EAST LANSING, Mich. – Seniors Keith Appling and Adreian Payne are well aware of "The Streak," as it’s called at Michigan State.
It began with the freshmen who came in with Tom Izzo in 1995-96, and will cease if point guard Appling and center Payne don’t lead the Spartans to the Final Four this season.
Every player who has stayed four seasons with Izzo has reached college basketball’s Promised Land.
"We don’t want to be the class that breaks ‘The Streak,’ " Appling said. "No way do we want that."
Michigan State, 27-9 last year with a Sweet 16 loss to Duke, is No. 2 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. The Spartans definitely have what it takes to reach the Final Four, which will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
However, nobody would be picking MSU to get that far had sophomore shooting guard Gary Harris and Payne opted for the NBA Draft. That would’ve made for a rebuilding year, but now the only starter lost was serviceable center Derrick Nix.
Harris said he was projected to be "a lottery pick, early first round," while Payne said he was told "late first round" would be his lot. The decision drained both.
They conferred with parents, high school coaches and Izzo before deciding it was best to stay. Part of it was making sure they were ready for the NBA, but there was the matter of unfinished business and also not wanting to leave the family they’d found in East Lansing.
"I hope that's part of it," Izzo said of the family aspect.
Izzo pointed out that Magic Johnson came back to work out in the summer with the Spartans during his first five seasons in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Draymond Green, a rookie last year with the Golden State Warriors, talks constantly with Izzo’s current players and spent the summer practicing with them.
"This summer when we were in the weight room in August," Izzo said, "(Green) came over and said to me, ‘Coach, I'd die to play with this team.’ From Draymond Green, that was a statement of all statements."
Former stars like Green coming back and wishing they could still play for the Spartans has to make current players think twice about leaving early.
"It’s definitely huge for us because it’s truly a family here," Harris said. "And we all picked (Green’s) brain all summer. He went to the Final Four and did the things we want to do."
Harris, who is coming off painful shoulder injuries and says he’s now "close to 100 percent," decided first. Payne debated the choice much longer, and Izzo believed he was gone at one point.
"And the good news for me is I don't think it's affected either one of them," Izzo said. "I thought it would affect (Payne), if you want the truth."
Izzo said he was concerned for one week after Payne decided to stay, but then Izzo saw Payne rev into high gear for summer workouts and knew he had adjusted.
"(Payne) and I were going through the same things," Harris said. "We’d talk to each other all the time. But once the NBA Draft was over, we got in the gym and went to work."
Harris was MSU’s first Big Ten Freshman of the Year since 1986, and was voted MVP by his teammates while sharing the team’s Best Defensive Player Award with Appling. He averaged 12.9 points, leading the Spartans with 65 three-pointers and 41-percent accuracy from beyond the arc.
Payne led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game and 46 blocked shots, while averaging 10.5 points and actually leading the way with a .848 free throw shooting percentage.
That improved greatly from .486 his freshman season due to improved technique and constant shooting. But it was his stellar play from mid-February through the tournaments that put Payne on the NBA’s doorstep. He had double-digit rebounds in seven of his last 11 games, and averaged 13.3 points in those contests.
Despite having strong seasons, both Harris and Payne can make themselves better pro prospects this season. And Izzo notes that players need to decide whether they want "a cup of coffee or a career" in the NBA, planting the seed for considering further development.
Harris, in explaining his decision to stay, paraphrased Izzo’s comment, saying, "Are you wanting to just get to the NBA or stay in the NBA?"
"I get accused of wanting my players to stay in recruiting," Izzo said of tactics used by other schools. But he stressed that what’s good for his players is good for him because NBA first-round picks are the best recruiting tool.
It’s interesting that Izzo has the same number of first-rounders as Final Four teams: six.
Nobody has more Final Four appearances than Izzo since he started coaching. Rick Pitino and Roy Williams are tied for second with five Final Fours since 1995-96. However, Kentucky coach John Calipari challenged Izzo’s first-round total in one season alone – having four first-rounders in 2012.
While some hang their hat on producing NBA players, Izzo’s recruiting calling card is the Final Four. Though, he’s only won it once, in 2000 with the Mateen Cleaves-Morris Peterson team. Since making it for the first time in 1999, Izzo has been there at least once every four years.
The quest to get there again begins Nov. 8, with the opener at the Breslin Center with McNeese State, and a showdown in Chicago with No. 1 Kentucky on Nov. 12.
"It’s always brought up," Payne said of "The Streak" of classes reaching the Final Four. "It’s something we have to continue to strive forward with by getting better so we can get there."
Appling was asked what it said about Payne and Harris that they chose to return to the team.
"It says that they are very loyal guys who really care about the team and the university," said Appling. "They both could’ve gotten drafted and made millions and millions of dollars. But they chose to come back and help us reach the Final Four."
