Making It Reign: Kalin Lucas Is the Big Ten's Player of the Year

What a makes a player worthy of being named the Big Ten's Player of the Year?

Is it his ability to lead his team in crucial moments?

Is it his leadership?

Is it taking his criticism on the chin and performing up to his standards/expectations?

It's all-of-the-above.

Kalin Lucas has done it again—two consecutive close games, two straight game-winning buckets.

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year is coming into his own, and the Spartans' 8-0 conference record is the proof in the pudding.

Lucas' three-pointer to beat Minnesota (65-64) brought a little more attention to Tom Izzo's top player. His winning bucket with 3.5 seconds to play against in-state rival Michigan (57-56) was the icing on "Too Easy's" cake.

Not only are the Spartans unbeaten through their first eight Big Ten games, it's something that not even Magic Johnson or Mateen Cleaves were able to do—impressive.

The only thing eluding Michigan State's man-of-the-moment is, you guessed it, a national title (Johnson 1979, Cleaves 2000). 

When push-comes-to-shove, Lucas is the man Izzo wants to handle the rock, period.

Putting his fifth-ranked Spartans on his back, Lucas shocked the Wolverines in front of their home crowd to stomp-out any notions they had of knocking off their "little brother"—and he did it with one flick of his wrist.

Not even a kick to the head (Manny Harris) could knock Lucas off his square; he knows it's his time to show Spartan fans that he welcomes the title of "leader."

Perhaps the accidental kick was payback for the elbow Laval Lucas-Perry caught from Lucas earlier in the game, but that's just speculation.

Lucas' leadership and ability were under fire not more than three weeks ago when coach Izzo booted him out of practice for an " indiscretion."

Twenty-one days (or so) later, "Too Easy" is making a strong case that he should yet again be named the Big Ten's Player of the Year.

It may be too early to forecast who should win the league's honor, but if there's a defined front-runner it's the man that wears No. 1 on his jersey and dazzles crowds on a nightly basis.

Swagger, bravado, a "winner's attitude," Lucas has it all. Slice it anyway you want, Lucas was born for these type of moments.

Izzo has known that Lucas was a big-game, attention commanding player; he was just having trouble channeling it in 2010—until now. 

Well, the cat's-out-of-the-bag, everyone else knows what Izzo's known for years, that the best point guard (and player) in the Big Ten plays for him.

Give Lucas the ball and watch him work, he's been successful doing it so far.

Check out more of my Spartan basketball articles:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/331348-michigan-state-stays-unbeaten-in-conference-play-thanks-to-kalin-lucas

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/330419-michigan-state-basketballs-hell-week-feb-2-9-2010

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/329955-izzo-urges-spartans-to-step-it-up-after-lackluster-showing

Or simply go to my archives on my BR profile:

http://bleacherreport.com/users/138313-adam-biggers