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.
Many people will list the Detroit Auto Show as the best place to learn how to smooth out a drive, but golfers know Lansing’s Golf Show will fix the type of drive they’re concerned with.The Lansing Center, 333 E.
Andre Hutson said he was proud of the wave of different players who contributed in Sunday’s 81-65 win over Fresno State.
DETROIT - MSU sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller will have to clear off some mantel space in his East Lansing home. The All-CCHA goalie walked away from the CCHA Awards banquet in Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Thursday with an armload of new trophies and plaques. Among his numerous honors, the CCHA named Miller as the league’s Best Goaltender and, more importantly, the Player of the Year. “My teammates are why I’m here right now.
While green beer will be on the minds of many MSU students this weekend, Nathan Clark is thinking about a different kind of green.
Winning the NCAA National Championship should have caused a ticket frenzy at Breslin Student Events Center for the 2000-01 basketball season, but as many students found out, getting a season pass was as easy as picking up the phone. “I just called Jenison and ordered tickets,” fisheries and wildlife senior Andrew Cole said.
The No. 1 Spartans have one thing on their mind heading into their CCHA semifinal game today - beating Cinderella over the head with her own glass slipper. MSU (30-4-4) takes on No.
For the first time in his brief career at MSU, Bob Malek sees the Spartan baseball team above the .500 mark.
MSU’s top basketball recruit just added to his credentials.Kelvin Torbert has been named to the 2001 McDonald’s All-American High School team, which has MSU head coach Tom Izzo elated.“It’s a great honor for him,” Izzo said of his recruit, who signed with MSU last October.
Visitors to the 2002 Midwest League All-Star game may be surprised by the crazy antics of Myron the Noodleman, a popular Lansing Lugnuts act.Myron and other acts will add some extra fun to the All-Star game, which will be hosted next summer by the Lansing Lugnuts.Lansing competed with the Kane County Cougars, a suburb of Chicago who hosted the game in 2000.The Lugnuts last hosted the game in 1999, and before that in 1997.“We’ve had great success in the past with All-Star games,” Lugnuts Marketing Manager David Proutsaid.Plans are in the works for attractions to liven up the events and sponsors are soon to be determined.Midwest League President George Spelius said that from past experience, Lansing was an ideal place for the occasion.“It was a top notch situation there, they do everything big-league,” he said, referring to the way the Lugnuts run their games.Fan support makes Lansing an attractive venue for the game, Spelius said.
The most feared opponent in sports is the injury bug, and no one knows that better than Adam Ballinger.In three years at MSU, the redshirt sophomore has fractured his fibula, played an entire season with back pains and shattered the thumb on his shooting hand.“The years haven’t gotten off to the best start, but hopefully I’ve got it all behind me,” Ballinger said.As MSU heads into the NCAA Tournament, Ballinger is injury-free and hoping to help the Spartans defend their 2000 NCAA Championship.Despite only playing in 19 games and averaging a minuscule two points a game, Ballinger’s teammates are confident he can contribute.“We definitely need him to give solid minutes coming into the tournament,” senior forward Andre Hutson said.
The winner of Tuesday night’s play-in game between No. 9-seed Bowling Green and No. 5-seed Northern Michigan will be top-ranked MSU’s next opponent in the CCHA playoffs. No.
Now that the University of Michigan has made the resignation of men’s basketball coach Brian Ellerbe official, the maize and blue may turn to a former Spartan to try and rescue their fading program.