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Basketball

BASKETBALL

Valentine triple-double helps Izzo to 500th victory in MSU rout of Boston College

Ryan Squanda
November 26, 2015

MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo earned his 500th career victory at MSU on Thanksgiving night as his No. 3 MSU basketball team (5-0) defeated the Boston College (3-1), 99-68, in the first round of the Wooden Legacy tournament in Fullerton, Calif. Senior guard Denzel Valentine led the Spartans with his second triple-double of the year, finishing Thursday’s contest with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

BASKETBALL

Spartans jump to AP No. 3, blowout EMU, but Izzo still narrowing down lineups

Ryan Kryska
November 24, 2015

The Spartans followed their AP Top 25 Poll jump from No. 13 to No. 3 on Monday with an 89-65 victory over Eastern Michigan, in which 13 different players scored. Head coach Tom Izzo said he is “still playing too many people,” though, and he hopes to solidify a consistent rotation soon. “I think I played 12 guys who played seven minutes or more and that’s going to be a little chaotic but I am continuously trying to figure out who are going to be my eight, nine and 10 and who are going to be my 11, 12, 13 and 14,” Izzo said. “And it is starting to separate itself.”

BASKETBALL

MSU beats Arkansas-Pine Bluff on total team effort

Stephen Olschanski
November 20, 2015

On Tuesday night the world was shown the premiere of the Denzel Valentine show. On Friday the show didn’t air --- but the crowd at Breslin Center witnessed a show complete with a cast of characters able to carry the show without a star. MSU proved on Friday they need not rely on Denzel for the win.

BASKETBALL

Denzel Valentine shows he's one of the nation's best in MSU victory over Kansas

Ryan Squanda
November 17, 2015

For the longest time in the No. 13 MSU basketball team's 79-73 victory over the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks Tuesday night, things didn't look good. With 9:34 to play in the game and MSU trailing Kansas, 61-50, the game was slipping away from the Spartans. MSU called a timeout to halt whatever momentum they could. They'd struggled with fouls and turnovers all night long and the Jayhawks had built an 11-point lead off a 10-2 run midway through the second half. But MSU has Denzel Valentine.

BASKETBALL

MSU basketball shows off depth in victory over Florida Atlantic

Ryan Squanda
November 14, 2015

The No. 13 MSU basketball team showed off its depth Friday night in its 82-55 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls.  Despite having two players out with injury -- sophomore forward Marvin Clark and junior forward Gavin Schilling -- the Spartans still played 13 players Friday night, 10 of which got into the scoring action. Senior forward Matt Costello led the way with 15 points, while senior guard flirted with a triple-double and finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.