On Saturday night, when second-place Michigan State plays at league-leading Ohio State, the Spartans will face more than an OSU lineup full of NBA prospects.
Last year, Ohio State reconfigured its floor seating to place the student "Buckeye Nut House'' section directly behind the team benches from end line to end line. And those wearing the "We're Nuts" T-shirts have taken to their new surroundings, amping up the noise to new levels.
You might think that opposing coaches would dread that, but not Michigan State's Tom Izzo.
"This might sound insane, but I love that,'' he said Monday. "It's harder. But more and more you get the students down low, that's part of the collegiate atmosphere.''
Michigan State knows a little about ramping up the home-court edge with sassy students. The Spartans moved to 14-0 at home Sunday with a noisy win over archrival Michigan.
"The best programs don't win games just because of their teams,'' Izzo said, citing student and fan impact. "There is a reason why at Kansas, Kentucky or Duke that it's hard to win. So Ohio State doing it is a plus.''
Michigan State has seated its students at courtside since the Breslin Center opened in 1989.
"I take my hat off to our administration for having the courage to do that, and probably losing some money along the way,'' Izzo said. "But, God, it's a great atmosphere.''
Player honors
Players of the week: Northwestern forward John Shurna and Ohio State center Jared Sullinger.
Shurna, a senior from Glen Ellyn, Ill., averaged 26 points and four rebounds in wins over Nebraska and Illinois. Sullinger, a sophomore from Columbus, Ohio, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in a win over Wisconsin.
Freshmen of the week: Iowa forward Aaron White and Northwestern guard Dave Sobolewski.
White, from Strongsville, Ohio, averaged 13 points and eight rebounds in wins over Minnesota and Penn State. Sobolewski, from Naperville, Ill., averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in wins over Nebraska and Illinois.
Stat of the week
Michigan State's Draymond Green, after guaranteeing a win over Michigan, helped make that happen by grabbing as many rebounds himself (16) as Michigan did for the game. MSU outrebounded the Wolverines 40-16.
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