After 40 minutes against the Michigan State Spartans, the Hoosiers all but eliminated themselves from contention. Tom Izzo’s club led 59-31 at halftime and cruised to a 103-74 win on senior day.

Raymar Morgan led the Spartans (23-6, 11-5 Big Ten) with 20 points and Drew Neitzel and Goran Suton added 17 points each.

Michigan State shot 78 percent from the field in the first half, including 9 of 12 from beyond the three-point line. The Hoosiers (24-5, 13-3), on the other hand, shot just 35 percent in the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, Indiana got within 17 at 75-58 before Michigan State pulled away down the stretch. The Spartans led by 32 at one point.

Eric Gordon’s 22 points paced the Hoosiers and D.J. White posted his 18th double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Armon Bassett added 13 points and Jordan Crawford had 12.

The loss was the 14th straight at the Breslin Center for Indiana.

Minnesota will visit Assembly Hall on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. as the Hoosiers wrap up their home schedule.

Related:

• Box score
• Postgame quotes
• A step or two behind (Indianapolis Star)
• Michigan State beats Indiana 103-74 (AP recap)

This is the last of these little previews that none of you comment on. We’ve been through the Big Ten from top to bottom, from Northwestern to Minnesota, and back. And it’s taken us until the last day of the previews to get to the one elite team outside Indiana in all the conference, Michigan State. How bad is the Big Ten this year?

Anyway, if there is an elite team in the Big Ten, it’s Sparty. (The Hoosiers are probably one rung below just yet, but we’ll get to that later.) Right now, Michigan State is the consensus favorite to win the conference, and with good reason: The Spartans are a well-coached batch of veteran players highlighted by strong, efficient guard play from a senior preseason All-American. Drew Neitzel is the glue that holds Michigan State together, a consummate point guard with the ability to score and distribute. Sophomore forward Raymar Morgan has been more impressive thus far this season, trailing Neitzel in minutes but scoring three more points (17) and grabbing seven rebounds a game. Morgan appears to have turned the corner from “potentially great post player” to “great post player” in the matter of two years; who knows what will happen if he continues to improve.

Michigan State plays a slow, methodical pace, but they do so to their own advantage. Their 67 possessions a game is good for 212th-fastest in the country, accounting for their seemingly apt defensive performance; but the real story is that the Spartans prefer to grind out games in the half court with the ball in Neitzel’s hands. So far, that approach has worked: MSU has quality wins over Texas, BYU, Bradley, and N.C. State, and a narrow loss to No. 2 UCLA.

The Bottom Line: Tom Izzo’s teams usually improve toward the end of the year, but this year, the Spartans already looked primed for a deep March run. That makes them, alongside IU, the prohibitive favorite to win the Big Ten and one of two elite teams in the conference. At the end of the season, we’ll see if the Hoosiers can’t lay sole claim to that two-team race, or if the Spartans will edge them out for the conference crown. Most of you Hoosier fans will say that’s madness, but this isn’t madness … THIS IS SPARTA! RARRRR!!!!

(Egregious 300 quote over … now.)

Read the rest of our Big Ten Preview:

• Ohio State
• Minnesota
• Penn State
• Michigan
• Iowa
• Northwestern
• Purdue
• Illinois
• Wisconsin

Your loyal correspondent PostmanE, ever fascinated with the joy of potential, has a half-cracked theory floating around in his brain. Big A has already politely disagreed with me, but it’s a good sports debate, so let’s hash it out.

See, I think — thanks to the confluence of a weak All-American class and an incredibly deep crop of freshmen — that, perhaps for the first time in history, a team composed entirely of freshmen would beat the preseason All-American team. In fact, I don’t even think it would be close.

Let’s go to the tape:

First Team Preseason All-Americans:
C Roy Hibbert
F Tyler Hansbrough
G Chris Lofton
G Drew Neitzel
G Darren Collison

Honorary, generous sixth man addition: F Brandon Rush

PostmanE’s Mighty Fightin’ Freshmen:
C Kevin Love
F Michael Beasley
G/F O.J. Mayo
G Eric Gordon
G Derrick Rose

Honorary spirit-based sixth man addition: G Adam Ahlfeld

I included Rush simply because the preaseason All-American team doesn’t really do a good enough job, in my opinion, of accounting for position, and if you had those six players and needed to field a starting five, you’d put Rush at forward with nary a blink. (I included Ahlfeld because you can’t put a price on overexuberance.)

