Kentucky, Arizona, Duke, Purdue, California and Chicago State were all in pursuit for the 6-foot-8-inch big man.
Head coach Tom Izzo critiqued most of his roster during his end-of-the-season press conference last Thursday.
After losing to Duke in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament, junior guard Denzel Valentine vowed that MSU would return next season. Head coach Tom Izzo placed his faith in his captain during his end-of-season press conference on Thursday, saying he believes Valentine will help the Spartans live up to expectations next season. "He, I think, will take this team to new heights next year," Izzo said.
Before the season began, head coach Tom Izzo pegged freshman guard Javon Bess as a player he expected to make an immediate impact. A preseason stress fracture in Bess' right foot last October robbed him of that opportunity.
This season could be regarded as Izzo's best coaching job, and for good reason.
Reaching his seventh Final Four as head coach of the Spartans this past weekend, Tom Izzo could very well be on this way to a second consecutive appearance in the national semifinals after landing his second McDonald's All-American on Friday. Caleb Swanigan, who held offers from Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and Cal, who were rumored to be the clear cut favorite to pick up the No.
MSU’s season could very well end in Houston next year but thinking it’s a foregone conclusion is a big mistake. The Final Four returns to the Lone Star State next spring and some already have the Spartans penciled in to make it back to where this season ended.
Just a few days removed from the end of MSU’s basketball season, it’s difficult to not look ahead and see the possibilities that lie ahead. MSU will lose two of its three top scorers from this season, senior guard Travis Trice and senior forward Branden Dawson, but junior guard Eron Harris will be eligible next season.
After watching MSU get dismantled by Duke in the Final Four last Saturday, head coach Tom Izzo said he may have to adjust his coaching approach moving forward.
Although it has been a year since Lacey Holsworth has died, she has not been forgotten by the MSU community.
Last week, men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo said he dreams of witnessing his basketball program and Mark Dantonio's football program win a national championship. Based on the end-of-season coaches polls for each sport, it looks like Izzo's dream could happen sooner rather than later. The Spartans finished No.
Although Duke was playing about 600 miles from Durham, the Blue Devils found a temporary home Saturday night — the four foot radius around the basket. The Blue Devils absolutely dominated around the rim, outscoring MSU 42-26 in the paint.
As thousands of MSU basketball fans cheered the Spartans on in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday night, about a five minute walk down the street in downtown Indianapolis sat hundreds of other Spartan fans in the oldest bar in Indiana -- the Slippery Noodle Inn. "It started with Jud Heathcote," said Slippery Noodle Inn general manager Marty Bacon, referring to the coach's parties the former MSU head basketball coach used to throw at the bar. To this day, the Slippery Noodle Inn continues to be a hotbed for Spartan fans to congregate when a big time MSU sporting event is taking place.
For the first time in head coach Suzy Merchant's tenure with MSU, the women's basketball team will not play in any postseason tournament, because of a decision to not risk any more injuries. But the veteran sideline general and former Central Michigan guard received more outstanding news on sophomore forward Aerial Powers on Saturday, who earned another honorable mention All-American honor by another renowned coalition. It's been four years since the program carried a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) honorable mention All-America recipient since former standout Kalisha Keane. Now, following a season filled with record breaking accomplishments, Powers earned WCBA All-American honors to complete her collection of awards.
Stepping off the hardwood and into the music booth, MSU basketball standout Maurice Ager has gone from leading the Spartans to a Final Four, to being a Grammy nominated recording artist and producer. Playing in four seasons with four different teams in the NBA, while also earning a spot on the All-Big Ten second team his junior and senior year, the game of basketball is still lodged into the heart of the 31-year-old, despite haven't not played professionally since the end of the 2010-11 season. Residing in the Greater Los Angeles area, Ager wanted a way to have basketball continue to be a major part of his life, as well as giving back to a new generation of future stars, which resulted in the creation of the Maurice Ager Hoop School, founded over a year ago. “I wanted to figure out a way to give back to the youth with some of the skills and talent that I’ve been able to accomplish in my life,” Ager said.
Following Saturday's Final Four loss to Duke, head coach Tom Izzo said he expects junior forward Matt Costello to undergo knee surgery this offseason.
Nobody expected a No. 7 seed to make it to the Final Four. But Saturday night was the end of the championship run for the Spartans, with an 81-61 loss to Duke.
When the Spartans take the court on Saturday, it'll be the third time in 15 seasons that they have competed in the national semifinals in the capitol of Indiana.
With the MSU men's basketball team heading to the Final Four many of the athletes on other teams at the school are excited for their peers.
Thousands of MSU basketball fans from all over have flocked to Indianapolis to see their Spartans take part in their seventh Final Four appearance in 17 seasons.