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Sports

FOOTBALL

Former MSU coach Nick Saban called out for comments on NFL draft feedback

Matthew Argillander
July 20, 2015

Former MSU and current Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently stated at SEC Media Days that he felt NFL draft feedback for players gauging their standing at the next level is a distraction to said players who are preparing for the final stretch of their season. Saban coached MSU from 1995-99, but he left to become the head coach at Louisiana State before the bowl game in the 1999 season after leading the Spartans to a 9-2 record. Former MSU wide receiver Plaxico Burress who played for the Spartans during Saban's tenure took offense to Saban's remarks. Burress was considering leaving school early for the NFL, but Saban convinced Burress to stay to "finish what he started." The former wide receiver recently took to Twitter to call out his former coach. I recall Nick Saban telling me to stay in school finish what I started, I wasnt 1st round pick and he left for LSU b4 the season was over — Plaxico Burress (@plaxicoburress) July 15, 2015 Now Nick Saban goes on tv saying that kids are distracted by NFL projections.

SPORTS

Black Alumni Association partners with Magic Johnson for scholarship

Ryan Kryska
July 13, 2015

The Michigan State Black Alumni Association has partnered with Earvin “Magic” Johnson to host an inaugural scholarship fundraiser at the Detroit Golf Club on August 11, 2015. The fundraiser will support the MSUBA endowment fund, the newly established Magic Johnson Scholarship Fund and an expendable fund for students, said Paris Ross, the National President of MSUBA.

BASKETBALL

Izzo speaks on athlete's misconduct

Ryan Squanda
July 10, 2015

A day after news broke of the suspension of MSU junior guard Eron Harris due to a July 1 drunk driving arrest, the MSU basketball program received more bad news Wednesday, as news surfaced of junior guard Alvin Ellis’ May 2 charge of misdemeanor count of underage purchase, consumption or possession of alcohol surfaced. The charges were eventually dismissed and dropped to a public littering charge of $615, according to online records at 54B District Court in East Lansing. In addition to this, online records also indicate that a month later on June 19, Ellis was once again hit with a charge of underage purchase, consumption or possession of alcohol. "Being a student-athlete at Michigan State University is a privilege.

BASKETBALL

CBS ranks MSU the 6th best in college sports

Matthew Argillander
July 9, 2015

MSU is ranked No. 6 in the recent CBS Best in College Sports rankings. MSU is one of four Big Ten schools in the top 10. According to the website The National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has been ranking athletic programs for years but weighs every sport equally, meaning a football national title is worth the same number of points (100) as a women's water polo title.

BASKETBALL

MSU basketball will host Florida this season

Matt Argillander
July 7, 2015

MSU basketball announced via a press release that the Spartans will play a home-and-home against Florida. The series will begin this season at the Breslin Center on Dec. 12, 2015. MSU will travel to Gainesville, Florida, at a date yet to be determined in the 2017-18 season.

BASKETBALL

Denzel Valentine selected for Pan American Basketball training camp

Ryan Kryska
July 6, 2015

Denzel Valentine has accepted his invitation to the 2015 U.S. Pan American Men’s Basketball Team training camp, according to a news release by Spartan Athletics. Twenty-two players were invited and 12 will be selected to represent the USA in Toronto from July 21-25. The training camp will take place at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., from July 7-12, according to the release. If Valentine is selected, he will be the fifth MSU player to represent the USA since 1991.

BASKETBALL

New recruit Joshua Langford discusses family, future at MSU

Ryan Squanda
July 2, 2015

When Madison Academy (AL) head basketball coach Andy Blackston saw a then 7th grade Joshua Langford come to his school for the first time and pick up a basketball, that’s when he knew. For Tellus Langford, it was when he saw his son win the Alabama 3A player of the year as an 8th grader on the Madison Academy varsity basketball team.

SPORTS

Tom Minkel entering last season as head wrestling coach

Jake Allen
July 1, 2015

When his mother got him involved with the sport in fifth grade Tom Minkel, head coach of the MSU Wrestling team, knew wrestling would be a big part of his life. Minkel said it has been “heavy in his blood” since the beginning. Growing up with a father, who was an administrator at MSU, and a mother, involved in the music program at MSU, as well as attending former MSU Wrestling Head Coach Grady Peninger’s wrestling camp at IM Sports-West as a kid, Minkel found that MSU has also always been a big part of his life.