Let Saturday's 58-48 victory over third ranked Ohio State be a wake up call to anyone who was sleeping on this year's Michigan State team. It was understandable why this was one of Sparty's least hyped-up teams in recent memory. After all, there was little for them to build on. They came into the season unranked after being eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament … [Read more...] about Just How Good Are The 2012 Michigan State Spartans?
Kalin Lucas
Michigan State Guard Keith Appling Finalist for Team USA U19
Michigan State Spartans sophomore point guard Keith Appling has accepted an invitation from the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team Committee to attend the 2011 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team training camp. The training camp, which will be held June 17-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be used to select the … [Read more...] about Michigan State Guard Keith Appling Finalist for Team USA U19
Michigan State Blows Out #9 Purdue, Secures NCAA Tournament Bid
I guess MSU Coach Tom Izzo finally got his Michigan State Spartans to realize that March is here? In their 74-56 rout over the #6 Purdue Boilermakers, State finally played like a preseason #2 team in national college basketball. And of course they did it in March, a month in which they're known to be at their best. It took all the way to the Big Ten Tournament … [Read more...] about Michigan State Blows Out #9 Purdue, Secures NCAA Tournament Bid
Michigan State Stays on NCAA Bubble with Narrow Victory over Iowa Hawkeyes
In our latest, most up-to-date NCAA Tournament bracket projection, (or college basketball "bracketology" if you will, we have the Michigan State Spartans as a #11 seed. Although the chances of them falling into that final #12 seed line (and perhaps playing within that "First Four") are still high, even with their 66-61 narrow escape over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round … [Read more...] about Michigan State Stays on NCAA Bubble with Narrow Victory over Iowa Hawkeyes
Is Michigan State Going to be Left out of the NCAA Dance?
Only one team from last year’s Final Four looks to be in serious danger of missing this year’s NCAA Tournament. That college basketball team was also the national runner-up in 2009, and ranked #2 in preseason polls this year. They are the Big ten and the nation’s biggest let-down, the Michigan State Spartans (17-13, 9-9). North Carolina and Kansas State also had massive … [Read more...] about Is Michigan State Going to be Left out of the NCAA Dance?
Michigan State is a Program in Severe Crisis, but What’s Next?
As I articulated in the first part of this feature, the Michigan State college basketball season is ostensibly over. (Follow that link for more detail, but if your only colors are green and white I’m warning you now: “there’s no comfort in the truth, pain is all you’ll find,” as George Michael told us in the 1980s) State's packing it in is no longer news to anyone close the … [Read more...] about Michigan State is a Program in Severe Crisis, but What’s Next?
Michigan State Loses 71-62 in Champaign, Blows Chance at Road Win
A big reason Michigan State won back to back Big Ten titles in '09-'10 is their superior road record. The last two years MSU is 16-5 away from home. They had a school record 8 road wins in 2009, and followed it up with a 7-2 mark the following season. However, this year outside of the Breslin Center has been a totally different story. The Spartans fell to the Illini in … [Read more...] about Michigan State Loses 71-62 in Champaign, Blows Chance at Road Win
Turnovers Don’t Fit with Michigan State Point Guard Tradition, Kalin Lucas
When the Big Ten Network produced a program highlighting the most storied position traditions of excellence in the conference, Michigan State point guards took home the overall slot. All those decades of college basketball and college football and the number one is the men who have manned "the one" in East Lansing. NBA superstars, Team USA and college legends, guys like Scott … [Read more...] about Turnovers Don’t Fit with Michigan State Point Guard Tradition, Kalin Lucas
Michigan State Has Found Their Legitimate Starting Five Now
Following Michigan State's narrow escape over Oakland on December 11th, I tweeted to my followers what I believed MSU's starting lineup should be: a three guard cadre of Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, Keith Appling with Delvon Roe and Draymond Green up front. I then tweeted an abbreviated/condensed version of why I felt this would work. First, having two true point guards … [Read more...] about Michigan State Has Found Their Legitimate Starting Five Now
Michigan State Needs Rookie Keith Appling to Grow Up Quickly
"I'm a lot more comfortable now that I've gotten a couple starts under my belt," Michigan State Spartans point guard Keith Appling said last week following a victory over Northwestern in which he had five blocks. "He's going end up like Charlie Bell, one of the best defensive players that we've had," MSU Coach Tom Izzo said. Appling was inserted into the starting line-up … [Read more...] about Michigan State Needs Rookie Keith Appling to Grow Up Quickly