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Michigan State basketball needs help from bench in NCAA Tournament

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Michigan State basketball needs help from bench in NCAA Tournament


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BUFFALO, NY – Michigan State basketball’s battle cry of “strength in numbers” a year ago led to a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight run.

That depth has somewhat disappeared for Tom Izzo as he prepares to open his 28th straight NCAA tournament. But beyond the Spartans’ core-four captains and freshman starter, Jordan Scott, the key reserves know what they mean to this team as the games wind down and the intensity amplifies.

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“It’s very important,” sophomore guard Kur Teng said Wednesday, March 18. “Kind of our motto here is strength in numbers. So coming off the bench, I want to be able to produce in any way I can.”

The urgency arrives Thursday, when 3-seed MSU (25-7) opens the first round of the East region against 14-seed North Dakota State (27-7). Tipoff at KeyBank Center is 4:05 p.m. (TNT).

While the attention and heavy workload will be on the shoulders of Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper and Scott, the backups behind them with the potential for two win-or-go-home games in three days becomes essential to giving them breaks while also providing production.

“It’s not really about the minutes,” redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch said Wednesday, March 18. “It’s really about having our role and going out there and playing as hard as we can for the amount of that we got and knowing that we can contribute to the game by playing as hard as possible.”

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Teng and freshman forward Cam Ward have been the two most used subs this season for Izzo, particularly as his rotation has shrunk over the past month. But backup point guard Denham Wojcik still gets key, albeit brief, minutes replacing Fears. And both McCulloch and sixth-year senior guard Trey Fort have been called into duty at pivotal moments, be it with foul trouble or inefficiency from the starters.

Izzo said the NCAA Tournament, with longer and more frequent TV timeouts, allows coaches to further shrink their playing groups and give starters more minutes.

“But there’s always foul trouble, and there’s always things like that,” he said Wednesday. “I think your subs are always important. I think it’s hurt us a little bit not having Divine (Ugochukwu), for sure. Last year, our whole battle cry was strength in numbers, and we had numbers and we kept rotating people in there. It’s not been quite the same this year, even though we are utilizing our subs.”

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Ugochukwu, who is out after foot surgery from an early-February injury, went through the public practice Wednesday but is not expected to be able to return during the NCAAs. That has left MSU’s guard situation thin at times behind Fears and Scott.

However, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Teng has come on over his last nine games, averaging 10.2 points and making 43.1% from 3-point range. Teng also has picked up his scrappiness beyond scoring, adding 2.3 rebounds in that span that includes nine offensive boards.

“I think Kur Teng is really playing better,” Izzo said. “And if he’s making shots, that helps us.”

Ward also has gradually shown improvement after a wrist injury suffered in a Thanksgiving Day win over North Carolina hampered the midportion of his first season. The 6-9, 230-pound forward is averaging 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in the past nine games while shooting 58.1% from the field. He also has six blocks and four steals while playing at key times.

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“We’re gonna be playing games with one day in between and playing great teams, high-level minutes,” Ward said Wednesday. “So it’s up to us coming off the bench to have an immediate impact, not really wait until the end of the game like UCLA to have an impact, and have an impact early. We play longer to give these guys a longer time to rest.”

For Ward and McCulloch, giving the Spartans’ big men a break and trying to keep them fresh and not playing 30-plus minutes is their primary mission.

“For me and Jaxon, it’s a lot different between us playing 35 minutes a game and 28 to 30 minutes a game,” Cooper said Wednesday. “I don’t want to have to play 35 minutes a game if I can help it, especially in this tournament where you’re playing a lot of games in a short amount of days.”

Both Kohler and Cooper also know what it is like to be in the position that Ward, Teng and the others are in – coming off the bench in the NCAAs, with Izzo’s intensity soaring and the magnitude of the minutes mounting. They’re also seniors in their final tournament. They want to leave their legacy with both on the court and by helping their understudies toward future postseasons when they’ll be the ones likely logging long minutes.

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“I think it’s really important for me and Coop, especially with Jesse and Cam, to make sure that we kind of explain how this works,” Kohler said Wednesday. “How to manage the emotions that are going on and the way coach can react sometimes. Because when we went through this our first year, it was really nerve-wracking. I mean, it was terrifying at times – we didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“I think what we have to do is make sure that we guide them through that, especially on the court. And the more that we do that – on how to play freely but at the same time with a sense of urgency that if we lose, it can be one-and-done – that’s the thing I feel we can help them with the most. That’s something that we had to learn ourselves growing up in the system.”

Michigan State basketball vs North Dakota State prediction

The Spartans haven’t taken a step back from high-level competition in weeks, so they will welcome having the clear-cut physical advantages to bang with the Bison. The key at KeyBank Center will be MSU defending NDSU’s sharp-shooting lineup to prevent a classic 3/14 upset. The pick: MSU 84, North Dakota State 72.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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 Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple PodcastsSpotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.





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Former border officer from Michigan sentenced for distribution of child pornography

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Former border officer from Michigan sentenced for distribution of child pornography


A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer from Michigan has been sentenced for one count of distribution of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said on Friday.

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A federal judge sentenced Scott Rocky of Center Line, Michigan, on Thursday to six years in prison. Online court records show he pleaded guilty to the charge last November.

According to the criminal complaint, an FBI agent during an investigation in April 2025 used a computer to sign into a peer-to-peer file sharing network called BitTorrent. They identified another computer using a specific Internet Protocol address connected to multiple files that had keywords or hash values related to potential child pornography. 

