It's all about heart, and the MSU men's basketball team doesn't seem to have it.
Its counterpart, the MSU women's basketball team, does. It earned the Big Ten Tournament Championship with a win over University of Minnesota and finished the season with a 28-3 overall record and 14-2 Big Ten record.
But the men, who seem to have all the ingredients for a run at the championship - Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert, Chris Hill, Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis - just don't have the spark.
For seniors Anderson, Torbert and Hill, the No. 13 Spartans' 71-69 loss to University of Iowa at the United Center on Friday night not only eliminated the team from the Big Ten Tournament, but also killed their last chance to become Big Ten Tournament champions during their college careers.
It was a game those seniors knew they could have won.
When the pressure of having to overcome Iowa's defense and the challenge of moving the ball down court were removed, MSU, the nation's leading free-throw team, couldn't get the ball in the hoop. In the last 6.5 seconds, Anderson - the conference's leading free-throw shooter - missed two free throws and an opportunity to win the game.
Overall, the Spartans shot a season-low 15-of-30 from the free-throw line - undoubtedly the reason they lost. Even MSU head coach Tom Izzo pointed to free throws as the reason for the defeat.
What's the problem, fellas? This was your time. Spartans fans can only hope you are waiting to pull out the passion for the NCAA Tournament.
As the Spartans prepare to face Old Dominion University on Friday, maybe they'll find inspiration to play with the vigor the team has proven themselves capable of producing.
Just two years ago, they blew past expectations to make it to the Elite Eight. They played with passion and defeated the University of Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen. It was that kind of drive that led thousands of fans to rejoice - even if the celebration got out of hand.
The humbling loss to No. 1 University of Illinois earlier in the season was a reminder that MSU will face some stiff competition when they enter the tournament. Teams such as Illinois make most level-headed fans consider the Spartans' chances of taking it all slim. But that's the beauty of college basketball - you hardly ever get what you expect. And MSU is the kind of team that doesn't always do what they are expected to, whether it be losing to easy teams or defeating higher ranked teams.
The Spartans' passion faltered in the Big Ten Tournament, but hopefully the team won't make the same mistakes in the NCAA Tournament. This season has been hard-fought (22-6), and at times, the Spartans have shown the teamwork it takes to be the best.
If the sense of urgency they should possess is within them, they'll pull it together and start playing with some heart.
