MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 7, 2000

It was kind of ironic in that a tournament filled with upsets, the team that many had favored to win the title before the season came out on top.

Actually, the Spartans’ run to the NCAA Championship started a year ago when they lost to Duke in the national semifinals. That was when theSpartans made a promise to return to the Final Four. And return they did.Michigan State defeated the darlings of recent tournaments, Valparaiso, in the first round. In the second and third rounds, they defeated two teams,Syracuse and Utah, that had been national runners-up in 1996 and 1998.

Then it was victories over two of this year’s biggest surprises, Iowa State and Wisconsin, that advanced the Spartans to the title game.

There, the Spartans faced another surprise team, Florida, one that had survived a first-round scare to become the first No. 5 seed to make it to thechampionship game. Remember, the Gators had come within two missed freethrows and a last-second layup to defeat Butler in the opener.

Michigan State got its 89-76 victory by beating Florida at its own game. TheSpartans shot 59 percent for the game and consistently beat the Florida press. And the Spartans’ bench stepped up, especially when Mateen Cleaveswent down with a high ankle sprain early in the second half and Michigan State holding a six-point lead.

Cleaves, who had come back for his senior year in order to play for a national championship, scored 18 points, 13 in the first half. But he was named theoutstanding player of the tournament for more than his scoring. His teampulled together when he went out and rallied behind him when he came back.

What he brought to the team was more than numbers – it was leadership.

Add one more thing to reasons to like baseball – ESPN’s new commercials for “Baseball Tonight.” The one spoofing “Bull Durham” is especially hilarious. The Saints may already have something going for them before the season even starts – the schedule. The Saints play just four 1999 playoff teams andthree teams who had winning records last season. Two of those, Detroit andSeattle, come in the first three weeks in the season. The stretch run inDecember includes three NFC West teams and a Denver team that will be looking to return to its Super Bowl days. By then, we will see how far theteam has come this year.

Speaking of schedules, you know the 49ers have fallen when they have not been chosen to play in one nationally televised game this season.

Hey, Pedro Martinez, didn’t we see this last year? The field for the Compaq Classic is shapping out to be a very good one what with the likes of Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson and Hal Sutton having already committed.

Finally, congratulations to Dana Berthelot for placing 14th at the girls’ state golf tournament at the LSU Golf Course.

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