"It felt normal," Cotton said of his time at point. "Like I had to get my team involved. There's a lot to remember; you just have to make sure you're in your spot."

The point position, one of MSU's largest question marks from a season ago, continued to be just that. Cotton, Anderson and Hill ran the offense well, but a clear favorite at the position never emerged.

In addition to Cotton, MSU received further encouragement from its class of freshmen. Brown - who electrified the crowd with a one-handed dunk originating outside the block - and center Drew Naymick were solid, scoring 21 and 19 points, respectively.

"We'll have to use his speed," Izzo said of Cotton. "He's almost better in the half court than he is in the full court."

Early favorites

For the second season in a row, the Spartans were tabbed as preseason favorites to win the 2003-04 Big Ten title on Sunday, as voted upon by coaches and media at the Big Ten men's basketball media day.

Hill was named to the Big Ten Preseason All-Conference team by coaches and media, and Davis was selected to the coaches' team.

"It's nice to be picked on top, but it doesn't mean much," Anderson said in a statement. "Our goal this year is to be on top at the end of the season. That's the team people remember."

Wisconsin guard Devin Harris was chosen as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year candidate by the coaches, while the media selected Illinois guard Dee Brown.

In the crowd

Lansing Everett recruit Goran Suton was on-hand and courtside Saturday for the Spartans' Green and White game. Should the 6-foot-10 Suton sign a letter of intent to play for the Spartans in November, he's on track to suit up for next season's scrimmage.