The Spartans disappointing season came to end on Thursday night losing to UCLA in the first round.  Despite making a late run that gave them a chance in the final minute they simply weren’t good enough.  In past seasons the Spartans would struggle through scoring droughts and turnovers, but always found ways to right the ship and not let these struggles cost them games.  This year the scoring droughts seemed longer, the turnovers were more crucial and their opponents made them pay for their mistakes.  The Spartans certainly deserved a better season, but did not earn it.

AP File Photo

The saddest part of this bizarre season in East Lansing was how unsurprising this early exit was.  They had seven losses where they lost by double digits, and few quality wins on their resume.  Even when the Spartans won all too often it seemed like they were surviving instead of thriving.  The Spartans struggled all year and only played a handful of games at their true potential.  Obviously this was a disappointing end to the careers of Summers and Lucas, but they found out the hard way that nothing is guaranteed, especially in March.  Next season Coach Izzo will be able to infuse young talent around seniors Draymond Green and Delvon Roe that will hopefully lead to a more successful year.

One of Coach Izzo’s biggest complaints about this year’s team was that his team was a ‘pretty boy jump shooting’ team, however next season their size should be their biggest strength. The Spartans will be lead by their front court of Green, Roe, hopefully with Nix, Alex Guana and Payne taking big strides this summer.  The team will also be adding five star small forward recruit Branden Dawson.  This top heavy lineup should help the Spartans get back to their blue collar roots and give them a better chance at imposing their will upon their opponents.

Heading into next year the Spartans biggest weakness will be at point guard where they will be very young and rely heavily on stand out freshman Keith Appling.  He improved dramatically from the beginning of the season, improving his shooting while still maintaining shut down defense.  Appling will be receiving plenty of help from the injured Russell Byrd and  incoming freshman in point guard Travis Trice and shooting guards Brandon Kearny and Dwaun Anderson.  However how quickly they can develop and gel will play a major factor in how good next years Spartan team will be.

As impressive as Durrell Summers played last year during March Madness he has been equally as disappointing this season.  Last year Summers exuded confidence, a smooth shooting stroke, was always aggressive around the basket and in the open floor during the fast break.  However this season Summers has been in a daze, where he has seen his confidence hit rock bottom and even went eight games in a row where he didn’t score double digits.

JULIAN H. GONZALEZ / Detroit Free Press

Summers has slowly regained his confidence and has been more involved within the teams game plan.  He may not be putting up monster or even average numbers but, the potential will always be there.  It’s no secret the Spartans will need major contributions from Summers, Lucas, and Green if they plan on another long run in March.  However if Summers can even consistently contribute 10 points per game it will take pressure off Green, Lucas and the rest of the team.  Unfortunately the Spartans will inevitably struggle through scoring droughts on Thursday and beyond, but having another reliable option in Summers could limit that amount of time in a big way.

While the Spartans had one of their biggest wins of the season against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament  they relied heavily on an amazing performance from Kalin Lucas.  Lucas is clearly playing his best basketball of the season, and teams will likely force others Spartans to beat them.  Durrell Summers can and must be that player for the Spartans.  It will be imperative for him to hit shots early, hopefully finding a groove that has eluded him all season.   Summers and the Spartans can always wonder how this season could have been different, but starting Thursday they have an opportunity to start fresh and be the team they, and everyone else, thought they could be.

On a night when the Spartans were desperate for a win, Draymond Green took his game to the next level by becoming the 3rd Spartan in school history to record a triple double (joining Magic Johnson and Charlie Bell).  Green’s special night included 15 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals.  While this season has been far rockier than expected Green has refused to let his team give up and is determined his team can still turn their season around.  Although Michigan State has been blessed with many special players, Green is one of the most versatile and may be the best leader the school has ever had.

