Technician Online

November 27th, 2007

An early-season showdown

As N.C. State and Michigan State meet Wednesday night in East Lansing’s Breslin Center, two storied programs will be going against each other. But even more, both teams have the chance to have great seasons this year.

The Spartans, while they rely on a few freshmen, nearly knocked off No. 2 UCLA last week. Granted, the Bruins weren’t at full strength, but the Spartans still didn’t trail until the final minute. Despite the loss, MSU remains No. 10 in this week’s poll and under Tom Izzo surely has a chance to have another special season.

The Pack, on the other hand, has been trying to adjust to the arrival of some talented newcomers, highlighted by instant star J.J. Hickson. While the team has yet to put together 40 minutes of solid basketball consecutively, State still is 4-1 and picked up a nice win against Villanova on Sunday.

The team, with its new players and changing roles for returnees, has at times lacked focus, but a contest against the Spartans should certainly eliminate that problem. That, coupled with MSU’s young guys contributing, could mean the Pack is catching the Spartans at the right time. It might not be enough for a win, but it should be an impressive show.

A win would certainly be a defining moment for Sidney Lowe in only his second season, and it could set the tone for more good things to come. If nothing else, it’s a showcase for a program fighting to get back into the national spotlight.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 10:35 pm and is filed under Michigan State blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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