The MSU men's basketball team is used to high expectations.
The team knows it has to make some changes to stay competitive after being picked as high as No. 2 in many preseason rankings last fall but finishing on a disappointing note with an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Nevada.
This is the attitude the team took into its summer conditioning, junior center Paul Davis said.
"This summer, everybody on the team had a focus that in the past hasn't been there," Davis said. "For a lot of the guys, it's now or never to win because after this season they're done."
With four seniors on the team who have yet to win a title - Tim Bograkos, Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert and Alan Anderson - the goal of the entire team is to finally capture a Big Ten championship.
"With the four of us seniors wanting to go out with a title, I think leadership will be a big key," Hill said. "With the right type of leadership and having the experience all of us have had, I think we can get there."
With talented guard play in Torbert, Anderson, Hill, junior Maurice Ager and sophomore Shannon Brown, the real question the Spartans face is who will step up in the post.
"For us to go anywhere, we need two big guys down low," Davis said. "A lot is on us big guys this year to show what we can do."
Besides Davis, the Spartans will rely on sophomores Delco Rowley and Drew Naymick along with freshmen forwards Idong Ibok, Goran Sutton and Marquise Gray to fight for the two spots in the post.
Davis, a John R. Wooden Preseason All-America candidate, leads the inexperienced group. Davis led the team with 15.8 points per game last season and is expecting even better things for himself this year.
"Last year I was also named to the All-Wooden team before the season but I didn't really take it for what it was worth," Davis said. "Now I'm taking it to heart because I know what it means and I would like to be one of the top five players in the nation."
Davis said the extra work in the summer without traveling overseas to play, has made him a better player.
"Just being able to work out with the team here this summer and focus on my game has been helpful," Davis said.
The Spartans offensive attack may also be aided with the addition of freshman point guard Drew Neitzel. MSU has lacked a true point guard the past two years and relied mostly on Hill and Anderson to rotate in the position.
"I think he's going to be an unbelievable player," Hill said. "It's going to be nice to have someone who looks to pass first, and hopefully it will get me a couple more looks. He's really going to help us out as the season goes on and as he learns the system more."
