Spartans Earn NCAA Bid For 12th Straight Year
3/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 15, 2009
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By Tim Martin, The Associated Press
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State starts its NCAA tournament journey in Minneapolis, hoping it ends roughly a 90-mile drive from campus with a Final Four appearance in Detroit.
The Spartans (26-6) were awarded a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region on Sunday. Michigan State plays No. 15 seed Robert Morris (24-10) of the Northeast Conference in the first round Friday.
The survivor plays next Sunday against the winner of seventh-seed Boston College and 10th-seed Southern California. Big East champion Louisville is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest.
The Spartans' potential path to the Final Four -- Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Detroit -- is entirely within Big Ten country. But the Spartans, coming off a disappointing performance in the Big Ten tournament, say they are focused on Robert Morris.
"It's one game at a time," point guard Kalin Lucas said. "We can't rush it. Right now, we're trying to get better."
Michigan State is making its 12th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, the fourth-longest streak in the nation. The Spartans are the regular-season Big Ten champion and are ranked seventh in the latest poll by The Associated Press.
But Michigan State was beaten in the conference tournament semifinals Saturday by Ohio State, ruining its shot at a No. 1 seed.
The No. 2 seed is the highest for the program since it got three No. 1 seeds in a row from 1999 through 2001. The Spartans made the Final Four in each of those three seasons and made it again as a No. 5 seed in 2005.
This year's Spartans feel they have something to prove, both to themselves and to those who recoiled at the thought of the Big Ten champs earning a top seed -- which appeared to be a possibility until their loss Saturday.
"We've earned the right to be one of the higher seeds in the tournament," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "When you win 26 games, you're played pretty well a lot."
But Izzo describes his team as "fragile."
Michigan State has been solid defensively and rebounded well for most of the season. A 9-1 road record also impressed. But the offense has been inconsistent, most recently during the 82-70 loss to Ohio State.
The Spartans shot just 38 percent against the Buckeyes, including 3-of-21 from 3-point range. Michigan State had more turnovers than assists.
After watching the game film, Izzo said the Spartans appeared to have good shots -- but didn't go in. He is hoping the tournament loss will teach his team about the consistency it takes to advance during what Izzo calls "one and done time."
The conference tournament loss likely eliminated Michigan State from No. 1 seed consideration even though several other top-flight teams -- including Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina and Oklahoma -- also failed to make the championship games of their respective conference tournaments.
Michigan State won the regular-season Big Ten title by a convincing four-game margin over second-place Illinois and Purdue. But the Spartans also looked bad at times, including a blowout loss to North Carolina at Detroit's Ford Field early in season and home losses to Northwestern and Penn State.
Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year, leads the Spartans in scoring (14.8 points per game) and assists (4.4 per game). Raymar Morgan (10.8 points per game) is rounding back into shape after being slowed by walking pneumonia and a mild case of mononucleosis.
Goran Suton is Michigan State's main inside presence at 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds.
The Spartans have one of the deepest teams in the nation, typically using at least 10 players per game.
Robert Morris won the Northeast Conference tournament. The Colonials are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992.
Robert Morris is led by conference player of the year Jeremy Chappell, who averages 16.9 points per game.
