Carrier Classic: ’09 National Championship Rematch Reaches New Heights

For the Michigan State basketball team, the tests that the players take in the classroom are probably a breeze compared to the tests Tom Izzo gives them. How’s this for a multiple-choice question? To open your season you will: a)  Face a  #1 ranked UNC squad b)  Face a top-ten Duke team at Madison Square Garden c)   Face a Gonzaga team in a game that has packed much more meaning in the past few years on the ‘Zags’ home court. d)   Face a Florida State team that did maximum damage in the ACC last season e)   All of the above If you guessed E, you’re correct and you probably already know that a heavy-hitting schedule for Tom Izzo’s team isn’t even a surprise anymore. It’s expected. The words “cupcake schedule” don’t fly in East Lansing. But opening on this tough tear may be just the swift kick-start that puts a little hair on the chests of this young remodeled team of Spartans players. But this year, even Tom Izzo has outdone himself. When he made his entrance at Midnight Madness l