Three years ago, Drew Neitzel stared into the TV cameras, wide-eyed and excited to start his MSU career. I remember Marquise Gray could barely contain his excitement as I talked to him about putting on the green and white jersey for the Spartans. He was so thankful to be playing basketball at MSU and to be in MSU head coach Tom Izzo's newest recruit class.

I have covered the men's basketball Media Day for the past three years, so I have been able to watch Gray and Neitzel grow up and see how they are starting the season off. They have endured the highs of making it to the Final Four in 2005 and the lows of injuries, frustrations with their abilities and a first-round NCAA Tournament exit in 2006.

Not that long ago, they were the rookies on the team, surrounded by some of the deepest lineups MSU has seen. Rosters packed with names such as Chris Hill, Alan Anderson and Kelvin Torbert made these freshmen fade into the background.

Even last year, the big three — Paul Davis, Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown — took a lot of the attention away from Gray and Neitzel, who were still playing supporting roles.

But this year, things are different. With Davis, Ager and Brown pursuing their NBA careers across the country, it's time for these players to step up and show what kind of players they can be. Neitzel and Gray know the team's talent and experience don't run as deep as on former teams. But this season, more than ever, it's their turn to kick up the leadership.

Neitzel leads the team on the court as a point guard and as one of the few experienced players left, his role will be crucial this season. He needs to show the young guys how to play MSU basketball and how to bring home wins.

Gray has been plagued by injuries and this season might finally be his chance to make strides. He needs to bring his strength and size to the court, as well as his ability to motivate his teammates and bring the intensity.

So are these players up for the challenge? I sure hope so, or else this basketball season could be as painful as many fans are predicting.

Laura Collins is a State News sports reporter. She can be reached at colli313@msu.edu.