Seattle - Heading into the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans know they could win the whole thing. They also know they could be knocked out in the first round against Nevada on Thursday night. In MSU's seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the No.
It's Monday afternoon, and Tom Izzo is late. His weekly press conference was supposed to begin 15 minutes ago.
Due to ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States Navy sunk plans for MSU men's basketball to play aboard an aircraft carrier. The U.S.
Rebound or else. That is the motto MSU head coach Tom Izzo tells his team heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Assuming MSU head coach Tom Izzo went home and dreamed about his team's NCAA Tournament chances after the Spartans found out they were a No.
With March Madness in full swing, college hoops fans are getting more passionate and emotional than actors in a Spanish soap opera. There are plenty of reasons to get fired up about college basketball.
Indianapolis - Like many Spartans on spring break, Bernie Brown went south with his friends. But unlike most snow birds, the mechanical engineering junior's road trip ended at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Brown stood topless in the stands at the 2004 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, sporting body paint in the form of a Paul Davis jersey, with an eclectic group of friends. Enter MSU hospitality business junior Brad Barenie, a self-proclaimed "die-hard Indiana fan", who painted on his Hoosiers jersey, and friend Tim Dupuis, modeling - you guessed it - a maize and blue uniform for the event. Brown and Dupuis, who have been friends since high school, paid $225 each for all-sessions tickets to watch the conference battles, money Barenie said was well-spent.
Indianapolis - In a game as close as MSU's loss to No. 10 Wisconsin on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament, there had to be a difference-maker.
The Spartans fell short on two of their goals for the 2003-04 season - winning the Big Ten regular season title and the Big Ten Tournament Championship - but there still is the chance of reaching one goal: a Final Four. And as unlikely as it might seem, the Spartans are serious. MSU received a No.
Indianapolis - The Spartans can't help their coach beat Bo Ryan. MSU had another opportunity to defeat Wisconsin on Saturday evening in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, but the Spartans' chance clanked off the back of the rim. Down by two points with 4.8 seconds on the clock, Spartans sophomore guard Maurice Ager grabbed a rebound and sprinted up the floor, but a last-ditch 18-foot jumper hit off the back of the rim, leaving the Badgers with a 68-66 triumph. "I don't think I could have gotten a better look," Ager said after the game.
Simon Mangos sat dejectedly on the bench in front of the visitor's dressing room, his helmet on the ground. He used one hand to wipe the sweat off his face, the other to cover his eyes to hide the falling tears.
The No. 24 MSU women's basketball team went 1-1 at the Big Ten Tournament, finishing the regular season with a tough loss to No.
The No. 24 MSU women's team had a good feeling it was going to be in the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, Spartans (21-8 overall) found they had received a No.
After posting just a 2-12 record on the season, the MSU wrestling team will look for better results at the Big Ten Championships this weekend, enjoying three pre-seeded contenders. Redshirt freshman Andy Simmons, sophomore Darren McKnight and senior Nate Mesyn each were selected as preliminary seeds in their respective weight classes. "I think Andy's seed is the best seed on our team," head coach Tom Minkel said.
One wants to continue playing hockey while the other wants to become a surgeon. The two graduating seniors for the Spartans hockey team couldn't be going on a more different path after finishing their careers at MSU. Defenseman Joe Markusen and forward Steve Swistak will be honored in tonight's Senior Day festivities before facing off against Michigan at 8:05. Markusen, a general management major, doesn't have definite plans of what he'll do, but hopes the plans include playing hockey somewhere - wherever that might be. "Hopefully, I can get picked up somewhere, do that for a while and see where it goes - other than that, I guess I'm really not sure," the Park River, N.D., native said. Markusen said it's a little "nerve-racking, but at the same time exciting" to not know what he might be doing. "It'll be fun to see what happens, where I'll end up.
Dominic Vicari doesn't want the MSU hockey team's two-game matchup starting tonight to be about him vs.
The Spartans undoubtedly are having trouble swallowing Tuesday night's 68-64 overtime loss to No.
The MSU hockey and men's basketball teams shared one common goal when the week began - capture the regular-season title for their respective conferences. While the basketball team's loss Tuesday will make it tougher to claim a share of the title, the No.
MSU's chance at a Big Ten championship will have to wait - whether for a couple of days or another season is the question. The Spartans had a chance to recapture the conference crown and raise another banner at Breslin Center after a two-year hiatus, but MSU lost a 68-64 thrilling overtime game to No.
MSU now is one of 30 finalists in the running to host the first and second rounds for the 2006 NCAA women's basketball tournament. Breslin Center, which seats 14,759 people, already hosts the Michigan High School Athletic Association Boys' Basketball finals each year and is home to MSU men's and women's basketball.