The MSU wrestling team will hit the mats for the first time this season at the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti on Saturday. The Spartans are ranked in the top 20 in most national preseason polls, and are led by All-American brothers Nick and Andy Simmons. Nick Simmons was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at last year's EMU Open.
Shannon Brown and Maurice Ager are murderous on the wings. MSU's tandem of athletic guards has shown an ability to finish dunks and alley-oops on the fast break that is nearly unparalleled in the realm of college basketball. But with the departure of Kelvin Torbert, Chris Hill, Alan Anderson and Tim Bograkos, there is a question as to whether or not the duo will be able to get up and down the court at the same break-neck pace as in previous seasons. Depth is now a major concern in the MSU backcourt, with the only feasible substitutes for Ager, Brown and sophomore point guard Drew Neitzel being two unproven freshmen: Maurice Joseph and Travis Walton.
The MSU women's soccer team is refusing to live in the past. The team will open the Big Ten Tournament today at 10:30 a.m.
The players on the MSU women's basketball team have been scrimmaging against each other for long enough.
With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Big Ten race is coming down to the wire. This week's game between No.
A struggling and inconsistent Spartan defensive unit may have gotten the turnaround it was looking for in Saturday's 46-15 win over Indiana. Using a more aggressive strategy, the defense intercepted three passes for the first time since 2003, recovered a fumble, recorded two sacks, and made six tackles for losses, all while holding the Hoosier offense to 369 total yards.
When I first heard NBA commissioner David Stern was enforcing a dress code, I was reminded of my high school principal, Mrs. Fisher.
It has been a season of ups-and-downs for the MSU hockey team and it has only played five games. The ups have been aplenty, with the team starting the season 3-1-1 and getting wins against top teams North Dakota and Cornell. "Our confidence is very good because we are getting such great efforts from all players," MSU assistant coach Tom Newton said.
The MSU women's soccer team will face Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at 10:30 a.m.
Despite a roller coaster season thus far, MSU head coach Cathy George isn't hanging her head. She still has the same grin on her face that she had at the beginning of the season.
After wrapping up its Big Ten season at home by defeating No. 8 Ohio State, the No. 15 MSU field hockey team will look to defeat the Buckeyes again, this time in the first round of the Big Ten tournament at 3 p.m.
Brandon Warner scored his first collegiate goal, which turned out to be the game winner, Saturday against No.
There's no shortage of big bodies eager to mix it up in the paint on the MSU men's basketball team. Though the inexperienced White squad fell to the Green squad, 84-44, its frontcourt demonstrated the talent and resolve necessary to give MSU a solid bench throughout the upcoming season. Redshirt freshmen Idong Ibok and Goran Suton showed no hesitation in attacking the basket from the low block during Saturday's Green-White scrimmage, despite being matched up against more experienced players.
The MSU women's cross country team finished fifth in the Big Ten Championship this past weekend in Minneapolis and the men came in seventh. Junior Katie Kelley had the best showing for the Spartans with a time of 21 minutes, 53 seconds.
It was a weekend where the MSU women's volleyball team hoped to turn its season around. Instead, the Spartans found themselves back in familiar territory. On the road, the Spartans fell to Illinois and were swept by No.
For the first time all season, MSU's special teams units were just that — special. After being called out Friday night by special teams coach Jim McElwain, the Spartans special teams responded with their best performance of the season.
The MSU men's golf team carded a 290 in the final round of The Landfall Tradition to finish seventh on Sunday in Wilmington, N.C., to close the fall season. The Spartans, who shot 891 overall, were just two shots away from a third-place tie. Texas A&M (870) captured the tournament —?10 shots over Coastal Carolina (880). Tulsa, Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia Commonwealth all tied for third place (889). Freshman Randy Hutchison came in fourth with a 1-over-par, shooting a 69 in the final round and 217 for the tournament.
• French golfer Jean Van de Velde will attempt to enter next year's Women's British Open because he is upset women might qualify for the 2006 British Open. In a related story, the Pistons will attempt to get Darko Milicic a spot on the Detroit Shock this season because they're upset he averages infinity fouls per 48 minutes. • A judge sided with high school civics teacher and Tampa Bay Buccaneers season-ticket holder Gordon Johnston that security pat-downs at the team's stadium violated individual liberties. "I'd say it's humiliating," Johnston said.
Chicago — MSU and Ohio State ended last season tied atop the Big Ten standings, but it's the Buckeyes who got the nod as the preseason favorite at the league's media day on Sunday. Ohio State, coming off a 30-win season and a trip to the NCAA regional semifinals, was picked to finish first in both the media and coaches' polls.
The MSU field hockey team sent its six seniors off with a bang. The No. 15 Spartans defeated No.