2008-2009 Men's College Basketball Discussion

Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ohio State 72, Michigan 54
U-M can't recover from a slow start
Turnovers, shooting woes catch up with Wolverines, who trailed 36-18 at halftime.
Dave Dye / The Detroit News

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It's already midway through the Big Ten season, which means discussions about NCAA Tournament bids are going to start heating up.

Too bad for the Michigan Wolverines, they're cooling down.

The Wolverines missed 10 of their first 11 shots, committed nine turnovers in the first nine minutes and went on to lose 72-54 to the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday night at Value City Arena.

That's four losses in the last five for the Wolverines, who play six of their final 10 regular-season games on the road.

Ohio State's pressure defense combined with Michigan's uncharacteristic sloppy ball-handling led to OSU's 19-4 lead.

"That first half was a bit of a death sentence to us as far as winning the game," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "We're one of the leaders in the country in not turning the ball over.

"They play tremendous defense. Part of it was unforced errors, us hurrying. It was just a bad day handling the ball. It was like there was snow on it half the time."

Guard Manny Harris nearly had a triple-double for the Wolverines, but not one to his liking -- 22 points, 12 rebounds and nine turnovers.

Harris, the team's sophomore sensation, continued his recent struggles, just in a different way. He had made 3-of-18 shots and scored a total of 12 points in the previous two games. This time, it was the early miscues (five turnovers in the first 10 1/2 minutes) that helped lead to the quick knockout.

Michigan, which averages about 11 turnovers per game, committed 12 in the first half and had 21 for the game.

Sophomore guard Evan Turner, who leads the Buckeyes with a 15.4 scoring average, finished with 24 points. He made 12 of 13 free throws.

Harris and the Wolverines regrouped in the second half, cutting an 18-point lead to eight with more than six minutes remaining, but the early deficit was too great to overcome.

The loss could be extra costly if Michigan (14-7, 4-5 Big Ten) and Ohio State (14-5, 4-4) end up as teams on the so-called bubble. Ohio State completed a sweep of the two-game series after also winning in Ann Arbor, 65-58, on Jan. 17.

Beilein, in his second year at Michigan, is trying to turn around a program that hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1998 (Harris was 8 years old).

It will only get tougher in the next couple of weeks for Michigan, which plays Saturday at No. 16 Purdue and also has a trip to No. 2 Connecticut on Feb. 7.

The Wolverines have some quality victories from earlier in the season to fall back on (Duke and UCLA), but it's going to take a much different mind-set and execution to finish the job than they showed Wednesday.

"We just didn't show up in the first half," guard Laval Lucas-Perry said.

DeShawn Sims added: "We come out like it's our first time playing basketball. We need to develop a killer instinct."

Novak ejected

Players had to be separated late in the game after 6-foot-5 Zack Novak elbowed Ohio State's P.J. Hill , a 6-1 guard, in the face on a box-out following a free throw. Novak was called for a flagrant foul and ejected with 1:27 remaining.

"He said something right before that," Novak said, refusing to repeat Hill's comment. "But I was just trying to get the rebound.

"It was a high elbow. I've just got to learn from it, can't do that. It probably looked pretty bad. It wasn't my intention to hurt anybody."

Hill said: "He grabbed me (on the previous free throw) and tried to go past me. He pushed me. I told the ref, 'Watch him.'

"Then he took a step and elbowed me right in the jaw. He got me good, too. I'm a little sore."

The ejection wasn't called until after the officials watched a video replay at Beilein's request.

"I'm the stupid idiot who told them to look at the monitor because I knew it would come back later on if there was anything," Beilein said.

You can reach Dave Dye at dave.dye@detnews.com

MSU 71, IOWA 56
Spartans stay perfect in Big Ten road games with convincing win

BY SHANNON SHELTON • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • January 30, 2009

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- They've played together since middle school, so it would make sense for sophomore guards Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers to have an innate sense about the other's presence on the court.

It happened at Ohio State, when Summers started and had a stellar first half, and Lucas finished the job in the second half. On Thursday at Iowa, Summers made a second consecutive start as junior forward Raymar Morgan continued to battle his lingering viral infection, and the Lucas-Summers connection proved just as productive.

"I think it helps a lot because me and K have been playing with each other for a while," Summers said. "I kind of know where he's going to be and he knows where I am. Other than that, you've just got to play."

Lucas led all scorers with 24 points and Summers had 21 as No. 9 Michigan State ran to a 71-56 victory over Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Spartans improved to 7-1 in the Big Ten and remained perfect on the road, moving to 5-0.

"I think it was a big win for us, believe it or not," said MSU coach Tom Izzo. "I know Iowa, in some people's minds, is young and they struggle a little bit, but not at home."

Before Thursday, Iowa had a 10-1 mark at home.

For the second consecutive game, Summers has been one of MSU's top offensive weapons. He had a career-high 26 points against Ohio State, and against Iowa, he was 7-of-9 from the field.

Izzo was even confident enough to draw up a play for Summers at a crucial moment late in the game. Although the Spartans led the entire 40 minutes, Iowa cut what had been a 22-point lead early in the second half to nine with 5:54 remaining. Jeff Peterson and Jermain Davis drained back-to-back threes, and Izzo called a time-out with MSU leading 61-52.

When the Spartans returned, Summers completed a play in which he nailed a mid-range jumper after getting the ball from Goran Suton. Summers followed with a lay-up to halt the Hawkeyes' last-ditch attempt at a comeback.

"It feels good, but at the same time, you just want to step up to the challenge," Summers said about being tapped to make the shot. "It's a crunch-time basket and Coach is calling a play for you, I was just trying to get the inner confidence to knock it down and not tense up about it."

The Spartans made sure from the beginning that there would be no repeat of last year's game at Carver-Hawkeye, an ugly contest by all accounts that Iowa ended up winning, 43-36. MSU opened the game by scoring the first eight points and led by as many as 13 points in the first half.

With 38 points by halftime, MSU surpassed its point total from last year's game.

Although Summers started out strong, it was Lucas who stole the show as the game went on. He put on another shooting display, throwing up shots from seemingly impossible angles and making more than he missed. He was 9-of-13 from the field.

Lucas was just as excited to see his old friend play well against the Hawkeyes as he was about his own performance.

"Me and Durrell have been playing together since middle school and then we played AAU together, so me and him have a great feel for one another," Lucas said. "He's just playing very aggressive, and his confidence is real high right now."

Contact SHANNON SHELTON at 313-223-3215 or slshelton@freepress.com. Check out her Spartans blog at www.freep.com/sports

Saturday, January 31, 2009
No. 16 Purdue 67, Michigan 49
Harris ejected; Michigan loses second straight
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Another game, another ejection for Michigan.

