As fans were ushered down the steps and out the exit of Lucas Oil Stadium into a chilly Indianapolis night, Denicos Allen witnessed something he’d never seen before. Max Bullough was there, too — he remembers it well. The then-sophomore linebackers were forced to watch several members of the 2011 Spartans, a band of brothers toward the end of a special season, break down in tears.
It’s finally here. At 5 p.m., the No. 20 MSU volleyball team (21-11 overall, 10-10 Big Ten) will take on Mid-American Conference champion Ohio in Lexington, KY.
While many fans are focused on the football game in Indianapolis, Kevin Cope is keen on winning a game nearly 140 miles north of it.
Matt Costello wasn’t supposed to play Wednesday night — but he contributed in a big way. Despite a 79-65 loss to North Carolina, the sophomore forward was the only member of the No. 1 MSU men’s basketball team to play with the spirit of the best team in the nation.
The No. 1 men’s basketball team walked onto the court in kryptonite-colored socks for their highly-anticipated Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup against North Carolina. However, the Superman of college hoops walked off the court with their first loss of the season to UNC, 75-69. The Spartans never led during a game that showcased some of MSU’s most troubling tendencies on the season thus far. The game started just as poorly as it possibly could have for MSU and had the packed Breslin Center in a restless frenzy almost immediately. Junior forward Alex Gauna, who got the start in place of ill sophomore forward Matt Costello, started the game by committing two fouls and a turnover within the first 90 seconds. MSU went on to turn the ball over eight times, four of which came in the first five minutes, and allowing UNC to grab 10 offensive rebounds on the half.
A Chris Webber-esque technical ultimately sealed a second straight loss for the women’s basketball team.
It was a tale of two halves…of a half. The No. 1 MSU men’s basketball team is tied with North Carolina 32-32 at the half, after an up-and-down start to the game by the Spartans The Tar Heels led by as much as 14 midway through the period, but MSU scored eight of the last 10 field goals to even the score. It took four minutes for MSU to get their first field goal.
Staring down a dream, it’s important to note Urban Meyer has been here before. Several times, in fact.
The volleyball team will travel to Lexington, Ky., to take on Mid-American Conference champion Ohio on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Playing a smaller conference team certainly presents a challenge, as the Spartans are less familiar with an MAC opponent than a team such as Oregon, who hails from a highly-visible Pac-12 conference.
As the fall semester draws to a close, the wrestling team’s season is just starting to heat up. The Spartans (5-3 overall) will partake in their first Big Ten matchup of the season against No. 16 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Sunday at Jenison Field House.
After a stunning 81-76 loss to IPFW on Sunday, the MSU women’s basketball team will be back in action 7 p.m. Wednesday at Florida State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Max Bullough will never forget the feeling. In the senior linebacker’s four years at MSU, he’s experienced a wide range of emotions. There were highs, from dramatic late-game miracles such as the “Little Giants” and “Rocket” games of 2010 and 2011, to winning the first bowl game under head coach Mark Dantonio. He felt the lows, too, through a disappointing 2012 season and snapping a four-game winning streak against rival Michigan.
Yesterday, The State News got to chat with ESPN’s Rece Davis about the top-ranked men’s basketball team in the country, the Champions Classic and Sparty’s semifinal appearance in the Capital One Mascot Challenge. Here is what the “College GameDay” co-host had to say:
North Carolina. Primetime on ESPN. Nearly fifteen thousand fans, all packed inside Breslin Center. There’s no doubt about it — tonight’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge showdown between the No.
The MSU men’s soccer team is entering relatively uncharted territory. For the first time since 1968, the 11th-seeded Spartans are headed to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight after a 1-0 upset victory against Georgetown on Sunday afternoon. They take on Notre Dame at 7 p.m. Saturday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
With the regular season over, five MSU volleyball players were honored as Big Ten post-season award winners on Tuesday. Junior libero Kori Moster was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. Senior Lauren Wicinski was a unanimous All-Big Ten selection, with senior middle blocker Alexis Mathews and Moster being named honorable mentions. For the second straight season, senior setter Kristen Kelsay was the Sportsmanship Award winner, and freshman outside Chloe Reinig was selected to the All-Freshman team.
“Why not us?” That is indeed the question following Mark Dantonio’s weekly press conference with the media yesterday afternoon. With only a few days before the No. 10 Spartans (11-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) travel to Indianapolis for a date with No. 2 Ohio State (12-0, 8-0) in the Big Ten Championship Game, the MSU head coach briefly entertained a scenario that would send the Spartans to Pasadena — not for the Rose Bowl, but for the BCS National Championship Game.
The shadow of the birds’ wings was all Braxton Miller needed. Ohio State running back Dontre Wilson and offensive lineman Marcus Hall were ejected for their participation in a near-bench clearing scuffle against Michigan on Saturday. The Big Ten spent the past three days reviewing film and officials’ reports of the incident.
Regardless of what happens in Saturday’s Big Ten Championship Game, No. 10 MSU now can be remembered as the only program with multiple Legends Division titles — the Big Ten is switching to an East-West division alignment next season. Before trying to avenge their 2011 loss in the conference championship at the hands of Wisconsin, the then-No. 11 Spartans had to take care of Minnesota on senior day. Now, the sights are set on an undefeated showdown with No. 2 Ohio State.
With the nation’s No. 1 defense residing in East Lansing, it was all but guaranteed the Spartans would make their presence known in the Big Ten football awards. Six members of the No. 10 MSU football team earned All-Big Ten first team honors from the coaches, the program’s highest amount since 1966 — the last time the Spartans claimed a national title.