Hello all.
I apologize if Friday was an off-balanced day for you because there wasn't a Courtside in the newspaper to aid you in your weekend NCAA Tournament viewing. And, to those of you reading Courtside now and wondering if it is really Monday and not Friday, I can assure you this is a Monday edition of your favorite State News section, so please don't fret.
But can we stay tuned to this idea of disappointment for the duration of your reading experience? Because you're a faithful reader, I'm assured that blank stare on your face means yes, so let us move on.
This may come as a surprise, but the MSU men's basketball team's season wasn't as good as advertised. Dubbed "A Magical Journey," the Spartans' season was far from being a Lance Burton show. There were few points during the season when the Spartans conducted electricity in any of their 40-minute performances. And when the Spartans' faithful hopes were raised, it seemed like a Detroit Tigers game when midgame leads became final-moment losses.
The Spartans ultimately have to be questioned, but if there is one word to describe what the team lacked this season, I say TOUGHNESS.
This sort of toughness has nothing to do with how much one can bench press or any other measures of one's testosteronal fortitude. The toughness I write about is found at many different levels.
The Spartans had Nevada in their grasp in Thursday evening's first-round matchup. Leading by as much as 16 points in the first half, the Spartans held a seven point lead in the final seven minutes to falter it all away and end their season the same way the two prior - Big Ten regular season and Big Ten Tournament - had.
There is a certain level of mental toughness involved in winning the big games, or the tight games, in the 2003-04 Spartans case. That toughness has yet to be seen since a guard by the name of Mateen Cleaves led MSU to the 2000 national title on one leg. For a player to roll his ankle and return to a game - placing his NBA dreams and big-money deals on the line - speaks volumes of the type of player Cleaves was and still is. It still amazes me how a person could continue to place his ankle under strain just to finish out a game and then have to use crutches to walk after the game and many weeks after.
Too many times today it seems like players walk into a winning program and expect to sport a new ring every spring. ?Cleaves and his fellow "Flintstones" always had new bling, but it was earned. "The Flintstones" constantly worked on getting better and when money was in their face - as it was for Cleaves after his junior season - championships trumped the green.
Head coach Tom Izzo could be dealing with too many softies. Or then again, maybe not. But the team's mentality needs change before next fall.
Player disappointments
Maurice Ager: Expected to continue where he left off in last year's NCAA Tournament, Ager never found consistency with his shot. Before the season started, I expected Ager to be the second coming of Morris Peterson, but with more athleticism. Ager seemed the perfect fit as sixth man to ignite a spark off the bench much like Vinnie Johnson did for the Detroit Pistons in their 1988-89 and 1989-90 title runs.
Alan Anderson: There were reports on credible Web sites this summer saying that Anderson had an improved game - an NBA game, even. At 6-foot-6, it seemed Anderson finally would become the big guard to beat opponents inside and out. That didn't happen ,though. A lack of depth at the point guard and the transfer of freshman Brandon Cotton left Anderson to run the Spartans' offense, keeping him from his natural wing position.
Look forward
If the Spartans' only losses after this season end up being seniors Jason Andreas and Rashi Johnson they should be OK. I hope the Spartans can get a lock on the point guard situation, allowing everyone to play their natural position. One bright spot could be freshman guard Shannon Brown's sophomore campaign. Brown will be a big time player in the 2004-05 version of college basketball.
Paul Day is the State News deputy sports editor. Reach him at daypaul@msu.edu.
