Michigan St Spartans

No. 21 Michigan State faces Ga. Southern as Big Ten play approaches

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Michigan State did not expect to be a .500 team heading into its final game of the month. The No. 21 Spartans are 3-3 after losing to No. 3 Arizona 74-68 on Thanksgiving Day. With the team’s Big 10 opener fast approaching, Michigan State plays host to winless Georgia Southern on Tuesday at East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans face Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Nebraska during their first two games of December. Michigan State trailed

No. 3 Arizona, No. 21 Michigan State measure up in California

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Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was not particularly pleased with his team’s performance in a rout of Alcorn State on Sunday, downplaying the win. “We did not beat the Lakers,” Izzo summarized. The No. 21 Spartans (3-2) might not see the Lakers in Southern California on Thanksgiving Day, but they have another daunting task in Thousand Palms, Calif., in No. 3 Arizona (5-0). “We’ve got to get a lot better by Thursday; (this week’s) practice

No. 18 Michigan State aims to ride defense in clash vs. Alcorn State

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Michigan State looked much more like the team it was projected to be against Butler on Friday. The 18th-ranked Spartans will try to build off that performance when it hosts Alcorn State on Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans collected a 74-54 victory over the Bulldogs as Michigan State’s defense held Butler to 28.8 percent shooting. “We took a step in the right direction against a team that’s been playing awfully well,” Spartans coach

Unbeaten Butler hits Michigan State as Thad Matta, Tom Izzo renew rivalry

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It’s probably hyperbole to say No. 18 Michigan State is hitting the panic button. But at the very least, the Spartans (1-2) are not where they want to be after three games as they prepare Friday night’s home contest against Butler (3-0) in East Lansing, Mich. Ranked No. 4 going into the season, Michigan State lost at home to James Madison to open the season and to Duke on Tuesday in Chicago. A win at

No. 9 Duke aims to bounce back vs. No. 18 Michigan State

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Duke and Michigan State enter the Champions Classic in strange positions. After all, either the Blue Devils or Spartans will have a second loss this early in the season. But it’s still a high-stakes matchup when No. 9 Duke and No. 18 Michigan State gather for Tuesday night’s game in Chicago. “I love these kind of games,” Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach said. “These are the games I work for.” The rankings for these teams

No. 4 Michigan St. on struggle bus after shocking upset in opener

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No. 4 Michigan State never expected a losing record at any point this season. But the Spartans are 0-1 as they prepare for a visit from Southern Indiana on Thursday. A stunner in the season opener on Monday sent head coach Tom Izzo into a somber march, feeling from a 79-76 loss in overtime to a James Madison team that was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference this year and had the look of

Title thoughts propel Tom Izzo, No. 4 Michigan State into opener

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Tom Izzo won a national championship when he was 45 years old. He’s accomplished many things since 2000, including his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, but at 68 the longtime Michigan State coach is still chasing a second national title. The Spartans begin their season against James Madison at East Lansing on Monday and believe they have enough talent and depth to make the title dream a reality. Izzo doesn’t