But there you have it. Assuming all things are equal — that both teams are organized and coached well* — I take that group of freshmen in a heartbeat. The one mismatch would be Hansbrough on Beasley/Love; I would make Love bang with Hansbrough and have Beasley try subvert Hibbert’s size with athleticism, but that’s still a tough go. The big mismatch, the one that goes in the freshmen’s favor, is the guard play. I love Collison and Neitzel and especially Lofton … but any Rose/Gordon backcourt is not one I’ll pick against any day. Too athletic, too strong, too naturally talented and refined.

So, like I asked, settle a fun argument, ITH-ers. Who do you think wins this one, and why?

*Please, no arguments saying the freshmen would play like the McDonald’s game. Assume that they care, and that they’re coached by some strict taskmaster. Coach K, or something.

Inside the Hall: With D.J White returning and the arrival of Eric Gordon, IU is back in the preseason top 10 for the first time since the 1994-1995 season. Is this team capable of a run to San Antonio and which player, White or Gordon, is the key to getting them there?

Andy Katz: Both. The Hoosiers need balance to make it to San Antonio. They haven’t had those two working parts in concert in years. If the Hoosiers get an all-American season out of White and what should be a one-and-done stellar season out of Gordon then they will have the two most important pieces in place to make a run.

ITH: The preseason media poll penciled in Michigan State as the favorite to win the conference. Are the Spartans the team to beat in the Big Ten and if so, why?

Katz: The reason was experience. The Spartans return more overall experience and have the most important player to his team in the league in Drew Neitzel. Gordon may end up having just as good a statistical season but he’s still a freshman versus a senior. It’s hard to argue that point.

ITH: The self-imposed sanctions announced recently have dominated local headlines and have created chatter regarding Kelvin Sampson’s future at Indiana. Is Sampson’s job on the line and do you feel the NCAA could enforce additional penalties on the program?

Katz: Indiana has made it clear that it isn’t going to fire Sampson. I don’t know what the NCAA is going to do. So, we’ll have to wait and see. If the NCAA adds anymore sanctions then that might change the administration’s stance.

ITH: You wrote on your ESPN.com blog that Rob Senderoff “took one for the team” by stepping down from his assistant coach position. When these sanctions were originally announced, it seemed that Senderoff would keep his job with the understanding that his salary wouldn’t increase and he’d be unable to recruit for a year. What changed between that time and Senderoff’s resignation?

Katz: I’m not sure. I was surprised that Senderoff “voluntarily” resigned two weeks after the sanctions were announced. But it does take time to work out a severance agreement so I wouldn’t be shocked to later learn this was in the works for a few weeks, even as early as when the sanctions were announced.

ITH: You’re plugged in to a national coaching scene like few in sports journalism. Without naming names, how do coaches regard Sampson? Is there an overriding opinion of him?

Katz: I will repeat what I wrote: everyone like Sampson as a person, respects his coaching ability but a number of coaches, including his friends, are disappointed in this latest violation. The first one caused some concern but he was given a pass by most. But the second violation, the one dealing with the same issue, has caused a number of them to question Sampson.

ITH: Large media outlets — especially ESPN — are often criticized for breaking news that ends up incorrect or for claiming to break news that was actually broken by smaller entities. Do you ever hear that criticism and what steps do you take to A) verify your scoops (you have a lot of scoops) and B) make sure that proper credit is given across platforms?

Katz: I’m sorry but I totally disagree with your first point. I can’t speak to reports of news that proved to be incorrect. My policy is simple: I want to be right first, not first and then maybe not right. I usually have at least two to three sources on any major story unless it is the sole person who the story involves. I have been beaten by some stories because I take more of a conservative approach. But I’ve also been right with a longer and more concise story on a few major issues after another outlet put the baseline story out before me but then had incorrect information.

ITH: You’ve been covering college basketball since 1990. You’ve been to Final Fours and have visited many of the most storied arena’s in the country. Where is your favorite place to cover a game and what was, in your opinion, the best game you’ve ever covered?

Katz: Hmmm, I love going to Kansas, Florida, Oregon, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Maryland to name a few. The Palestra is also one of my favorite spots. I would say the Stanford win over Arizona on Nick Robinson’s buzzer beater may be the most exciting game I’ve ever covered.

Michigan State has been selected as the preseason Big Ten favorite for the 2007-08 men’s basketball season, as voted upon by a 22-member media panel. Indiana and defending Big Ten Champion Ohio State are ranked second and third, respectively. In addition, Michigan State guard Drew Neitzel was named the Preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by Illinois’ Shaun Pruitt, Indiana’s D.J. White, Ohio State’s Jamar Butler and Penn State’s Geary Claxton.

The preseason All-Big Ten team that I did over the summer was nearly identical to the one selected by the media. The only difference was that I had Raymar Morgan in place of Pruitt. I also had Neitzel as the player of the year with D.J. a close second.

