Michigan State’s season was supposed to be different.

Preseason polls picked MSU to finish first in the Big Ten. Instead, the Spartans are battling for sixth.

Last year’s point guard, Marcus Taylor, seemed set to spearhead an experienced offense. Instead, Taylor left after his sophomore year, landed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the NBA Draft and was waived 21 days later.

“I think if you picked a year, most people predicted he’d leave after his junior year,” MSU associate head coach Brian Gregory said. “There are the players you lose to the draft. And then, there are the players you can’t recruit because they don’t know who will (declare for the draft).”

When Syracuse (18-4, 9-3 Big East) meets Michigan State (14-10, 6-6 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Breslin Center, it’ll face an opponent that’s failed to lived up to expectations. Taylor’s departure left the Spartans without the Big Ten’s assists leader and third-leading scorer. It also left them with an inexperienced starting lineup.

Like Syracuse, the Spartans start a senior, two sophomores and two freshmen. Unlike SU, the youthful faces in MSU’s starting lineup have changed. While Syracuse has remained whole, injuries have riddled the Spartans.

It began last year, when junior Adam Wolfe’s season ended after he tore his right hamstring. Although he’s played this year, Wolfe has been slowed by the injury.

Then, junior-college transfer Rashi Johnson — a potential replacement for Taylor — suffered a stress fracture in his right foot before MSU’s Dec. 14 matchup with Kentucky and missed nine games.

Soon after, freshman Maurice Ager and sophomore Alan Anderson each missed games while sophomore Kelvin Torbert and freshman Paul Davis sat out practices.

“Our biggest challenge is that we’ve had two practices all year with our full complement of players,” Gregory said.

“Injuries in general have been the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with,” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said. “We’ve had key injuries every week. I think it’s affected our chemistry and our camaraderie.”

Although MSU’s health is improving, Sunday will be no different for the Spartans. A dislocated pinkie finger on his right hand will still hamper Anderson, who played during MSU’s 70-40 loss at Illinois on Tuesday.

The incessant injury problems magnified Taylor’s absence. Rather than use Johnson, Izzo converted a pair of shooting guards — sophomore Chris Hill and Ager — to play the point.

Hill, meanwhile, has switched from the Spartans’ expected sixth man to their top scorer, averaging 13.8 points.

The result — mediocrity. The Spartans currently sit on the NCAA Tournament bubble and need a win over Syracuse to improve their chances.

“This is a big week for Spartan basketball,” Izzo said before Michigan State’s loss at Illinois. “It should be a tournament atmosphere here.”

But while the Spartans admit Sunday’s game is one of the biggest they’ve played this season, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has a different take.

“It’s just another game,” Boeheim said. “Another tough game. We’ll be ready to play. None of this ‘Who needs to beat who?’ matters. It’s irrelevant.”

Still, the contest marks one of the Orangemen’s final chances — along with a March 4 meeting at Notre Dame — to show the NCAA Tournament selection committee they can compete with a quality opponent on the road. Syracuse’s most impressive road win thus far was Jan. 8, a 70-66 win at Seton Hall, which was 5-5 at the time.

Syracuse will face a pair of season-long problems. Michigan State is 11-1 at home, while SU is 3-3 on the road. Michigan State is also the top rebounding team in the Big Ten. Syracuse, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the Big East in rebounding margin during conference games.

“Every team has their ups and downs,” Syracuse center Craig Forth said. “I’ve played with a few guys from Michigan State in the Pete Newell (Big Man) Camp. They’re a talented group of guys up there. If we’re not prepared, we’re going to get crushed.”

Published on February 20, 2003 at 12:00 pm