EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan State started the season ranked No. 2 in the nation. For the Spartans, simply making it to a third straight Final Four wouldn’t be satisfying. It was national championship or bust.
Forward Draymond Green insisted nothing has changed – even though just getting into the NCAA tournament is no lock for Michigan State as the season winds down.
“We’re still saying the same things,” Green said Monday after practice. “We just have to get into the tournament. If we do, we’ll be trouble for somebody.”
Michigan State (16-12, 8-8 Big Ten) finishes the regular season by hosting last-place Iowa on Wednesday night and playing at rival Michigan on Saturday. The Spartans lost to both of those teams earlier this season. If they do so again, the NIT could be in their future.
“I don’t talk about it all the time because there’s enough pressure on them,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “It is something that is important to all of them and it is to me. I don’t ignore it, but I don’t beat on it either. We’re telling them every game is like an NCAA tournament game for us now.”
The Spartans have been to the NCAA tournament 14 straight years.
“It’s a huge week for us,” Green said. “It’s all or nothing. We need to go 2-0.”
Point guard Kalin Lucas didn’t practice Monday, a day after spraining his right ankle, but said it was just a precaution before his final home game.
“I’m not missing senior night,” Lucas said.
The Hawkeyes have won just three conference games, but one of those victories was by 20 points Feb. 2 at home against Michigan State.
“I think that was the worst we played in a couple of years,” Izzo said. “Maybe they had something to do with it and we had a lot to do with it.”
After winning three of four games, Michigan State lost by 20 points to Purdue on Sunday – its worst loss at home since 2003 – and slumping senior Durrell Summers voiced disappointment.
“We tried to fix the ‘D.’ We’ve tried to fix the offense – and energy,” Summers told reporters Sunday. “Maybe it’s something else.”
Izzo said Summers’ comments were relayed to him.
“Maybe I take offense to some of the things I heard,” Izzo said. “Do I blame him? Not at all. He’s frustrated.”
Summers was an NCAA regional MVP last year, helping Michigan State reach its second straight Final Four, and averaged 18.8 points on 55 percent shooting over five games in the NCAA tournament. He is averaging 9.5 points in the Big Ten on 33 percent shooting this season, hurting a team that desperately needs a second scorer to consistently compliment Lucas.
Izzo, though, is trying to take pressure off Summers by accepting responsibility for an underachieving season.
“I’ll take all the blame for the way the season has gone to take it off his shoulders,” Izzo said. “When you’re a star coach, you have to coach to that level.”
Izzo, who won the 2000 national championship and has coached in half of the past dozen Final Fours, turned down a chance to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer in part because he loves the program he has developed.
Former Michigan State greats such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Steve Smith, Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson stay in contact with Izzo and his players. Izzo said none of them has been able to reach his senior class like they had with previous groups.
“This group hasn’t embraced it the same way,” Izzo said. “That’s a coach’s job to make sure that is taken care of. It should fall squarely on my shoulders.”
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