Leading up to this past weekend’s Final Four, I had the opportunity to speak with a few individuals tasked with making sure the NCAA Tournament is a huge success for Detroit and Michigan.
The tear gas canisters remained untouched and night sticks rested safely on police officers’ belts Saturday night following the MSU men’s basketball team’s 82-73 victory against Connecticut to advance to the NCAA Championship.
Students could wake up to about six inches of snow Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service of Grand Rapids.
Detroit — After weeks of operating incognito, the man behind the mask finally revealed his true identity. And he couldn’t have picked a better time — or a bigger stage — to do it.
Detroit — Sophomore guards Chris Allen and Durrell Summers were scoreless in the first half. So was senior center Goran Suton. But the MSU men’s basketball team was beating Connecticut on Saturday night in the national semifinals and once again the Spartans proved why no single player is the face of the team.
Detroit — At the first NCAA Tournament press conference in Minneapolis, Raymar Morgan told reporters he was going to show the world what they had been missing. It took him five games to deliver on his statement, but it was well worth the wait for the junior forward and the MSU men’s basketball team.
Police dispersed a crowd near the Cedar Village area at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, about five hours after fans swarmed Cedar Street following the MSU men’s basketball team’s victory Saturday night in Detroit.
Detroit — As the final seconds ticked down, the dancing began in downtown Detroit. MSU fans of all ages embraced and cheered as their Spartans moved into the national championship with a 82-73 victory over Connecticut.
Detroit — Before his team’s game against Connecticut, MSU sophomore guard Kalin Lucas made a special request. Instead of being listed as a native of Sterling Heights, which has been the case all season, Lucas wanted the world to know where he was really from.
Spartans fans of all ages bled green and white tonight at Breslin Center. About 4,000 fans, ranging from ages 2 to more than 70, came to Breslin to watch the men’s basketball team secure a win over Connecticut.
Detroit — As expected, the majority of people flowing into Detroit are Spartan fans. Cheli’s Chilli Bar is the designated bar for MSU fans and opened at 9 a.m. By 3 p.m., people in line were waiting an hour and a half to get in, the majority of whom were recent MSU graduates.
Senior pitcher Nolan Moody threw the first pitch in the inaugural game at McLane Baseball Stadium – the MSU baseball team’s new home. Moody also threw the last pitch of the game before finding himself on the bottom of a bench-clearing dog pile. Moments before being swarmed by his teammates, the Spartans turned a double play to end the game – thus sealing the deal on Moody’s first ever complete game no-hitter in MSU’s 2-0 victory over Northwestern.
Detroit — Jim Calhoun. Tom Izzo. Roy Williams. Jay Wright?
Detroit — Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet is getting most of the publicity heading into the Final Four, but MSU has a foreign center of its own that could pay huge dividends Saturday night. And it isn’t Goran Suton.
Detroit — Although it cruised through the West Region to reach the Final Four, it’s been anything but smooth sailing for the Connecticut men’s basketball team this season.
The Shaw Hall cafeteria will remain closed during the weekend as MSU employees continue to clean and disinfect the hall, which is believed to be where a virus that sickened more than 30 MSU students this week originated from.
An 80-year-old male university employee locked his belongings in a locker at Jenison Field House on Tuesday, and returned later to find the lock, along with his pants, stolen, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
Detroiters know what the outsiders think. They hear the TV news anchors. They read the newspapers. They know about the city’s nation-high unemployment rate and the image that pops into mind when people think about Detroit.
From the Upper Peninsula to the southeast corner, the Rust Belt to the western frontier, the MSU basketball program has Michigan covered. MSU head basketball coach Tom Izzo emphasizes building his program on local products, and perhaps no team represents the entire state better than his 2009 Final Four squad. When the team takes the court against Connecticut on Saturday evening, it will be playing for more than fans back in East Lansing.
Playing just a short drive from Breslin Center, the MSU men’s basketball team will try to knock off its second consecutive Big East opponent when it faces Connecticut at 6:07 p.m. Saturday in the Final Four at Ford Field. The Huskies (31-4) finished second in the talented Big East this year while the Spartans (30-6) won the Big Ten regular season championship.