But this time, Purdue and Michigan players and coaches said the foul was not intentional nor flagrant, as the officials ruled.

Even so, U-M played without Manny Harris for the majority of the second half in a 67-49 loss to No. 16 Purdue on Saturday at Mackey Arena, after officials tossed him with 18:28 left for hitting Chris Kramer in the face with an elbow.

U-M (14-8, 4-6) has lost five of its last six games and Saturday was its lowest scoring output of the season. DeShawn Sims and Laval Lucas-Perry each had 10 points for the Wolverines. Sims also led the team with five rebounds.

Purdue (17-4, 6-2), the league's preseason favorite, has won six straight. E'Twaun Moore scored 17 for the Boilermakers.

Harris said in the locker room after the game he did not mean to hit Kramer.

"I was just doing what we (we're) taught -- catch the ball, ripping through," Harris said, explaining he was trying to transfer the ball from one hand to the other when he clipped Kramer with his elbow. "I mean, I'm sorry his face was in the way, but it wasn't intentional at all."

Kramer, said he believed his nose was broken from the hit, did not blame Harris. In fact, Purdue coach Matt Painter and other Boilermakers said it appeared unintentional.

"I wouldnt say it was a dirty play," Kramer said.

It was the second straight game in which a U-M player had been ejected for throwing an elbow. Against Ohio State on Wednesday, Zack Novak was thrown out after elbowing P.J. Hill in the jaw while boxing out late in the game. Novak was suspended one game by coach John Beilein and sat out the Purdue game, although he accompanied the team to Indiana, his home state.

When Harris left the game, U-M led 29-27, and he had contributed five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field. With Harris out, though, Purdue took advantage. The Boilermakers built a 55-37 lead with just more than seven minutes left. The Wolverines at that point were 0 of 9 from the 3-point line and had seven turnovers.

"Immediately, I thought it was a lift for us," U-M co-captain C.J. Lee said of the moments after Harris' ejection. "I mean, guys were inspired and motivated to play. For some reason, it didn't carry over and we didn't sustain the effort."

U-M's goal all season has been making the NCAA tournament, but with its recent skid and a tough Big Ten schedule ahead -- it also plays at No. 2 Connecticut on Feb. 7 -- the Wolverines reazlize things must change quickly.

"Everything is up in the air right now," Lee said. "We've kind of hit like a skid, but not all is lost. It's getting to that break point where we're going to have to do something. That's definitely an honest assessment. But there's still time. We still have time right now, so we're not going to waste any time thinking about that and having a negative attitude."

David Merritt, a senior co-captain, said U-M is aware that winning on the road in the Big Ten is critical to its postseason goals. Now, with the loss at Purdue, the Wolverines are 1-4 on the road in conference play.

"I think we were at that (breaking) point even before this game," Merritt said. "We just know we have to try to get some road wins. We've got to do it sooner than later, unfortunately it's going to have to be later."

You can reach Angelique S. Chengelis at angelique.chengelis@detnews.com

PSU 72, MSU 68
Spartans lose to Penn State at home

FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES • February 1, 2009

EAST LANSING — Talor Battle scored a career-high 29 points and Jamelle Cornley had 16 to lead Penn State to a 72-68 victory over No. 9 Michigan State on Sunday.

Battle was 11-for-19 from the field and 6-for-12 from 3-point range, as Ed DeChellis’ team shot 56.3 percent from the field.

Battle was just 1-for-5 at the foul line, however, as the Nittany Lions nearly gave the game back.

It was the first win in 17 trips to East Lansing for Penn State (17-5, 6-3 Big Ten) and its first four-game conference win streak since 1996.

Kalin Lucas had 23 points but missed a tying free throw and jump shot in the final 12 seconds for the Spartans (17-4, 7-2), who played without virus-plagued Raymar Morgan for 37 minutes and fell into a first-place tie with Purdue in the Big Ten.

Lucas was 7-for-21 from the field and 8-for-9 at the line. But that one miss and some unusually poor defense by his teammates kept Michigan State from having another chance in overtime.

Goran Suton and Chris Allen each had 11 points for Tom Izzo’s team, which lost its second straight home game after winning 28 in a row in the Breslin Center.

Penn State overcame a 29-16 deficit with a barrage of 3-pointers late and took a 38-37 halftime lead. Battle had 18 of those points in the first 20 minutes.

The Nittany Lions used an 11-0 run to lead 59-49 on Battle’s banked 3. They went up 68-56 before holding off a furious final surge.

With a 1-for-8 stretch at the line, Penn State opened the door but the Spartans didn’t take advantage.

The back-to-back home losses are the first for Michigan State since December 1997 and the first in conference play since January and February of that year.

Penn State shot 56% (27-for-48) from the field and 10-for-20 (50%) from the three-point line

The Spartans trailed by 12, 68-56, with 4:25 to play and had a chance to tie the game with less than a minute left, but could not tie the game.

Duke's not #1 anymore

Thursday, February 5, 2009
College basketball: Michigan State 76, Minnesota 47
Spartans bury Gophers
Michigan State extends its lead in conference to 1 1/2 games with solid effort against Minnesota.
Terry Foster / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- The Michigan State Spartans approached Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers with a bit of nervous anticipation, and came out of it with a feeling of excitement and relief -- and tacos.

"Sometimes quiet before the storm is good," MSU coach Tom Izzo said.

The Spartans hung a lopsided, 76-47 loss on the Gophers, who came to town to claim a share of first place in the Big Ten.

They didn't even come close. The previously shaky, 14th-ranked Spartans (18-4, 8-2 Big Ten) extended their first-place edge to 1 1/2 games, while 19th-ranked Minnesota (18-4, 6-4) fell back into the middle of the pack.

A worrisome cloud followed the Spartans after home losses to Northwestern and Penn State, but it dissipated with their most complete victory of the season. The students even went home with free tacos when the Spartans scored their 70th point.

MSU overwhelmed Minnesota with quick strikes up the court, solid ball-hawking defense and relentless pressure that forced Minnesota into silly mistakes and missed layups.

MSU shot 51 percent and held Minnesota to 29-percent shooting and just four first-half field goals.

"If we lock up on defense like we did tonight we can beat any team," said guard Kalin Lucas (10 points, four assists).

How did it happen? Who knows? Even Izzo is trying to figure out who the real Spartans are.

"I think I know what we are if we have all the parts together and practice together," Izzo said. "Tonight we played well but let's not act like Minnesota played well and we beat them like that."

The Gophers came into the game ranked third in the conference in points (70.1 per game) and fourth in scoring margin (plus-9.1). They recorded their lowest scoring game of the season; the 47 points allowed by the Spartans was their season low.

