At his year-end press conference Tuesday, Tom Izzo spoke more about how special the year his men’s basketball team was. The head coach talked about how the team was playing at a high level it needed to be successful, but that Thursday’s Sweet 16 loss to Louisville was understandable.
Phoenix — Draymond Green has played his last game as a Spartan, and the MSU men’s basketball team’s loss in the Sweet 16 is the first time head coach Tom Izzo failed to get a No. 1 seed to the Final Four.
Eventually, the game had to make sense. At some point, Louisville had to stop hitting 3-pointers at a rate so much better than its regular season numbers would indicate, you’d think head coach Rick Pitino spoke to some sort of magician before the game.
Phoenix — The No. 1-seed MSU men’s basketball team ran into a match-up they hadn’t faced all season in a schedule that seemed to have every style of team.
March Magic Hoopfest is just another way Paul Rodenhouse can give back to the community. The MSU graduate student is in his second year of volunteering at March Magic Hoopfest through the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Basketball is one of my favorite sports,” Rodenhouse said.
Phoenix — Draymond Green ended his career accomplishing one of his many goals — a career that ended three games sooner than he wished in a 57-44 Sweet 16 loss to Louisville. The senior forward surpassed Greg Kelser as the MSU all-time leading rebounder, but in a season he hoped to go to the Final Four, it didn’t matter.
As the fans start to funnel into US Airways Arena in for the Sweet 16 matchup between No. 1-seed MSU and No. 1-seed MSU and No. 4-seed Louisville, the colors are dominated by green and white.
Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino have been around long enough to know what it takes to win this time of year.
Madison Williams stood in the locker room, bracing herself to tell her teammates the news she heard only hours earlier. As the three simple letters “A-C-L” left her mouth, the room froze, and she left in tears after coming face to face with the looks of pity and sadness she spent the previous year fighting to move past.
With about 100 Izzone members in attendance to send the MSU men’s basketball team off to Phoenix for the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Andrew Klimbal came away a little disappointed.
With the MSU men’s basketball team locking up its fourth trip to the Sweet 16 in the last five years, the Spartans continue to establish themselves as one of the best tournament programs in the country. And although that’s all fine and good, senior forward Draymond Green said players and teams aren’t remembered for making the Sweet 16.
Columbus, Ohio — The MSU men’s basketball team gained a lot in identity this weekend after earning a trip to Phoenix and the Sweet 16 on Thursday. Three days ago, the media heard a lot of talk from LIU Brooklyn about how slow-paced the Spartans are.
Coming into the game against Saint Louis, the MSU men’s basketball team knew it would be well defended against. The Billikens are praised for their defense and were extremely physical and abusive to the Spartans. At least all the Spartans not named Keith Appling. The Billikens sagged of the sophomore guard and dared him to shoot. Appling has struggled with his shot all season, but he can still find the bucket when needed.
College Park, Md. — As Lykendra Johnson sat at a table in Breslin Center, wearing her MSU sweatsuit during the frigid early weeks of December 2011, she repeated one phrase over and over.
Columbus, Ohio — Nothing about the MSU men’s basketball team’s game against Saint Louis in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament surprised head coach Tom Izzo.
Columbus, Ohio — Brian Conklin has a hard time calling anything an upset anymore. Likely a new name to MSU basketball fans, Conklin is a senior forward averaging 14 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for No. 9-seed Saint Louis, who the Spartans (28-7) play at about 2:45 p.m. Sunday in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
After answering questions at the podium, Taylor Alton, with tears in her eyes, returned to the locker room and sat next to fellow senior forward Lykendra Johnson. It was the final time the duo would wear their MSU jerseys, and as Alton sat in her chair, emotionally drained from the afternoon, her fellow captain put her arm around her and the two rocked back and forth, talking of their time at MSU.
College Park, Md. — Just hours after their season ended with a 67-55 loss to No. 7 seed Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the MSU women’s basketball team already is looking ahead to next season. Although the 2011-2012 campaign is now in the books, freshman center Jasmine Hines said she felt that because the Spartans refused to quit during the loss, they had laid a good framework to build on in preparation for next season. “We’re all competitors,” Hines said.
Columbus, Ohio — A lot of talk in Saturday’s press conference was on the disappearance of centers in the game of basketball.
Columbus, Ohio — Less than 48 hours after the No. 1-seed MSU men’s basketball derailed high-speed No.