While perfection is something most strive for, it was something Williamston High wrestler Nick Simmons expected throughout his high school wrestling career.
What a difference a year makes. After a stellar career as one of the greatest players in MSU history, rookie Mateen Cleaves is now getting a raw deal from the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
Four teams. Three games. Two days. One champion. Who will emerge victorious? The Kentucky Wildcats overcame adversity in 1998, clawing their way back from a 12-point second-half deficit to defeat Cinderella team Utah, 78-69. In 1999, basketball fans saw underdog Connecticut beat top-ranked Duke 77-74 for its first national championship in its first trip to the Final Four.
GRAND RAPIDS - In his four years with the MSU hockey team, senior left wing Damon Whitten has seen a lot. But the Spartan assistant captain has never played against North Dakota - MSU’s first opponent in the Frozen Four - nor has he ever been to Albany, N.Y.
ATLANTA - He was the wrong guy in the right situation to combine for the perfect result - a third straight trip to the NCAA Final Four.
The Big Ten opening game was a disappointment forthe MSU baseball team, who fell 10-1 to Illinois on Friday.On Saturday, the team showed their stuff by beating the Fighting Illini twice in a row with scores of 13-7 and 13-8.Early in Saturday’s first game, it looked as if the Illini might take another win, but MSU eventually prevailed.
The MSU men’s track team may be starting its outdoor season this weekend in Alabama, but three members are still basking in the glow of victory from their last indoor meet two weeks ago.Freshman shot-putter Steve Manz, senior pole vaulter Paul Terek (a junior in eligibility), and sophomore runner Andy Lixey all earned All-American status at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships two weeks ago in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Spartan baseball team was in high spirits Tuesday after their first outdoor practice of the season.
It will be double the excitement this weekend for MSU gymnastics, as both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in the Big Ten Championships.The women will make the short drive to Ann Arbor for their event, while the men will have a longer haul to State College, Pa., for their meet.
Despite the fact only one other CCHA team made this year’s NCAA Tournament, the top-ranked Spartans have had adequate experience against the 12-team field. MSU - the No.
Four months after stepping off the field following a 42-23 loss to Penn State that sent it home without a bowl game in 2000, the MSU football team stepped back onto the practice field Wednesday for their first of 15 spring practice sessions.
In elementary school, he was teased for his Ibo accent and the fact that he looked different from other kids.
The Spartans continue to do battle with themselves as injuries and sickness persist to plague MSU. Senior forward Andre Hutson (right shoulder injury) and sophomore guard Jason Richardson (flu) both sat out Tuesday’s practice.
Sean Patchell’s most recent NCAA Tournament memory is not a happy one.Last March, the then-junior Spartan left wing was sitting alone in the locker-room during MSU’s first-round NCAA Tournament game versus Boston College in Minneapolis, Minn.Patchell had just been whistled for a major penalty for checking star BC forward Brian Gionta from behind in overtime, and he was justifiably worried.For the next five minutes, the Eagles would skate with a 5-on-4 advantage, needing only one goal to advance to the regional final and end MSU’s season.And making things even harder on Patchell, he had to sit there and listen to every excited gasp from the BC fans as the Eagles peppered MSU goaltender Ryan Miller with shot after shot - without being able to do anything about it.In the end, his Spartan teammates valiantly killed off 4:54 of the penalty - all but six seconds - but BC forward Jeff Farkas sealed the Eagles’ 6-5 victory at the 11:53 mark of the extra frame.The rest of the Spartans trudged into the locker room and their expressions told Patchell everything he needed to know.
As the competition heats up for the MSU hockey and basketball teams over the next couple of weeks, there might be another competition to observe when the football team opens spring practice today.
Anytime a coach throws freshmen into the madness of March, it’s a gamble. But the Spartans left Memphis, Tenn., holding all the chips. MSU head coach Tom Izzo said he never thought twice about playing freshmen guard Marcus Taylor and center Zach Randolph their normal minutes in their first NCAA Tournament. And why should he?
The Associated Press DETROIT - When people talk about Kelvin Torbert, this year’s Mr. Basketball, the word “special” is used a lot - and not just because of what he does on the court. On Monday, Torbert became the 21st winner of the award. Torbert is headed to MSU next year, joining a long list of Flint standouts who’ve played for head coach Tom Izzo. “I’m real excited to go up to East Lansing and play for a coach like coach Izzo and play with players like (last year’s Mr. Basketball) Marcus Taylor and (1999 Mr. Basketball) Jason Richardson; that caliber of players,” Torbert said.
DETROIT - Everything was green in Detroit on St. Patrick’s Day. Green-clad fans cheered as the CCHA Tournament championship banner ascended to the Joe Louis Arena rafters with a brand-new green addition at the bottom. The joyous bunch of hockey players, donning green and white jerseys, huddled together on the ice with the inaugural Mason Cup. And No.
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Six Spartan wrestlers came to the NCAA wrestling championships in Iowa this weekend, and four of them can now call themselves All-Americans. Junior Chris Williams (125 pounds), senior Pat McNamara (133 pounds) and sophomores Gray Maynard (157 pounds) and Nik Fekete (197 pounds) earned the prestigious status by finishing in the top eight in their weight class. The foursome helped lead MSU to a 15th-place finish from the event.
MSU baseball’s six-game winning streak came to a disappointing end this weekend with three losses and a single win over the Ohio University Bobcats. The Spartans split a doubleheader Sunday, losing 14-9, but came back with a 10-4 win. The Spartans scored first during the second inning of Friday’s game, but was quickly overpowered by the Bobcats, who held the lead, finishing with a 7-3 win. The Bobcats dominated Saturday’s game with nine home runs, winning with a score of 21-2.