Who are the Colorado Buffaloes? After MSU received its No. 7 seed and was slated to face No. 10 seed Colorado, the Spartans (19-12) had little time to find the answer to that question. "This is a Big Ten-type team," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said.
This evening, the MSU men's basketball team is putting a mortgage on the program's future. After a season marred by injuries and deflated expectations, the increasingly healthy No.
Sophomore guard Chris Hill might need to devote an entire room to house the individual awards he's piled up this season. Monday, Hill and sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson were co-recipients of the MSU men's basketball team MVP award. The award, voted on by members of the team, was presented at the Spartans' annual Basketball Bust, an awards dinner to recognize team achievement. Hill also nabbed MVP honors from MSU's media and the team's Scholar-Athlete Award. Senior forward Aloysius Anagonye won the Chairman of the Boards Award for leading the team in rebounds (166) and the Antonio Smith Glue and Guts award for toughness.
Julie Pagel knows exactly what she wants for her birthday - a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The junior forward's 21st birthday is today - two days before the March 16 committee selection date - but Pagel has already made plans to accept the belated present. "It's two days overdue, but nevertheless, it'd be a great gift," she said.
Chicago - Every year, the Big Ten Tournament not only provides excitement, but it also adds a dose of surprise. In the tournament's five-year history, only one No.
It doesn't seem that long ago nearly the entire MSU community packed into Cedar Village like sardines that magical April night the Spartans ran the gauntlet to the school's second national championship. Even with the loss of Mateen, Morris and A.J., Spartan fans had visions of - not sugarplums - back-to-back championships dancing in their heads. The following season, the team returned a solid nucleus - seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson and the high-flying sophomore Jason Richardson - plus a pair of talented freshmen, making the team's attack that much more potent. In pursuit of another title, that team went 24-3 in the regular season and won the school's fourth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title. However, the Spartans encountered a slight bump in the road in their Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal tilt with Penn State, falling to the Nittany Lions, 65-63. Although surprising, the setback didn't deter the team on its way to its third consecutive Final Four.
From living in downtown Chicago to being sidelined by a stress fracture earlier this season, Rashi Johnson's road to playing Big Ten basketball has been rough.While playing street ball at the age of 12, he was shot in the leg.
Big Ten coaches and media unveiled choices for the top players in the conference Tuesday, tabbing sophomore guard Chris Hill and sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson for Big Ten honors.Hill was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team while Anderson picked up an honorable mention from the media.
The Big Ten Tournament is six years old this season, but MSU head coach Tom Izzo isn't convinced its growing pains are done. As the men's basketball team prepares for this weekend's tournament in Chicago, Izzo said Monday the Big Ten Tournament is, at best, a mixed blessing for players and coaches as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament the following week. Izzo said the revenue and exposure the conference generates for Big Ten programs is a positive, but the "one and done" philosophy surrounding the Big Ten Tournament isn't the best representative of a season of hard work. "All you harp on all season is playing 40 minutes," Izzo said.
Columbus, Ohio - Senior forward Adam Ballinger is certainly picking a convenient time to heat up. After drudging through a season laden with shooting slumps and abandoned expectations, he has come alive for MSU the past two contests.
Tomorrow is the first day of March, which means the madness of college basketball is almost upon us. During a three-week span (perfect for hoops junkies), reputations are built, hearts are broken and legends are made. This is by far the greatest sporting event of them all.
The Spartans are inching closer and closer to the NCAA Tournament. But the road leading to the first round still has sharp turns.
MSU is walking into a win-lose situation heading into tonight's matchup with Minnesota. Win and keep hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth alive; lose and consider its dance card lost in the mail.A loss at the Breslin Center tonight for the Spartans (14-11 overall, 6-6 Big Ten) could be catastrophic and running the table in the Big Ten Tournament might be the Spartans only hope for reaching the NCAA Tournament.The Golden Gophers, on the other hand, are looking to steal a conference game on the road to keep their own tourney hopes afloat.Minnesota (16-7, 8-4) strung several lopsided runs together en route to a 77-69 win in January when the teams met at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
He's the floor general, the basketball version of a quarterback, and the leader - the point guard.
The Spartans' bubble is close to bursting. After losing their 11th game of the season to No.
Sophomore guard Chris Hill delivered a dynamite performance Sunday afternoon, but the rest of his teammates dropped the bomb. The Spartans couldn't take advantage of Hill's spectacular 34-point game, falling in a 76-75 thriller. Hill set a Big Ten record with 10 3-pointers en route to his career-high 34 points.
When the Spartans are struggling, one medicine always seems to provide the cure - Breslin Center. It's no secret MSU has struggled on the road this year (1-6 in the Big Ten and 3-9 overall). But playing in front of the 14,759 home fans, including the boisterous Izzone has been the answer to the road woes. Aside from one home blemish - an 81-76 defeat to Toledo on Dec.
Champaign, Ill. - Head coach Tom Izzo can only wish Illinois freshman guard Dee Brown signed with MSU. Izzo recruited Brown last year as a backup point guard for former Spartan Marcus Taylor.
Plain and simple, the Big Ten picture is cloudy. It wasn't particularly sunny in the preseason, but three teams were supposed to vie for the conference crown: MSU, Indiana and Illinois. With three weeks left in the season, not one of those teams are leading the Big Ten.
This season, the MSU men's basketball team is in the middle of a personality crisis: Goliath at home and David on the road. The Spartans (14-9 overall, 6-5 Big Ten) are relatively dominant at Breslin Center, boasting a 10-1 record this season - 5-0 in the Big Ten.