There aren’t many more likeable players in Michigan State Spartans history than Zach Randolph.

Randolph played 17 seasons in the NBA, spending time with the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings.

Of course, Randolph is most known for his eight-year tenure with the Grizzlies, where he was the driving force behind Memphis’ “Grit and Grind” era.

From a physical standpoint, Randolph was largely unimpressive. He was an undersized center at 6-foot-8, and he had very limited athleticism.

However, he managed to register 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game throughout his NBA career and averaged double-doubles nine times.

So, how was the rather rotund Randolph so great at crashing the glass in spite of his less than stellar athletic abilities?

He explained why during a recent episode of the “Out the Mud” podcast.

“You know what? Really just having a knack for the ball and having that heart,”
Randolph said. “Beating that man to the spot. Really, I’m gonna outmuscle you for this rebound.”

Randolph was one of the best rebounders in the league during his day, topping out at 12.2 points a night during the 2010-11 campaign with the Grizzlies.

“We’re going to battle, and I like contact, so I’m hitting first,” Randolph said. “A lot of guys, they don’t like to hit first, but in the UFC, the guys who hit first always win. And that’s what I did. I had a knack for the ball to get those offensive rebounds.”

The Michigan State product specialized in offensive rebounding, as he logged over four offensive boards per game three times in his NBA tenure.

Randolph spent just one season at East Lansing before declaring for the NBA Draft in 2001. That year, he posted 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 58.7 percent from the floor.

He was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 19th overall pick and earned a pair of All-Star selections throughout his time in the pros, with both of those selections coming in Memphis.

Randolph was never able to advance to an NBA Finals, but there is no doubt that he was one of the game’s best big men during his heyday.

Outside of Magic Johnson and Draymond Green, not many Spartans were more successful NBA players than Z-Bo.

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Defending national champions Penn State welcomed Michigan State to Rec Hall on Friday night for their first Big Ten dual of the season. #1 Penn State moved to 7-0 on the season with a 55-0 win over the Spartans. Check out the article below to see a full recap of the dual.

Final Dual Score – Penn State 55, Michigan State 0

125: #17 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) Tech Fall Nick Corday (Michigan State) – 19-2, 6:08

133: #6 Braeden Davis (Penn State) Tech Fall Andrew Hampton (Michigan State) – 20-5, 5:25

141: #3 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) Maj. Dec. Jaden Crumpler (Michigan State) – 12-3

149: #2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) Fall Clayton Jones (Michigan State) – 2:25

157: #3 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) Fall Braden Stauffenberg (Michigan State) – 3:46

165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) Tech Fall Jay Nivison (Michigan State) – 3:57

174: #2 Levi Haines (Penn State) Fall Ceasar Garza (Michigan State) – 4:13

184: #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) Fall Ryan Boucher (Michigan State) – 5:48

197: #4 Josh Barr (Penn State) Fall Cory Thomas (Michigan State) – 2:44

285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) Fall Max Vanadia (Michigan State) – 0:56

*Dual meet started at 285 pounds

Pins Lead The Way For Penn State

In a remarkable display of dominance, 7 of Penn State’s 10 wrestlers ended their matches by pin on Friday night. Of those 7 pins, Kerkvliet, Barr, and Van Ness all ended their matches in the first period. Beyond the pins, every Nittany Lion wrestler won by bonus points with Luke Lilledahl and Braeden Davis securing tech falls and Beau Bartlett winning with a major decision. Penn State does not have another dual this weekend but will travel to Lincoln next week to take on #6 Nebraska on Friday, January 17th. 

Check out some highlights from Penn State’s win over Michigan State below:

Kerkvliet to start us off with the fall at 0:56!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/ui8cX7JEZp

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) January 11, 2025

No. 2 Shayne Van Ness with the first period fall at 2:25!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/RjsvG1XW3s

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) January 11, 2025

No. 3 Tyler Kasak with the fall at 3:46 to start us off after the half!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/hVzKSYLZ96

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) January 11, 2025

Josh Barr ends us off with another takedown at 2:44!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/3FGlj0Ya0u

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) January 11, 2025

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A dog is safe after being found wandering the streets in Wayne County with a piece of PVC pipe stuck around its neck.

Michigan Humane put out the call for help on social media on Tuesday after they received some photos of the dog and reports that it was seen near the border of Detroit and Dearborn.

The state’s oldest animal welfare group posted an update and some pictures of its own on Thursday, showing the dog in their care and getting the piece of pipe removed.

“Thanks to everyone’s support and tips, we were able to find the stray dog with a PVC pipe on his neck today and bring him into our shelter,” the social media post read. “We successfully removed the pipe from his neck, and he is safe in our care, receiving medical treatment.”

Michigan Humane did not provide any other information on the dog’s health status and did not elaborate on how the pipe may have ended up around the dog’s neck but believe it was put there intentionally. The organization has also announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.

Michigan Humane also thanked the Dearborn Police Department for helping them track down the dog and Carhartt for amplifying its message.