Spartan Hoopla: Michigan State University's Korie Lucious Shells Maryland

No Kalin Lucas?

No problem.

"Too Easy" has had his share of leg and ankle problems this season, and with two minutes left in the first half of the Spartans' second round matchup with Greivis Vasquez and the Maryland Terrapins, he made an early exit.

State's 5'11" point-man Korie Lucious may have a little something to say when it comes to game-changing play that Lucas has become known for.

Lucious' poised deep ball, which thwarted Gary Williams' Sweet 16 dreams, was nothing short of spectacular.

State slipped by 85-83 thanks to the sophomore (no lane violations here).

Sparty looked to have the game at hand during the first 20 minutes, but Maryland's offense decided to show it's teeth late and made things interesting.

What about the injuries?

Lucas' status for MSU's date with the giant-killers themselves, Northern Iowa, is uncertain. Chris Allen is also hampered—by an arch ailment—but he did clock in for a few minutes Sunday.

Tom Izzo's clan is banged up right now, but you wouldn't know that by watching them play. Somehow, someway, Izzo finds himself shaking hands after games, telling the opposition "good game," and strutting to his locker room a victor.

Someone is going to have to emerge as a prime time scorer for the Spartans to have their current March success become a trend.

Durrell Summers took it upon himself to carry State's offense in the second frame. Summers couldn't miss from three land (six for eight); the rim just seemed to have expanded in the last 20 minutes—which is the reason why he finished with a season high 26 points.

Don't forget about Raymar Morgan either.

Morgan has been possessed in the last three weeks, averaging right around 15 points per game. The senior has done his part to hoist the Spartans into St. Louis' Sweet 16 club. The "Captain" scored 17 on Sunday.

Draymond Green played "Kalin" in Lucas' absence before Lucious pulled a "Too Easy" of his own. He also played Shaquille O'Neal; swatting every shot that came within an arm's length. Green's explosiveness on the boards and in the paint, and his ability to thread the needle were exactly what Izzo expected from his sophomore.

Has Michigan State finally come together?

Is this the time that Izzo's Spartans are going to show their true colors and play up to their ability? It's no secret that Mr. March (Izzo) has a knack for getting his guys into shape come crunch time. With the adversity that his club has faced in 2010, Izzo continues to manage the situation at hand and make do with what he has.

Izzo's young ones, Lucious and Derrick Nix, have posted productive minutes—and that's great news considering that two key starters have been bitten by the injury bug.

Now it's on to St. Louis to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers, who shocked the college basketball world by toppling Kansas 69-67 on Saturday. 

Does the road to Indianapolis look a clearer with the Jayhawks out of the way?

One thing is certain: Michigan State will rack up win after win if it stays tough on the boards. That's not a secret; it's what Izzo has preached for years—it would be safe to assume that the guy knows what he's doing.

Here's a link to my new blog, check it out. Same article as this one, but in the future I will be doing more on the blog.

http://spartyon.fantake.com/2010/03/21/spartan-hoopla-michigan-state-stamps-its-ticket-to-sweet-16-without-kalin-lucas/