BASKETBALL
Spartans treading unfamiliar waters
Bloomington, Ind. - The No. 25 MSU men’s basketball hasn’t lost three games in a row since 1997.
FOOTBALL
Should he go, should he stay?
Trust me, this is not a plea for T.J. Duckett to return next fall. Actually, I have no clue if the big guy will depart the banks of the Red Cedar for the NFL’s big bucks, but speculation has the 3,379-yard career-rusher fleeing MSU in a limo after his 4 p.m.
FOOTBALL
Duckett to enter NFL draft
Spartan junior running back T.J. Duckett will be rushing out of Spartan Stadium for the 2002 NFL Draft, a person close to the MSU standout told The State News on Tuesday. And, if Duckett announces that decision as he’s expected 4 p.m.
BASKETBALL
Spartans unable to keep up with Indianas 3-point display
Bloomington, Ind. - It was the Spartans’ worst nightmare. A red scare of sorts, as Indiana (10-5 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) bombed No.
FOOTBALL
Spartan offense prepares for new look
The possible departure of junior running back T.J. Duckett would be a “disaster” for the Spartan football team, one top college football analyst said.ESPN college football expert Beano Cook said if Duckett takes his game to the NFL, MSU would struggle to compete in the Big Ten conference.“It’s a disaster for them - you can count on two more losses (for the Spartans),” he said.
FOOTBALL
Cutting out?
The chant “T.J. Duckett, T.J. Duckett” has roared within Spartan Stadium countless times.
SPORTS
Sports briefs
Swimming MSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams finished competition Saturday in the 26th annual Rainbow Invitational hosted by the University of Hawaii.
SPORTS
Four year stars distant memory in college sports
Nothing hurts a program more than a player renouncing his eligibility to turn pro. It leaves programs with unexpected holes to fill and no reasonable way to fill them. It’s kind of like driving down the highway at 70 mph and suddenly throwing the car in reverse.
SPORTS
Transfers make impact on mats
With a 2-1 record thus far, the Spartan wrestlers are not only in good shape for this season, they have four junior college national champion transfer students hoping to lead the way. Arsen Aleksanyan, Rashad Evans, Anton Hall and Ryan L’Amoreaux have provided the Spartans with valuable depth. MSU head coach Tom Minkel said the Spartans don’t recruit just anybody, they look for potential. “You have to know they can compete at the national level,” Minkel said.
ICE HOCKEY
Icer honored to carry Olympic torch
Redshirt-freshman right wing Steve Swistak was in the American spotlight for a couple minutes Monday morning.
FOOTBALL
Questions abound in footballs future
Joe Namath he’s not, but that didn’t stop Charles Rogersfrom making a bold prediction after a 44-35 victory over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartan hockey has success with new ripples
The new year found three new faces in the Spartan lineup searching for, well, new beginnings.MSU head coach Ron Mason used a nonconference series against overmatched Quinnipiac to insert freshman goaltender Matt Migliaccio, junior left wing Steve Clark and redshirt sophomore forward Pat Brush into the Spartan lineup.Each played one game of the series - Clark in Friday’s 4-1 win and Migliaccio and Brush in Saturday’s 3-1 victory - but all hope the appearances won’t be their only cameos of the 2002 campaign.“I try to approach every weekend as if I was going to play,” said Brush, who had played in one previous game on Jan.
SPORTS
Baseball get new assistant coach
The new year brings new honors for two MSU freshmen. After being selected as second-team Freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News last month, offensive guard William Whitticker and linebacker Ronald Stanley made the Football News Freshman All-America teams. Whitticker received first-team honors after starting 11 of 12 games this season.
BASKETBALL
Hoosier country awaits struggling Hoops team
When No. 25 MSU and Indiana meet at 7 p.m in Bloomington, Ind., you can probably expect an exciting game.
FOOTBALL
Freshman named All-Americans
The new year brings new honors for two Michigan State freshmen. After being selected as second-team Freshman All-Americans by The Sporting News last month, offensive guard William Whitticker and linebacker Ronald Stanley made the Football News Freshman All-America teams. Whitticker received first-team honors after starting 11 of 12 games this season.
SPORTS
Womens basketball primed for Tinseltown
Hollywood would want no part of this story. Imagine “Rocky” ending with Rocky Balboa knocking out Apollo Creed in the first round to conclude the film.
BASKETBALL
Big Ten defeat opens season
Minneapolis - The MSU men‘s basketball team extended its road losing streak Saturday after a 70-67 loss to Minnesota at Williams Arena.The loss was No.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans take second at GLI; reap honors over winter break
While you were away from the world of Spartan hockey... • The Spartans (15-4-2 overall, 10-3-1 CCHA) advanced to the title game of the Great Lakes Invitational, but lost the championship 5-4 in overtime to North Dakota on Dec.
SPORTS
Lions fans bid farewell to dome
Pontiac, Mich. - In a game closing out the season between two cellar-dwelling teams, one might expect something other than an enthusiastic crowd. But when the Detroit Lions (2-14) downed the Dallas Cowboys (5-11) 15-10, more than just two disappointing seasons came to an end - a chapter in Detroit Lions football history concluded with the final game at the Silverdome. Lions fans from throughout the country converged on the Silverdome one last time, and for Bill Vanfaasen the move to Ford Field in downtown Detroit couldn‘t come soon enough. Vanfaasen, formerly of Holland, Mich., has been driving from Green Bay, Wisc.
BASKETBALL
Freshman point guard shines in Taylors absence
Minneapolis - MSU freshman guard Chris Hill never imagined he would be starting in the first Big Ten opener of his collegiate career.Neither did sophomore point guard Marcus Taylor, who planned on directing the No.