Senior hustle: Austin Thornton is an unsung hero for the Michigan State Spartans

By Adam Biggers
@AdamBiggers81

Austin Thornton is proof positive that a player's will to compete should never be overlooked or discounted. The Michigan State Spartans' fifth-year senior has played in 121 games for coach Tom Izzo, earning just his 11th start Sunday in the Spartans' 76-62 road win over the Purdue Boilermakers.

In years past, Thornton was the butt of jokes, heavily criticized and deemed not worthy to play basketball in the Big Ten—let alone for Michigan State, one of the conference's elite teams.

For many, the criticism would have probably been enough to deflate spirit and motivation. But Thornton, who has been one of the Spartans' leaders in "hustle" this season, has risen above his naysayers' comments and proven to be a valuable asset for the Spartans (22-5, 11-3), who hold a one-game lead over Ohio State in the Big Ten standings.

Last season, Michigan State hobbled into the NCAA tournament, sorely lacking any type of gritty play from seniors and upperclassmen. Spartans followers cringed after a first-round tournament loss to UCLA, and with just two seniors returning in 2011-12, many didn't expect much from the program other than an improvement from the previous season's debacle.

But turn the page to this season, and senior Draymond Green, the leading candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year honors, has captured the imagination of Spartans fans, who are eagerly waiting to see just how far this team can go. But lost in the shuffle, for the most part, has been Thornton. The casual Michigan State follower may not realize the value of the 6-foot-5 senior, who is among the Big Ten leaders in 3-point shooting (42 percent prior to Sunday, 16-for-38) and scored a career-high 17 points Sunday against Purdue.

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Thornton has averaged nearly 20 minutes per game this year, nearly equivalent to his three previous seasons combined and almost eight minutes more than the 2010-11 season when he saw the floor for about 11 minutes per contest. He's been reliable when Michigan State needed a run-stopping defender, a 3-pointer or a player to commit a foul.

His numbers aren't impressive by any stretch, at least to the naked eye. Averaging 4.6 points per game is hardly anything to jump out of your seat about. But when analyzing Thornton, who has reached double-figures four times this season, the numbers tell a story of what a player is capable of doing when given the chance. One also must consider the talent that Thornton has played behind too, which has also factored into his lack of playing time over the years.

Statistics are telling, but looking at the numbers only tells part of the story. Thornton, who has shown a gritty, physical presence throughout the season, flexed his defensive muscle Sunday—and has during the Spartans' climb up the Big Ten ladder—by converting a tough basket in the paint which gave his team a 45-38 lead over Purdue. He also helped contain Robbie Hummel, who scored 18 points in the first half but was held to just six in the final 20 minutes.

Hitting the deck for loose balls, taking punishment in the paint; all likely worth the minutes. If one were to ask Thornton, who has been praised for his relentless pursuit of playing time and incredible practice habits, he'd likely say it's all been worth it.

The fire still burns in Michigan State Spartans coach Tom Izzo's belly

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports by Adam Biggers

During the LeBron James-Cleveland Cavaliers saga two years ago, there was speculation that Michigan State Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo wouldn't be in East Lansing for long.

In fact, many thought that Izzo, who was offered the Cavaliers coaching job by Spartans alum and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, would bolt for the NBA to coach James in Cleveland. It was valid speculation, too. Izzo had been offered a job by the Atlanta Hawks just a handful of years prior, and the thought of Izzo coaching at the highest level of basketball had been thrown around by pundits and analysts alike.

Well, the James saga ended with the now-infamous "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" televised event, and Izzo stayed put in East Lansing, winning his 400th game Wednesday as the Spartans coach with a victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

It would be somewhat logical to assume that Izzo, who had twice flirted with the idea of leaving Michigan State, could, in theory, leave the program in the near future. But that's not so. This season, Izzo looks as if he's having fun again, and he has no exit strategy or plan to leave the program -- in the near future, at least -- that he built into a national powerhouse.

"I don't have a game plan," Izzo said during a recent radio interview. "Everyone says you should have one, but I really don't have one. I think as everything else, it's a feel. There's nothing that feels in the near future."

In the past, Izzo has said that he would like to win another national title with the Spartans before considering vacating his post as the mayor of East Lansing, rather, the head coach at Michigan State. Six Final Fours, a national title in 2000 and runner-up status in 2009 fuels the fiery coach. He has his team in great position to capture a Big Ten title, but, perhaps more importantly, make another deep run into national tournament known as March Madness.