Matt Hallowell / The State News

Green has been a leader at MSU since his first day on campus, and is becoming one of the most cherished Spartans since Mateen Cleaves.  He may not grab all the headlines or be considered a future NBA lottery pick and isn’t even considered the star of his own team, but as he goes so go the Spartans.  He knows how to get the most out of his teammates, and defines what a Spartan should be.  Green has also become Mr. Everything on the court, If the Spartans need rebounds, blocks, steals, inside scoring or outside scoring he can deliver.

Despite his many talents and his ability to fill up the stat sheet, Green’s greatest skill is his heart.  No matter how poor or great the Spartans are playing, as long as Green is on the roster this team will be a threat to beat any team in the country.  He has a never say die attitude and a relentless motor, characteristics Coach Izzo wishes all of his players had.  Thanks to Green the Spartans got a big victory tonight, hopefully one that will allow them to finish strong and give them an opportunity to fight for the championship that has alluded Green and the Spartans the previous 2 seasons.

Former Michigan State basketball player (2001-2005) Tim Bograkos used his blog today to support and inspire this year’s team as they struggle through a tough stretch.  Tim does a great job of exemplifying what a Spartan is and what one can be.  He currently is making a difference at Michigan State working at the Alumni Association Department.  Follow Tim on Twitter (@timbograkos) and make sure you take time to enjoy past and future posts on his blog http://timbograkos.wordpress.com.

A Letter to My Younger Brothers

By: Tim Bograkos

As a former player at Michigan State and part of what I consider the greatest program in all of college basketball, I have had the chance to play, talk, laugh and grow with the players from all different generations and teams. I have spent countless hours telling and listening to old stories from men who have been here from the beginning.  Guys who laid the first brick at the beginning of the MSU basketball journey, when nothing about the program was elite. Players who shed their blood, sweat and tears to put the green and white in the position it is today and who take tremendous pride in the fact that we laced our shoes up every day as a SPARTAN and left it all on the court.

Dale G. Young / The Detroit News

That’s what makes this season so difficult for everyone both physically and emotionally. I must first clarify that I will always have unwavering support for Coach Izzo and you guys. I know the amount of work that has gone into the off-season workouts and the countless hours of practice and film work that you guys and the coaches are continuing to put in. No one in the country is going to outwork the MSU basketball program and that has been proven over the years. I feel a sort of defense mechanism when it comes to the constant criticism that this team is getting. I feel an overwhelming urge to defend our program and the players. It’s like listening to someone talk about your little brother, you want to stand up and fight to defend your family.

At this point I find myself straddling a very difficult fence. On one side, I am extremely proud alum of Michigan State and our basketball program. On the other side I’m very disappointed in some of the things that seem to be happening this year. It appears that, in some sense, this team has forgotten what kind of program they signed up to play for.  I prided myself as a player who protected the core values that our program stands for every time I stepped on the court. At this point, I’m far less concerned with wins and losses and all I can hope is that we finish the season with the same intensity as Scotty Skiles, with the swagger of Steve Smith, and the true grit of Antonio Smith and Mateen Cleaves.

I hope you all realize that you have a group of former players who will always be there through thick and thin, who have gone through tough seasons, dealt with the relentless media scrutiny and will never turn our backs. This program is bigger than any one player and bigger than any one season. Remember, as this quote says, you are the men in the arena… just make sure when you feel triumph or failure, you have done so with your face marred by dust and sweat and blood due to your unwavering EFFORT.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Earlier today the Washington Post’s John Feinstein posted an article where he was able to get Coach Izzo to open up about the Spartans disappointing season.  Obviously Coach Izzo hates losing, and there is no doubt his team’s struggles are waging on him but he explained to Feinstein he is doing his best to learn from these rough times:

Dale G. Young / The Detroit News

“I honestly think that maybe I needed to go through this. I’m not saying I like losing on any level. But it probably isn’t a bad thing when you start to hear that you’re God or you walk on water to be reminded that you’re not and you don’t.  I’m completely convinced one way or the other, I’m going to come out of this a better coach and a better person and, I hope, a better father. I’m learning how to deal with not having things go my way all over again. I’m not so sure I’m great at it, but I’m trying to get better at it.” He laughed. “Why would anyone want to be great at it?”

