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U lacked desire in loss
Spartan head coach Tom Izzo could point fingers in a lot of directions following Tuesday’s 63-61 loss to No.
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Spartans tournament future on bubble
After losing 63-61 to No. 18 Illinois on Tuesday night, the MSU men’s basketball team was forced to add a new word to its dictionary - bubble.Unless the Spartans win the Big Ten Tournament, they will likely be on the fringe of the 65-team pool in March’s NCAA Tournament.
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Bradford key to Illini success
When the MSU men’s basketball team tangles with Illinois tonight, people will be watching Illini guard Frank Williams. Williams, the 2001 Big Ten Player of the Year, is the Illini’s leading scorer at 16.4 points per game. But lurking in Williams’ shadow is the key to the Illini’s attack, guard Cory Bradford. Many college basketball enthusiasts remember the senior as one of the conference’s best players his freshman and sophomore campaigns, when he averaged just over 15 points a game.
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Spartans alter preparation for second round with Illini
The MSU men’s basketball team is coming off one of its biggest wins the season, but it won’t have time to take it in.
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Defense spurs upset win
Ohio State’s backcourt duo of Brian Brown and Brent Darby were on an offensive tear before arriving at Breslin Center on Sunday. Brown and Darby combined for an average of 28.1 points per game before losing to MSU (14-9 overall, 5-5 Big Ten) 67-64.
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Taylor still questionable
The Spartan men’s basketball team may have to gun down Big-Ten-leading No. 16 Ohio State on Sunday at Breslin Center without its most effective weapon available. Sophomore guard Marcus Taylor could still be shelved for the Spartans’ (13-9 overall, 4-5 Big Ten) 1 p.m.
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Northwestern offense poses challenge to U
The MSU men’s basketball team will do its best to stay awake tonight against Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena. “It’s kind of a lull-you-to-sleep offense,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said of the Wildcats’ attack. Wildcats head coach Bill Carmody coached under the legendary Pete Carril at Princeton from 1982-96, and was the Tigers’ head coach until 2000.
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Taylors status questionable
When sophomore guard Marcus Taylor left Sunday’s game early in the second half, things looked bleak.But after the final buzzer sounded, the MSU men’s basketball team recorded more than a 67-61 win over No.
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Squad rallies behind Taylor
Champaign, Ill. - Despite playing without sophomore guard Marcus Taylor for most of the second half, the Spartans hung on to upset No.
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Illinois Cook keeps game within reach in first half
Champaign, Ill. - Forward Brian Cook carried No. 12 Illinois against the Spartans in the first half Sunday at Assembly Hall. But after scoring 20 points in that half, the 6-foot-10, 240 -pounderonly scored two points in the second half as MSU (13-8 overall, 4-4) routed the Illini (15-7, 4-5) 67-61.
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Spartans ready for Illinois
Despite No. 12 Illinois’ two-game losing streak, the MSU men’s basketball team will have its hands full Sunday at Assembly Hall. The Illini (15-6 overall, 4-4 Big Ten) haven’t lost a Big Ten game at home this season, but they are coming off a 78-67 loss to conference leader No.
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Amaker new to rivalry
Ann Arbor - Tommy Amaker has never seen a Michigan-MSU basketball game in its entirety. But even though tonight’s game is the 36-year-old U-M head coach’s first experience with the rivalry, he’s no stranger to big games. As a four-year starter at Duke from 1984-87, Amaker was center stage for one of college basketball’s greatest rivalries - Duke vs.
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Football experiment helping Spartans cope
One common factor exists among the Spartan men’s basketball and football teams, but that factor may soon multiply.Since freshman quarterback Aaron Alexander joined the team Thursday, basketball head coach Tom Izzo has liked what he’s seen.In fact, Izzo’s been impressed enough with Alexander to continue talks with football head coach Bobby Williams about the possibilities of adding other bodies to his depleted roster.“There’s one or two other guys we’ve looked at, and maybe feel like we could use,” Izzo said.
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Hoops team get depth from the football field
After a rash of injuries, the MSU men’s basketball team is looking to the football team to fill holes on its roster.Anytime a team has a lot of injuries, it’s hard to prepare for opponents, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said.“When you’re short-handed you can’t practice as long or as hard as you want to,” Bilas said.
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Judgment lost in heat of battle
Iowa City, Iowa - Late in the MSU men’s basketball team’s 75-71 Tuesday night loss to Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Jason Andreas had his shot blocked.
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Wolfe out for season with hamstring tear
The Spartans will be without sophomore forward Adam Wolfe for the remainder of the season. Wolfe suffered a severe hamstring tear to his right leg in the first half of Saturday’s Penn State game. “It’s very disappointing news,” said MSU head coach Tom Izzo in a written statement.
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Despite loss, Spartans find positives in Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa - Tuesday night was definitely a game between two teams that wanted to exit the Big Ten basement and save a chance at the conference title.It went down to the wire.
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Andreas continues to improve
Before the season even began, Jason Andreas lost his nose for the ball.The 6-foot-10, third-year sophomore center broke his nose three times in the preseason and hasn’t been the same since, MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo said.“He was playing more like Rambo as a freshman and sophomore, and more like Tinkerbell as a junior,” Izzo said.
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Hoops team heads to Iowa
Coming off its first road win at Penn State, the MSU men’s basketball team looks to duplicate that feat in Iowa.Like MSU (11-7 overall, 2-3 Big Ten), the No.
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Spartans look for road win
The MSU men’s basketball team achieved one of its goals Wednesday night, and will look for another Saturday at Penn State. After notching its first Big Ten win Wednesday, the Spartans (10-7 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) will look for their first road victory at 12:17 p.m.