During the first nine weeks of the season, MSU seemed more inclined to commit 30 penalties in a game than score 30 points.Last week, the Spartans endured another mistake-ridden loss at Ohio State, blowing numerous offensive opportunities en route to their fifth frustrating conference defeat.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The second day of play in this weekend’s men’s Big Ten Soccer Tournament witnessed the demise of the two top-seeded teams.The second-seeded Spartans lost to third-seeded Penn State 2-1 Friday, while top-seeded Indiana fell to fifth-seeded Ohio State.
Despite an impressive effort by MSU freshman guard Candice Jackson with 24 points, MSU’s women’s basketball team lost 66-57 Sunday to the Houston Jaguars in exhibition play at the Breslin Student Events Center.The Jaguars, a club team, comprised of two Women’s National Basketball Association players and former NCAA players, held on to the win with their strong defense, forcing 21 Spartan turnovers.
This is the second in a series of Big Ten men’s basketball previews.Heading into Steve Alford’s second year as coach of the Hawkeyes, the team has the highest expectations of any Iowa squad in recent memory.Last year, Alford’s first after taking over for Tom Davis, the Hawkeyes went 14-16, their first losing season since 1994.But with steady senior point guard Dean Oliver returning, and a cast of talented newcomers, the Hawkeyes believe they can turn the team around and win the Big Ten.“We have a lot of new faces, and things are looking real good,” said Oliver, who last year averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 assists per game.
After Wednesday’s loss at Michigan, the MSU volleyball team’s road to the NCAA tournament got tougher. The No.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The MSU men’s soccer team opened the Big Ten Tournament with a 6-0 first-round shutout over Northwestern on Thursday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The win advances the kickers to a second-round match against Penn State at 2:30 p.m.
A record-shattering day resulted in a tournament victory for the women’s golf team in Pinehurst, N.C., on Wednesday.The squad won the three-day Pine Needles Invitational by firing a 288 in the final round, breaking the school mark of 290 set twice last season.Pinehurst will be the site of the 2001 U.S.
The exhibition basketball game between MSU and Northern Michigan wasn’t much of a contest, with the Spartans winning 93-40, but this week’s series between the two schools’ hockey teams promises to be more competitive.The hockey series will feature two squads that are nationally-ranked and in a three-way tie atop the CCHA standings.No.
Recent success may not just be one shining moment for Spartan basketball.It might be the beginning of a dynasty.
Time is running out. There’s two weeks left for the MSU football team to qualify for a bowl and two weeks left for the prognosticators to be wicked smart.
Sue Smoker insists it’s her humble son, not a cocky Big Ten quarterback, who telephones home periodically just like any other college freshman.But, as the mother of a talented football player, Smoker realizes her son Jeff isn’t living the normal college experience.“Jeff will say, ‘Mom, it’s not normal to have to turn your phone off, or to have 70 e-mail messages every day,’” Sue Smoker said from the family’s Manheim, Pa.
The MSU men’s soccer team enters today’s Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed, facing No.
When MSU and Michigan compete in women’s volleyball, it’s about more than wins and losses - it’s about pride.To be specific, it’s about the State Pride Flag that goes to the winner of head-to-head play each year.The tradition started in 1990 when the flag was awarded to U-M.
If men’s head basketball coach Tom Izzo was happy to hear verbal commitments from three recruits - among them one of the most highly-touted players in the nation, Kelvin Torbert - then today should be Christmas in November.Flint Northern shooting guard Torbert, Minneapolis guard/forward Alan Anderson and Indianapolis shooting guard Chris Hill are all expected to sign letters of intent today to play for the Spartans next fall.Torbert will be MSU’s newest Flintstone, following the heels of former players Antonio Smith, Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and senior guard Charlie Bell.
After beating the No. 1 team in the nation on the road Saturday, the Spartan hockey team jumped two spots in the national polls released this week. Ranked No.
In such dire times where MSU has had to deal with losing more often than winning, it’s good to know coach Bobby Williams still has a sense of humor.He showed it at his Monday press conference when asked how he’ll simulate the Purdue offense this week in practice.“We’ll put in 10 receivers, run them all out there and just have the quarterback stand back there and throw it because that’s basically what it’s like,” he said.
Men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo and his squad will open up preseason play against Izzo’s alma mater, Northern Michigan, at 7:30 tonight at the Breslin Student Events Center.
Ziehl Kavanaght’s teammates call him “Frenchie.”Mike Labinjo misses his favorite ketchup chips.And Luc Mullinder doesn’t get to eat West Indian food anymore.These are just some of the transitions three Canadian natives on MSU’s football team deal with in a foreign country.Kavanaght, a Brossard, Quebec native, has had the toughest transition because of the language barrier.
The names are synonymous with winning. James “Buddha” Edwards, Vinny “The Microwave” Johnson, Dennis “The Worm” Rodman, John “Spider” Salley, Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas, Bill “Lambo” Laimbeer, Rick “Bad Boy” Mahorn and of course, Joe Duuuuuuuuumars.Rodman smothering opponents with clutch defense, Laimbeer exchanging pleasantries with the referees after controversial calls, Rick Mahorn banging opponents to the ground with his hefty posterior - those were the good ol’ days.
The MSU volleyball team continues to struggle in the Big Ten.The No. 22 Spartans split their weekend matches, losing to Illinois (6-15, 15-4, 12-15, 15-1, 12-15) on Friday, then rebounding to beat Purdue (15-6, 10-15, 15-5, 15-6) on Saturday.Through 14 Big Ten games the Spartans (14-9, 7-7 Big Ten) are still in sixth place.