The Spartans may be down, but Izzo is committed to turning things around, the Spartans have enough talent and games on their schedule to still make a push towards March.  However he knows this will be know easy fix, but feels with Kalin Lucas finally getting back to normal this team can start playing on a higher level:

“It’s just been a perfect storm,” he said. “I don’t like to be an excuse-maker, but with the injuries and the guys I’ve had to throw off the team, it’s been difficult. I blame myself for most of it. Jud [Heathcote] always used to say it’s hard for your leader to lead if he’s struggling with his own game. Kalin’s been doing that all season. The injury affected his speed, and that changed his whole game. I don’t think I’ve done a good enough job helping him with that.  Honestly though, I still think we could get our act together before this is over. Kalin’s 95 percent now. I have to be able to get them to defend and rebound better. I still think we can be a tough out in March if we can get some confidence back and get there.”

The Spartans have 7 games left and one would have to imagine the worst they could go is 4-3 to still have a shot at making the tournament.  Unfortunately the final stretch includes games against Ohio State and Purdue, but they also have very winnable games against Minnesota, Penn State, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan.  Whether Izzo and the Spartans can turn their miserable season around remains to be seen, but this team certainly won’t go down without a fight.

This bizarre season of Spartan basketball took another strange twist last night as it was announced that junior guard Korie Lucious would be suspended from the team for the rest of the season.  The Lansing State Journal’s Joe Rexrode reported the following statements from Izzo and Lucious on the suspension:

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

“Unfortunately, Korie Lucious displayed conduct detrimental to the program,” Izzo said. “My focus is on this team for the remainder of the season.”

“I didn’t live up to the standards of the program,” Lucious said in his statement. “Unfortunately, I let my teammates, my coaches, and myself down, and wish them the best for the rest of the season.”

Why Lucious was suspended has not been released and it is unclear if he will return to Michigan State for his senior season after the suspension.  However he has been suspended before, once for skipping class last season and at the beginning of this season he was suspended for two games after he operated a vehicle while intoxicated charge resulted in a reckless driving conviction.  Lucious’ future at Michigan State appears very blurry for the time being and this is certaintly not the way anyone saw his career going with the Spartans.  Usually you want your point guard to excel at decision making, but between his off the court problems and poor shot selection Lucious clearly ran out of chances, but the Spartans will always be forever greatly for his buzzer beater against Maryland.    Although Lucious has been in a shooting slump for much of the season he will still be missed.  The Spartans depth at point guard has now diminished to just Kalin Lucas and freshman Keith Appling.  While Appling has played well of late, it will be interesting to see how he can respond to increased minutes throughout the season.

The Michigan State Spartans entered this season as preseason title contenders, who appeared destined for a special season.  However, a group that was supposed to be Tom Izzo’s most experienced and talented team has quickly turned into one of his most frustrating.  Since becoming the head coach at Michigan State Izzo has preached and received excellent fundamentals and heart from his teams.  Unfortunately the principles he has built this program around have been the main areas this team has struggled with.

KEVIN W. FOWLER / Lansing State Journal

The Spartans sluggish start has seen them consistently get out-rebounded (92nd in the country and 6th in the Big Ten), play poor defense, miss their free throws at an alarming rate and the team has lacked heart as well.  Obviously this team entered the season with a target on it’s back, but this team is too good to use any excuse for their play, especially expectations.  Michigan State has always been better at being the under dog over the favorite, but until the 2:09 mark of last night’s game verse Wisconsin this team didn’t appear to be anything special or capable of becoming the team they can be.

No matter how much skill or experience this team has, they will live and die by the amount of passion and toughness they play with.  The Spartans have admitted that they let their ego’s get in the way of their play, and have acknowledged they are not capable of simply flipping a switch and beating their opponents.  While they have been humbled through the first 16 games of the season this time appears ready to finally move on and earn any ranking or praise they receive instead of accepting praise from prior accomplishments.

