Surprise! Morgan key for MSU

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Indianapolis — First it was Kalin Lucas. Then, as a result, Korie Lucious. He was followed by Durrell Summers.

Since the first tip-off of the NCAA Tournament three weeks ago, a variety of Spartans have been thrust into the spotlight. But the end of the road is nigh, which means the inevitable target becomes Raymar Morgan.

The senior forward, playing in his last game as a Spartan this week, steadily has carried the team throughout the past 10 games.

One of five players in school history to record more than 1,500 points (1,593) and 700 rebounds (767), Morgan quietly has moved into 10th place on the all-time scoring list.

“Incredibly successful and, yet, he leaves you wanting more,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said of Morgan. “It’s like a good piece of apple pie your grandma makes — you crave a little bit more all the time. … The guy has been asked to do so many things that it’s almost unfair.”

Morgan’s 15.6 points per game in the past seven games leads the Spartans, who are 18-2 this season when he scores in double figures.

“This team has grown in so many different ways,” Morgan said. “We have so many different scoring options now that it’s just fun being out there.”

Keeping on Korie

Since Lucas’ successful surgery Tuesday, the Spartans are expecting the junior guard to travel to Indianapolis by Saturday to see his teammates.

“When you see him on the sidelines with his crutches and a cast on his foot, it really makes you think to yourself that you need to go out and play every minute,” sophomore forward Delvon Roe said.

For now, the focus of the backcourt will be on Lucious, a sophomore guard who has filled in for Lucas in his absence. In the 100 minutes since the halftime of the Maryland game, Lucious has played 93 minutes, scoring 26 points and adding nine assists and nine steals.

“(Izzo has been) staying on me every day in practice, getting me in the gym, watching more film, throwing more shots up,” Lucious said.

“He’s been there for me, he’s been like a father figure for me away from home.”

Big dog vs. little dawgs?

For years, Izzo has examined the idea of the Spartans being an “elite” or “blueblood” program. On Thursday, a reporter asked him what qualifies such a program and if he considers MSU to be one.

“To me, it’s years of success,” Izzo said. “So if Kansas and Kentucky are 50-75 years of it, I still think you need five or 10 years. I said after 10 years of success, if we could maintain that level then you start moving into that next echelon. I don’t think we’ve earned the right to be in that group yet.”

Many people still refer to Butler as a “mid-major” or “Cinderella” because they come from the Horizon League and don’t play premier teams during their conference slate.

But the Bulldogs finished tied with Villanova for the No. 11 Ratings Percentage Index. The Bulldogs’ “mid-major” persona takes after Gonzaga, which is out of the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga was No. 36.

The Spartans were 28th.

“The gap has closed tremendously,” Izzo said. “They (Butler) are not a mid-major. I’ve played Gonzaga a lot and they are not a mid-major.

“It’s hard to constitute what a mid-major is. Sometimes it’s the size of the school, or the conference they’re in. But if you do it by how they play, you’d never call them that.”

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