Spartans Lucas Among Finest Freshman

Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Kyle Singler. These are the names of the nation's elite freshman in college basketball. If you talk to Texas head coach Rick Barnes, I think he would advise that one more name be added to that list. Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas, a freshman from Detroit, carved up the Longhorns vaunted pressure defense Saturday night for 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while turning the ball over just once. Lucas' breakthrough performance spearheaded the Spartans 78-72 victory over previously unbeaten Texas, and for much of the game he looked like the best player on the floor.

So much of the hype surrounding this match-up of top-10 teams focused on preseason All-American Drew Neitzel and Texas guard DJ Augustine, an early favorite to win the Wooden Award. Both players had fine games, but it was Lucas who stole the show. Texas ran a box and one, focusing much of its defensive attention to Neitzel, and Lucas made them pay. He entered the game at the 17:34 mark of the first half and immediately hit a jump shot for Michigan State's first field goal. He carried that momentum through the first half, when 11 of his team high 18 points were scored. His most impressive play came during the momentum turning 28-13 run where Lucas converted an acrobatic reverse layup through two Texas defenders.

"The Jet," as Spartans coach Tom Izzo likes to refer to him as, told reporters after the game that he took his match-up with Augustine personally because all week long he had to hear about how great the Texas point guard was. It wasn't hard to notice that Lucas elevated his game to another level, a level that, if he can play at consistently, could help elevate Michigan State to its fifth Final Four in ten years. He would outplay Augustine on this night, scoring at will and stopping his dribble penetration on the defensive end, which is important because he may run into similar match-ups later in the season, like say, in March.

The most important element Lucas brings to Michigan State is his ability to run the offense at a pace that has eluded them since their last Final Four run in 2004-05. With all due respect to Neitzel and Travis Walton, Lucas can find another gear and get into the paint at will, which translates into easier scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Like most freshman, Lucas is bound to hit a wall at some point in his first season. Fortunatly, Michigan State has the depth and ability to overcome that if and when the moment arrives. Because of this, he will have ample opportunities to elevate his game and his team to another level in games that dwarf the significance of a December win over Texas; games played in late-March and maybe, just maybe, early-April.

DTM