They were ridiculed, called too nice and their hearts and talents were questioned, but Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert and Alan Anderson refused to back down.
Now, the Spartans' junior trio can silence the doubters and leave its mark on MSU forever with one more win - a victory that will bring a Big Ten Championship.
Senior center Jason Andreas, who has a 2000 national championship ring and a pair of Big Ten titles under his belt, said everyone will be playing for the juniors in today's 7 p.m. game against Wisconsin.
"I know what it would mean to them because they talk about it every day," Andreas said. "They've had pressure since they came here. We know they want to win it just as much as everyone else. They've put in the work, and they deserve it."
The arrival of Torbert, a guard, and Anderson, a swingman, Michigan's and Minnesota's 2000 Mr. Basketballs, respectively, and the addition of Hill, a guard and long-range specialist, made MSU's 2001 recruiting class regarded as one of the nation's best. But the three had big shoes to fill.
For four straight years, MSU was the king of the Big Ten and also sat in college basketball's national throne: four Big Ten Championships, three Final Four appearances and one NCAA National Championship.
Since the juniors' arrival, MSU (17-9 overall, 12-3 Big Ten) has finished fifth and third in the Big Ten, respectively, and was knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2002.
MSU head coach Tom Izzo said he realized his large senior class leaving after 2001, coupled with early NBA departures of Zach Randolph and Jason Richardson, meant possible trouble. He said he was forced to throw Hill, Anderson and Torbert into the fire before they really knew how hot it would be.
"I'm really happy for them, that they've withstood what was thrown at them by everybody, including me," Izzo said. "They came in here with so many high expectations and shoes to fill.
"What normally happens in any kind of championship run, any tournament run, usually your veterans have to be your key players, and those five guys (Anderson, Hill, Torbert, Andreas and redshirt junior guard Tim Bograkos) - two that have been through a championship and the three juniors who are forever searching for one - are going to be key, not only in this game, but for the rest of the year."
Hill breathed a sigh of relief at Sunday's practice, knowing a win against the No. 17 Badgers (19-6, 10-4) would put him and the other juniors in the MSU record books.
"One thing we haven't been able to do is win a Big Ten Championship," Hill said. "It's what we came here to do. Now, we're in a position to do that, and we have to take advantage of the opportunity.
"It's an opportunity of a lifetime."
Even a rookie such as freshman guard Shannon Brown is beginning to appreciate the college game. He looked down at his hands and realized one thing was missing - a ring.
"I've been dreaming about it for a long time, and it's close to reach," Brown said. "Everyone all year has fought, fought, fought, and now we get the chance to play for a championship.
"It's probably going to be real special because we've been down so much and had to fight back so much. A lot of people counted us out, but we never stopped fighting."
Christopher M. Mackinder can be reached at mackind8@msu.edu.