As far as the order of finish in the conference, you can make a case for Michigan State or Indiana. Everyone else is playing for third.

Steve Grinczel, a Michigan State beat writer, gave us an excellent breakdown of the Spartans a few months back. If, and it’s a big if, Tom Izzo can find consistency in the frontcourt, I would also give the nod to Neitzel and Co. However, considering the options up front are Goran Suton, Marquise Gray, Drew Naymick, Idong Ibok and Tom Herzog, I would say consistency from that group is a longshot. Gray is an effective player when his head is in the game and the rest of the gang is relatively unproven (or not any good) sans Suton.

So, who do you have to win the conference? Player of the year? Surprise team? Coach of the year? Newcomer of the year? Let’s hear your thoughts.

Here’s the rundown on the magazine from the IU perspective:

1. The Hoosiers are picked as the No. 10 team in the country. Michigan St. is No. 9.
2. Michigan St. is the pick to win the Big Ten with the Hoosiers taking second.
3. Eric Gordon is a first team All-American joining Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, D.J. Augustin of Texas, Chase Buddinger of Arizona and Chris Lofton of Tennessee.
4. Gordon and D.J. White are both on the first team All-Big Ten along with Geary Claxton of Penn St., Shaun Pruitt of Illinois and Drew Neitzel of Michigan St.
5. Jamarcus Ellis is the given the nod as the best transfer in the Big Ten.
6. Gordon is the league’s best freshman.
7. White is recognized as the top NBA prospect and top shot blocker in the Big Ten.
8. Kelvin Sampson is called the best interview among Big Ten coaches.
9. Tom Izzo is their pick for the best coach in the Big Ten.
10. And finally, their top five teams nationally: UCLA, Memphis, North Carolina, Kansas and Georgetown.

I agree with most of the predictions here, although calling D.J. the best NBA prospect would seem to be a bit of a stretch. I’d say Mr. Gordon should have that distinction. I think most of us can agree that the Hoosiers and Spartans are the two best teams in the league. And it’s nice to see Jamarcus Ellis get some love. He’ll be a huge addition, no doubt. Is it time to start playing games yet?

Joining Neitzel on the first team are Raymar Morgan of Michigan State, Jamar Butler of Ohio State, Geary Claxton of Penn State and D.J. White from our beloved Hoosiers.

When I first saw Drew Neitzel as a freshman during the 2004-2005 season, it was hard to imagine him as someone with the potential to become an all-league player. Quite frankly, he looked over matched during his first couple of seasons. And then, he got better. A lot better.

Neitzel came into his own last season for the Spartans when coach Tom Izzo needed a go-to-guy. Neitzel was a role player his first two seasons, deferring to the likes of Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis. In fact, Neitzel never had a scoring average in double figures before last season.

As a junior, he led the Spartans in scoring at 18.1 ppg and was an absolute load for opposing defenses. More importantly, he emerged as the leader on a team that won a game in the NCAA Tournament, something that Brown, Ager and Davis were unable to do in their last season together.

Neitzel returns for his senior season in East Lansing with no shortage of accolades. Most publications have him tabbed as a first or second team All-American. He’ll be the centerpiece and the captain of a Michigan State team that is expected to start the season ranked in the top ten.

Expect an encore performance for the Grand Rapids native as the Spartans will battle it out with IU for the conference crown and Neitzel will try to nab the player of the year title over D.J. White.

I’ll continue my conference preview over the next couple of months and break down my predictions for the order of finish in the conference. And if we’re lucky, E and R will chime in with their picks as well.

Within it, Neitzel talks about playing on the road in the Big Ten, namely at Assembly Hall:

It’s a tough conference to play on the road. Every place is unique, and sometimes it depends on what kind of a year a team is having. Illinois is tough. Indiana might be No. 1, though. It’s not just their student section; it’s their whole fan base. They love basketball. The arena [Assembly Hall] is huge. It’s like a theater — it goes up really high on both sides, and the sound seems to echo in there. It feels like the fans are right on top of you, and they get pretty loud.

I haven’t been to a lot of other Big Ten arenas, (only Illinois’ Assembly Hall and Northwestern’s um, high school gym) but I’d have to say Drew’s right: the other Assembly Hall is right up there with IU’s. With the Orange Krush student section literally on the court, the atmosphere can get rather raucous in there. I’d actually give the edge to the Illini on a few different facets, (namely student section and crowd continuity) but IU has more seats which should equate to more sound, no?

Let’s just call this a draw. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Illinois and Indiana fanbases, it’s that they like to agree, right?

Inside the Hall: With Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan returning and a solid incoming freshman class, what are the expectations going to be like this year in East Lansing?

