After he spent the previous day lamenting his team’s overly giving holiday spirit following a 20-turnover performance against Louisiana-Lafayette, Tom Izzo’s squad decided to give him a gift that even he could appreciate Monday.
Since naming senior center Derrick Nix and sophomore guard Russell Byrd as co-team captains at the team’s media day in October, head coach Tom Izzo has seen leadership emerge from several different places across the roster.
Twelve games into the regular season, MSU hockey’s (4-6-2 overall, 3-4-1 CCHA) sophomore forward Matt Berry has emerged as an offensive powerhouse for the Spartans.
Many times, it’s not good enough for a leader to talk the talk, but they must walk the walk as well, and senior guard Jasmine Thomas is doing that for the MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) so far this season.
After riding a six-game winning streak late into November, the Spartans ended the regular season in the most unfortunate fashion possible — getting swept in their final two matches. The two sweeps weren’t against just any teams, either. They were against in-state rival Michigan and No. 1 Penn State.
Facing the possibility of MSU’s first bowlless season since 2006, the MSU football team (6-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) bounced back to secure its sixth win and a bowl berth with a 26-10 victory at Minnesota (6-6, 2-6) Saturday afternoon.
It’s not as sexy as a Big Ten title, but in many ways, it’s equally important.
Anxiety, nerves and a faint silence encompassed the room filled with members of the MSU volleyball team as they awaited the start of the NCAA volleyball selection show on Sunday.
Noticing people embracing the holiday spirit is a sight many enjoy, but for Tom Izzo, it’s forced him to take on a new role: Grinch.
Just two days after Thanksgiving, the MSU women’s basketball team had even more to be thankful for in their 68-35 win against Robert Morris on Sunday: depth.
As much as he would like to avoid it, turnovers are becoming a consistent problem for head coach Tom Izzo. And on Sunday, they almost became a much bigger problem.
Seven Spartans scored at least five points, and MSU had the largest rotation of the year as the MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) rolled over Robert Morris (0-5), 68-35, on Sunday afternoon.
The MSU women’s basketball team (5-0) cruised past Robert Morris 68-35 in their final home game in November.
The MSU men’s basketball team (5-1) survived a scare from Louisiana Lafayette (2-4) on Sunday afternoon, knocking off the Ragin’ Cajuns 63-60 at Breslin Center. The Spartans were led by junior guard Keith Appling, who finished with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, with sophomore guard Branden Dawson adding 12 points and eight rebounds.
After riding a six game winning streak into last Wednesday, the Spartans now have been swept in their last two games, with their most recent loss to No. 1 Penn State.
A record-setting performance by junior running back Le’Veon Bell and a lockdown performance from the Spartans defense has MSU back in postseason play.
After a season of tough breaks, the Spartans finally got one to go their way, using an odd bounce to take a halftime lead. A pass deflected off the hands of sophomore receiver Tony Lippett into the hands of junior receiver Bennie Fowler for a 41-yard go-ahead touchdown to give the MSU football team (5-6 overall, 2-5 Big Ten) a 13-7 lead over Minnesota (6-5, 2-5) at the end of the first half.
When Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe stepped to the podium for their postgame press conferences, both coaches did so in the exact same manner. With a grimace, a heavy sigh, and nearly identical opening statements: that they had just finished the worst basketball game between MSU and Oakland that either coach had ever seen.
It was one of the scariest moments of Keith Appling’s life, if only for a moment.
For Denzel Valentine, it was a matchup more than 18 years in the making. And the freshman guard certainly didn’t disappoint.