Durrell Summers replaced forward Raymar Morgan (walking pneumonia) in the starting lineup. Morgan watched while Summers burned the Gophers for 21 points, 15 in the first half. By then the game was all but over as MSU roared to a 42-16 lead, even scoring 17 straight at one stretch.

The Spartans extended the lead to 54-19 six minutes into the second half.

"I thought we played better because of high energy," Summers said. "When we have all of our energy we are a hard team to beat."

Where did this explosion come from? Who knows? Izzo just hopes to see it again.

"I think you saw the real Spartans tonight," Lucas said.

You can reach Terry Foster at (313) 222-1494 or terry.foster@detnews.com

Friday, February 6, 2009
Bob Wojnowski: Michigan 71, Penn State 51
Wolverines show some life

ANN ARBOR -- This was it, and the Wolverines played like they knew it. This was a game they absolutely had to win, or their NCAA Tournament hopes were gasping and just about dead.

They're still in danger, no doubt. But they have a chance after their 71-51 victory over Penn State Thursday night, after a fierce second half when Michigan seemed to dive for something that was bouncing away.

This was such an important game in a season that was teetering, John Beilein did something a coach rarely does. He admitted how big it was. He said it to his team before the game and repeated it to the media afterward.

This was it (for now). Hmm. If that type of pressure pushes a team to play its best defense of the year, every game should be the biggest, which is pretty much how it is the rest of the way.

"We don't try to talk about it too much, but in the back of our minds, it's there," said guard Stu Douglass, who scored a career-high 13 points. "The goal is to build the program first, but we really want the tournament bad. We needed this."

Michigan has needed this since 1998, the last time the program made the NCAA Tournament. These Wolverines revealed a few things against the Nittany Lions, but I'm still awaiting the ultimate revelations: Who exactly are they? And where are they headed?

It only gets tougher

I know they're headed to No. 1 Connecticut for a Saturday game they have little chance of winning. Then they're home Tuesday night for a huge game against Michigan State, which they have a modest chance of winning.

Beyond that, Michigan will go only as far as its outside shooting takes it, and that's dicey. When the Wolverines are good, they can be very good, like when they shredded the Nittany Lions 42-20 in the second half. And when they're bad, they can be nasty bad.

For three weeks, Michigan (15-8, 5-6 Big Ten) hadn't remotely resembled a tournament team, losing five of six. But against the hot Nittany Lions (17-6, 6-4), the Wolverines showed they're still capable of delivering a few good shots.

Manny Harris was terrific, which is the easiest way for Michigan to be terrific. It was Manny being Manny, scoring 28 points and dishing out seven assists. It also was DeShawn Sims being DeShawn Sims, awakening in the second half. And it was (fill in name of 3-point shooter) being (repeat name of 3-point shooter). This night, it was Douglass.

It's a tricky way to play, the Beilein way, without much of an inside presence, with so much predicated on 3-point shooting, The Wolverines hit 10-of-26 from long range and are shooting 32.6 percent on 3-pointers for the season. Again, when they're hot, they're pretty good.

Tournament bid at stake

Harris was super good, getting to the free-throw line and playing fine defense. He makes the team go -- when it goes -- and he's the reason a tournament bid dangles.

"We haven't played in it, but we know February and March are crucial," Harris said. "To have a chance, these are must-win games. Sometimes when you're playing, you think about the tournament."

They've been thinking about it since they started 13-3, with victories over UCLA and Duke. Those upsets go a long way toward impressing the selection committee, but not all the way.

The Wolverines probably need to finish 9-9 in the Big Ten to have a shot, so they'll have to win four of their last seven.

Home games against Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue? Winnable, but none will be easy.

Road games against Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota? Winnable, but none will be easy.

Nothing's easy now, but this was a monstrous swing game against a good Penn State team that could vie for the same NCAA bid. The Big Ten will get at least six spots, and to land more, someone will have to leap up.

Michigan must do more than win one road game -- its lone success was at woeful Indiana. The Wolverines must do what they did in the second half against the Nittany Lions, when they seemed to realize what Beilein told them. This was it, and with the big games coming quickly now, it won't be the last time we say it.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com

Saturday, February 7, 2009
No. 1 Connecticut 69, U-M 61
Upset-minded Michigan falls to UConn
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

STORRS, Conn. -- There is no extra credit in college basketball for coming close to beating the No. 1 team in the country.

Michigan didn't get pummeled by top-ranked Connecticut on Saturday, but instead transformed the game into a nervous experience for the Huskies. The Wolverines pushed UConn to the limit before losing 69-61 at Gampel Pavilion.

Michigan took the lead midway through the first half, and was up by one at halftime, before being done in by a 16-4 Huskies run halfway through the second half.

The Wolverines (15-9) couldn't stop UConn's 7-foot-3 junior center Hasheem Thabeet, who had 17 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks.

"He's so big and quick and he's forcing you to go around him," said Michigan sophomore guard Manny Harris, who had 15 points, five assists and three steals. "He's tough, really tough."

Michigan senior guard C.J. Lee also was left a bit stunned by Thabeet.

"I've never played against anybody that big before," Lee said. "He just changes everything you want to do and you have to deal with him on both ends."

Michigan's only antidote to Thabeet was the hot shooting of freshman Stu Douglass. He scored a career-high 20 points, off 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range.

"It's the best it's (his shooting) felt all year," Douglass said. "I think it's one of those things where I thought I could make a shot, when it's that important, you focus when the stakes are that high."

Michigan coach John Beilein knew it would be tough to stop Thabeet and UConn with an undersized team and only one day of preparation.

"It doesn't hurt; you're disappointed, but pain is not an issue," Beilein said about U-M's near upset. "What you have to do is say, 'OK, here's where we are and here's the things we've got to do to get better.' Our kids know this was a great opportunity for them to play against a wonderful team. Now we turn around, try to rest up and get our big rival (Michigan State) on Tuesday."

Things looked bleak for U-M in the opening minutes. UConn (22-1) roared out to an 8-1 lead. Michigan looked rattled and disorganized, and the Huskies' student section added to the intensity.

Then something interesting happened. The U-M reserves came in and ushered in a transformation. Douglass shot 3-of-4 from 3-point range and his confidence became contagious.

Forward DeShawn Sims executed some power moves inside for scores.

Little-used Anthony Wright hit a three. Michigan starting forward Zack Gibson, who was trying to contend with Thabeet, began coming up with huge rebounds after tough wrestling matches.

The U-M defense tightened, rotating through man to 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone schemes.

Michigan built an eight-point lead with 4:33 left, and the UConn faithful were becoming clearly unhappy.

The Huskies rallied, tying the game at 31 with a minute to go in the half. U-M hustle created a final scoring chance, as a diving Wright saved the ball from going out of bounds and whipped it to half-court to Douglass.

