The East Lansing Curse

Wisconsin snapped the Breslin Center curse. Illinois walked all over it. IU is yet to figure it out. \nThe Badgers ended Michigan State's nation-long, 53-game home winning streak in the final seconds Jan. 12. The Spartans won three in a row in East Lansing before the Fighting Illini squeaked out a two-point win Feb. 12. Now, No. 23 IU has the chance to hand Michigan State its third home loss of the season at 1 p.m. Sunday in the often-rugged, never-nice Breslin Center. \nOne problem -- for IU, the curse is still in place. The Hoosiers (18-8, 10-3 Big Ten) haven't won in the Breslin Center since Feb. 28, 1991, a span of eight losses. IU is 2-9 all-time in the Breslin Center since the arena opened in 1989. \n"We know we're going to have to play hard going in there," IU junior forward Jeff Newton said. "We just have to bring our game."\nMichigan State (16-10, 7-6) has battled injuries and a lack of experience this season, leading to the scant home losses to Wisconsin (64-63) and No. 16 Illinois (63-61), but the Spartans pummeled Minnesota last night 74-55 in East Lansing. This win pulls the Spartans into a fourth place tie with Minnesota and Northwestern. \nThe Spartans are battling for an NCAA Tournament berth and a possible top-5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament -- the top five seeds earn first-round byes. \nIU, which sits in sole possession of first place of the Big Ten and has its best crack at a league title since winning it in 1993, has the daunting task of battling both Michigan State and Illinois on their home floors. \nThe Hoosiers are the only Big Ten team with four road wins (tying the school record for road wins since the Big Ten moved to a 16-game schedule in 1997) and haven't won five road games since 1993. IU is 7-3 on the road overall this season, with losses coming at Southern Illinois, No. 19 Ohio State and Minnesota. \nSunday will be the biggest task of the season. Michigan State's famed student section, the "Izzone," leads a rowdy crowd of 14,759 in the Breslin Center. IU has lost its eight games at MSU by an average of 10 points per game and has come within five points only twice. Last season, the Spartans never let IU get too close before winning 66-57. \nSo, what's the secret to winning in East Lansing? \nSeparating fans, players and game plan, Illinois Coach Bill Self said. The evaporation of the winning-streak mystique also doesn't hurt. \n"You have to play well," Self said. "It's a great venue. The atmosphere is terrific."\nAnd it stems from the students, who sit just inches from the floor and create a circle of white shirts and a symphony of screams. Unlike IU's Assembly Hall, alumni and what Michigan State coach Tom Izzo calls the "money people" aren't close to the court, saying "college is still for the students." \nIzzo credits the MSU administration and the Spartans' string of four consecutive Big Ten titles and three straight trips to the Final Four for the enthusiasm. \n"There's some tough places to play in the Big Ten, and thank God ours has been one of them," Izzo said. "There is no question, when you win you don't do it just with a good team. You have to have the home-court advantage. We have one of the best."\nHushing that crowd with a win would help IU in its push for a Big Ten championship. With an Ohio State loss to Purdue Saturday and an IU win Sunday, the Hoosiers would clinch at least a share of the Big Ten crown. IU hasn't won more than 10 league games since the Big Ten implemented the 16-game schedule. Sunday would be No. 11 and win No. 1 in the Breslin Center since Lyndon Jones was IU's team captain and all-time leading scorer Calbert Cheaney was a freshman. \nIU doesn't appear spooked by the Breslin curse. \n"They've lost two games at home, so we can be the third team," said IU coach Mike Davis, who was named Wednesday as one of the 25 finalists for Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year. "It will be a dog fight on Sunday. I hope we can come out on top"