"Really it comes down to how you feel and what your energy level is," Izzo said. "I think one thing that I promised myself is the day I don't want to go recruit all 20 days of the summer, time for me to get out. There are certain things that are part of these jobs you got to do 'em. If you don't want to talk to alums, you don't want to go out and recruit, you probably shouldn't have the job."

And Izzo is right. If a coach feels that he's lost the ability to draw in top talent, he probably should hang up the whistle. However, Izzo has brought in the likes of Keith Appling, a savvy guard who is most definitely the future of the Spartans offense; and Branden Dawson, a freshman who is a "star" in the making, according to the 17-year veteran coach.

Adding to his recent recruiting success is Gary Harris, one of the top players in the 2012 class who recently committed to Michigan State. Harris has been on Izzo's radar for some time, and landing the Indiana prep star only shows that Izzo hasn't lost that fire that he's become revered for.

Izzo, who will soon turn 57, has at least 10-15 years of coaching left. There have been several coaches who have stayed on the sidelines until their 70s, and Izzo most definitely fits that mold. Basketball is in his blood. Michigan State is in his blood. He won't stop until he's satisfied.

Adam Biggers has followed NCAA basketball for over 20 years, specifically the Michigan State Spartans. He can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Michigan State Spartans right where they need to be in Big Ten basketball standings

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports by Adam Biggers

The Northwestern Wildcats' Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. is a challenging venue to play at, and so is the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, home to the Michigan Wolverines.

And coach Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans, who were ranked ninth in the most recent Associated Press polls, found that out the hard way, dropping consecutive games to the Wildcats and Wolverines within the past week and snapping a 15-game win streak.

While the Spartans (15-4, 4-2) could have used at least one win during that stretch, they're still in the thick of an early race in the Big Ten that promises to play out to a memorable finish. Just six games through the conference slate, for most teams, anyway, the Spartans are among a group of four two-loss teams, and the likes of Indiana, which has lost four, and Wisconsin, which has three losses, are essentially clinging to slim chances of catching up to conference-leader Illinois, and contenders Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

In the grand scheme of things for Izzo's Spartans, early road losses could prove to be a positive, energizing the team for an important five-game stretch, which includes four at the Breslin Center, where they've yet to lose this season (11-0).

Michigan State will likely benefit from hosting a struggling, but unpredictable, Purdue Boilermakers (14-5, 4-2) squad in East Lansing, and then Tubby Smith's equally perplexing Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-5, 2-4), who have shown signs of life. While each team is capable of giving the Spartans fits, it's unlikely they'll come out with wins at the Breslin Center if Michigan State returns to form.

A road trip to Illinois is the obvious, glaring hurdle for the Spartans, who will have to endure trips to Indiana and Ohio State—assuming they win-out at home—in order to get their first Big Ten title since winning back-to-back crowns starting in 2008-09.

One has to like the Spartans' chances of escaping a rigorous conference slate with five or less losses, possibly four, given their history at the Breslin Center under Izzo. Two early losses may be cause for some to to worry, but rest assured that getting road games at Michigan and Northwestern out of the way somewhat lessens the load—Welsh-Ryan and Crisler are both arenas with somewhat mysterious home-court advantages.

The Buckeyes still have trips to Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, among others, left on their schedule. Don't forget a date at Northwestern, either. Among those four, Ohio State, assuming it can win-out at home, would have to take two, in all likelihood, to win the Big Ten.

Indiana, with four losses already, has to go to Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan—and with four losses, the likelihood of the Hoosiers running the table, especially with its upcoming road opponents looming, is very slim.

Wisconsin, with three losses, has a road duel with Illinois, the Big Ten's only one-loss team, on Sunday, along with trips to East Lansing and Ohio State to contend with. Again, assuming the Badgers win-out at home, getting away with less than five road losses will be a task.

While Illinois has just one loss, games at Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin have yet to be played. The current scenario suggests, if both teams remain steady, that Michigan State, Michigan and Illinois could be considered the Big Ten's front runners based on remaining schedule and number of losses to this point.

Considering the fact that the Spartans are a relatively young team with just one senior with considerable experience in Draymond Green, Michigan State should consider itself somewhat fortunate to be in the position it's in. Ohio State was the preseason pick to take the Big Ten, with Izzo's Spartans picked to finish in the top four. Somehow, like in 2010, when Izzo's team isn't expected to do much, it does the opposite. A trip to the Final Four might be a year or two away for Michigan State, but a third Big Ten title in the past four years is certainly attainable.

