After nearly a week of sluggish and generally ineffective play, the MSU men’s basketball team needed a strong showing to get its swagger back. Playing against Nicholls State on Saturday at Breslin Center, an energetic performance including having four players in double-figures gave the team that chance.
It was a night filled with career and season highs as the MSU women’s basketball team defeated North Carolina State 68-51 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to improve to 6-0 for the fourth time in program history.
Even in the clouds of defeat, the MSU basketball team has found its silver lining.
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.
The first NCAA statistical report was released Monday, and the MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) statistically has the nation’s best defense, allowing just 37.4 points per game.
Faced with the challenge of an opponent he’s never seen before, head coach Tom Izzo has sought out an old friend for help: Brian Gregory. The former MSU assistant coach and current Georgia Tech head coach has been one of the people Izzo has turned to in preparing for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which began Tuesday night and continues when the No. 13 MSU men’s basketball team (5-1) heads to Miami to take on the Hurricanes (3-1) tonight (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
After he spent the previous day lamenting his team’s overly giving holiday spirit following a 20-turnover performance against Louisiana-Lafayette, Tom Izzo’s squad decided to give him a gift that even he could appreciate Monday.
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.
Many times, it’s not good enough for a leader to talk the talk, but they must walk the walk as well, and senior guard Jasmine Thomas is doing that for the MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) so far this season.
Noticing people embracing the holiday spirit is a sight many enjoy, but for Tom Izzo, it’s forced him to take on a new role: Grinch.
Just two days after Thanksgiving, the MSU women’s basketball team had even more to be thankful for in their 68-35 win against Robert Morris on Sunday: depth.
As much as he would like to avoid it, turnovers are becoming a consistent problem for head coach Tom Izzo. And on Sunday, they almost became a much bigger problem.
Seven Spartans scored at least five points, and MSU had the largest rotation of the year as the MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) rolled over Robert Morris (0-5), 68-35, on Sunday afternoon.
The MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) cruised past Robert Morris 68-35 in their final home game in November.
The MSU men’s basketball team (5-1) survived a scare from Louisiana Lafayette (2-4) on Sunday afternoon, knocking off the Ragin’ Cajuns 63-60 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were led by junior guard Keith Appling, who finished with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, with sophomore guard Branden Dawson adding 12 points and eight rebounds.
When Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe stepped to the podium for their postgame press conferences, both coaches did so in the exact same manner. With a grimace, a heavy sigh, and nearly identical opening statements: that they had just finished the worst basketball game between MSU and Oakland that either coach had ever seen.
It was one of the scariest moments of Keith Appling’s life, if only for a moment.
For Denzel Valentine, it was a matchup more than 18 years in the making. And the freshman guard certainly didn’t disappoint.