The agent was able to determine that someone using that computer shared about 530 files with “names consistent with names used for files containing child pornography,” the complaint said. Investigators allegedly learned the IP address of the computer was assigned to Rocky.

According to the court document, the agent found that many of the files appeared “to depict real minor children between the ages of four and ten years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” 

Federal investigators then searched Rocky’s home, the complaint said. They found a desktop computer that had a file name in the German language that described sexual activity involving children.  

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“This sentence should serve as a warning: no badge, title, or position of public trust will shield anyone who exploits our children from facing justice under federal law,” Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a written statement. “Public trust amongst law enforcement officials is essential.”



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Film Study: What 2027 RB Lundon Hampton brings to Michigan Football

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Film Study: What 2027 RB Lundon Hampton brings to Michigan Football


What a recruiting stretch this week has been for Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford.

After snagging a commitment from four-star bell-cow Tyson Robinson this past weekend, Alford nabbed another high-profile tailback in the 2027 class, as Grand Rapids (Mich.) Kenowa Hills star Lundon Hampton announced his pledge to the Wolverines.

Hampton is the fourth in-state commit for Michigan this cycle and the 14th overall member. Michigan beat MSU, Penn State and Iowa for Hampton, who visited Ann Arbor twice this spring, including for the spring game at The Big House. He was offered while on his March trip, and Alford saw Hampton workout during the contact period.

At 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, Hampton is the No. 24 overall athlete in the country and No. 19 recruit in the state of Michigan, according to Rivals.

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Maize n Brew breaks down film from Hampton junior campaign, providing an in-depth look at the potential he brings to the table.

Since the beginning of last month, Maize n Brew has seen Hampton twice. First was in Nashville for Battle 7v7 and later for the spring game. Hampton didn’t compete down south, but both instances provided an opportunity to examine his physical build.

Hampton is every inch and weight that Rivals reports right now. He’s filled out and how he compares to his peers physically is noteworthy, especially those at the positions he plays at the prep level. When examining his Hudl film, athleticism aside, Hampton stands out significantly. The sky is the limit for his body development once he enters Michigan’s strength and conditioning program.

Alford recruited Hampton as a running back because of his ability to evade tacklers in the open field and his explosiveness. On film, arm tackle attempts and dives to Hampton’s lower half never delay his forward progressions when the ball is in his hands. He can break runs to the outside, take proper angles, and has the speed to kick it into another gear to outrun defensive backs.

The way Hampton makes cuts through holes between the hashmarks is also noticeable. It’s similar to the prowess of Robinson, so it’s not difficult to pinpoint why Alford wanted the pair. Although Hampton doesn’t have as many route running and pass catching highlights as Robinson, the former can become a target and make an impact in that aspect.

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Hampton also brings a versatility trait that could get molded well under the guidance of Michigan’s staff, meaning he may not remain at running back in college. Other top programs were eyeing him to play linebacker, cornerback and safety, and his junior tape shows multiple clips of him contributing at all three positions. He also came down to the line of scrimmage as an edge rusher.

His instincts on defense allow him get off the block and record tackles for a loss. While defending the pass, he sticks to the hip of opposing wideouts to breakup balls in the air or record interceptions. Hampton plays on special teams as well for his high school, serving as punt returner.

He does not have verified times reported in the 40-yard or 100-meter dash, so determining that benchmark and where development could transpire to improve that area will be something to monitor. Also, if he commits to running back only, how will he separate himself from the other rostered players? He’ll bring a heated work ethic because of the opportunity to play for the in-state school, which should elevate progress down the road.



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Harmful microplastics were found in Lake Michigan and the Chicago River

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Harmful microplastics were found in Lake Michigan and the Chicago River


A new study on water pollution in Illinois may make you think twice before jumping into the lake this summer.

According to the Environment Illinois Research & Education Center, the recent study found microplastics across all 31 tested sites, including Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. These tiny pieces of litter may pose a potential health risk to humans and marine life, but what does that really mean for Chicagoans? 

What actually are microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters. Studies on the possible links to illnesses, such as cancer, are being conducted by the government and academic researchers. 

What did this study find in Lake Michigan and the Chicago River?

The study found microplastics, microfibers, microfilms and microfragments across the tested sites. These tiny, sometimes invisible to the naked eye, pieces of litter come from single-use plastics, fast-fashion production and stormwater runoff from nearby factories that use plastic pellets (also found in the waters).

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RECOMMENDED: The historic Chicago River Swim is coming back in September

Should I worry?

Not immediately. The presence of plastics and other forms of litter are so widespread that there’s no simple fix. Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill that would require plastics manufacturers to better control runoff stormwater around their factories. The state also introduced a law in 2023 that bans Styrofoam food containers at state buildings. 

Can I still go in the water? 

Yes. Minimizing your contact with the water can, of course, limit the risk of any negative effects, but this study is not a reason to avoid the water completely. That being said, it’s probably wise to avoid submerging yourself in the Chicago River (after all, we all remember the Dave Matthews Band incident of 2004, right?). However, the Chicago River Swim returned last year after nearly a century, which confirms that the water is, technically, safe enough to swim in.

Now what? 

There are a few ways residents can help keep the waters clean. The Environment Illinois Research & Education Center recommends avoiding single-use plastics and fast-fashion trends, and reusing items when possible. The organization has also recommended that the state develop green infrastructure, pass additional producer responsibility laws and halt policies that promote increased manufacture and use of single-use plastics.

Despite these findings, it’s still safe to enjoy a dip in the lake. What’s better than jumping off the concrete beach on a scorching summer day? Just be sure to pick up your trash before you leave.

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