Steve Grinczel: While MSU has had some terrific NBA-caliber talent and experience come through the tunnel in recent seasons, the most the program seemed to generate is a hopeful hum. That said, I expect a buzz that’s been conspicuous by its absence in recent years will be back in 2007-08. To some, the Spartans are building toward a run to the Final Four that will be played in Detroit in 2009. However, Neitzel’s reputation for not being denied preceded him to East Lansing and as a senior he’s down to his final season of eligibility. This is a payoff year for him, and I’m certain he’s expecting nothing less than leading MSU to its first Big Ten title since ‘01 and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Neitzel has the credentials as a scorer and set-up man to justify likely preseason All-America honors. And, the backcourt should be as good as any in the country with point guard Travis Walton establishing himself as a lock-down defender. Morgan showed why he’s considered a special player during his injury-slowed freshman season and should make a big jump with a year under his belt.

Goran Suton and Marquise Gray struggled to find consistency in the frontcourt, but should have ironed out those problems with experience. I look for lanky 7-foot Tom Herzog, who redshirted last season as a freshman, to be the surprise player of the Big Ten. A true postman who likes to play with his back to the basket, his skills and athleticism defy the first impression of being ungainly. Then there’s senior Drew Naymick, whose breakout second-half-of-the-season was critical to the Spartans’ 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

A lack of depth forced Coach Tom Izzo to go against everything he holds near and dear and slow things down last season. With three athletic freshmen coming in, MSU will be back to its withering, up-tempo game. All-in-all, things are falling back into place for the Spartans.

ITH: Tom Izzo is rumored to be a candidate for a vacant coaching position every off-season. Do you see him finishing his coaching career with Michigan State?

Grinczel: I see him finishing only a chapter of his career at MSU in the not-too-distant future. Anybody who knows Izzo knows he’s all about “the experience.” That’s why over the years he’s played games in every hallowed gymnasium — from Cameron Indoor to Rupp Arena to the Smith Center to Allen Fieldhouse to Pauley Pavillion — in the nation. That’s why he jumped at a chance to play at Wisconsin-Green Bay a couple of seasons ago. He took the players on a tour of Lambeau Field, and when it began to snow, almost on cue, those goose bumps weren’t because the Upper Peninsula native was chilled.

Izzo is all about making memories, and he doesn’t exclude himself from that process. If he can make a few more at the collegiate level in the next few years it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he jumps at a chance — that’s right for him and his family — to coach the game at its highest level. And, he clearly enjoys being a talking head when given the opportunity by CBS and ESPN.

ITH: Let’s talk a bit about Drew Neitzel. By my estimation, he’ll be one of the favorites for Big Ten Player of the Year. I’ve been impressed with how much he’s improved over the past few seasons. What’s the biggest reason for his metamorphosis from a role player into an All-Conference star?

Grinczel: First and foremost, he’s an indefatigable gym rat that shoots with either paw – er, hand — at that. And, in keeping with this Noah’s Ark theme, he’s also a bit of a chameleon. He came to MSU as Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, an undeserving one in some views. But with three future NBA players on the team, Izzo didn’t need Neitzel to be a star so he excelled as a role player even though he was the team’s best outside shooter all the while. Last year, when Izzo desperately needed a scorer, Neitzel defied everybody who thought opponents would nullify him with their best defender and double-teams by simply outworking everybody on the floor from start to finish. Simply put, he’s a painstaking student of the game who gains a step with knowledge. And, he’s a much better defender than Izzo ever expected.

ITH: On paper, it looks like an outstanding recruiting class coming in for the Spartans. Tell us a little bit about each player and the impact they’ll have.

Grinczel: Chris Allen (6-3, 190) has continued to turn heads since signing his letter-of-intent. Former Spartan All-American Steve Smith was the latest to be wowed by his advanced all-around game this summer. Kalin Lucas (6-0, 165) is a ready-made college point guard and Durrell Summers (6-5, 195) has the speed and athleticism Izzo loves on the wing.

As a group, they will be expected to come in and contribute minutes right away so Neitzel and Walton won’t evaporate from overuse. Most importantly, all three have high basketball I.Q.s because Izzo is counting on them to assimilate his playbook, which is the size of the Manhattan phone book, rather quickly. Izzo wants to get back to running every chance MSU gets, even after made baskets, and these three jets will make that possible in spite of their youth.

ITH: We realize it’s only August, but give me your top 3 teams in the Big Ten when it’s all said in done next March.

Grinczel: Oh man, I haven’t even figured out Big Ten football yet, but here goes:

1. Michigan State
2. Indiana
3. Wisconsin