The MSU women’s basketball team isn’t in a desirable position.After a two-game home losing streak, the Spartans (8-8 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face conference leader and No.
It’s a simple fact of college basketball; If you can’t stay on the court, you can’t help your team win.That’s been a constant battle for sophomore forward Aloysius Anagonye.In his freshman season, where he averaged a foul every 4.9 minutes, it seemed he was whistled just for stepping on the court.Not much has changed since this season began.
Graduating from Ithaca High in 1949, Duane Vernon had no idea what his future would hold. Vernon, 69, was traveling home from the MSU tournament basketball game vs.
Game films, bench seats and bruises in practice are what they are most accustomed to, but that could all change for MSU’s inexperienced frontline reserves.With senior forward Andre Hutson out indefinitely with pneumonia and senior guard Mike Chappell suffering a chipped bone in a finger on his shooting hand after the Jan.
On Jan. 9, the National Collegiate Athletic Association approved Division II pre-enrollment amateurism legislation allowing high school athletes to participate in certain activities previously not allowed under amateurism by-laws.Prior to full-time college enrollment, prospects can be drafted by a professional sports organization, enter into a professional agreement, receive compensation for athletic competition, participate on a professional team and accept prize money based on place finish, all activities that, once, would negate NCAA eligibility.However, those athletes who choose to participate in professional competition and do not enroll at a collegiate institution in the next academic term following their high-school graduation will begin to use up seasons of competition.For example, for every year of professional play, the athlete will lose one year of eligibility.However, if they choose to leave the pros for college, they must first fulfill a year of residence at the collegiate institution before being eligible to play.While the new legislation does not affect MSU, a Division I institution, the NCAA is currently working on a similar piece of legislation that would apply to all Division I schools.“There is a subcommittee within the NCAA that has been studying amateurism by-laws for three years,” said Jane Jankowski, NCAA assistant director for public relations.
Despite his promotion from assistant general manager of operations to general manager on Dec. 19, 2000, Greg Rauch has been actively involved in all facets of Lansing Lugnut operations.“When (Greg) first came here he was responsible for all of our ticketing operations; he then picked up all stadium operations; last year he picked up the marketing operations; now he will be the person responsible for running the entire organization,” said Tom Dickson, president and co-owner of the Lansing Lugnuts.Rauch began with the Lugnuts in 1996 as ticket director, coming over from the Oklahoma 89ers, where he began as an intern. “The general manager at the time, who was the previous general manager of the Oklahoma 89ers, hired me as an intern right out of college,” Rauch said.
While he is on a new team, in a new league, and in a different country, Morris Peterson’s game is still very much the same.
SAULT STE. MARIE - Something was weird in the Upper Peninsula this weekend. I don’t know if the stars were misaligned or there was an ion imbalance in the air or what, but this definitely was no ordinary trip to the Soo for the Spartan hockey team. First of all, it’s mid-January and I was walking around without a jacket.
The country’s best turf management school will strut its stuff on the football field.The administration unanimously agreed Friday to switch the turf on Spartan Stadium to natural grass.“I have felt very passionately about putting natural grass into the stadium,” Trustee David Porteous said.
SAULT STE. MARIE - MSU skated on a fine line of disaster for much of its weekend series with Lake Superior State, but three Spartan seniors’ late-game heroics salvaged a sweep.
Andre Hutson’s playing status for MSU’s Jan. 21 game against Ohio State is uncertain after the senior forward was hospitalized after Saturday’s win over Wisconsin.
Sixteen games and 10 starting lineups later, the MSU women’s basketball team is still searching for the five players who can best set the tone for their games.At MSU’s loss to Illinois on Sunday, the 10th lineup - senior guard Christie Pung, senior forward Becky Cummings, senior guard Donita Johnson, junior guard Vnemina Reese and senior center Erin Skelly - gave all four seniors a chance to start.Three of those starters pulled in less than six points each - Cummings had a season-low four, Johnson had her lowest since Nov.
Lightning didn’t strike twice for the MSU wrestling team this weekend. After upsetting the then-third-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys 21-10 at Jenison Field House last year, the 11th-ranked Spartans got pummeled 31-3 in a dual meet against the No.
The MSU women’s basketball team is still looking for one thing - consistency.They couldn’t find it Sunday when Illinois, (9-8 overall, 4-1 Big Ten), spanked the Spartans, (8-8, 2-3) at Breslin Student Events Center, 72-59.
Michael Jordan he’s not, but Jason Richardson’s above-the-rim style draws frequent comparisons.With every alley-oop dunk the sophomore guard throws down, people whisper, “He jumps like Jordan.”The leaping ability might be similar, but Richardson knows comparisons to “his Airness” are a bit much.“It’s great to be compared to him, but I don’t compare myself to Jordan,” Richardson said.
One team will be looking to move up in the rankings while the other will have revenge on its mind.Last year, MSU upset No.
Despite playing for the Detroit Pistons, Mateen Cleaves has a chance to add to his college résumé. Cleaves and the 2000 NCAA championship Spartans were nominated thursday for the 2001 ESPY Awards.The 1999-2000 MSU men’s basketball team was nominated for College Team of the Year.
AUBURN HILLS - They spotted each other from across the court and immediately headed toward the center during the pregame shoot-a-round at Wednesday’s Detroit Pistons-Toronto Raptors game.
When Ron Mason takes his No. 1-ranked Spartan hockey team to Sault Ste. Marie this weekend, he promises that hockey is first and foremost on his mind.Mason will be returning to Lake Superior State, the school that gave him his first head coaching job 35 years ago, for a two-game series tonight and Saturday.
Candice Jackson has never spent more than a few days off the court during the past 10 years.Now, the women’s basketball team’s freshman guard from Lansing Everett High School will have to spend her basketball time in physical therapy.After starting 7 of 13 games and becoming the team’s fourth-leading scorer, an MRI Tuesday morning confirmed she has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.