It'll be the question of the season for the Spartans.

Well, maybe second to "Can they win a national championship?"

Will the point-guard-by-committee approach suffice for the men's basketball team's postseason powerhouse dreams?

Juniors Alan Anderson and Chris Hill, senior Rashi Johnson and freshman Brandon Cotton are members of the quarterback committee.

"We really have three or four guys that can run the point," sophomore center Paul Davis said. "If we get those four on the same page as far as the plays and the options, we're really going to have four different weapons."

Anderson, Hill and Johnson have experience on the team, at the position and in the offense, which is to their advantage. But none of those guys have stepped up to be the single leader.

"We all do something extremely well a little bit different," Hill said, adding that he and Anderson should be the leaders of this team.

"This is our third year now, so we've got to kind of pick it up a bit."

One of the three might still develop into the point guard - each one has had time to work out the kinks in his ball-handling skills.

But then again, it might not ever happen. Hill and Anderson never were true point guards, and Johnson has dealt with injuries.

Hill is a model shooting guard, which is apparent to MSU fans who fondly remember his 34 points and 10 3-pointers against Syracuse last February.

He plays well taking a pass off a pick and roll, draining it from beyond the arch. But it only works if someone else is handling the ball to set it up.

But as last season shows, the Spartans' offense depends on Hill's leadership.

"I feel better with the ball," he said. "The experience of having more understanding of everything that entails our offense and what to look for makes me more effective."

A very versatile player, Anderson stands 6-foot-6, weighing 220 pounds, perhaps making him better suited to a power position where he can use those features to his advantage.

He handles the ball well, though, and took over more point guard responsibilities last season when the Spartans' offense was struggling.

"Alan, like myself, has a few different positions to get acclimated with," Hill said. "It's something that guys are getting better at and will continue to work on."

A junior college transfer last year, Johnson injured his foot just as the MSU offense was beginning to click for him.

But as the injuries have passed, Johnson said he has fully adjusted to the offense, especially in his decision making.

"I'm comfortable now that I know the options," Johnson said. "Last year I didn't know them all. The guys listen and help point out what is good and bad. You know the point guard is not always perfect."

And he's right.

Johnson's main problems last season were committing turnovers when trying to push the ball up the court and force plays that weren't there.

"Sometimes, communications get mixed up," Hill says. "So it's not just taking better care of the ball, but a lot of times, it's not even his fault, it's just the situation he's in."

There is one more wild card - Cotton.

Cotton led Detroit DePorres High School team to the Michigan Class C State Championship last year, averaging 26.7 points, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

He also is a true point guard and might see some playing time this year, depending on how quick he picks up the offensive scheme.

"Using my quickness, I push the ball up a lot," Cotton said. "It helps me out because that's the advantage I got.

"I want to be a contender for that position, and I want to step up, step up my game where it needs to be."

Staff writer Meghan Gilbert contributed to this report.