It’s no secret that Derrick Nix’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. Since his freshman season in 2009, Nix has been embroiled in battles over his weight, his footwork, his conditioning, his maturity within the locker room and, more notably, his highly-publicized personal demons.
From his opening bucket where he drained a hook shot and pumped his fists as he ran back on defense, Derrick Nix was on his game.
Parker’s announcement means MSU’s 2013 recruiting class still is without any committed players, and it’s possible the Spartans might not bring in any new recruits next season for the first time in head coach Tom Izzo’s tenure. This shouldn’t be a cause for panic among MSU basketball fans.
Standing in front of his friends, family and a large television audience at Chicago Simeon High, the 6-foot-8 small forward Jabari Parker announced his intentions to attend Duke following a long recruiting process.
“It’s a big week,” Nix said. “We ain’t got no more cupcakes. Let the party start.”
It was a night of historic moments that certainly wasn’t lost on head coach Tom Izzo, who imparted the lessons taken away from the positives of such a cultural shift in American history.
In the first game at Jenison Field House in more than two decades, the No. 19 MSU men’s basketball team overcame an ugly first half to defeat Division II Tuskegee 92-56.
The Commodores had come and gone, the new lights were shining bright and an electric crowd had found some unusual seats.
When Keith Appling thinks of Jenison Field House, three people come to mind: Jud Heathcote, Magic Johnson and Gregory Kelser.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Matteen Cleaves held the ball in his hands, making sure he left Magic Johnson’s old stomping grounds in the same manner the Flintstone did the last time he wore Spartan green: victoriously.
After men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo spent most of his weekly press conference sharing his excitement about the return of his mentor this weekend, an accident has resulted in a change of plans.
Before the No. 19 MSU basketball team took the floor Wednesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Tom Izzo vowed he’d have a much fairer evaluation of his team than he did on Saturday against Nicholls State. But even after the No. 19 Spartans thoroughly routed the Golden Lions on Wednesday evening at Breslin Center, the veteran head coach didn’t like what he saw.
As is the case for many college basketball teams this time of year, there still are kinks to be worked out by head coach Tom Izzo and the No. 19 MSU basketball team. However, in the nonconference season, aside from a few games, it’s often hard to find a fair point of evaluation.
Extra practice time isn’t something basketball players usually are fond of.
Changes might be on the horizon for the No. 13 MSU men’s basketball team (5-2) after falling to Miami (4-1), 67-59, in Coral Gables, Fla., Wednesday night.
A 14-2 spurt to open the second half was too much for the No. 13 MSU men’s basketball team (5-2) as they fell to Miami (4-1) 67-59, Wednesday night in Coral Gables, Fla.
A low-scoring first half has the No. 13 MSU men’s basketball team (5-1) edging Miami (3-1) 31-27 at the end of the first half. The game marked the return of guards Gary Harris and Travis Trice from injury for MSU, with Harris making a buzzer-beating layup to end the half and double the Spartan’s lead. Harris finished the first half with a team-high five rebounds and five points, while Trice made a 3-pointer. Both teams got off to a slow start, as the Spartans and Hurricanes combined to make two of their first nine shots along with six turnovers in the game’s opening four minutes. From there, it was a back-and-forth game for the rest of the first half, with the largest lead a five-point margin in favor of MSU after Harris made a 3-pointer to put the Spartans in front 28-23 with 3:31 to go in the first half. Junior Keith Appling and sophomore Branden Dawson were the top scorers for the Spartans in the first half, with each guard tallying seven points. Guard Durand Scott led the way for Miami with 11 points and four rebounds for the Hurricanes.
Since naming senior center Derrick Nix and sophomore guard Russell Byrd as co-team captains at the team’s media day in October, head coach Tom Izzo has seen leadership emerge from several different places across the roster.
The biggest scare the MSU men’s basketball team (3-1) received Tuesday wasn’t from a closer-than-expected game against Boise State (3-1), but from “a shoulder injury to star freshman guard Gary Harris in the game’s opening minute.
There was plenty of drama for Derrick Nix in Sunday’s victory over Texas Southern. Unfortunately, most of the drama played out with Nix on the bench, as opposed to anything done on the floor or measured in a stat sheet.