MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo seems to have the ability to see what other people can’t. At least, specifically, in the case of Goran Suton.
Some dedicated MSU basketball fans attend all the home games, an occasional away game and maybe even paint their faces before screaming the fight song at the top of their lungs.
It was the No. 1 seed against the No. 2 seed, but instead of MSU sophomore wrestler Franklin Gomez and Illinois’ Jimmy Kennedy battling for the 133-pound national championship, they squared off in the third-place match at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
Flash back five months. The MSU men’s basketball team was ranked No. 8 in the country, chosen as a favorite to win the Big Ten and Drew Neitzel was named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.
A combination of plenty of offense and solid pitching from senior Lesley Noel led the MSU softball team to a 2-1 showing at the Best Western Miami Invitational in Oxford, Ohio, to improve its record to 14-13.
Freshman forward Kalisha Keane has an admirer. No, not an MSU women’s basketball fan, but Bowling Green women’s basketball head coach Curt Miller.
It was an up-and-down weekend for the MSU women’s tennis team as they began Big Ten play, taking out Purdue 6-1 Saturday and succumbing to Illinois 4-3 Sunday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
And now it’s off to the Sweet 16 — a place MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo has been seven times in the past 11 years. But what separates this year’s Spartans from the other six is their ability to hit the playbooks — not just their own, but their opponent’s as well.
Sophomore Franklin Gomez’s bid for a national championship fell short, as he fell to Iowa’s Joey Slaton by a 3-1 decision in overtime in a national semifinal at the NCAA National Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.
Denver — Travis Walton and Co. have already shut down one team’s standout player in the NCAA Tournament. With another round comes another threat.
Last season, the MSU men’s basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and met one of college basketball’s powerhouses — North Carolina. After keeping up with the Tar Heels’ run-and-gun style of play, North Carolina eventually pulled away just by sheer depth and strength.
After last weekend’s devastating loss to Northern Michigan in the CCHA Quarterfinals, the MSU hockey team took the first few days of this week to regroup.
Thursday afternoon may have been a strong indication of promise for the future. With senior guard Drew Neitzel scoring six points on 2-for-11 shooting, some MSU fans might be saying “Uh-oh, we’re doomed in this tournament without Neitzel burying 3-pointers and scoring at least 17 points a game.”
Senior guards Alisa Wulff and Courtney Davidson were hoping Feb. 28 would be the last time they would play at Breslin Center.
Levance Fields scored a season-high 23 points and Keith Benjamin had 12 points and nine rebounds for Pittsburgh as the Panthers defeated Oral Roberts 82-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Pepsi Center.
Arguably the most important contribution from the MSU men’s basketball team in its win against Temple can’t be found in the box score. A combined MSU effort in defending guard Dionte Christmas, Temple and the Atlantic 10’s leading scorer, doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but might be the most notable of the afternoon. Thanks to Kalin Lucas, Drew Neitzel, Raymar Morgan and especially Travis Walton, the Spartans held Christmas to three points — his lowest point total of the season.
In a marathon match that lasted three overtimes, sophomore wrestler Franklin Gomez overcame a tough unseeded opponent and a hurt ankle to advance to today’s quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships.
According to the schedule, the MSU baseball team plans to make its 2008 home debut Friday at Kobs Field. Mother Nature might have other ideas, however, as of Wednesday, weather.com is forecasting a high of 37 degrees and a chance for snow showers.
While the thought of wrestling for a national championship in front of 22,000 people may put added pressure on some individuals, it hasn’t affected sophomore wrestler Franklin Gomez.
Sparty will be on the cover of “NCAA Football 09” for the Nintendo Wii after a close competition, EA Sports announced Tuesday.