Michigan State Embraces Elite Status
11/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State's basketball program is where Tom Izzo wants it to be.
This year's team, however, is not.
The Spartans are ranked No. 9 in the country because of the reputation the program has established, Izzo believes, despite losing Marcus Taylor and having two key players injured.
Instead of making excuses and shying away from the ranking, Izzo relishes it.
"There is a little pressure because our program has attracted this ranking, not this team, but that's fine," Izzo said Wednesday night in his office. "I'm using that as motivation for this team. I say, `Let's prove that we deserve this expectations.' If we want to be an elite program, we have to act like one.
"Do you think (Duke coach) Mike Krzyzewski, (Kansas coach) Roy Williams or (Arizona coach) Lute Olson would react negatively to their ranking? No, they wouldn't. So, I'm not. I'm going to embrace it."
Michigan State, which has won 25 straight openers, opens its season Friday night at home against North Carolina-Asheville.
The Spartans will play in the Great Alaska Shootout next week, then return home to play Virginia on Dec. 4 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. They also play at Kentucky (Dec. 14) and at No. 7 Oklahoma (Jan. 4) before starting Big Ten play.
Michigan State is favored to win the conference, although sophomore Kelvin Torbert may start the season sidelined after having bone chips removed from his left ankle. And freshman Maurice Ager will be out until next month with a stress fracture in his right foot.
Freshman Paul Davis, sophomore Tim Bograkos and junior Adam Wolfe have missed practices due to injury.
"Because of our injuries, we've struggled with our cohesiveness and chemistry," Izzo bemoaned. "On paper with all of our guys healthy, we could be a Top 10 team, but right now, I don't think we're among Top 30 without Torbert, Ager and Wolfe."
Michigan State has been picked to win the Big Ten for the fifth time in six years and might have been a pick to win the national title for the second time in four seasons if Taylor hadn't left after his sophomore year.
Taylor, who led the Big Ten in points and assists last season, was cut by the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves in training camp and is playing for the CBA's Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce.
Despite the loss of Taylor, the Spartans have depth.
This season, walk-ons can run drills against Michigan State's starters while promising freshmen such as Paul Davis watch.
Last season, managers ran drills, walk-ons had to play and freshmen were counted on to start, score and defend.
"Our depth will be a huge advantage," senior forward Adam Ballinger said. "I feel like we can throw a lot of guys at teams."
Ballinger and fellow senior Aloysius Anagonye will start on the interior. They'll be backed up by Davis, last season's Mr. Basketball in Michigan, junior Jason Andreas and freshman Erazem Lorbek, a native of Slovenia.
The Spartans will ask sophomore Chris Hill to move from shooting to point guard to replace Taylor and will count on junior-college transfer Rashi Johnson to give Hill some rest. Sophomore Alan Anderson will start at shooting guard or small forward while the lineup is being juggled due to injuries.
Hill said last season's finish -- one game out of first place in the Big Ten and a first-round exit in the NCAAs -- did not sit well with the Spartans.
"We're very well aware that we're the first (Michigan State) team in four years not to win a championship," Hill said. "We were very motivated in the offseason to change that this season."
