So that wasn't ideal. After the jubilation that came with Friday's thrilling win over Virginia, Sunday's season-ending loss to UConn proved all the more heartbreaking for Michigan State. With a 10-point lead in the second half, it seemed the Spartans were well on their way back to the Final Four, and Keith Appling and Adreian Payne were going to get a huge weight off their shoulders. Then Shabazz Napier and uncharacteristic mistakes derailed everything.
Still, this MSU team delivered a record-breaking start to the season, a Big Ten tournament title and the program's third Elite Eight appearance in the last six years. Was it the ending we all wanted? Of course not. But the last month of basketball has been a blast, and that shouldn't be forgotten.
I think we all kind of did.
It was great watching you in the Green and White, Gary.
Michigan State offers Bloomfield Hills senior Yante Maten | Detroit News | detroitnews.com
Sounds like Maten was looking forward to that offer.
Encouraging -- and not surprising -- to see Valentine already start to take charge.
Izzo expects to Spartans to be underestimated again | Kansas City Star | kansascity.com
The expectations will be much different, that's for sure.