Follow Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Draymond Green takes driver's seat in Michigan State's road test with Gonzaga Bulldogs

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports

By Adam Biggers

Draymond Green made a statement Saturday in Spokane, Wash.

The Michigan State Spartans' senior leader scored a career-high 34 points in his team's 74-67 win over the 22nd-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-3), further proving that he is the sole proprietor—at least on the court—of the Spartans.

It was a game in which the Spartans were tested, and they needed to be. And because the Spartans passed that test, they'll likely appear in the top-25 rankings.

Without a true challenge away from the Breslin Center this year, a battle with another perennial NCAA tournament team served as an accurate barometer of the Spartans' (8-2) progress after they opened their season with losses to then sixth-ranked Duke and top-ranked North Carolina.

The Spartans—despite late fouls, mental mistakes and missed opportunities—looked sharp, for the most part. Freshman Travis Trice had trouble handling the ball, committing four turnovers, but he did have three key assists—and one in particular helped push the Spartans to victory: a beautiful pass to Green in the paint which gave the Spartans a 62-52 lead with just over nine minutes to play.

At one point in the second half, Green had made 10 straight, finishing 11-of-13 from the field, 4-for-5 from 3-point range and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. He absolutely dominated the Bulldogs, inside and out, en route to posting one of the most well-rounded showings of any Spartan in recent memory.


He just couldn't miss. Green's sharpshooting gave the Spartans 9- and 10-point cushions in the second half (51-41, 65-56), which were handy in fending off a late, but spirited, 11-3 Bulldogs run.
Sure, another player could have stepped up and vaulted the Spartans past the Bulldogs in arguably one of their toughest road games of the season. It's hard to win on the road in the Big Ten, and Gonzaga does pretty well at The Kennel.

It was fitting that Green was the man of the hour. After the Spartans' 89-69 home win over Central Connecticut State, coach Tom Izzo, and Green, expressed their displeasure in the team's sloppy play. Green held a gathering, not a "meeting," as he insisted, and laid it all on the line. He told Trice, a freshman, that this year's team reminded him of past Final Four teams at Michigan State, two of which Green was on.

And then he burst for a career-night Saturday against Gonzaga.

It would have been easy for the senior to direct guys, telling them what he expected. But it's quite another for him to set the tone. That's just what leaders do.

That's just what Day-Day has done his whole career in East Lansing.

Adam Biggers can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans will get tournament-like test on the road Saturday from Gonzaga Bulldogs

This article was originally published on Yahoo! Sports

By Adam Biggers

Coach Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans (7-2) already have a solid home win under their belt, a 65-49 bouncing Nov. 30 of the Florida State Seminoles during the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

And while Michigan State showed glimpses of its strength in losses to North Carolina and Duke early on, both of those games were played at neutral sites—not true "road" games, by definition.

Aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the waters outside of San Diego on Veteran's Day, then top-ranked North Carolina disposed of the Spartans, 67-55. Four days later, Nov. 15, the Spartans fell 74-69 to Duke during the State Farm Champions Classic at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Spartans, fresh off an 89-69 win over Central Connecticut State at the Breslin Center, haven't had their will truly tested on the road, unless, of course, a 72-40 blowout triumph over Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti counts.

Which it doesn't.

Saturday, against the Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-2), the Spartans will finally get their opportunity to prove that they have made strides in the right direction, and possibly crack the top-25 rankings, with a win at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.

The lack of road games presents a challenge when attempting to gauge the Spartans' effectiveness away from East Lansing. Last season, the Spartans didn't earn their stripes on the road until Jan. 3 after beating Big Ten foe Northwestern 65-62 in Evanston. Minus a tournament win at Chaminade, the Spartans were hardly competitive away from the Breslin Center, posting an embarrassing 2-8 record.

The lack of team chemistry could to be blame, maybe even the lack of preparation. But that shouldn't be the case Saturday, because by all accounts, the Spartans are a much more tight-knit unit this winter and have just as much, if not more, potential to be successful as the 2010-11 team had.

Gonzaga has made the NCAA Tournament each season since 2000 under 12th-year coach Mark Few. The Bulldogs qualified each year since 1999, but Few was then an assistant. He's coached Gonzaga to WCC titles each year, except 2003, during the same span. If the Bulldog's impressive track record is of any indication, the Spartans, who lost in the first round last season to UCLA, will have their fourth duel with a potential tournament squad this season (UNC, Duke, Florida State).

