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Sports | Basketball Men's 1027

SPORTS

Offensive tackle Poole signs with Chicago

Brian Charlton
April 27, 2005

The Chicago Bears signed former MSU offensive tackle Sean Poole as an undrafted free agent Monday. The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Flint native was one of 10 free agents the Bears signed this week, according to a statement from the team. The Detroit Lions also signed seven undrafted free agents, including former MSU tight end Jason Randall for its post draft mini-camp, LionsFans.com reported. Eight Spartans from last season's team have been signed by an NFL team, including four Spartans that were drafted. Running back DeAndra Cobb (Atlanta), kicker Dave Rayner (Indianapolis), defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson (Miami) and offensive guard William Whitticker (Green Bay) were all drafted.

BASEBALL

MSU's offense runs in 14 in victory

Matt Bishop
April 27, 2005

It was a career day for MSU sophomore catcher Kris Morris. Morris hit his first two career home runs and drove in six runs in the MSU baseball team's 14-7 rout of Indiana Tech on Tuesday afternoon at Kobs Field. "It was probably one of the best offensive days of my life," Morris said "It was great." Morris' big game came in the wake of a season-ending arm injury to Sean Walker. MSU's offense was on fire in the first three innings, scoring eight runs and driving Indiana Tech pitcher Marc Caban out of the game. In the first inning, MSU sophomore left fielder Ryan Basham's double drove in sophomore right fielder Adam Tripp to give MSU (16-18 overall) a 1-0 lead. MSU scored two in the second on Morris' first career home run, a bomb to center field, but the Warriors cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third on an RBI single by second baseman Adam Storms. But the Spartans exploded in the bottom half of the inning, as RBI singles by designated hitter Alan Cattrysse and third baseman Oliver Wolcott put up two more runs before Morris connected on his second home run of the game, an opposite field shot to right field, putting MSU ahead 8-1. "He's been getting better, he's swinging the bat better," MSU head coach Ted Mahan said of Morris.

SPORTS

With draftees, Lions should be .500 at worst next season

While watching NFL analysts critique the decision for the Detroit Lions to take wide receiver Mike Williams, I was surprised to hear how much flack the organization was taking for its first-round draft choice. Radio talk-show hosts were ripping the front office for their decision. The obvious question asked was why the Lions would draft another offensive player when defense is what they needed the most? You have to take Williams because he was the best player available in the draft when the Lions were picking. I love the fact that the Lions should have one of the best offenses in the NFC if not in all of football next season pending that all of the key offensive weapons can stay healthy. Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams - it's probably the best corps of young receivers in the NFL, and don't forget about recently acquired Kevin Johnson and Marcus Pollard. The Lions have great depth at the wide receiver position, if nothing else.

SPORTS

Golf team earns bid to NCAA regionals

Chris Meagher
April 26, 2005

The MSU women's golf team earned a No. 14 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Women's Golf Regional Championships on May 5-7 in Lubbock, Texas, the Spartans' seventh consecutive appearance in the championships. The NCAA Championship round, May 17-20 in Corvallis, Ore., will feature the top eight teams and two individual players from each region. The Spartans finished third in the Big Ten Championships this past weekend in Ann Arbor.

SPORTS

Huntington hired as men's track assistant

Chris Meagher
April 26, 2005

Walled Lake native Randy Huntington has joined the MSU men's track and field coaching staff as an assistant, coaching the throwers, jumpers and multi-event competitors. Huntington will bring almost three decades of experience coaching professional and amateur athletes to East Lansing, including eight Olympians and seven World Championship members. "Bringing Randy in gives us a better understanding of the scientific part of coaching," MSU head coach Darroll Gatson said in a statement.

ICE HOCKEY

League changes playoff format

Eric Fish
April 26, 2005

The CCHA is in the process of revising the league's playoff system, which will shorten the regular season by one week and extend the postseason from two to three rounds. The new playoff system will give the top four teams in the regular season first-round byes, and the remaining eight teams would play a best-of-three series with their corresponding seeds. The winners of the eight-team first round will then advance to face the top four teams in the division that were awarded the first-round byes.

SPORTS

WEB ONLY: Spartans place third in championships

Matt Bishop
April 25, 2005

The final round of the 2005 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships in Ann Arbor was canceled because of the weather. This meant MSU finished in third place with a three-round score of 933. Sophomore Heather Rose led the Spartans with a fourth-place finish.

FOOTBALL

Quarterbacks have options with receivers

Eric Fish  and  Chris Barsotti
April 25, 2005

After two seasons of dropped passes and inconsistency at wide receiver under MSU head coach John L. Smith, the position that gave the Spartans trouble in the past looks to be one of their greatest strengths entering the 2005 season. With wide receivers Aaron Alexander, Kyle Brown, Agim Shabaj and Matt Trannon all entering their senior years of play and junior Jerramy Scott and sophomore Terry Love returning to the program as well, the Spartans might have one of the best lists of wide receivers in the Big Ten. Alexander said the group is coming together well, but there still is work to be done before the fall.

FOOTBALL

Spartans finish 4-week spring practice

Chris Meagher
April 25, 2005

The MSU football team ended spring football with a scrimmage Friday, moving indoors to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building because of poor weather. The scrimmage concluded the Spartans' 15 practices during a four-week period, a spring session MSU head coach John L.

SPORTS

2 days of NFL draft too long for viewers

I woke up this morning and thought, "I better check ESPN to see if the NFL Draft is still going." I was shocked that it was finally over. It was the second-longest first round ever - thanks to the Detroit Lions, since they only took two minutes to make their selection.

SPORTS

1st day of NBA playoffs has comebacks, Webber hitting some shots

Saturday proved to be a most interesting day of basketball. It was a day of monster comebacks and elation on my part. The day started with the Detroit Pistons against the Philadelphia 76ers on ABC. To say the least, the Pistons didn't get off to a great start, being outscored 28-16 in the first quarter. Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala threw down a sick reverse jam after Allen Iverson saved the ball from going out of bounds.

FOOTBALL

4 Spartans selected in draft

Laura Collins
April 25, 2005

When former MSU running back DeAndra Cobb was 9 years old, his mother signed him up for a local little league football team with encouragement from her brother, even though she knew little about football. "We signed him up, and they actually called him 'Turbo' and we have been running with him ever since," Cobb's mother, Terri Cobb-Harden, said. She had no idea that years later, she would watch her son be drafted into the NFL on national television and share in the excitement. Four Spartans were drafted in the sixth and seventh rounds of the NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon.

FOOTBALL

Seeking: NFL job

Chris Meagher
April 22, 2005

Former MSU place-kicker Dave Rayner lined up for a 45-yard field goal at the Duffy Daugherty Building on Tuesday with no one rushing, yelling or attempting to block his kick. It was just him and the ball. This has been the scenario for Rayner during the past couple months, preparing for the 2005 NFL Draft. "I come in here kicking at least twice, sometimes three times a week," said Rayner, who is MSU's all-time leader in scoring, field goals and extra points.