MSU crunch time

Scouting report

The Spartans are the No. 7 seed, but that might be generous: Michigan State has had its worst season in years and most expected it to be seeded lower and possibly get snubbed. MSU has 12 losses and an RPI of 34 on collegerpi.com, which usually projects to a No. 8 or 9 seed.

After being ranked early in the season, the Spartans plummeted. They started 8-2, including a 71-67 win Dec. 14 at Kentucky and a 65-56 home win Dec. 21 over South Florida, but dropped five of their next six before leveling off to finish 10-6 in Big Ten play.

MSU has had trouble scoring, and its 68.1 ppg ranked eighth in the Big Ten. Sophomore guard Chris Hill (14.4 ppg) has been the only consistent offensive threat, and he is the only Spartan who regularly shoots 3-pointers (84 of 208). He also is the only MSU player averaging more than 30 minutes a game.

Seven of the remaining players in the nine-man rotation average between 5.6 and 9.7 points. Three are freshmen: blue-chip recruits Paul Davis and Maurice Ager, and Slovenian Erazem Lorbek.

The Spartans are noted for rugged, half-court man-to-man defense, physical play and rebounding, and they annually are one of the nation's best in rebounding margin. Burly senior Aloysius Anagonye leads MSU with a modest 5.4 rebounds a game, but seven Spartans average more than three.

MSU reached the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, rallying from a large deficit to take the lead late before succumbing to Ohio State.

CRUNCH TIME

When the game is on the line, who do you want...

TAKING THE LAST SHOT?: Guard Chris Hill is clearly the team's primary option late in the game. The sophomore has hit big shots all year and is excellent coming off screens, which is Izzo's tendency if he has the ball in the final seconds.

AT THE FREE-THROW LINE?: Among the regulars, guard Alan Anderson has been the most consistent at the line. He has hit 112 of 134 free throws (.836). Senior forward Adam Ballinger has a higher percentage (.880) but has attempted only 25, hitting 22.

HANDLING THE BALL?: Although he's 6 feet 6 and a solid 220 pounds, Anderson has emerged as the most reliable guard and has taken over the bulk of the point-guard responsibilities late in the game. It is unfair to draw comparisons with Magic Johnson, but the Spartans have some success with oversized point guards.

GUARDING THE OPPONENT'S BEST PLAYER?: If it's an inside player, you can expect Aloysius Anagonye to draw the assignment. He's the most polished player inside. But more likely, it will be a perimeter player and the Spartans will turn to Kelvin Torbert to be the stopper. Torbert is the team's most consistent defender and plays with a physical and mean streak.

When the game is on the line, who don't you want...

TAKING THE LAST SHOT?: Despite a team-high 61 percent from the field, Anagonye isn't the man for the last shot if the ball is outside the paint. Streaky guard Maurice Ager, who can fill it up in a hurry, also can go cold at the wrong time.

AT THE FREE-THROW LINE?: Forward/center Paul Davis shoots 66 percent from the line, the lowest among starters.

HANDLING THE BALL? Anagonye is a superb rebounder and defender, but ball-handling is not his forte. He's also prone to fouling.

GUARDING THE OPPONENT'S BEST PLAYER?: Freshman Erazem Lorbek, a 6-10, 240-pounder from Ljubijana, Slovenia, has shown that he can put the ball in the basket but may not be ready to be a lockdown defender.

THE COACH'S TENDENCIES

Considered an old school coach, Izzo has developed a reputation for excellent game strategy and play calling. He is particularly well-known for his set plays coming out of timeouts and will be more inclined to pull in the reins of his young team and draw up a play.

THE TEAM'S TENDENCIES

The Spartans have had their share of close games this season. Of their 12 losses, 11 came when they were within four points with four minutes left, including a 55-54 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. MSU has some narrow victories too, beating Illinois 68-65 and winning at Indiana 67-62 in overtime and at Kentucky 71-67.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Spartans have two national titles, winning it all in 1979 and 2000. Izzo's 16-4 mark in the tournament is the best winning percentage among active coaches. The Spartans' overall NCAA mark of 33-15 (.688) is the sixth highest tournament winning percentage.

FUN FACT

The Spartans are one of just three teams to beat Kentucky this year and they did it at Rupp Arena. Remarkably, it was the shot of seldom-used guard Tim Brograkos that won the game. Described as a gym-rat, Brograkos was a walk-on without a scholarship for his first two seasons. In the final seconds against Kentucky, the Spartans were trailing by one and looking to get Hill a shot coming off a screen. The Wildcats were all over Hill and ignored Brograkos. Hill passed it to Brograkos, who calmly knocked down the game-winning 3. It was his first 3-point attempt of the year.

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