A win over Gonzaga at Spokane would likely bolster the Spartans' confidence after the lackluster season they had a year ago. Saturday's game is more than a road game, it's almost like an early tournament game, due to the level of competition it will face.

Izzo will be reunited with his mentor, the legendary former Spartans coach Jud Heathcote, who lives in Washington. As one of the figureheads of Spartans basketball, Heathcote's opinion carries a significant amount of weight, especially to Michigan State followers.

He coached the Spartans to their first national title in 1979 and has kept close tabs on Izzo and the Spartans since his retirement in 1995, the year Izzo took the reins.

The Spartans certainly have the talent, with young guards Travis Trice and Keith Appling proving more than capable of running Izzo's offense. Senior Draymond Green has his team under control, while Trice's fellow freshman Branden Dawson has shown glimpses of steady play.

"I think Tom's going to have a real good team come March," Heathcote said during an interview with a Michigan-based radio show. "The guards are starting to get better every game. Draymond Green is maybe the best player in the Big Ten. But what bothers me is the inconsistency of the two centers, both (Adreian) Payne and (Derrick) Nix. They have their moments, but they're not enough.

"(Payne's) got to do more, and he can do more. He's such a good athlete. But there's an awful lot of good athletes in the game of basketball that aren't good basketball players."

Adam can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Michigan State Spartans senior Draymond Green has everything under control

By Adam Biggers

The questionable senior leadership from a year ago won't be present this season if Michigan State Spartans senior Draymond Green has anything to say about it.

A leader? You bet. Is this his team this season? Without a question.

While Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers failed to live up to their senior potential last season, Green has been a general since his arrived in East Lansing.

Despite the Spartans' 89-69 win over the Blue Devils at the Breslin Center, coach Tom Izzo and Green each had choice words for the team. Spartans followers come to expect as much from Izzo, who hardly censors himself. It is what it is with Izzo.

And that's why he's so well-respected.

Green, however, has been more of a softer-spoken leader, at times, but showed his gruff side when he interviewed with Spartan Mag after the game.

"It wasn't necessarily a meeting," Green said. "I just had a few things that we needed to talk about, a few things that we needed to nip in the bud right now.

"Lack of effort is something that we will not do, will not happen to this team. If you just let that happen, guys get used to that and that's what they become. We will not let this team become like that. Guys will play with a tremendous energy level all year and that's how it's going to stay.

"We had one let-down. If you allow that and say, 'Okay we had one.' Then it turns to two, then it turns to three and then it becomes a problem. So you want to nip it in the bud as soon as it happens.

"The way we rebounded, the way we defended, all of those things. Things that we have done great this year, we didn't do. They got every loose ball. That's what we've been doing. You can't change the things that have been making you successful."

Now, that may have been a bit to digest, but read into it. Green was specific and targeted certain areas, not just the "coach talk" that Lucas and Summers offered about "improving" and "being team players," or whatever else sounded good to satisfy media questions.

No, Green gets to the point. But he's not brash or holier-than-thou. He's a coach, an extension of Izzo. I've written in the past that Green will go down as one of the greatest Spartans leaders—if not ever—in the Izzo Era.

Now, I'm not trying to come across as "see, I know MSU basketball," because if you're reading this, you're probably right up there, too. It doesn't take a four-year degree to understand that Green is cut from a different mold.

Green knows when the Spartans have a quality team. He's been two Final Fours, a national title game, and has seen players come and go. What really quenched my desire to know if the Spartans were indeed the real deal were Green's comments directed toward freshman guard Travis Trice, who erupted for a game- and team-high 20 points in the win over the Blue Devils.

"He (Draymond) told us how this team reminds him of the Final Four teams and the championship teams that have been here, about how we're all together but we just have to eliminate the distractions," Trice told Spartan Mag. "Any kind of distractions, whether it's somebody telling you you should play more, or somebody telling you this should be your team.

"It might not be all that. Something might be happening at home and you need somebody you to talk to. Whatever it is. We just need to stay close together."

This year's team reminds Green of past Final Four teams?! The Big Ten will likely be dominated by Ohio State, with Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, as well as Michigan State, making pushes for conference titles. The Spartans, who fell in the first round of the tournament last season with Lucas, Summers and Delvon Roe, three great players (two of which didn't deliver in their final year) that are no longer with the team, have the potential to make Green's senior year one to remember.

Korie Lucious' behavior was a distraction last year. A major distraction. The Spartans guards were seemingly learning to adjust without Chris Allen, who transferred amidst a cloud of controversy, and this year, well, this year—it was supposed to be back to the drawing board.

