Michigan State-North Carolina State Preview
3/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 12, 2002
GAME: No. 10 Michigan State (19-11) vs. No. 7 North Carolina State (22-10).
REGIONAL: East, First Round.
TIME: Friday, 12:15 p.m. EST.
SITE: MCI Center, Washington.
Michigan State is in the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year. This time the Spartans aren't facing their usual high expectations.
The Spartans, who have made three straight Final Four appearances, will face North Carolina State in the opening round of the East Regional on Friday at the MCI Center.
It has been a rebuilding year for Michigan State after it lost seven players from last year's squad. Five graduated, and two - Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph - left for the NBA draft.
The Spartans, who began 0-3 in conference play, won the last five regular-season Big Ten games and 10 of their last 13 overall in the regular season.
"I'm very excited to be in the NCAA tournament," coach Tom Izzo said. "I think we have a great matchup with a very good team in North Carolina State from the ACC."
Despite the last-season success, the Spartans need to rebound from a disappointing Big Ten tournament. They suffered a 67-56 loss to Indiana in their quarterfinal game.
"I hope a young team can learn from it," Izzo said of the loss. "It's not like I'm looking for them to do something superhuman, that they haven't done before.
"I'm looking for them to play at the level of intensity that they played at in the last seven or eight or nine games of the season, win or lose," he said. "I think we did it in the last half of the Big Ten season when we improved tremendously."
The Wolfpack are coming off an impressive run in the ACC tournament, where they upset Maryland in the semifinals before being routed by Duke 91-61 in the championship game on Sunday.
North Carolina State was successful in its wins this past weekend because it shot the ball well. The Wolfpack shot a combined 60 percent in tournament wins over Virginia and Maryland, but missed 14 of their first 18 shots against Duke and couldn't recover.
Coach Herb Sendek knows that there is a tough road in front of him with Michigan State.
"They are a team that has a wealth of experience in tournament play. They played really well down the homestretch," he said. "We're happy to be in the field and expected to have a difficult challenge in the first round."
The victor will face the winner of the Connecticut and Hampton game.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Michigan State - F Alan Anderson (6.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), F Aloysius Anagonye (7.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg), C Adam Ballinger (11.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg), G Marcus Taylor (16.8 ppg, 5.3 apg), G Kevin Torbert (8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg). North Carolina State - F Ilian Evtimov (6.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg), F Julius Hodge (10.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), C Marcus Melvin (10.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg), G Anthony Grundy (17.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), G Archie Miller (9.9 ppg, 2.3 apg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Michigan State - At-large bid, Big Ten Conference. North Carolina State - At-large bid, Atlantic Coast Conference.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: North Carolina State - 27-16, 17 years. Michigan State - 33-14, 15 years.
