After four straight league titles, MSU starts slow

Michigan State is used to expectations. That's what four consecutive Big Ten regular season titles and three consecutive Final Four appearances will do to a program. Throw in a National Championship in 2000, and the Spartans are supposed to be on top of the Big Ten.\nBefore this season began, they were picked to finish near the top of the conference again. And they expected to be there as well.\n"I think there's a lot less pressure on us this year," sophomore guard Marcus Taylor said in October. "When you're ranked at the top, any mistake you make, people are going to say you aren't as good as they said you are. This year we're kind of in the middle of the Big Ten ranks. We have to go out there and prove ourselves."\nBut while No. 25 IU and Ohio State have ascended to the top of the conference, the Spartans (9-7, 0-3) find themselves winless in three league games going into tonight's contest against Purdue (9-9, 1-3), another team that has underachieved thus far.\nTom Izzo said he was sure that his team, which has yet to win a road game in six tries, shouldn't be expected to win the conference. His words have proven prophetic.\n"We're off to a rough start," Izzo said this week. "This isn't the situation we wanted to be in. We're trying to understand why we're 0-3. The one thing we're doing is finding more ways to lose than win. \n"Young teams do that."\nThe Spartans lost Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson, who were seniors last year, and Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph, both of whom were first-round draft picks last summer after leaving school early.\nThose four players accounted for 51 points and 25 rebounds per game last season, as the Spartans finished 28-5 after losing to Arizona in the national semifinals. \nIzzo makes sure to point out that this year's team is not like last year's or the ones that starred Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson. Those teams won by overpowering opponents and playing tough basketball. Izzo hasn't seen that this year.\n"Right now, when people tell me we're this rough, tough football team, I kind of giggle and laugh because they must be talking about last year's team," Izzo said. "I thought we were definitely overrated (this preseason). We got rated on past performances, not present performance."\nTaylor, Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are the only returning Spartans with significant experience. Taylor missed a loss at Minnesota with back spasms, and Ballinger missed four games with a severely sprained right ankle. The Spartans lost three of those games.\nThose injuries have led to more playing time for freshmen Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill. Izzo said all three got "educated" in the Spartans' 83-65 loss to the Hoosiers last week and that his team as a whole needs to become more physical.\n"I'm disappointed that I don't think we're playing as hard or tough as teams in the past," Izzo said.\nThe Spartans still lead the conference in rebounding and grab nine more rebounds than their opponents, but that margin was at 15 a year ago. Also, they have seen their offensive production slip six points while allowing four more per game this season.\nAlong with No. 11 Illinois and No. 17 Iowa, the Spartans are indicative of the shakeup in the conference standings. Michigan State and Purdue have had at least a share of seven of the last eight conference crowns. So far it looks like things will end differently, and nobody in the conference is too surprised.\n"Shocked wouldn't be a correct term. Surprise would really sum it up," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "I expect the unexpected for the rest of the season."\nMuch like the Illini, the Hawkeyes and the Boilermakers, Izzo and the Spartans will try to get back on track tonight and Saturday. Tonight, Michigan State will be playing in the Breslin Center for the first time since its 53-game home winning streak was snapped by Wisconsin last Saturday.\nFor Izzo, losing is not an option either tonight or Saturday at Penn State.\n"Right now, we're lacking a little mental and physical toughness that we've got to regain and regain it quick or watch this season kind of disappear," he said. "To say it's imperative that we come out with two wins is an understatement"