The Spartans have plenty of grueling games left on their Big Ten schedule to get back to the basics of rebounding, hustling and defense.  Expect the Spartans to use the rest of the season proving to the rest of the country, and most importantly themselves, that they are an elite team that you will have to fight, scratch and claw to beat them, just the way they want it.

Since the Big Ten season has started the Spartans have gotten back to their winning ways, but they have looked far from elite.  The Spartans started the season as National Championship contenders, but have quickly fallen from their preseason #2 to ranking after starting the season 9-4.  They have beaten the teams they are supposed to, but have struggled against the ranked opponents they have faced going 2-3.  While it is never wise to doubt the Spartans and Tom Izzo’s March Magic, they need more from Durrell Summers and Delvon Roe to become an elite team.

Obviously Michigan State has plenty of time to improve and playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the country will only make them better, but this team isn’t interested in simply being good.  After making back to back Final Four appearances this team is looking to avenge unfinished business by bringing the university it’s third National Championship.  While it is extremely difficult to consistently win in March this team has the experience and fire power to make another run.  However this team still struggles with identity issues and ideally is going to need Delvon Roe to perform his best Andre Hudson impersonation and Durrell Summers to channel Morris Peterson from the Spartans 2000 title team.

Associated Press Photo

Both Hudson and Peterson supplied very crucial roles to that special Spartan team that this years team is in search of.  When these two players were playing at their best the Spartans were practically unstoppable.  These players were able to supply grit down low and provide big shots from all over the court.  Roe and Summers have that ability, and need to raise to the occasion on a more consistently level.  Despite the high praise he received coming out of high school Delvon Roe will probably never be the five star recruit he was supposed to because of his ailing needs.  Yet he still has the ability and talent to help this team win.  Lately he has cranked up the energy by pounding the boards, and amped up his defense, aggression which has also improved his offensive numbers as well.  When Summers has his outside shot clicking he provides that instant offense the Spartans miss when they struggle through scoring slumps.  He also has an uncanny ability to drive to the basket and finish transition plays with thunderous dunks.  Unfortunately he has struggled with bringing this aggressiveness to every game.

The Spartans rely heavily on Kalin Lucas and Draymond Green, and rightfully so, but if this team is going to take their game to the next level it won’t be without Roe and Summers.  While it’s easy to compare them to Hudson and Peterson, both players are special in their own way, and can hopefully embrace their talents on a nightly basis.  If they can the Spartans could find themselves back in the Final Four and maybe even put together the wins that have eluded them in the past.

Kevin W. Fowler/ Lansing State Journal

The Michigan State Spartans open their Big Ten season with one major change to their lineup.  After experiencing a tough non-conference schedule coach Izzo is shuffling his starting lineup in hopes of improving the flow of the offense and the teams toughness.  The one move the team has made is to finally re-insert Draymond Green into the power forward position in the starting lineup.  The Spartans have experimented with him coming off the bench and mainly playing from the small forward spot, but the Spartans have been exposed down low and have missed Green’s presence.  Green expressed his excitement for the change to the Grand Rapid Press’ Joey Nowak:

“I’m not as comfortable at the 3 as I am at the 4 and that will come with time,” Green said. “I was talking with coach and he said, ‘Basically, we made you a 3-man that plays some 4. We want to make you a 4-man that plays some 3.’ I think that’s better for me and the team. I feel like I can play the 4 in my sleep.”

Hopefully this move gets this team back on track to their winning ways this afternoon against a tough Minnesota Gophers team.  I don’t think anyone predicted the Spartans to struggle so heavily this season with their experience and talent level being at an all time high, but maybe this team simply cannot handle being on the cover of magazines and being considered a favorite to win the national championship.  Izzo has always prided and molded his team around his blue collar ways and Green is the core of what this team is about.  Obviously this team needs to play better as a whole, but having Green return to his comfort zone should elevate the play of the entire team.