And now it’s off to the Sweet 16 — a place MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo has been seven times in the past 11 years. But what separates this year’s Spartans from the other six is their ability to hit the playbooks — not just their own, but their opponent’s as well.
Denver — Travis Walton and Co. have already shut down one team’s standout player in the NCAA Tournament. With another round comes another threat.
Donning a green wig, Brian Stevens was ready to go at 10 a.m. The graduate student and his roommate, psychology senior Matt Zuehlke, arrived at Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 360 Albert Ave., more than two hours before tipoff of the MSU men’s basketball game against Temple University on Thursday.
A mile high and a few steps ahead. The MSU men’s basketball team climbed the first-round mountain and built an 18-point lead Temple couldn’t overcome en route to a 72-61 victory Thursday afternoon at Pepsi Center. The Spartans (26-8) continue their road to the Final Four on Saturday against No. 4 Pittsburgh.
Last season, the MSU men’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and met one of college basketball’s powerhouses — North Carolina. After keeping up with the Tar Heels’ run-and-gun style of play, North Carolina eventually pulled away just by sheer depth and strength.
Thursday afternoon may have been a strong indication of promise for the future. With senior guard Drew Neitzel scoring six points on 2-for-11 shooting, some MSU fans might be saying “Uh-oh, we’re doomed in this tournament without Neitzel burying 3-pointers and scoring at least 17 points a game.”
Senior guards Alisa Wulff and Courtney Davidson were hoping Feb. 28 would be the last time they would play at Breslin Center.
Levance Fields scored a season-high 23 points and Keith Benjamin had 12 points and nine rebounds for Pittsburgh as the Panthers defeated Oral Roberts 82-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Pepsi Center.
Arguably the most important contribution from the MSU men’s basketball team in its win against Temple can’t be found in the box score. A combined MSU effort in defending guard Dionte Christmas, Temple and the Atlantic 10’s leading scorer, doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but might be the most notable of the afternoon. Thanks to Kalin Lucas, Drew Neitzel, Raymar Morgan and especially Travis Walton, the Spartans held Christmas to three points — his lowest point total of the season.
As Danny Kulas wandered past Bailey Hall dorm rooms selling green-and-white T-shirts stating “This is madness,” the marketing freshman could only dream about making the trip to Denver for MSU’s first-round basketball game against Temple.
Through a roller-coaster ride of a season, the MSU men’s basketball team has found ways to win and ways to lose. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance in games against top-10 teams and floundered against cellar-dwellers. Now, with everything on the line in the NCAA Tournament, here are three things the Spartans should and should not do to better their chances for a postseason run.
Even ESPN is bewildered by the NCAA selection committee’s picks for the NCAA Tournament. Actually, I think everyone except those faithful to Florida State and Auburn believes the MSU women’s basketball team got pushed under the rug.
After CBS’ selection show, senior guard Drew Neitzel admitted he and the rest of the MSU men’s basketball team knew zilch about Temple’s offense, defense, roster and every other team characteristic.
What a difference a weekend makes. In other words, what a difference the men’s Big Ten Tournament made. Before this weekend, many basketball analysts penciled Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue and MSU all as no lower than a six seed — and some as high as a three — in the NCAA Tournament.
Anger and disappointment. Those two words sum up the morale in the Berkowitz Basketball Complex after the MSU women’s basketball team found out it would not make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
At the end of it all — a heartbreaking 65-63 semifinal loss in Indianapolis for an early tournament exit and finished Big Ten career — Drew Neitzel untucked his jersey and slowly trudged off the floor into the tunnel.
Unfortunately for the MSU men’s basketball team, the NCAA has made it illegal to defend a team shooting free throws. In a touchy, tightly officiated Big Ten Tournament semifinal game, the Spartans had to stand aside and watch Wisconsin shoot 37 free throws on 30 team fouls en route to a 65-63 win Saturday afternoon at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The MSU men’s basketball team didn’t know much about the Temple Owls when it was revealed the two teams would meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but The Spartans were confident it would only be a matter of hours before they were well educated.
Indianapolis — In a span of three minutes, the MSU men’s basketball team lost four players and a 10-point lead.
Indianapolis — He didn’t take the leadership role and just run with it — he hopped on a horse and took off.