The shot clock was close to expiring, and Douglass heaved a last-second, long-distance three. The shot went in, and Michigan took a 34-33 lead into halftime.

Michigan's reserves outscored UConn's 20-3 in the first half.

UConn came out more focused in the second half, and Michigan seemed to have lost some of its edge. Thabeet was attacking the interior, thwarting U-M's defensive double-teams by simply dunking over them.

The Huskies went on a 16-4 run midway through the half, powered by Thabeet and the outside shooting junior guard Jerome Dyson.

Thabeet was also doing damage on the defensive end. He was blocking shots, as well as redirecting the flight of others.

Michigan's shooting fell from 46.4 percent in the first half to 31 in the second. Meanwhile, UConn went up to 50 percent shooting in the second half, and that spelled major trouble.

Michigan's bench, powered by Douglass, outscored UConn's reserves 31-7.

The Huskies were led by Dyson's 19 points. Starting forward Jeff Adrien had nine points and 14 rebounds.

Harris and Douglass were the only Wolverines in double figures.

Saturday, February 7, 2009
No. 13 MSU 75, Indiana 47
Freshman Green stars in MSU rout
He sets career highs in points and rebounds while teammates struggle
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- Some Michigan State followers weren't happy when Draymond Green committed to the Spartans. Naysayers claimed the Saginaw native wouldn't be a good fit for coach Tom Izzo.

They knocked Green's lack of size (6-foot-6) and proclaimed him a "tweener" who had no real position or superior skill.

In Saturday's 75-47 rout of Indiana, Green proved the critics wrong. He set career highs in points (15) and rebounds (12) while some of MSU's starters struggled.

"I'm a competitor and it only makes me work even harder," Green said about how he responds to criticism.

Consider Green MSU's insurance policy against the Hoosiers as he answered the call while teammates shot poorly and Raymar Morgan (mononucleosis) sat out. Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers shot a combined 5-of-26 from the field for 12 points.

Green didn't waste any time with eight points and six rebounds in nine first-half minutes.

"You have to feel good for him," Lucas said of Green. "He has a lot of confidence, is real tough, takes charges and plays hard all the time."

Izzo praised Green's play but also stressed the importance of better production from his starters.

"I don't think I've ever seen us miss that many shots," Izzo said of his team's 42-percent mark from the field. "To accomplish what we want to accomplish, we have to get more consistency."

Michigan State is 19-4 and 9-2 in the Big Ten.

If there was anything steady for the Spartans, it was defense.

Indiana, under former Izzo assistant Tom Crean, shot 31 percent and was led by Verdell Jones' 13 points.

Green attacked the basket for numerous putbacks, knocked a couple of players to the floor and deflected passes.

Green was also part of a pivotal play that helped put the game out of reach. His defensive rebound in traffic with less than seven minutes left set up Goran Suton's turnaround jumper. He was fouled by Indiana's Tom Pritchard and extended MSU's lead to 16.

Suton had 12 points and Chris Allen led all scorers with 16.

Travis Walton, a team co-captain, credits Green for giving the team a lift when it was needed most.

"He got all the minutes he deserved," Walton said of Green's 20. "You can't describe him as an athlete or a jump-shooter, he's simply a basketball player. He just makes plays."

Saturday's win gave the Spartans a 17-0 record when scoring 70 or more points this season and a 17-0 mark when allowing fewer than 70.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Bob Wojnowski: Michigan State 54, Michigan 42
The gap remains: MSU widens Big Ten lead; U-M clings to bubble

This one had pain etched all over it. Shots were heaved, not stroked. Defenders stuck so close to shooters, mouthwash brands could be discussed. It was grimy and greasy and at times downright hideous. And when it was over, an old truth was reinforced.

Michigan State still loves to inflict pain. And Michigan is feeling it more than ever, its NCAA Tournament hopes back in deep despair.

The Wolverines' chances were shoved firmly downward by the Spartans, who pounded their way to a 54-42 victory Tuesday night at Crisler Arena. At the end, Michigan State fans in the upper reaches chanted "NIT! NIT!", and although it's an old taunt, it's starting to look new again.

This game meant everything to the Wolverines, but don't kid yourself -- it always means a ton to the Spartans. Michigan State (20-4, 10-2 Big Ten) now gets a week break and is in prime position to win its first Big Ten title since 2001.

For the Wolverines, well, after a 13-3 start, perhaps the secret is out: Defend their shooters like crazy and force them to fire crazily.

The Spartans defended like crazy, all the way to the perimeter, all the way to Ypsilanti, it seemed. The Wolverines missed 20 of 24 3-point attempts, lost for the seventh time in nine games and dropped to 15-10, 5-7 Big Ten. Leading scorer Manny Harris was held to seven points, and I'm fairly certain he could tell you whether Michigan State defender extraordinaire Travis Walton favors Listerine or Scope.

"That's the Big Ten, it's a slugfest," Walton said, smiling. "We're gonna get in your face, push you, elbow you, everything. I love it. It's football, it's aggressive, it's my type of style."

It's Tom Izzo's type of style, and after some shaky stretches this season, the Spartans are starting to roll. They've held three straight opponents under 50 points, something a Michigan State team hadn't done since 1952.

A Big Ten beauty

This was a game only true rivals could love, a slugfest-slopfest that probably didn't sell Big Ten basketball to a national TV audience, but it put a wincing smile on Izzo's face. This is what the Spartans still can do, smother maniacally and then stuff one perfectly nasty prize in their drenched green jerseys.

This also shows the distance that remains between the programs, although John Beilein has taken decent strides in his second season. The Wolverines played very good defense too, and they'll beat teams with Harris and DeShawn Sims and hot shooters, but they won't beat the Spartans consistently that way.

"Michigan State's a great team, and we knew we'd have to play really well, and we didn't," Beilein said, looking a tad shocked. "Obviously, I want to speed this learning curve."

Practically every Michigan possession was a tedious attempt to get one open look before the shot clock expired. The Spartans alternately were at their best, their ugliest and their most physical, and it was enough. After the Wolverines pulled within 42-38 with 4:48 left, Kalin Lucas immediately hit a 3-pointer, and Michigan State's late-game poise was yet another difference between the teams.

It's not a surprise -- the Spartans are NCAA fixtures and Big Ten favorites, and the Wolverines are hanging by a bubble. While Michigan lives on the outside, Michigan State can play inside or outside, with Lucas at the point and big freshman Delvon Roe (14 points, 10 rebounds) gaining strength.

Still plenty tough enough

I still think this rivalry will evolve into something more competitive, once Beilein gets a few bigger, skilled players. The Wolverines should continue to climb, but the fact is, the Spartans aren't coming down to meet them.

