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Driven by faith

Cash Kruth

April 2, 2009

During his sophomore year, Travis Walton was sitting at a barbershop when he overheard a man talking about God. “Do you really believe that?” Walton asked the stranger. He replied that he did. The man was Jesse Brown, a pastor at Rivers of Life Church, 2495 N. Cedar St., in Lansing. His message struck Walton, now a senior guard on the MSU men’s basketball team. Interested and intrigued by Brown and his beliefs, Walton began going to Rivers of Life regularly — although only after his grandmother met and approved of Brown.

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Izzo's promise stands

Cash Kruth

April 2, 2009

A few years ago, MSU men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo was sitting in his office at the Alfred Berkowitz Basketball Complex. Across from Izzo was Kalin Lucas, an ultra-fast high school guard, and Lucas’ parents, Kenneth and Tina.

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Perceived lack of NBA talent doesn't stop Spartans from reaching Final Four

Alex Altman

April 2, 2009

Of the four teams left in the field, the MSU men’s basketball team has arguably the least NBA talent on its roster. On Thursday, senior guard Travis Walton was asked if he was concerned his team’s lack of star talent hurts its chances.

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Players receive texts, phone calls, ticket requests after Elite 8 game

Cash Kruth

April 2, 2009

The MSU men’s basketball team has learned a valuable lesson this week: When you’re on top of the college basketball world, everyone wants something from you. Even a Wolverine.

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Redshirt seniors get second shot

Kyle Feldscher

April 2, 2009

When the MSU men’s basketball team made its remarkable run to the Final Four in 2005, three redshirts sat on the end of the bench waiting for their chance to get on college basketball’s biggest stage.

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Players draw inspiration from Detroit

Alex Altman

April 2, 2009

When Durrell Summers takes the court Saturday night, the sophomore guard will know exactly what he’s up against. MSU’s opponent, Connecticut, is a juggernaut of a team. The Huskies blazed through the West Region like a forest fire, winning their four tournament games by an average of 25.5 points. In all those games combined, they trailed for a total of three minutes and 27 seconds.

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2005 Spartans makes strong run before losing in Final Four

Alex Altman

April 2, 2009

Entering the 2005 NCAA Tournament, many experts figured MSU would be first-round mincemeat. As the dangerous five-seed, the Spartans opened their postseason run against Old Dominion, a mid-major that experts thought was ripe for a deep run in the tournament.

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Allen switches focus, steps up defensive game in tournament

Alex Altman

April 2, 2009

During the regular season, MSU sophomore guard Chris Allen’s role on the team was fairly simple. He was a scorer, and only a scorer. On a good day, Allen was good for about 10 points off the bench. The problem was, he hadn’t been experiencing too many of those days.

BASEBALL

Spartans blow out Central Michigan, 20-3

Joey Nowak

April 1, 2009

The MSU baseball team bounced back from a weekend sweep in dominating fashion Wednesday, and every player was in on the action. Coming off three straight losses at the hands of Illinois, each batter in the Spartans’ starting lineup registered a hit, as MSU thrashed Central Michigan 20-3 at Oldsmobile Park.

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Talented Spartans couldn't repeat title in '01

Cash Kruth

April 1, 2009

After its 2000 National Championship, the MSU men’s basketball team lost Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and A.J. Granger. Luckily for head coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans had Charlie Bell, Andre Hudson and Jason Richardson coming back, along with two dynamite freshmen in Marcus Taylor and Zach Randolph.

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No doubt Izzo best coach of past decade

In 2007, ESPN reporter Andy Katz wrote a piece anointing MSU as the top basketball program over the past 10 seasons. Two years later, I’m ready to take that coronation a step further. Not only has MSU been the nation’s best program in that span, head coach Tom Izzo has been the nation’s best coach.

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Izzo firmly believes defense wins championships

Cash Kruth

April 1, 2009

Tom Izzo blames Bo and Woody. In the 1960s and ’70s, Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler and Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes were the poster boys of a rough-and-rugged Big Ten Conference.

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Izzo: emotions, depth could be MSU’s advantage

Cash Kruth

March 31, 2009

The MSU men’s basketball team has all the storylines. The season is the 30th anniversary of the basketball program’s first national championship.

SPORTS

Georgia on his mind

Jacob Carpenter

March 31, 2009

Next week, MSU junior Jack Newman will venture to Augusta, Georgia, for the premiere golf event in the world: the Masters Tournament. Newman will walk in the footsteps of Jack, Arnie, Tiger and Lefty — men who made their names at the famed Augusta National Golf Club.

FOOTBALL

Dantonio talks quarterbacks, men's basketball, freshmen

Alex DiFilippo

March 31, 2009

MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio addressed the media Tuesday afternoon before the team’s fourth of 15 spring practices. Here’s what Dantonio had to say about the Spartans practicing in pads, the position battles and the men’s basketball team’s journey to the Final Four.

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2000 team took program to new heights

Alex Altman

March 31, 2009

Fresh off making his first Final Four in 1999, MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo knew the 2000 season had the chance to be even more special. With nearly every key player returning for his senior season — including Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and A.J. Granger — Izzo felt his team had the talent, experience and toughness to win a national championship.

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Izzo's 1999 team set standard

Cash Kruth

March 30, 2009

The MSU men’s basketball team won the Big Ten Championship the year before, but the Spartans dynasty arguably began in 1998-99.

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Freshmen gain appreciation for Final Four

Cash Kruth

March 30, 2009

Korie Lucious thought he knew how prestigious the Final Four was. Then the freshman guard met senior guard Travis Walton. That’s when Lucious truly understood what it takes to make it to college basketball’s biggest stage.

BASEBALL

Spartans end 5-game winning streak with loss to Illinois

Alex DiFilippo

March 30, 2009

The MSU baseball team opened up Big Ten play this weekend at Illinois and quickly fell to the bottom of the pile in the conference after dropping all three games to the Fighting Illini.

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Thousands gather to welcome Spartans home

Meredith Skrzypczak

March 29, 2009

Throngs of fans pushed and shoved their way into Breslin Center on Sunday night hoping to catch a glimpse of the men’s basketball players back in town after a victory against Louisville.