Kalin Lucas Is Key to Spartans' Postseason Success

When junior point guard Kalin Lucas went down with a bum ankle in the game against Wisconsin just last week, many Michigan State fans (and even Tom Izzo) held their breath.

After all, Lucas is the cog of the Spartans’ offense. He is the player who carries the team on his back and facilitates the offense to perform as perfectly as possible. If sophomore Draymond Green is considered to be the emotional spark for Izzo’s bunch, Lucas must recognized as 1-A.

Lucas’ leadership may have never been more felt as it was during the primetime game at Illinois last Saturday. Sitting next to Izzo on the bench, Lucas could be seen yelling at his teammates to relax and play up to their abilities. The Spartans lost that game in the closing seconds, but Lucas’ message was still felt.

In the big showdown against Purdue on Tuesday, Lucas said he would not miss as important a game as that. Lucas played hard, wearing his heart on his sleeve and emotionally carrying the team on his back. The Spartans went down big early and then made a run towards the end to get back into it. The comeback fell short, though, and left Spartan fans wondering what was going on.

But as Lucas’ ankle goes, so do the Spartans.

This was most noticeable in the Spartans’ first victory in the last four games, as Lucas started the game and put up a big stat line. He ended the game with 24 points, six assists, and three steals, as well as committing only one turnover. He was the key to the game.

He is also the key to the Spartans’ postseason hopes. If Michigan State wants to return to the national championship game one year later, Lucas needs to be healthy and put up big numbers on a consistent basis. He obviously can not do it all on his own, but he is the guy his teammates and coach look at to make plays when it matters.

While Michigan State has hit a rough patch in conference play, the team is usually always ready to play when it counts—in March. On a personal level, Lucas will be more than ready. The only question is whether his tenacity will translate to victories in the most heated of moments.