The clock struck midnight. Eric Leslie refreshed the screen on his computer, clicked and bought his ticket to the Final Four.
Leslie, an accounting junior, and electrical and computer engineering sophomore Kyle Pulis have been Izzone members since the beginning of their MSU careers. The same crazed dedication that possesses them during the season will carry them to Indianapolis on Saturday to watch the Spartans take on the Butler Bulldogs — even if that means waking up at 2:30 a.m.
“My birthday is Friday,” Pulis said, laughing. “I’ll be up all night. I’ll probably just die in the car (Saturday) and wake up in Indy. It couldn’t be better.”
Spartans fans gathered to send off the MSU men’s basketball team Wednesday, and thousands more, including Leslie and Pulis, will follow as the weekend approaches, all in anticipation of one crucial moment in time — 6:07 p.m. Saturday, tip-off for the No. 5-seed Spartans’ semifinal game against No. 5-seed Butler.
Leslie said the wait for Saturday has been unbearable.
“These two days since I’ve gotten the ticket have been the longest two days of my life,” he said. “There’s a countdown taped up on my wall. It’s all we’ve been talking about. It’s time to show what kind of team we really are.”
Getting there
Both the Michigan and Indiana departments of transportation predict relatively clear roads on the trip down I-69, from East Lansing to Indianapolis. Will Wingfield, a representative of the Indiana Department of Transportation, said although it is early in the construction season, travelers should prepare for potentially heavy traffic because of spring break and the Easter holiday weekend.
National Weather Service meteorologist John Kwiatkowski said weather for the tournament should be mild with high temperatures of 70 degrees on Saturday. Kwiatkowski recommended fans bring an umbrella and a light jacket in case of thunderstorms early Saturday morning.
Many hotels in the area already are sold out for the weekend, but some deals still can be found within 20 minutes of Lucas Oil Stadium. Spartans still looking for tournament tickets will not be able to find them at the MSU Ticket Office, but many online packages that include hotel reservations and other deals still can be found. A few Web pages offering ticket packages include www.RazorGator.com, www.PrimeSort.com and www.msusportstours.com.
Spartan spirit
Fans can catch a free sneak preview of other Final Four teams or support the Spartans by attending open practices from noon to 4 p.m. Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The MSU men’s basketball team will practice from 2:10-3 p.m., and the event is free and open to the public.
The official Spartan pep rally will be held Friday from 7-8:30 p.m. at Pan Am Plaza, a block on the corner of W. Georgia Street and S. Illinois Street in downtown Indianapolis. Admission and popcorn are free to attendees. The rally will feature appearances by men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis, Spartan Brass, the MSU Dance Team, the MSU Cheerleaders and Sparty.
Champps Americana, 49 W. Maryland St., is the designated game-watch location for MSU fans. General manager Chris Garcia said employees will be serving green beer and decking out the restaurant in green and white to prepare for Saturday. Garcia also said sports fans can stop by at 1 p.m. Sunday for a meet-and-greet with Dick Vitale.
“We’re going to make sure we’ve got our Spartan colors on around here,” Garcia said.
No ticket? No worries.
Indianapolis has a variety of sports bars, hangouts and restaurants for Spartans fans without tickets.
Kilroy’s Bar and Grill, 201 S. Meridian St., features 47 flat screen TVs and will have tent parties before and after both Final Four games, bar manager Jason Hornberger said.
One of the largest sports bars in downtown Indianapolis, Kilroy’s is well-known for its breadsticks and Long Island ice tea pitchers. Hornberger said the bar saw many MSU fans for the Big Ten Tournament and expects even more for the Final Four games.
“(MSU) had more fans than any other school,” he said. “It was crazy.”
The Slippery Noodle Inn, 372 S. Meridian St., was recommended by MSU alumni in Indianapolis and is well-known for its live blues music. The Slippery Noodle also will have tent watches for the games.
The Rathskeller Bar and Biergarten, 401 E. Michigan St., is one of the oldest bars downtown, built by author Kurt Vonnegut’s grandfather in 1894. Rathskeller is known for its Biergarten, which provides outside seating for more than 1,000 people.
The Fox and Hound English Pub and Grille, 4901 E. 82nd St., is preparing for both MSU and Butler fans, with designated team seating areas for both sides.
“It’s going to be a party,” event coordinator Adrianne Hull said.
Attractions
Bracket Town at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., and White River State Park, 800 W. Washington St., are the places to be during the weekend when fans aren’t at the games.
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Bracket Town will feature the NCAA Championships Zone, a technology-based sports exhibit which includes interaction with CBS Sports’ AT&T at the Half recording studio. Well-known NCAA players, coaches and sports personalities will make appearances throughout the weekend at the convention center, and 12 basketball courts will be open to the public for fans to participate in exhibitions, practice and contest games.
The Reese’s College All-Star Game will follow open team practices Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium, featuring some of the best college athletes nationwide.
The White River State Park is the home of the Indianapolis Zoo, 1200 W. Washington St., the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St., the NCAA Hall of Champions, 700 Washington St. and other attractions.
The Big Dance Concert Series is being held in the park as well. All concerts are free and open to the public. Featured artists include Stone Temple Pilots, the Goo Goo Dolls, LL Cool J, Daughtry and Darius Rucker.
Like many fans, Leslie and Pulis plan to stay in Indianapolis through the weekend if MSU pulls out a win Saturday.
Both have high hopes for MSU, predicting a victory over Butler on Saturday.
“Maybe (junior guard Kalin Lucas’) injury is the reason we’ve gone this far,” Leslie said. “He’s brought (the team) together off the court, and the run we’re going on now, I don’t see us being stopped by Butler.”
