For the second year in a row, it was a disappointing run for Michigan State in the NCAA tournament. Sure, they made the Sweet 16, but as head coach Tom Izzo told reporters on Wednesday, much more could be lost, as well.
The Spartans are going to lose senior Derrick Nix, which, a year ago at this time, given the big man's legal troubles, didn't seem like much of a loss. Hell, it was uncertain if the sole senior would even make the team after his arrest for driving while under the influence of marijuana. But after Nix's stunning performances leading up to the NCAA tournament and those in the Big Dance, the loss hits a little closer to home. Alas, thus is the fate of all college seniors and it is well-known and accepted: They move on.
The heart-wrenching stories are those that see talented juniors and other non-seniors forgo their last years with a program to take a shot at the professional level. Sure, coaches and fans alike want to see their players succeed, but at what cost to their teams?
Adreian Payne, the talented junior who helped the Spartans reach the Sweet 16, is currently weighing his options on whether he'd like to return for his senior year with MSU, or give it a go in the 2013 NBA Draft. Tom Izzo, no doubt still reeling from his team's defeat at the hands of Duke in the tourney, wishes that was one of the last things he was hearing right now.
So how did Izzo react when asked by reporters about the situation? He let loose a pseudo-challenge on Payne.
"I'd be staying unless I decided that, 'You know what? I'm not that hard of a worker. I don't really want to work all summer. I had a good year, so let's hit the road,'" Izzo said. "And that's the first thing I told him. If you're thinking that, don't even bother putting your name in. Just declare, and that's it.
"Of course, I know he's going to work because I saw what a year did."
Give up on what you've helped to build and walk away, or stay and fight and try to win it all for the program that helped to shape you... This is the challenge Tom Izzo now presents to one of his star players.
Izzo is no dope. He knows that his players respect him; it's one of his finest attributes as the team leader. Izzo has seen some fine players leave before their time was up at MSU, and some of them, he's supported as they left for greener pastures. But with Payne, Izzo knows there is still much more work to be done over the course of the next year.
"If he makes the same steps he made from his sophomore to his junior year and stays healthy, that kid's got a chance to be hanging his own banner in the building," Izzo said.
"I have no doubt that he has All-American qualities and a lot of good things can happen. I have no doubt that he'll get better, which will improve his draft pick no matter where he goes."
If Payne chooses to depart, it would be a blow to the Michigan State program at a time when they are truly pulling for some good news. Time will tell if Izzo's "challenge" to Payne will be accepted.
You can follow MSU Examiner, Michael Ferro, at twitter.com/MichaelFerro.
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