Izzo urgently wanted this one because he always wants to dominate his rival, of course. He also craves that conference title he keeps missing. He also wants a prime tournament seed to pave a reasonable path to the Final Four at Ford Field. He also had lost on his last two trips to Crisler.

So while this was a crushing blow for the Wolverines, it was big for the Spartans, who just might have denied Michigan its first NCAA bid since 1998. In the process, the Spartans showed traits they've sometimes struggled to display. They're 6-0 on the road in the Big Ten, which is remarkable considering they've missed Raymar Morgan (mononucleosis) for a while.

"That speaks to the toughness of our guys, and yet sometimes I don't think they're tough enough," Izzo said. "But they must be tougher than I think."

Plenty tough enough to remind the Wolverines that the road to the big tournament, the road anywhere really, still goes through the Spartans, who aren't inclined to get out of the way anytime soon.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com

Go

Sunday, February 15, 2009
U-M 70, Northwestern 67 (OT)
Harris lifts Michigan past Northwestern
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

EVANSTON, Ill. -- It was just about the ugliest brand of basketball possible.

Michigan and Northwestern, two teams near the bottom of the Big Ten, found themselves thrashing in a pit of profound mediocrity Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

No offensive set could result in a shot without nearly running out the shot clock.

Steals, turnovers, fouls and slow play cluttered nearly every possession.

And then things degenerated into a free-throw shooting contest.

It took overtime to settle, but Michigan finally prevailed, 70-67, for a rare road win.

Northwestern (13-10, 4-8) built a five-point lead midway in the first, but had it disappear in a nearly five-minute scoring drought. Michigan (16-10, 6-7) was equally offensively challenged at times, going nearly four minutes with a point in the first half.

Northwestern took a 27-25 lead into halftime.

U-M sophomore guard Manny Harris dominated the second half and overtime, scoring 25 of his game-high 26. Northwestern was led by Kevin Coble's 23 points.

Harris personally powered a 9-0 run in a little more than a minute at the start of the second half, with a three-pointer and two fast break lay-ups plus a foul. Harris' charge put the Wolverines up 34-29.

The lead was short-lived, as Northwestern went on its own 8-0 run to retake the lead.

The free throw line became a frequent destination; both teams were in the double bonus with more than six minutes to play.

Michigan went on another near-four minute scoring drought, while Northwestern was well over seven minutes without a field goal.

Harris struck again at 2:30, with a steal and a fast break dunk to put U-M up 54-51. He followed with a long jumper on the next possession.

Coble tied the game at 56 by nailing three-pointer, through double-coverage, with 19.7 remaining. Officials reviewed the play to determine Coble's foot placement near the three-point line.

Harris scored six points in overtime to build Michigan's lead. Coble brought Northwestern to within one by hitting three free throws, thanks to being fouled by DeShawn Sims while attempting a trey, with less than a minute left.

Harris, C.J. Lee, Zack Gibson and Zack Novak answered with more free throws to solidfy Michigan's lead.

You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at (313) 223-4644 or joanne.gerstner@detnews.com

I know Northwestern sucks, but Michigan needed this one. They don't have too tough a schedule left and they really need to do well if they want to make the tournament. They really need 4 more wins. 1+ wins in the Big 10 Tournament would help, too.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Purdue 72, Michigan State 54
Purdue dominates Michigan State
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has said all along that four to five conference losses could earn the Spartans a Big Ten championship.

It might have to. The Spartans lost some ground Tuesday to Purdue in a 72-54 rout that kept the Boilermakers (20-6, 9-4) in a second-place tie with Illinois, one game behind the Spartans (20-5, 10-3).

Fielding one of their healthiest teams of the season, on the night Raymar Morgan returned from a three-game absence from mononucleosis, the Spartans struggled for answers.

"If we were gonna get beat, we might as well get our butts kicked," Izzo said. "I think it's good."

Michigan State is left looking for some consistency to maintain its shrinking lead and win its first Big ten title since 2001.

It won't be easy, starting with Sunday's home game against an improved Wisconsin, followed by a Feb. 25 visit from Iowa and a crucial March 1 showdown at Illinois.

Disregard a season-ending March rematch with Purdue; it's clear that MSU has a tall order in the coming weeks to keep a lead within its grasp.

"It doesn't mean we fell off the face of the earth," Izzo said of the loss. "(Purdue) has had their meltdowns, Illinois has had their meltdowns.

"We're a game up yet, but we have to get this team back."

Players from both teams talked tough heading into Tuesday's game and backed it up early in a low-scoring, physical first half which gave the Boilermakers a 26-23 edge.

Defense was practically Michigan State's only saving grace in that half: It missed 15 of its first 20 shots, six layups and had six shots blocked. The Spartans also committed 22 turnovers.

The 22 turnovers matched a season-worst for MSU, which had 22 turnovers in a98-63 loss to North Carolina.

"We're going to have to get over this," Spartans guard Kalin Lucas said. "We didn't come in with a great focus and it showed."

Nobody showed more intestinal fortitude early than Purdue's preseason Big Ten player of the year Robbie Hummel, who appears to be recovering well from a back injury.

With a plastic back brace to protect a fractured vertebra, Hummel shined in his first start in more than 2 1/2 weeks, with nine of his 11 points in the first half.

Hummel made a 3-pointer and assisted on a JaJuan Johnson jumper for a 15-7 lead.

Purdue's advantage ballooned to 33-23 early in the second half after a 7-0 run capped by an E'Twaun Moore 3-pointer.

The Purdue barrage continued late in the second half. MSU trailed 67-49 after a pair of Johnson free throws with 3:14 left.

Michigan State's only lead was 4-2 after two straight Durrell Summers jumpers.

"We just have to get tougher," Summers said. "There are more big games coming up, more teams coming at us that want to beat us."

Lucas had 14 points and Summers 11 for MSU. Johnson scored 17 for Purdue.
Hummel brings hope

Hummel's health could have a huge impact on the Big Ten race.

The forward has been pain-free most of this week after suffering back trouble since November.

"We're really primed to make a run," Hummel said. "We'll probably have to go to East Lansing (March 7 or 8) and pull out a win."
Not what he expected

Morgan (three points, 14 minutes) said after the game that he still isn't 100 percent healthy.

"I tried to do as much as I could," Morgan said.

You can reach Eric Lacy at elacy@detnews.com

Michigan wins!

That's 17 wins now and they're back to .500 (7-7) in Big 10 play. They need at least a few more wins to make the tournament though. With the win they are now tied with Minnesota for 7th place in the Big 10.

Iowa is next and they're terrible. Also next week is Purdue who is ranked and 2nd in the Big 10. The game is at home though.

