Last season, the MSU men’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and met one of college basketball’s powerhouses — North Carolina. After keeping up with the Tar Heels’ run-and-gun style of play, North Carolina eventually pulled away just by sheer depth and strength.
After last weekend’s devastating loss to Northern Michigan in the CCHA Quarterfinals, the MSU hockey team took the first few days of this week to regroup.
Thursday afternoon may have been a strong indication of promise for the future. With senior guard Drew Neitzel scoring six points on 2-for-11 shooting, some MSU fans might be saying “Uh-oh, we’re doomed in this tournament without Neitzel burying 3-pointers and scoring at least 17 points a game.”
Senior guards Alisa Wulff and Courtney Davidson were hoping Feb. 28 would be the last time they would play at Breslin Center.
Levance Fields scored a season-high 23 points and Keith Benjamin had 12 points and nine rebounds for Pittsburgh as the Panthers defeated Oral Roberts 82-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Pepsi Center.
Arguably the most important contribution from the MSU men’s basketball team in its win against Temple can’t be found in the box score. A combined MSU effort in defending guard Dionte Christmas, Temple and the Atlantic 10’s leading scorer, doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but might be the most notable of the afternoon. Thanks to Kalin Lucas, Drew Neitzel, Raymar Morgan and especially Travis Walton, the Spartans held Christmas to three points — his lowest point total of the season.
In a marathon match that lasted three overtimes, sophomore wrestler Franklin Gomez overcame a tough unseeded opponent and a hurt ankle to advance to today’s quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships.
Through a roller-coaster ride of a season, the MSU men’s basketball team has found ways to win and ways to lose. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance in games against top-10 teams and floundered against cellar-dwellers. Now, with everything on the line in the NCAA Tournament, here are three things the Spartans should and should not do to better their chances for a postseason run.
As Danny Kulas wandered past Bailey Hall dorm rooms selling green-and-white T-shirts stating “This is madness,” the marketing freshman could only dream about making the trip to Denver for MSU’s first-round basketball game against Temple.
According to the schedule, the MSU baseball team plans to make its 2008 home debut Friday at Kobs Field. Mother Nature might have other ideas, however, as of Wednesday, weather.com is forecasting a high of 37 degrees and a chance for snow showers.
While the thought of wrestling for a national championship in front of 22,000 people may put added pressure on some individuals, it hasn’t affected sophomore wrestler Franklin Gomez.
Sparty will be on the cover of “NCAA Football 09” for the Nintendo Wii after a close competition, EA Sports announced Tuesday.
Like father, like son. The MSU football team received another verbal commitment for the 2009 recruiting class Sunday, landing East Lansing High School junior Blake Treadwell, according to Scout.com.
Even ESPN is bewildered by the NCAA selection committee’s picks for the NCAA Tournament. Actually, I think everyone except those faithful to Florida State and Auburn believes the MSU women’s basketball team got pushed under the rug.
After CBS’ selection show, senior guard Drew Neitzel admitted he and the rest of the MSU men’s basketball team knew zilch about Temple’s offense, defense, roster and every other team characteristic.
What a difference a weekend makes. In other words, what a difference the men’s Big Ten Tournament made. Before this weekend, many basketball analysts penciled Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue and MSU all as no lower than a six seed — and some as high as a three — in the NCAA Tournament.
Anger and disappointment. Those two words sum up the morale in the Berkowitz Basketball Complex after the MSU women’s basketball team found out it would not make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
A boarding penalty on senior captain Bryan Lerg was all Northern Michigan needed to get going. Then, 1:54 later, it was all over.
Unfortunately for the MSU men’s basketball team, the NCAA has made it illegal to defend a team shooting free throws. In a touchy, tightly officiated Big Ten Tournament semifinal game, the Spartans had to stand aside and watch Wisconsin shoot 37 free throws on 30 team fouls en route to a 65-63 win Saturday afternoon at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.