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Wide-eyed as a freshman, Gray's a leader now
Three years ago, Drew Neitzel stared into the TV cameras, wide-eyed and excited to start his MSU career.
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Gray hopes to put injuries in past
Marquise Gray has been a little prone to injury during his tenure at MSU. In his redshirt season, the now-sophomore forward suffered a knee injury that held him out of practice.
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Notes from Media Day
Best part of waking up? Bonding over breakfast One of Tom Izzo's secret weapons this season?
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Izzo: 'It's going to be a working man's year'
After nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, success for the MSU men's basketball team has become, as head coach Tom Izzo said, "expected more than it is appreciated." So with Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Shannon Brown — who combined for almost 70 percent of MSU's scoring last season — gone to the NBA, even Izzo can't blame those who project the Spartans to have a down year by their own standards. But that's all right with him — he's had plenty of success playing the underdog. "When you're constantly picked to win, it's not as much fun for anybody," Izzo said Tuesday at Media Day.
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MSU lands 1st recruit for 2008
The MSU men's basketball team received its first verbal commitment for the 2008 class, landing Korie Lucious, a 5-foot-10 guard from Milwaukee Pius XI High School. Lucious is ranked as the No.
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New recruits know how to win
When Isaiah Dahlman and Raymar Morgan were both participants in the Nike All-American Camp this past summer, they talked a lot with each other and formed a friendship. After Dahlman committed in early September to play basketball for MSU as part of its 2006 recruiting class, he called Morgan, who then committed to MSU less than a month later.
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Future Spartan Lucas' inspiring efforts overshadow his mistakes
Look at Kalin Lucas' eyes. They're wet and red, having probably released a gallon or two of tears in the last half hour.
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Izzo says team lacked toughness in NCAA exit
Dayton, Ohio — The hype was everywhere in October. It was difficult to look at a college basketball publication without seeing Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown or Paul Davis.
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Neitzel's struggles are team's losses
Sure, MSU's Big Three of Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis are key cogs in the MSU basketball machine, but more than those three, the most important cog is proving to be point guard Drew Neitzel. When Neitzel's game is on, MSU is a hard team to stop.
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Big Ten busts
Indianapolis — After a stretch of three physically and emotionally draining games in 47 hours, Tom Izzo refused to cite fatigue as an excuse after his team shot 28.3 percent while falling 53-48 to Iowa in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse. The MSU head coach felt so strongly about it that he opened up his postgame press conference with an emphatic "no." "Fatigue had zero to do with the loss, zero," Izzo said.
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Fatigue not a factor? Are you serious?
Indianapolis — The party line in the MSU locker room after Saturday's 53-48 loss to Iowa was more rigid than Matt Trannon's smile behind that goalie mask. Despite playing their third game in 47 hours and second in less than 14, the Spartans said — insisted — that it wasn't fatigue that rendered them helpless as the Hawkeyes rode their early second-half lead all the way into the tournament finals. Head coach Tom Izzo: "I'd be the first to tell you if I thought it had even a little to do with it.
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Victory at last
Finally, Paul Davis asserted himself down low. Finally, Tom Izzo found some clarity in his rotation. Finally, MSU made big plays down the stretch. And finally, the No.
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Badgers have size, lack athleticism
The first time around, Wisconsin handed MSU its worst beating of the season, a 82-63 decision at the Kohl Center. Now, it's MSU's turn to protect its home floor when the two teams resume their rivalry at 7 p.m.
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Big Ten basketball at a glance
How the men fared: Entering Tuesday's game 1. Ohio State Defeated Michigan 64-54 on Saturday 2.
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The men: With 2 more wins, Izzo likes team's chances of title run
Not long ago, MSU was shooting for an NCAA Tournament game at The Palace of Auburn Hills and possibly even for a No.
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Coming up empty
Davis, Ager, Brown or get out of town. MSU's Big Three — senior center Paul Davis, senior guard Maurice Ager and junior guard Shannon Brown — once again dominated the scoresheet Sunday, accounting for all but nine of the Spartans' points in their 78-71 loss to Indiana. MSU got just three points from its bench — all from freshman guard Travis Walton, who played 32 minutes in place of injured senior forward Matt Trannon. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, got 16 points from their bench, including a game-tying free throw by Errek Suhr and a game-tying layup by Roderick Wilmont in the game's final minutes. But MSU head coach Tom Izzo insists he's not looking to his bench to score more. "We don't have a great bench — I told you that in September," Izzo said.
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Izzo: Expect more offensive production this time around between MSU, Ohio St.
When MSU and Ohio State met earlier this season, most people expected the two to combine for 100 points by halftime.
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Still in the hunt
Three things made MSU head coach Tom Izzo smile after Saturday's game at Breslin Center. The first: Regaining dominance over archrival Michigan, courtesy of a 90-71 win. The second: The re-emerging possibility of winning the Big Ten.
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MSU's most overlooked athlete back to old self
It had not been a good week for Drew Neitzel. The sophomore guard played arguably his worst game of the season against Minnesota last Saturday, missing seven of eight shots and recording more turnovers (four) than points (three). He followed that with another frustrating game at Iowa on Tuesday, finishing with his fewest assists in more than a month. And sadly, that wasn't the worst part.
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Lansing minor-league hoops squad to tip off in the spring
When the MSU men's and women's basketball seasons wrap up each spring, high-level basketball in the Lansing area usually lays dormant until the fall.