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Nix, Payne work together, see results

Pat Evans

January 29, 2012

Last year, Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman made for a unique friendship. This season, with Sherman now at Notre Dame, Nix — a junior center for the No. 10 men’s basketball team — has paired with sophomore center Adreian Payne to make up a new age Bash Brother combination. Nix and Payne have utilized their vastly different styles of play to help the Spartans (17-4 overall, 6-2 Big Ten) stay atop the conference standings.

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Lineup changes give women's basketball 83-77 win over No. 18 Penn State

Josh Mansour

January 29, 2012

Following the MSU women’s basketball team’s fourth straight loss on Thursday, MSU head coach Suzy Merchant sat at the podium, wondering aloud where her team that opened the conference season with four straight wins had gone. On Sunday, Merchant said she might have found her squad.

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Women's basketball comes back against Illinois, drops overtime 71-62

Josh Mansour

January 26, 2012

After getting blown out by Purdue in the last game and riding a three-game losing streak, the MSU women’s basketball team expected a return home to face one of two Big Ten teams without a conference win to help solve the offensive problems.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Izzo's job more than wins

Pat Evans

January 26, 2012

Four hundred college basketball wins. That’s 400 more wins than I’ll likely ever accumulate in my lifetime, but still more than 500 less than Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. And that’s enough to make Tom Izzo feel like 400 isn’t very many.

Dillon Davis ·

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Spartans celebrate Izzo's 400th win

Dillon Davis

January 26, 2012

Despite having as impressive a resumé as there is in college athletics, Tom Izzo never has been one to grandstand his personal accomplishments.

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Spartans defeat Minnesota, give Izzo 400th win

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 25, 2012

The No. 10 MSU basketball beat Minnesota 68-52 on Wednesday at Breslin Center, giving head coach Tom Izzo his 400th career win.

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MSU looks to avoid four-game losing streak Thursday

Josh Mansour

January 25, 2012

Riding a three-game losing streak, including two straight games on the road, the MSU women’s basketball team will return home, trying to snap its recent losing skid.

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Izzo prepares Spartans for tipoff against Gopher depth

Pat Evans

January 24, 2012

When Trevor Mbakwe went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November 2011, many thought Minnesota was in for a rough season. Instead, the Minnesota men’s basketball team (15-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) comes into Breslin Center for a game against the No. 11 Spartans (16-4, 5-2) as one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. tonight.

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Women's basketball suffers offensive struggles, falls to Purdue 67-49

Josh Mansour

January 23, 2012

Heading into West Lafayette, Ind. to face the Big Ten’s top defensive team, the Spartans knew points would be tough to come by, but it quickly proved to be more of a challenge than MSU could handle. The MSU women’s basketball team (12-8 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) struggled to score for most of the night, losing to Purdue (17-3, 7-0) 67-49.

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Big Ten race remains close as season progresses

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 23, 2012

When Tom Izzo opened his weekly press conference yesterday, it sounded as if he wished he woke up coaching in a different conference.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Dawson's court

Pat Evans

January 22, 2012

A glimpse of the Spartan basketball future was seen late in MSU’s 83-58 blowout win against Purdue. With 2:48 left in the game, Travis Trice softly lobbed a pass to Branden Dawson for a cheer-inducing, authoritative slam. The connection between the freshmen guards ended a 10-point, five-minute stretch from Dawson.

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Trice lives his dream, proves doubters wrong

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 22, 2012

Travis Trice has never been the biggest player on the floor.

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Women's basketball prepares for No. 13 Purdue

Josh Mansour

January 22, 2012

After losing back-to-back games for the first time in two years, the MSU women’s basketball team (12-7 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) looks to get back on track Monday (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) as it takes on No. 13 Purdue (16-3, 6-0).

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Column: MSU’s success relies heavily on newcomers

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 22, 2012

For every basketball team, there typically is one key stat or trend that indicates whether a game is going to end in a win or loss. It can be 3-point shooting, rebounding or the play of a star player.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Purdue arrives late prior to blowout, Nix continues impressive play

Pat Evans

January 21, 2012

First noted in a report from MLive.com, the Purdue men’s basketball team experienced travel troubles prior to the 83-58 loss to MSU at Breslin Center.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Painter yells at Izzone, Dawson during blowout

Pat Evans

January 21, 2012

During the MSU men’s basketball team’s rout of Purdue, Matt Painter was seen yelling at people on and off the court.

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Men's basketball beats Purdue 83-58

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 21, 2012

Draymond Green knows it’s not rocket science. After the No. 9 MSU men’s basketball team snapped a two-game losing skid Saturday by beating Purdue 83-58 at Breslin Center, the senior forward said there was one major difference between the win against the Boilermakers and the losses to Northwestern and No. 19 Michigan.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Women's basketball falls to Minnesota, 71-65

Josh Mansour

January 19, 2012

It had been two years since the MSU women’s basketball team (12-7 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) lost back-to-back games, but Minnesota (11-9, 3-3) snapped the streak, beating the Spartans 71-65 in the teams’ only meeting this regular season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Kearney continues to impress with hard work

Pat Evans

January 19, 2012

Brandan Kearney was one of few players to come out of Tuesday’s 60-59 loss at Michigan. The freshman guard hit two key 3-pointers and made several hustle plays and kept a solid head on his shoulders.

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Men's basketball hopes to end losing streak

Jeremy Warnemuende

January 19, 2012

For the second time this season, the No. 9 MSU men’s basketball team finds itself in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Two months after the Spartans (15-4 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) began the season with losses to then-No.