Right? Wrong—at least according to Green. And I'll take his word for it, because he's there day-in, day-out, practicing and going through the Izzo grind.

This team has talent. No doubt. There is enough, like teams from years ago, to make runs toward the Final Four. Continual runs. I like Green's confidence. There is no doubt if the Spartans put it all together at the right time that they will make some noise in the Big Ten and, in all likelihood, in that little dance the NCAA has in March.

But this is Green's last year. And the Spartans must get it together, if not for the team, Izzo, or the school—but for Green, who has played his tail off for four years.

He has the ability to manage the team while Izzo does, well, what Izzo does.

Follow Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81, or, e-mail him Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com

Michigan State Spartans legend Shawn Respert reflects on recruitment, meeting Tom Izzo for first time

This article originally appeared on Yahoo! Sports 

By Adam Biggers

Shawn Respert nearly didn't have the chance to become one of the greatest Michigan State Spartans basketball players. He could have easily went to play for a handful of other programs, but then-coach Jud Heathcote wasn't about to let him get away.

However, current Spartans coach Tom Izzo (who was then an assistant) and former assistant Stan Joplin weren't immediately sold.

Initially, says Respert, now 39, Heathcote and his staff were interested in Parish Hickman, a teammate of his at Redford Bishop Borgess High. Hickman was recruited a year earlier as one of the top players in Michigan, but he urged Heathcote to take a look at Respert in 1989-90.

"Coach Heathcote was a little more keen about looking at me and bringing me as a possible addition to the team," Respert said.

Joplin and Izzo brought in Eric Snow, who paired with Respert in the Spartans' backcourt in the early 1990s. They were nearly unstoppable, and arguably the best tandem of guards to ever play at Michigan State. One could argue that such is true regarding the Big Ten.

However, Snow's status was being considered, too. The coaches met, finally making a decision that greatly impacted the history of Spartans basketball.

"They funny thing is, when they brought us in, they would lobby with each other, and then they just figured to take the both of us," Respert said, laughing.

Not to say that Izzo wasn't immediately struck by Respert's talent, but he probably couldn't have imagined that Respert, a 6-foot-1 shooting guard, would go on to become the school's career scoring leader (2,531 points), national and Big Ten player of the year, as well as a first-round NBA draft pick in 1995.
Eventually, Izzo warmed up to Respert, and the two formed a great relationship.

"I knew that he was excited to have me up there," Respert said. "He spent a lot of time getting to know me; he didn't owe me anything. He didn't have to sit there; he could have stuck with the guy he recruited (Snow) and been loyal to his player.

"Tom was selfless and able to say 'Hey, whatever it takes for us to win.' He was just like 'Whomever needs to play; who can help us win - get him out there. "

Izzo made Respert's transition from high school all the more comfortable. Izzo told Respert that he'd get a fair shot, and Respert respected Izzo's honesty.

"That's a tough transition for student-athletes to make," Respert said. "He had that charisma."

Heathcote's "blueprint was already there," says Respert. When Izzo took over in 1995, he already had 12 years experience working under Heathcote. He expanded on what Heathcote established in East Lansing, winning a national title in 2000 (MSU's second; 1979) and making six trips to the Final Four.

In the middle-late 1990s and early 2000s, Izzo landed some of his best classes of talent, which included Mateen Cleaves, Jason Richardson, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell. Whether it was a five-star recruit, or a virtual unknown, Izzo always got the most out of his players.

"(Izzo) injected the ability to have these great athletes come in and play in a successful system that was built on quality shooting," Respert said. "We were always one of those teams that was going to be near the top in field goal percentage and rebounding."

Respert said Izzo "got athletes plugged in" positions they could properly showcase their abilities and "understood what need to be done to get that program to the next level.

"And he did it."

This is one of a series of upcoming pieces on Spartans legend Shawn Respert, who today, works with the Minnesota Timberwolves' player development department.

Adam Biggers can be reached by e-mail at Adam.Biggers@Yahoo.com, or, by Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Note: Respert and I interviewed for over an hour-and-a-half Wednesday, Dec. 7. We talked about much more than Spartans basketball, delving deep into his personal story. Respert has been at the highest of summits and, at times, the lowest of valleys. His determination and never-say-die attitude are truly remarkable and admirable.

The below video highlights Respert's spirited performance during a 73-71 win over the Michigan Wolverines in 1995.