Friday, February 20, 2009
Michigan 74, Minnesota 64
Wolverines display progress with handy victory
Novak scores 18, a career high, as Michigan buries Minnesota with defense, 3-pointers.
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR -- One step at a time.

Michigan's hopes are still alive for an at-large NCAA bid.

Freshmen guards Stu Douglass and Zack Novak are showing progress.

The Wolverines delivered another impressive performance Thursday, thanks to the rapidly improving Novak and Douglass, to handily defeat Minnesota, 74-62, at Crisler Arena.

U-M (17-10, 7-7) had everything working: defense, 46.4 percent 3-point shooting, 21 assists and only eight turnovers, smart play and sustained aggressiveness.

"It kind of shows you how good we can be when they're (3s) falling," said a smiling Novak, who had a game-high 18 points, off a career-high 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. "It felt good. We're just trying to play well one game at a time now and keep getting better."

Douglass, the other half of Michigan's starting young backcourt, appears to be clicking with Novak. Both hail from Indiana, giving them common roots on how they learned the game.

"I can't explain why we work well, but it's getting stronger and stronger as this goes on," said Douglass, who had 12 points off 50 percent shooting. "We are both willing to do whatever we can to help the team right now. He was shooting it well from the start. I caught on."

Minnesota (19-7, 7-7) came into the game in a similar position to Michigan, needing a victory to sustain NCAA hopes. Instead, the slumping Gophers extend their slide to four of the past five games.

Michigan is trying to keep its eye on the long term -- making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. But the Wolverines need to maintain singular focus on the short term -- trying to win all four of its games in the next two weeks.

"We're not going to take anything, or anyone, for granted," senior guard and co-captain C.J. Lee said. "We've gone too far to let up now. That's what we talked about before the game, having the focus and desire to take advantage of every opportunity we have."

Michigan left little to chance against the Gophers, flying out to a 15-point lead by halftime. The 3-point shooting was hot, with Michigan shooting 42.1 percent.

Novak and Douglass powered U-M's assault from behind the arc, hitting six 3-pointers in the first half. Novak had four 3s, and at one point had scored 12 of Michigan's first 18 points.

Novak's outburst was his largest since scoring 11 against Illinois on Jan. 4. He hadn't scored in double-digits in the past 11 games before Thursday.

Novak, Douglass, and reserve guard Kelvin Grady (12 points) provided Michigan with something coach John Beilein has been desperately searching for -- additional scoring power to assist Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims.

Harris, Michigan's leading scorer, had a limited run against the Gophers because he was in foul trouble for much of the second half. Consequently, he was held to eight points and only 22 minutes of playing time.

Sims had 12 points and eight rebounds.

"Our kids were really spectacular delivering in that situation (Harris' absence)," Beilein said.

"Hopefully we will be good enough one day to win that we can shoot poorly and still beat some good teams with some other stuff, score inside or do different things in an in-between game."

For now, Michigan's not there yet. The 3 has to be working in order to win.

But the Wolverines are perhaps one win closer to a more immediate goal.

One step at a time.

You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at (313) 223-4644 or joanne.gerstner@detnews.com

Sunday, February 22, 2009
No. 5 Michigan State 61, Wisconsin 50
Spartans shake off early struggles, rally past Badgers
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- For a team that remains in first place in the Big Ten, Michigan State sure didn't look like a prospective champion for most of Sunday's game against Wisconsin.

It took more than 34 minutes before the Spartans took a lead. They eventually outmuscled the Badgers, 61-50, at Breslin Center.

Playing in front of members of MSU's 1979 national championship team, including Earvin "Magic" Johnson, coach Tom Izzo's team fought through adversity early to maintain a one-game conference lead over Purdue.

The story late clearly was the outside shooting of Chris Allen and overall grittiness of Goran Suton.

Allen's 3-pointer off a Travis Walton steal gave MSU a 52-47 lead with 2:38 left.

Suton grabbed three offensive rebounds and scored eight of his 16 points in the final 5:11 to help put the game out of reach.

Wisconsin (17-10, 8-7) took advantage of 10 first-half turnovers by MSU (21-5, 11-3) and led the Spartans 31-25 at the break.

The Spartans' only early lead came on its first field goal, a Tom Herzog layup.

Herzog started in place of Suton for an unspecified reason. Suton, however, replaced Herzog at the 17:02 mark and started the second half.

Kalin Lucas scored 17 to lead MSU.

You can reach Eric Lacy at elacy@detnews.com

Sunday, February 22, 2009
Iowa 70, Michigan 60 (OT)
U-M blows late lead, loses in OT
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The scene was set for a rare Michigan Big Ten road win Sunday.

Iowa was missing four key players. The Hawkeyes had only won three times in the Big Ten since 2009 started.

And Michigan came into the game healthy and on a two-game winning streak.

But as U-M coach John Beilein is fond of saying, nothing ever is easy on the road.

The Hawkeyes won 70-60 in overtime at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The loss is perhaps a fatal blow for U-M's NCAA Tournament hopes. The Wolverines drop to 17-11 (7-8 Big Ten) with three games left in the regular season.

The win is only the second for Iowa (14-13, 4-10 Big Ten) since Jan. 24.

Michigan went up 53-50 with 1:54 left, thanks to a free throw and a jumper by junior forward DeShawn Sims. Iowa sophomore guard Jake Kelly answered with a medium-range jumper.

U-M freshman guard Stu Douglass struck with three, this time under a lot of pressure, at 1:11 to put U-M up by four.

Iowa came back, with freshman forward Matt Gatens hitting four free throws in the final minute to tie the game a 56.

U-M had a final possession, with 22 seconds left, for the win. The Wolverines couldn't get any open looks, and settled for a poor, distant Manny Harris 3-point try that hit off the front iron.

Iowa came out blazing in overtime, powered by Kelly and Gatens. Kelly nailed a lay-up and a 3, and Gatens also made a layup to put the Hawkeyes up, 63-58.

U-M only had two free throws by Douglass and a last-second junk layup by Laval Lucas-Perry in overtime. Beilein didn't play Harris during overtime.

In short, everything fell apart in a hurry for Michigan.

The Wolverines had to resort to fouling in the last 90 seconds, and the Hawkeyes made their free throws to get the win.

In many ways, Michigan was lucky to even be in a nail-biting showdown at the end. The Wolverines were awful in the game's opening minutes. The Hawkeyes went up 20-8, Carver-Hawkeye was rocking, and the Wolverines looked lost.

Michigan then caught fire, going on a 14-0 run to get back into the game. Lucas-Perry, Sims and David Merritt all connected on 3s. Sims and Harris also went inside to score.

