For the past four months it seems Matt Trannon only was dreaming about basketball as his team headed to the Final Four.

The junior forward left his football pads behind and worked his way into MSU head coach Tom Izzo's rotation.

But when Trannon went to sleep at night, it was a football he grabbed to tuck in next to him in bed.

"I've been doing it since high school -just something I do," he said.

Although he was mostly on the hardwood during the winter, he constantly checked in with his football coaches and spent his spare time in the weight room.

It was a short break for the two-sport athlete from Flint in preparation for his senior football season.

After playing in the Final Four in St. Louis more than a week ago for the men's basketball team, Trannon returned to spring practice with the football team last Tuesday.

"I'm just trying to get back in the flow of things," Trannon said. "I'm a little sore, but I still remember everything in the offense from last year."

The wide receiver said basketball helped him get quicker and more agile and helped him learn the importance of each practice.

"You gotta keep going," he said. "Make every day a dogfight, you have to get going every day and can't give up on even one play."

Staying in East Lansing

Sophomore quarterback Stephen Reaves said he is staying at MSU after considering transferring at the season's end.

"I feel a lot more comfortable here and starting to get more comfortable with the system," Reaves said. "I just thought it would be too big of a transition to move to a different school."

Reaves, who started two games last season after Drew Stanton hurt his shoulder, said his priorities were in the wrong order as his focus was all football and not enough on academics.

"I kind of slipped a little last year," he said. "I just have to be more responsible off the field."

Heading into spring practice, Reaves was listed No. 4 on the depth chart at quarterback and hardly saw any reps the first week.

But head coach John L. Smith said he's seen an improvement in focus and attitude since and has earned more practice reps.

"He's really making an effort to do what we're asking, so that's the reason he's starting to get more snaps now," Smith said.

Young at tight end

After losing seniors Jason Randall and Eric Knott from last season, the Spartans will be young at the tight end position.

Senior Ryan Woods, at 6-foot-4, 259 pounds, and sophomore Kellen Davis, 6-foot-6, 244 pounds, are both competing for the starting spot. Smith said freshman Craig McGovern also is making progress.

"What we're trying to do with them is say, 'Hey, the heck with it,'" Smith said. "We're gonna toughen you up, and we're going to make you hit people and make you block and gonna get better and become a technician."

Woods said the competition is helping with teamwork.

"It's a friendly competition so we go out there to work together," Woods said.