New Starters Spark Michigan State

Different starters. Same formula for Michigan State.

Aloysius Anagonye, Marcus Taylor and Adam Wolfe--reserves last season who have become starters--each scored 14 points and the No. 15 Spartans defeated Detroit, 80-70, in the preseason NIT on Monday night to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak to 45 games.

The Spartans advanced to the Final Four the past three seasons and won four consecutive Big Ten title thanks to rebounding, defense and balanced scoring. But they lost seven players from last season and 10 the past two.

The country’s top rebounding team the past two years outrebounded the, Titans 43-32, held them to 43.3% shooting and had seven players score eight points or more.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo seems inspired to lead a team with eight recruited scholarship players, including three freshmen and no seniors.

“There’s some personal challenges and excitement to have an opportunity to coach such a young team,” Izzo said. “I don’t want to make excuses for a young team, but we’ve lost a ton and we know it.”

The Spartans advanced to the quarterfinals of the 16-team tournament and will play No. 25 Oklahoma Wednesday at home.

No. 21 Syracuse 78, Manhattan 58--DeShaun Williams scored 22 points and Preston Shumpert added 21 as the Orangemen won in the opening round of the preseason NIT.

Luis Flores led Manhattan with 18 points.

Syracuse will play host to DePaul in a quarterfinal game Wednesday night.

No. 25 Oklahoma 66, Central Connecticut State 44--Hollis Price scored 20 points, including 11 in a row during a big second-half run that pushed the Sooners to a preseason NIT victory over the Blue Devils at Norman, Okla.

Wake Forest 79, North Carolina Wilmington 78--Darius Songaila made a layup with 2.7 seconds left to play as Skip Prosser won his coaching debut with the Demon Deacons at Winston Salem, N.C.

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Michigan Coach Tommy Amaker signed a five-year contract, more than seven months after he was hired from Seton Hall. Amaker will make at least $600,000 annually, including $150,000 in base salary, the school said in a press release.... Fordham Coach Bob Hill underwent minor surgery at Roosevelt Hospital and missed the team’s 70-61 loss to DePaul at Rockford, Ill. Details of the surgery were not released. Hill, a former NBA head coach, was released and is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday....Texas freshman forward Chris Wright is scheduled to undergo reconstructive knee surgery today and is expected to miss the season.