U-M's swagger returned. But Iowa, despite being undermanned and only using six players, wasn't backing down. The teams traded baskets until halftime, with U-M up 29-28

Injured Hawkeye senior forward Cyrus Tate (ankle) entered the game midway in the second half.
Slam dunks

This is the second straight road game U-M has taken into overtime. The Wolverines needed OT last Sunday to defeat Northwestern, 70-67.

Iowa was missing starting junior guard Jermain Davis (knee), freshman guard Anthony Tucker (academically ineligible), and sophomore starting guard Jeff Peterson (hamstring)...

You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at (313) 223-4644 or joanne.gerstner@detnews.com

Thursday, February 26, 2009
Michigan State 62, Iowa 54
Spartans struggle but win
They take 11-point lead by halftime but don't pull away until the final minute; Roe scores team-best 16.
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

EAST LANSING -- It's nearly March and Michigan State still doesn't look like a group that could fulfill its Final Four dreams in Detroit.

Case in point: a mononucleosis-stricken Raymar Morgan walked out of the locker room Wednesday carrying a Vicks vaporizer in a box.

Morgan's health appears to be improving, but the Spartans as a whole have more work to do after a shaky 62-54 victory over Iowa.

"We're not playing like a team that has a chance to play for something special," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "At times you don't reach your potential and we haven't reached ours."

Izzo's most daunting task is to fix an offense that's been hampered by scoring droughts, streaky shooting, turnovers and poor outings from starters.

What was supposed to be a ho-hum meeting against the Big Ten's 10th-best team became another tedious outing that MSU struggled to win.

After freshman Korie Lucious made three straight 3-pointers in a 94 second span during the first half, the game appeared lopsided early.

But the Hawkeyes' free-shooting ways cut the deficit to eight with 3:06 left after a Jake Kelly jumper. Kelly led all scorers with 20.

The Spartans led by about 10 for much of the second half but couldn't put the game away until about the one-minute mark after a Matt Gatens drive went awry.

Kalin Lucas picked up the loose ball and set up a possession that led to a Travis Walton free throw to make it 62-53.

Iowa was short-handed against the nation's ninth-ranked team. It suited up 10 players and coach Todd Lickliter said it tried to hold its own.

"It was going to take, not a perfect day, but an extremely good day (to win)," Lickliter said. "I thought our guys for the most part fought as best as they could."

Midway through the second half, as Izzo continued to search for answers, he relied on a lineup that included Lucious, Delvon Roe and Draymond Green.

The freshman trio generated eight straight points for a 46-39 lead.

Roe had 16 points and Lucious 12 for the Spartans.

Starters' output limited

Lucas was held to four points -- his lowest output of the season.

"I'm not worried about it," Lucas said. "I knew I probably wouldn't score much (because of mismatches his teammates faced)."

Lucas took only six shots and had six assists to go along with three turnovers.

Fellow starter Durrell Summers went scoreless in six minutes and attempted only one shot.

He injured his left ankle in the first half and didn't return.

"It's fine," Summers said. "I just rolled it a little bit."

Lickliter said Michigan State's unselfishness might have been responsible for Summers' and Lucas' low point totals.

"I think Michigan State is very opportunistic," Lickliter said.

"I don't think they are too concerned with who does the scoring or how it gets done."

You can reach Eric Lacy at elacy@detnews.com

Go Spartans. Too bad about Michigan's latest loss. Now they need a miracle to make the tournament.

Michigan beats Purdue! That's a huge win over a ranked team. They're back to being a bubble team.

Friday, February 27, 2009
Michigan 87, Purdue 78
U-M uses 1-2 punch for victory
Sims, Harris combine for 56 points as Wolverines get victory that keeps NCAA hopes alive.
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR -- DeShawn Sims needed to take a seat in the locker room before he addressed the media. Sims, sipping on a Gatorade, said he was exhausted, more emotionally than physically, after a near-flawless performance.

Sims scored a career-high 29 points (13-of-16 shooting) and had five rebounds as he helped lead Michigan to a convincing 87-78 upset of No. 16 Purdue Thursday night at Crisler Arena.

"I definitely was going in the paint a lot, and I was able to hit some shots," Sims said. "I looked up and I was hitting all the shots only missed the jumpers, which should tell me something."

Manny Harris, Sims' roommate and the Wolverines' leading scorer, added 27 points and eight rebounds in a victory that definitely boosts Michigan's postseason chances.

The Wolverines (18-11, 8-8 Big Ten) have two final regular-season games -- both on the road.

It was Sims who proved menacing inside to the Boilermakers.

"I stayed down there most of the game," Sims said. "I had fun down there. I didn't think about it and went with supreme confidence every time I got the ball.

"The coaches are always telling me I always show flashes or do stuff that people don't see in somebody my size. I always do things like that, show flashes, so (assistant) coach (Jerry) Dunn was telling me the other day, 'Why won't you use that stuff all the time?' I thought to bring it out (against Purdue)."

Everyone seemed to notice a difference in Sims, who said he was moved emotionally by a team meeting Wednesday.

This was the seniors' final home game, and Sims said beating Purdue was more about playing hard for the seniors and teammates who practice hard but don't play as much, than it was about making a late push for an NCAA Tournament invite.

"DeShawn Sims was just an animal inside," said C.J. Lee, a fifth-year senior and co-captain.

Michigan coach John Beilein said the discussion during preparations for Purdue was to make Sims more of an interior force.

"DeShawn just did a great job," Beilein said. "We had talked about in the last couple days of getting the ball to DeShawn inside."

Sims punctuated a 19-4 run by the Wolverines late in the second half with a 3-pointer, his only one of the game, as the shot clock wound down. That gave Michigan a 77-61 lead, its largest of the game, with 4:40 left. He helped Michigan make 81 percent of its field-goal attempts.

You can reach Angelique S. Chengelis at angelique.chengelis@detnews.com

Sunday, March 1, 2009
Wisconsin 60, U-M 55
Wisconsin thwarts Michigan
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

MADISON, Wis. -- Michigan's NCAA hopes are hanging by a thread.

Michigan could have made its postseason resume more impressive with a victory at Wisconsin, but a scoreless run early in the second half -- the Wolverines made two baskets the first 10 minutes -- cost them a chance for an important victory.

Wisconsin made it a sweep of Michigan in the Big Ten with a 60-55 victory at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines have not won at Kohl since February 1999.

Michigan is 18-12 and 8-9 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin has won six of its last seven and is 18-10 and 9-7.

The Wolverines held a 34-32 lead entering the second half, but the Badgers went on a 13-2 run in the first seven minutes to build a nine-point lead, equaling their biggest lead.

Michigan went nearly the first five minutes without a point, until Deshawn Sims scored to make it 39-36. But after a timeout with 11:28 left, the Wolverines found some rhythm.

