Michigan State at a glance
By The Associated Press=
Michigan State
Last season: 27-12, lost in Final Four.
Nickname: Spartans.
Coach: Tom Izzo.
Conference: Big Ten
Key Returners: Senior guard Denzel Valentine averaged 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season, leading the returners in each of those categories. Valentine will be asked to play point guard more than he has in the past. Senior guard Bryn Forbes, a high school teammate of Valentine's, might double last season's scoring average of 8.5 points if preseason practices are any indication.
Who left: Travis Trice and Branden Dawson graduated. Trice averaged 19 points in the last NCAA Tournament after scoring a team-high 15.3 points per game during the regular season. Dawson was easily the team's top rebounder last season and averaged nearly 12 points.
The Skinny: Michigan State is coming off its seventh Final Four under Izzo, and none of the returning players or its hard-driving coach will be satisfied with anything less than a national championship.
