Washington - Despite a 69-58 loss to North Carolina State in Friday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, Tom Izzo asked his players to savor the moment. With 44 seconds remaining and MSU trailing 67-55 at MCI Center, Izzo called a timeout.
Washington - Following a disappointing 69-58 loss to North Carolina State in Friday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, MSU men’s basketball associate head coach Brian Gregory quietly sat in the corner of the Spartans’ locker room.With his head in his hands, suit jacket off and tie slightly loosened, Gregory searched for a reason why the Spartans were exiting the tournament after one game for the first time since 1995.“You start wondering, ‘Did we really just run out of gas?’ ” he said.The last time Gregory and the Spartans (19-12) were in the MCI Center locker room, the mood was much different.At halftime, MSU owned a 12-point lead at 30-18 after forcing the Wolfpack (23-11) offense to 6-of-24 shooting.Gregory said the defensive effort in the opening half made the loss even more disappointing.“Anytime you defend as well as you did in the first half and you go out and don’t defend as well in the second half, there’s going to be frustration,” he said.But the exhausted, disappointed, angry and frustrated looks on the faces of his players had to be there.“I think if you don’t see frustration, you have to worry about what kind of kids you have,” he said.One Spartan who had been in the locker room after numerous tournament wins, junior forward Al Anagonye, said he knows he won’t forget being ousted from the tournament this early.“If it doesn’t (bother you), you shouldn’t play at Michigan State,” Anagonye said.
If MSU is able to knock off North Carolina State today, it will face one of two formidable opponents. No.
Washington - Midwestern basketball fans probably know who MSU sophomore guard Marcus Taylor is.
Washington - The MSU men’s basketball team arrived for a 12:15 p.m. practice Thursday at the MCI Center, but something was missing.
Washington - The MSU men’s basketball season came to an end Friday with a 69-58 loss to North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Washington - In the game of basketball, size and strength play large roles, and the Spartans held a distinct advantage over North Carolina State in each category.But it was the Wolfpack (23-11) who prevailed 69-58 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at MCI Center on Friday.The smaller N.C.
If what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the Spartan men’s basketball team can find strength in its loss to Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last Friday. The Spartans (19-11) came out lethargic and couldn’t match the Hoosiers’ high intensity.
The more Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament, the more money each school receives. This year’s tournament has five Big Ten teams.
Friday’s first round NCAA Tournament matchup with North Carolina State will be a first for several Spartans. The inexperienced freshmen trio of Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert have raised questions about whether the youthful MSU men’s basketball team can handle the added pressures of March Madness.
If everything went as planned in the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament, all four No.
The resiliency of the men’s basketball team has spread to its fans. Finance senior Ken Wink won’t let 588 miles and a nine to 10-hour drive separate him from the Spartans first-round matchup in Washington, D.C.
As the No. 10 seed MSU men’s basketball team tries to rally in the NCAA Tournament, it will look to its point guard for a spark - a position teams traditionally turn to in March.Great point guards have typically led the teams that make runs in the tournament’s history.
Indianapolis - The shadows of three consecutive Final Four appearances loom over the MSU men’s basketball team as it enters the NCAA Tournament as a No.
March is nearly every sports fan’s favorite month - and despite what the shameless self-promoters at ESPN will tell you, it’s not because “A Season on the Brink” aired. And while the “total sports network” ventures in Brian Dennehy movies, I’ll try to find something a little more worthwhile to write about. I have to resist any urge to write a “65 things I love about March” column, because it’s in the best interest of you, the reader, and my reputation to avoid any and all gimmicky columns - i.e.
A lot of basketball teams can look good in stretches, hitting a few shots in a row or stopping their opponents for a couple of minutes.
Despite an early exit in the Big Ten Tournament, the MSU men’s basketball team heads into the NCAA Tournament with its finger on its biggest problem - intensity.The question will be, “Can the Spartans pick up the intensity after losing to Indiana in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament?”That same question was MSU head coach Tom Izzo’s biggest concern heading into the Big Ten Tournament.
A very critical factor in a team’s success during the NCAA Tournament can be who you play. And with a shocking upset just around the corner, anything is possible. Let’s take a look at the other teams in the bottom half of the East regional bracket. First round opponent: No.
As he learned his team would play as a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo smiled sarcastically Sunday.
Indianapolis - The MSU men’s basketball team was drowned in a sea of cream and crimson Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse as it was knocked out of the Big Ten Tournament. No.