Laval Lucas-Perry hit a 3-pointer with 10 minutes to spark a 14-7 run that pulled Michigan to 52-50.

Michigan started slowly, as it had in the second half. After not scoring the first three minutes of the first half, and trailing by as many as nine points with just less than nine minutes left, the Wolverines found their offensive touch.

With Wisconsin leading 24-15, Michigan went on a 19-8 run -- including a 10-0 run during a four-minute scoring dry spell by the Badgers -- to end the first half. Sims led Michigan with 11 points and two rebounds, as the Wolverines took a 34-32 lead into halftime.

Michigan was 5-of-11 from the 3-point line and shot 56.5 percent in the first half.

Sunday, March 1, 2009
Michigan State 74, Illinois 66
Spartans are Big Ten champs
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Michigan State is a Big Ten champion.

Whether it wins the title outright remains to be seen after Sunday's thrilling 74-66 victory at Illinois against the conference's best defensive team.

A win Tuesday at Indiana would complete the mission and give coach Tom Izzo his first outright title since the 1998-99 season, a campaign that ended with a Final Four appearance.

Against the Illini, the Spartans pulled away in the final 1:09 during a pivotal stretch that included two Durrell Summers dunks and three Raymar Morgan free throws.

After Goran Suton sat more than seven minutes with four fouls, he ended the afternoon with a pair of free throws in the game's final seconds.

Illinois never led in the contest but tied the score at 58 at the 7:20 mark with a Jeff Jordan steal of a Korie Lucious pass and layup.

Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with a team-high 18 points. Raymar Morgan added 14 and Delvon Roe finished with 10.

You can reach Eric Lacy at eric.lacy@detnews.com

Spartans Surge Past Illinois, 74-66

Michigan State clinches the Big Ten regular season title with the win.

March 1, 2009

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -With a share of the Big Ten title on the line and Illinois closing fast on what had once looked like a comfortable lead, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo put his faith and the ninth-ranked Spartans' fate in the hands of a little used grad student from Nigeria.

Idong Ibok hadn't played since Feb. 17, and is averaging just over six minutes on the court this season.

But with Illinois center Mike Tisdale coming to life in the second half and what had been an 11-point lead vanishing, Izzo said he had nowhere else to turn.

"It was a panic decision," Izzo said. "When we couldn't handle Tisdale, Ibok did a great job and stepped up for us."

Facing the 260-pound Ibok, Tisdale faded and Michigan State (23-5, 13-3) held on for a 74-66 win that guarantees the Spartans at least a share of the Big Ten championship. Only 16th-ranked Purdue (22-7, 11-5) can catch the Spartans.

Sunday's win came at the expense of a man Izzo called one of his best friends, Illinois coach Bruce Weber, who entered the game knowing a win kept the No. 20 Illini (23-7, 11-6) in the race for the title.

Reporters, Weber said, asked him earlier in the week what he feared most about the Spartans.

"I said Tom Izzo, because I knew he would have them ready to play," Weber said. "We spotted them a seven-point lead and we could never really catch up. We had to adjust but then we were playing catch up the whole time."

That opening 7-0 run and the up-tempo pace the Spartans set from the tip-off put the Illini immediately on their heels.

With 4:31 left in the second half, Illini forward Mike Davis sank a soft jump shot to cut the lead to 27-26.

But 13 seconds later, Michigan State's Marquise Gray pushed the gap back to three with a layup and, with 4:01 left in the half, Raymar Morgan gave the Spartans a five-point lead, 31-26, on a layup of his own.

Morgan had 14 points and Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 18.

"Their transition was so good and we weren't ready for that," Weber said.

Lucas also provided for his teammates. He had four assists, including the pass that created Travis Walton's jump shot a minute into the second half, the one that gave the Spartans a 41-30 lead.

"I thought we had a secure lead," Izzo said.

At about that point, though, Tisdale and his hook shot changed the game.

"We just told Mike at halftime, get your fanny down in the block, shoot your hook and make them block you," Weber said.

Tisdale did, and the Spartans, for a time, couldn't do much about it.

His last points, a pair of free throws, cut the lead to 56-53 with 8:51 left to play.

Then, after a layup by Walton, a three-pointer by Illinois guard Trent Meacham and a layup by Jeff Jordan tied the game at 58 with 7:19 left.

But Tisdale, thanks to Ibok, never scored again. Even though Michigan State didn't score again until a Lucas layup more than two and a half minutes later, Illinois couldn't find the basket that would give it the lead.

"We had opportunities," Illinois guard Chester Frazier said. "We had a lot of chances to tie, and take the lead. But the ball bounces that way sometimes and they played great defense and took advantage."

Michigan State outscored the Illini 16-8 down the stretch. Six of those points came from Lucas, four from the free throw line.

The championship is Izzo's fifth in his 14 seasons at Michigan State.

He said that, among his more successful seasons, this has been the toughest.

"Defensively we were awfully good," Izzo said, adding that his team had to overcome both a tough crowd and Illinois' defense, statistically the best in the Big Ten. "So maybe my team is growing up a little bit, because we controlled a decent amount of that game."

Duke is gonna be in the tourney for sure basically! WhoO!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
MSU 64, Indiana 59
Spartans secure first outright Big Ten title since 1999
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

BLOOMINGTON, Ind . -- Because of Indiana's senior night festivities, Michigan State didn't cut the nets Tuesday night at Assembly Hall.

But the Spartans celebrated anyway after a 64-59 victory that marked the school's first outright Big Ten championship since the 1998-99 season.

A pair of visiting fans held a white sheet with the words "Big Ten Champs" in green letters as MSU coaches and players walked to the locker room.

They all pointed to the sign and smiled on their way out of the arena.

Tuesday's clinching game, however, wasn't easy as the Hoosiers, playing six of their eight freshmen in the first half, didn't go away quietly.

With just a two-point lead and 46.7 seconds left, MSU didn't seal its championship history until Raymar Morgan's one-handed slam off a Durrell Summers miss.

The uncontested dunk against a 2-3 zone came with 27.5 seconds left and capped arguably Morgan's best game of the season after he battle mononucleosis earlier in the season.

Morgan finished with 13 points and Kalin Lucas had 15.

No two points for the Spartans were more important late than Lucas' free throws after he went through full-court pressure and was fouled by Matt Roth with 16.9 seconds left.

Down four, Roth missed a 3-pointer with 3.9 left.

Michigan State now has a school-record eight league road wins, which surpasses the 1999 and 1978 teams.

The Spartans are now 48-20 in March since the 1998-99 season and 55-27 in the month during the Izzo era.

MSU is now 18-1 when Morgan plays at least 20 minutes.