BASKETBALL
Saturday's near-win at No. 5 Ohio State showed the MSU men's basketball team's tenacity, but tonight's game against Illinois might be a better indicator of the Spartans' resolve.
Less than 72 hours removed from their extremely dramatic and taxing comeback against the Buckeyes, the Spartans (17-5 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) will need to find a way to rebound quickly against the struggling but dangerous Fighting Illini (15-8, 3-5), who are playing to resuscitate their fading postseason bid.
"This is where you really make a statement, or you really grow up, or you really have a turning point," head coach Tom Izzo said Monday at his weekly press conference.