Indianapolis — Brad Stevens knew his players were unaccustomed to shooting in a massive stadium, so he compared it to something similar he knew his Butler team had been doing its entire life.
Indianapolis — It’s been one gigantic homecoming for the Bulldogs, who returned to their hometown of Indianapolis to play this weekend’s Final Four in their own backyard at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indianapolis — Since the first tip-off of the NCAA Tournament three weeks ago, a variety of Spartans have been thrust into the spotlight. But the end of the road is nigh, which means the inevitable target becomes Raymar Morgan.
Indianapolis — After last season’s loss to North Carolina in the national championship game, then-freshman forward Draymond Green reminded his team that the Tar Heels were in the same position the previous season as MSU before coming back to win it all that year. With Green’s speech in mind, the Spartans have fought their way back into the Final Four this season, looking to take after the 2009 North Carolina squad and get MSU’s third national title in school history.
Indianapolis — Duke and West Virginia square off in the other NCAA national semifinal at approximately 8:47 p.m. Saturday. Here are a few key issues for the two:
Indianapolis — The Bulldogs’ top players don’t look like typical college stars and head coach Brad Stevens doesn’t look like a coach, as evident by a security guard asking him if he was a player. But don’t be fooled by the No. 5 that sits next to Butler’s name.
Before Butler, MSU, Duke or West Virginia get the checkered flag, the four squads will square off in two national semifinal games Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis — Travis Walton forever is grateful that MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo gave him a scholarship and an opportunity. In January, Tom Izzo gave Walton another chance, this time as a student assistant.
With the Spartans one step closer to taking on the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday, students and residents of the East Lansing and Lansing communities comment on their favorite Spartans. Add your comment on who your favorite Spartan is and why.
When Butler head coach Brad Stevens and his team returned to campus at 3 a.m. Saturday following their Elite Eight victory over Kansas State, they returned to a crazy scene.
It has been nine days since junior guard Kalin Lucas’ season ended with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, but it hasn’t gotten any easier for the first-team All-Big Ten selection to cope with the fact he won’t be on the floor with his teammates in the Final Four.
It’s been a week since the MSU women’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky, and although the loss surely still stings the team, the Spartans have a bright future despite losing four important seniors.
St. Louis — Junior guard Durrell Summers finished with a game-high 21 points Sunday in No. 5-seed MSU’s 70-69 win over No. 6-seed Tennessee. The turnaround for Summers, the Spartans’ leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament, came after Izzo benched Summers in the Big Ten Tournament for poor defensive effort.
St. Louis — Sophomore guard Korie Lucious has played 93 of 100 possible minutes since halftime of MSU’s second round game against Maryland, when he took over point guard duties from starter and junior guard Kalin Lucas, who ruptured his Achilles’ tendon. In that time, Lucious has recorded 26, nine assists, nine steals and eight turnovers.
The rangy No. 6-seed Volunteers could present matchup problems for Spartans, making it important for junior guard Durrell Summers to join his teammates in hitting the glass, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Saturday. The No. 5-seed MSU men’s basketball team tips off against Tennessee at 2:20 p.m. Sunday.
St. Louis — Welcome to the big stage, Mr. Big Shot. I’m talking, of course, about sophomore guard Korie Lucious, who, for the second consecutive game, hit a key shot late in the game to give the Spartans an NCAA Tournament victory. Last Sunday, it was the buzzer-beater to defeat Maryland. Friday night, it was a floating jumper with 1:31 to play that put the No.
Korie Lucious’ game-winning 3-pointer to beat Maryland, 85-83, Sunday won more than just the game.
The No. 5-seed MSU men’s basketball team, with three players (junior guards Chris Allen and Kalin Lucas and sophomore forward Delvon Roe) suffering leg injuries, are hurting. No. 9-seed Northern Iowa battled its way to an upset of No. 1 overall seed Kansas, an easy pick for a national title winner.
One team came out of its last game with three injured players and a fourth with a chipped tooth, while the other has nine healthy players averaging 11 minutes or more per game. So who’s the favorite?
Kelly Beaton covers Northern Iowa for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Beaton is in his first season covering the Panthers and on Thursday spoke with The State News about Friday’s game with the Spartans.