It was a tale of two halves at Breslin Center on Tuesday. MSU started hot against Vermont and cruised to a 66-46 victory — but it wasn't pretty.
Given the surprising performances by the MSU men's basketball team Thursday and Friday, there already was reason for optimism in East Lansing.
New York — If you had asked most pundits a month ago what the greatest strength of this year's MSU men's basketball team would be, most of their answers would have sounded something like this: "It'll help pass the time until next year's Top 5 recruiting class gets here." Well, after upsetting No.
The biggest factor in determining whether Thursday night will be a triumph for the Green and White or the Burnt Orange might be a matchup between two 18-year-olds. MSU (3-0) faces No.
A balanced scoring attack is what MSU didn't have last season, as three players combined for almost 80 percent of the Spartans' offense. But a balanced attack is what the MSU men's basketball team got Sunday evening at Breslin Center, as eight players recorded at least six points each to lead the Spartans to a 73-41 win against The Citadel. Pacing the attack was junior guard Drew Neitzel with 17 points, followed by freshmen Raymar Morgan and Isaiah Dahlman with 10 each. Both Morgan and Dahlman were effective from outside, each going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. "I think he had his best game," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said of Dahlman, who turned 19 on Sunday.
They didn't allow a point for the first eight minutes of the game. They held their opponent to less than 30 percent shooting from the floor.
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? What I'm doing now — a basketball player. Do you ever play as yourself in video games? I don't even have a video game.
About eight hours before his team kicked off its 2006-07 season, head coach Tom Izzo was busy introducing one of the most touted recruiting classes of his tenure. Guards Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Chris Allen, who signed letters of intent Wednesday, make up a three-guard class that's ranked No.
Ever wonder where all of Roy Williams' and Jim Boeheim's hair has gone over the years? Maybe it's a pesky gene that caused the tops of their heads to become bare as their coaching victories piled up. Or maybe they've just spent too many years pulling their hair out because of turnovers. And if that's the case, Tom Izzo's hairline might not be far behind. The Spartans committed 38 combined turnovers in their first two exhibition games, including 21 against Northern Michigan on Nov.
Freshman forward Raymar Morgan sure knows how to make a great first impression. In his first collegiate game, Morgan wowed the crowd Sunday at Breslin Center with his athleticism and well-rounded play, scoring 16 points and adding 12 rebounds in 30 minutes to lead the Spartans to a 74-63 win against Northern Michigan. "I was excited, probably a little too excited at times," Morgan said.
With the regular-season opener right around the corner, MSU head coach Tom Izzo hoped to find some answers to the many questions surrounding his team during Sunday's final exhibition game against Northern Michigan. Will the freshman class be able to contribute?
For the MSU men's basketball team to succeed this year, two players who dwelled in the shadows last season are going to be forced to step in and make an impact. Those two — sophomores Maurice Joseph and Goran Suton — will be counted on to not only provide depth and quality minutes, but also provide a scoring punch, head coach Tom Izzo said. Suton was a regular part of the revolving door at power forward last season, but struggled to string together consistent performances.
Chicago — It's a great time to be an Ohio State fan. With its football team already ranked No.
It was a long, hard offseason for Travis Walton. Last season, the then-freshman guard was known primarily as a defensive stopper.
Instead of his classy suits and ties or MSU warm-ups, Tom Izzo went for a darker, more gruesome look Friday night. With slicked-back hair, white makeup and a long red-lined cape, the MSU men's basketball head coach was ready to suck some blood as a vampire at the MSU men's and women's basketball teams' annual midnight madness kickoff event. Playing off the "Fright Night" theme, students and community members came out in costume to meet the teams and see them scrimmage.
Three years ago, Drew Neitzel stared into the TV cameras, wide-eyed and excited to start his MSU career.
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.
Best part of waking up? Bonding over breakfast One of Tom Izzo's secret weapons this season?
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.
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.