Spartans Party Like It's 1979 At Friday Night Flashback
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 18, 2008
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Johnson and Kelser showed up for Michigan State's annual Midnight Madness basketball celebration in the Breslin Center.
So did a different generation of Spartans, determined to cut down the nets the same way.
Earvin Johnson, Magic's dad, and Gregory "Special K" Kelser, the other half of a dynamic duo, were part of a "Friday Night Flashback" to the Spartans' first NCAA Championship in 1979, as Tom Izzo's program went public in its quest for MSU's third title.
"The jersey still fits! How about that?" Kelser said of No 32, before emceeing the event. "I haven't seen this year's team yet. But I've heard about it and read about it. The pieces are all in place. They've just got to be a little lucky."
Johnson said he has always felt fortunate to watch his son play so close to home and to see the Spartans rule their sport with a win over Larry Bird's 33-0 team.
"Does it seem like 30 years ago? . . . Yeah, it does," Johnson said. "But I'll never forget it, especially going to Salt Lake City and beating Indiana State."
The '79 Spartans lost 70-69 at North Carolina. The 2000 NCAA kings stunned the Tar Heels 86-76 in Chapel Hill. And nine years later, Izzo's team will have its shot at preseason favorite UNC on Dec. 3 at Detroit's Ford Field, the site of next spring's Final Four.
Another eagerly awaited matchup was on everyone's mind when Athletics Director Mark Hollis said it was 172 days until Suzy Merchant's Spartan women try to win it all in St. Louis, 171 days until the MSU men shoot for "One Shining Moment" and a much shorter time until two 6-1 Big Ten football teams meet.
"In 17 hours we're planning a little Magic in Spartan Stadium," Hollis said of the Ohio State game, before introducing MSU football coach Mark Dantonio.
Wearing a replica Johnson 33 jersey, Dantonio took the microphone briefly and addressed an adoring crowd.
"They gave me this Magic jersey to wear," Dantonio said. "And with 60,000 other people, plus the 10,000-12,000 in here, we're going to put a little Magic in that stadium against Ohio State."
After Merchant and her players made entrances with a light show and pyrotechnics, the attention turned to MSU's men, who each paid tribute to past Spartan greats and said, "I'm proud to be a Spartan!" before descending through the crowd.
Izzo's entrance, always a secret with the theme of the event, came in a green Volkswagen bus. With wife Lupe, daughter Raquel and son Steven, he wore hippie garb and looked nothing like a coach who had won 305 games and reached four Final Fours in his first 13 seasons.
"We're going to have fun tonight," Izzo said. "But if you're a true Spartan fan, tomorrow . . . tomorrow . . . we're going to try to stomp on the Buckeyes."
To honor Kelser and some Magic memories, Izzo told his players to take off their warmups. With "State 79" tops and some of the shortest shorts any player had worn in public, the Spartans ended the fun with a dunk contest and a brief scrimmage.
Thirty days later, MSU will open its regular season with a visit from Idaho. And with Izzo's usual challenging schedule, the idea is to be ready to win six games in the NCAA Tournament from March 19-April 6.
"It's a load," Kelser said of a non-conference lineup that features Maryland, Texas and Kansas and could include Gonzaga or Oklahoma State, plus Tennessee or Georgetown. "And that's not a bad thing. Maybe you don't go undefeated. But you're ready to play in March the same way we did."
