Indianapolis — Brad Stevens knew his players were unaccustomed to shooting in a massive stadium, so he compared it to something similar he knew his Butler team had been doing its entire life.
Indianapolis — It’s been one gigantic homecoming for the Bulldogs, who returned to their hometown of Indianapolis to play this weekend’s Final Four in their own backyard at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indianapolis — Since the first tip-off of the NCAA Tournament three weeks ago, a variety of Spartans have been thrust into the spotlight. But the end of the road is nigh, which means the inevitable target becomes Raymar Morgan.
Indianapolis — After last season’s loss to North Carolina in the national championship game, then-freshman forward Draymond Green reminded his team that the Tar Heels were in the same position the previous season as MSU before coming back to win it all that year. With Green’s speech in mind, the Spartans have fought their way back into the Final Four this season, looking to take after the 2009 North Carolina squad and get MSU’s third national title in school history.
Indianapolis — Duke and West Virginia square off in the other NCAA national semifinal at approximately 8:47 p.m. Saturday. Here are a few key issues for the two:
Indianapolis — The Bulldogs’ top players don’t look like typical college stars and head coach Brad Stevens doesn’t look like a coach, as evident by a security guard asking him if he was a player. But don’t be fooled by the No. 5 that sits next to Butler’s name.
Before Butler, MSU, Duke or West Virginia get the checkered flag, the four squads will square off in two national semifinal games Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis — Travis Walton forever is grateful that MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo gave him a scholarship and an opportunity. In January, Tom Izzo gave Walton another chance, this time as a student assistant.
With the Spartans one step closer to taking on the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday, students and residents of the East Lansing and Lansing communities comment on their favorite Spartans. Add your comment on who your favorite Spartan is and why.
After hitting key shots at the end of MSU’s victories over No. 4-seed Maryland and No. 9-seed Northern Iowa, sophomore guard Korie Lucious seemed to want the ball in the final moments.
When Butler head coach Brad Stevens and his team returned to campus at 3 a.m. Saturday following their Elite Eight victory over Kansas State, they returned to a crazy scene.
The MSU men’s basketball program’s success has been a family affair, which includes members of MSU head coach Tom Izzo’s family, managers, assistants, former student-athletes and their families.
It has been nine days since junior guard Kalin Lucas’ season ended with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, but it hasn’t gotten any easier for the first-team All-Big Ten selection to cope with the fact he won’t be on the floor with his teammates in the Final Four.
It’s been a week since the MSU women’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Kentucky, and although the loss surely still stings the team, the Spartans have a bright future despite losing four important seniors.
The MSU men’s basketball team, like so many others before it, was built on toughness. Its coach is the Magical Man of March — a constantly overachieving workaholic whose accomplishments in this great tournament are unmatched. In the last decade, MSU men’s basketball personifies the NCAA Tournament as much as “One Shining Moment” and scissors cutting through twine.
St. Louis — Junior guard Durrell Summers finished with a game-high 21 points Sunday in No. 5-seed MSU’s 70-69 win over No. 6-seed Tennessee. The turnaround for Summers, the Spartans’ leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament, came after Izzo benched Summers in the Big Ten Tournament for poor defensive effort.
St. Louis — Sophomore guard Korie Lucious has played 93 of 100 possible minutes since halftime of MSU’s second round game against Maryland, when he took over point guard duties from starter and junior guard Kalin Lucas, who ruptured his Achilles’ tendon. In that time, Lucious has recorded 26, nine assists, nine steals and eight turnovers.
For the second straight year, the Spartans are headed to the Final Four. A free throw by senior forward Raymar Morgan with 1.8 seconds remaining gave No. 5-seed MSU the 70-69 victory over No. 6-seed Tennessee in the Midwest Regional final Sunday afternoon in St. Louis.
The rangy No. 6-seed Volunteers could present matchup problems for Spartans, making it important for junior guard Durrell Summers to join his teammates in hitting the glass, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said Saturday. The No. 5-seed MSU men’s basketball team tips off against Tennessee at 2:20 p.m. Sunday.
St. Louis — Welcome to the big stage, Mr. Big Shot. I’m talking, of course, about sophomore guard Korie Lucious, who, for the second consecutive game, hit a key shot late in the game to give the Spartans an NCAA Tournament victory. Last Sunday, it was the buzzer-beater to defeat Maryland. Friday night, it was a floating jumper with 1:31 to play that put the No.