Michigan State Basketball Starts off Season with High Expectations and has Eyes set on a Final Four Trip

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 14, 2009 -- Coming off of a final four run and a loss in the national championship game, the Michigan State Spartans are ranked #2 in the nation and are hoping for another successful season. With almost the entire team returning, the Spartans are poised to contend in the Big Ten and go deep into the NCAA tournament.

The Spartans have five of their top six scorers returning to the sideline this year, with the only losses being big men Goran Suton and Marquise Gray, and former captain Travis Walton. The void left by the departure of Suton and Walton will be felt early on, but MSU should be able to replace them with underclassmen. On top of that, the recruiting class of former Michigan Mr. Basketball Derrick Nix, and Garrick Sherman will help out the team immediately. Nix is a center from Detroit Pershing High School in Detroit, Mich. At 6'9" and 275 lbs, he will provide a force down low off the bench. His commitment to Michigan State was a huge win for Spartan coach Tom Izzo, who recently has started to strengthen ties with Detroit high schools. The Detroit area has been predominantly known as a University of Michigan recruiting ground but now more players are opening up their eyes to the Spartans. Sherman is also a center, hailing from Kenton, Ohio. At 6'10" and 220lbs, he has room to get bigger but his talent around the basket will be a help for the Spartans, who lost most of their post presence with the departure of Suton.
With almost the entire team returning and a good recruiting class, Izzo was not afraid to test the team's mettle. The Spartans will play a tough non-conference schedule. With games against Gonzaga, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, MSU will be ready for the grind of the Big Ten conference schedule.

In preparation for next season, the Spartans already have one of the nation's top recruiting classes for 2010, ranked #9 at ESPN.com. MSU will be bringing in guards Keith Appling and Russell Byrd, forward Alex Gauna and center Adreian Payne. Payne ranks 23rd in the ESPNU 100, while Appling is 35th and Byrd No. 56 in the top 100. Guana, while not in the ESPNU 100 is the 16th-ranked center in the country.
Spartan nation is looking for another final four trip. Expectations are running high and the final games are being played close to home. It seems to be a common sentiment around the college that this season is national championship or bust.

Derrick Nix     Final Four     msu     Spartan Basketball     Tom Izzo