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Sports | Basketball

BASKETBALL

Brown scores 23 points in high school all-star game

While most people were likely observing high school basketball phenom LeBron James at the McDonald's All American High School Basketball Game on Wednesday in Cleveland, some others were staring fixedly at two MSU recruits. Guards Brandon Cotton and Shannon Brown showed off their skills at the contest. Troy Jackson, Brown's coach at Proviso East High in Illinois, said Brown was impressive. "Shannon played real well, like I expected him to," Jackson said.

BASKETBALL

Program has a chance to join nation's elite

In the second half of No. 7 seed MSU's 68-46 win over No. 2 seed Florida, sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson dropped a pretty dime to freshman forward Erazem Lorbek for an easy deuce. As associate head coach Brian Gregory strolled by head coach Tom Izzo to call plays he asked, "Where did that come from?" Gregory was referring to Anderson's true point guard-type pass, however, he could have been talking about the entire team's performance.

BASKETBALL

Lorbek leading balanced attack

Patrick Walters
March 26, 2003

Freshman forward Erazem Lorbek can now make three additions to his résumé - Buffalo tamer, Gator slayer and blissfully aloof hero of MSU's first two NCAA Tournament games. The soft-spoken Ljubljana, Slovenia, native has quietly helped MSU past No.

BASKETBALL

Roberson has unimpressive performance

Chris Mackinder
March 25, 2003

Tampa, Fla. - Freshman guard Anthony Roberson didn't picture it this way. The Saginaw native chose Florida over MSU, and before Sunday, it was hard for anyone to question his decision. The Gators (25-8) were ranked as high as No.

BASKETBALL

Men's hoops: Later Gators

Tampa, Fla. - Florida was in need of Gator aid Sunday evening to quench its thirst for a trip to the Sweet 16.But the Gators came up dry even though the No.

BASKETBALL

Spartans rev up offense in NCAA tourney

Chris Mackinder
March 21, 2003

Tampa, Fla. - It took the Spartans five months, but they finally granted their head coach his preseason wish Friday evening. In October, MSU head coach Tom Izzo preached that, while he wanted to continue reeking havoc on defense, he wanted to be a more offensive-minded team. MSU did just that with a 79-64 win over Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the St.

BASKETBALL

March dreams

Chris Mackinder
March 21, 2003

Aloysius Anagonye knows this is his last hurrah. The senior forward, better known as "Big Al," is heading into the NCAA Tournament with a dark reality - his basketball career may soon be over. "It does hit home," he said.

BASKETBALL

Hill, Anderson snag team MVP accolades

Patrick Walters
March 18, 2003

Sophomore guard Chris Hill might need to devote an entire room to house the individual awards he's piled up this season. Monday, Hill and sophomore forward/guard Alan Anderson were co-recipients of the MSU men's basketball team MVP award. The award, voted on by members of the team, was presented at the Spartans' annual Basketball Bust, an awards dinner to recognize team achievement. Hill also nabbed MVP honors from MSU's media and the team's Scholar-Athlete Award. Senior forward Aloysius Anagonye won the Chairman of the Boards Award for leading the team in rebounds (166) and the Antonio Smith Glue and Guts award for toughness.

BASKETBALL

Champs to chumps? Izzo's squad in danger

It doesn't seem that long ago nearly the entire MSU community packed into Cedar Village like sardines that magical April night the Spartans ran the gauntlet to the school's second national championship. Even with the loss of Mateen, Morris and A.J., Spartan fans had visions of - not sugarplums - back-to-back championships dancing in their heads. The following season, the team returned a solid nucleus - seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson and the high-flying sophomore Jason Richardson - plus a pair of talented freshmen, making the team's attack that much more potent. In pursuit of another title, that team went 24-3 in the regular season and won the school's fourth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title. However, the Spartans encountered a slight bump in the road in their Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal tilt with Penn State, falling to the Nittany Lions, 65-63. Although surprising, the setback didn't deter the team on its way to its third consecutive Final Four.

BASKETBALL

Crazy 8

Chris Mackinder
March 14, 2003

Chicago - Every year, the Big Ten Tournament not only provides excitement, but it also adds a dose of surprise. In the tournament's five-year history, only one No.