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Sports | Hockey

SPORTS

Former, current Spartans score bronze medals in Pan Am Games

Matthew Argillander
August 6, 2015

Representing MSU at the recent 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto were senior basketball guard Denzel Valentine and recent graduate and sprinter Jellisa Westney. Valentine and the USA basketball team managed to capture a bronze medal at the games and the senior guard was able to produce despite limited opportunity. Valentine averaged just 11.4 minutes a game, good for the second lowest on the team on a team of 12.  Despite the low minute totals, Valentine came in at No.

SPORTS

Dantonio to speak at Big Ten Media Days opening

Ryan Kryska
July 30, 2015

The Big Ten Football Media Days will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, on Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31, according to a Spartan Athletics press release. The media days will include a Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon at the convention center on Friday, which is open to the public with limited seats still available for purchase, according to the release.

BASKETBALL

Keith Appling signs with the Orlando Magic

Ryan Squanda
July 21, 2015

Former MSU basketball star Keith Appling has inked a two-year partially guaranteed contract with the Orlando Magic of the NBA, news outlets reported Monday. The 6-foot-1 guard and graduate of Detroit Pershing High School played four years at MSU and finished his career with 1,509 points, 465 assists and 151 steals.

FOOTBALL

Former MSU coach Nick Saban called out for comments on NFL draft feedback

Matthew Argillander
July 20, 2015

Former MSU and current Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently stated at SEC Media Days that he felt NFL draft feedback for players gauging their standing at the next level is a distraction to said players who are preparing for the final stretch of their season. Saban coached MSU from 1995-99, but he left to become the head coach at Louisiana State before the bowl game in the 1999 season after leading the Spartans to a 9-2 record. Former MSU wide receiver Plaxico Burress who played for the Spartans during Saban's tenure took offense to Saban's remarks. Burress was considering leaving school early for the NFL, but Saban convinced Burress to stay to "finish what he started." The former wide receiver recently took to Twitter to call out his former coach. I recall Nick Saban telling me to stay in school finish what I started, I wasnt 1st round pick and he left for LSU b4 the season was over — Plaxico Burress (@plaxicoburress) July 15, 2015 Now Nick Saban goes on tv saying that kids are distracted by NFL projections.

SPORTS

Black Alumni Association partners with Magic Johnson for scholarship

Ryan Kryska
July 13, 2015

The Michigan State Black Alumni Association has partnered with Earvin “Magic” Johnson to host an inaugural scholarship fundraiser at the Detroit Golf Club on August 11, 2015. The fundraiser will support the MSUBA endowment fund, the newly established Magic Johnson Scholarship Fund and an expendable fund for students, said Paris Ross, the National President of MSUBA.

BASKETBALL

Izzo speaks on athlete's misconduct

Ryan Squanda
July 10, 2015

A day after news broke of the suspension of MSU junior guard Eron Harris due to a July 1 drunk driving arrest, the MSU basketball program received more bad news Wednesday, as news surfaced of junior guard Alvin Ellis’ May 2 charge of misdemeanor count of underage purchase, consumption or possession of alcohol surfaced. The charges were eventually dismissed and dropped to a public littering charge of $615, according to online records at 54B District Court in East Lansing. In addition to this, online records also indicate that a month later on June 19, Ellis was once again hit with a charge of underage purchase, consumption or possession of alcohol. "Being a student-athlete at Michigan State University is a privilege.

BASKETBALL

CBS ranks MSU the 6th best in college sports

Matthew Argillander
July 9, 2015

MSU is ranked No. 6 in the recent CBS Best in College Sports rankings. MSU is one of four Big Ten schools in the top 10. According to the website The National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has been ranking athletic programs for years but weighs every sport equally, meaning a football national title is worth the same number of points (100) as a women's water polo title.