While watching TV clips from MSU’s game against Indiana on Thursday, junior forward Branden Dawson let his anger get the best of him — and his right hand.
While watching TV clips from their game against Indiana Thursday, junior forward Branden Dawson let his anger get the best of him.
It’s well documented how much the football and basketball programs at MSU are intertwined.
Walking into Tuesday’s game, No. 3 MSU knew it would have to contain Indiana freshman forward Noah Vonleh, who is nearly averaging a double-double in his young career. Luckily for head coach Tom Izzo, his Spartans did just that, but the containment didn’t come until the second half. Vonleh, who started the game scoring seven of Indiana’s first 11 points, almost went missing in the second half, scoring only four points and attempting no 3-pointers.
There’s something about Indiana that gets Gary Harris’ adrenaline going.
In a very slowed down, drawn-out game, the No. 3 MSU men’s basketball team trails Indiana at the half, 28-27.
It’s minutes before tip-off in Champaign, Ill., and Lisa Schilling is sitting inches from her TV, waiting for her son’s name to be called. Gavin Schilling, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound freshman forward, only sees the court for five minutes against the Fighting Illini, but it doesn’t matter to his mother — she’s as excited as anyone else decked out in green and white. “I feel like I want to be right there in the stadium,” she said.
Nearly three weeks after running Indiana off its home court, the No. 3 men’s basketball team will look for another win over the Hoosiers to complete the season sweep on Tuesday.
It was “just like football” in Champaign, Ill., as the No. 4 men’s basketball team completed a road sweep in the Land of Lincoln. After beating Northwestern earlier in the week, the Spartans came into Illinois and came out with a 78-62 win over the Fighting Illini.
For his third straight game, senior forward Adreian Payne is out with a sprained foot, but so far it doesn’t look like the No.
MSU has a long tradition of success on the basketball court, but they’re one win away from putting another historic notch in their green and white belt. With a win in Champaign, Ill.
For the last two months, the No. 4 men’s basketball team’s starting five has looked like a carousel.
Gary Harris and Keith Appling combined to score 25 points to lead the No. 4 MSU men’s basketball team to a 54-40 win against Northwestern Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill. Appling contributed four assists, while junior forward Branden Dawson grabbed 10 rebounds, the most of any player. The Spartans came out with their ninth different starting lineup in the last 12 games after being without senior forward Adreian Payne and limited availability from Dawson. Harris showed his strength early, scoring four points, grabbing a rebound and getting one steal in the first minute and a half of the game. Despite being sick with a viral illness, Dawson saw time early getting a block and tip-in after coming off the bench. He also saved a MSU possession and found junior guard Travis Trice wide open to tie the game at 10 early on. The Spartans have the best 3-point field goal percentage in the Big Ten, but missed their first eight shots from behind the arc. They finished the game 2-16 from long range. MSU went into the locker room leading 26-22. The tides turned early in the second half when sophomore guard Denzel Valentine failed to draw a foul on a hard drive to the hoop. The Wildcats ran back down the floor and hit a three-pointer to close the gap to just three points. Sophomore forward Matt Costello scored a nice up and under layup to give the Spartans their biggest lead of the game. On the next trip down the floor, MSU took more than a minute off the clock by grabbing three offensive rebounds, but scored only two points. Northwestern won the rebounding battle in the first half, but MSU came back to win the overall stat line, 39-35. Tre Demps led the Wildcats with 12 points, and JerShon Cobb added eight of his own. Northwestern’s leading scorer, Drew Crawford, was held to just six points. Crawford was averaging?double-digits going into the game. The win was the 214th for head coach Tom Izzo, tying him for fourth in all-time in the ?Big Ten with Lou Henson. The Spartans will return to action Saturday at 8 p.m.
Gary Harris and Keith Appling combined to score 25 points to lead the No. 4 MSU men’s basketball team to a 54-40 win against Northwestern Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill. Appling also contributed four assists, while junior forward Branden Dawson grabbed 11 rebounds to lead MSU.
It’s been a rough three years for junior guard Travis Trice, who has been haunted during his career by three I’s: injury, infection and illness.
The last time Northwestern won a game against a top-5 opponent was in 1979 against the Spartans, and after the first half Wednesday night, they’re in prime position to do it again.
On paper, the No. 4 men’s basketball team should have no problem dismantling Northwestern in MSU’s first road game in 11 days. However, coming fresh off an upset of then-No.
Keith Appling was one of the last players on the court after practice Tuesday to work on his jump shot.
Walking into his press conference this morning, men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo knew he would be addressing his bruised and sick team. After all, rarely seeing a full roster on gameday has become this season’s unofficial theme.
There are three certainties in life — death, taxes and the No. 5 men’s basketball team clogging up the injury report on a weekly basis.