NEW YORK — Tom Izzo figured he was in a bit of a no-win situation entering Tuesday night’s game against Duke.

“I was either gonna be the guy who threw the record-breaker to Henry Aaron or I was gonna be the guy who shot Bambi,” Izzo cracked after Michigan State lost to Duke, 74-69, to give Coach K career victory No. 903 at Madison Square Garden.

In the end, Izzo’s players didn’t have enough artillery to kill Bambi.

Coach K survived and advanced past his mentor Bob Knight into first place on the all-time Division 1 wins list. (more…)

Duke.

Kansas.

Kentucky.

Michigan State.

Sounds like enough history and talent to stock a Final Four, doesn’t it?

Yet when these four teams get together Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, it will take place in the inaugural Champions Classic — not the Final Four.

“These are some of the premier programs in all of college basketball, not only currently, but in the history of the sport,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. (more…)

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo scored a major coup Wednesday night by landing Gary Harris, the Rivals No. 3 shooting guard in the Class of 2012.

The 6-foot-6 Harris chose MSU over Kentucky, Indiana and Purdue.

“Me and my family, we just decided tonight,” Harris told ESPN.com. “All the schools had the same thing but it came down to the school I was most comfortable with. The family atmosphere (at Michigan State) was like no other. The way they treat each other and act and get along — it’s a great feeling.”

He said Izzo was a major factor in his decision. (more…)

Gary Harris, the No. 6 shooting guard in the Class of 2012, hasn’t cut his list but says five schools are recruiting him the hardest.

“Haven’t cut any yet,” he said by text.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard out of Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern said Indiana, Michigan State, Louisville, Notre Dame and Purdue are “recruiting me the hardest.”

Still, Harris said Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua has also been in touch “a little bit.”

As for when he may decide, Harris said he he plans to discuss his recruitment with his parents over the summer and has “no timetable” at the moment.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Jim Boeheim just stared at the Carrier Dome court that bears his name. Another game was slipping away from his Syracuse Orange and he was out of answers.

Jeremy Hazell led a long-range Seton Hall barrage with 28 points and the suddenly hot-shooting Pirates stunned No. 9 Syracuse 90-68 on Tuesday night, the Orange’s third straight loss.

“We have not played well the last three games,” Boeheim said. “I think when you lose a couple of games, you lose a little confidence.”

Read the full story at SNY.

**And read about how Jeremy Lamb’s hard work is paying off for UConn, which beat Marquette, 76-68.

**North Carolina and Michigan State are closing in on a deal to play a game on an aircraft carrier on Veterans Day next season. Larry Gallo, a senior associate AD  at North Carolina, said, “We feel as though all systems are go.”

**Michigan State dismissed junior guard Korie Lucious from the team for “conduct detrimental to the program.”

(The AP contributed)

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Austin Rivers will play at Madison Square Garden in his first season at Duke when the Blue Devils face Michigan State Nov. 15, 2011 in the inaugural “Champions Classic.”

“I’m excited, man,” Rivers said by text. “It’s going to be sick.”

Kentucky, which will feature the blockbuster freshmen group of Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer –  will meet Kansas the same night.

ESPN announced the launch next year of the three-year men’s college basketball event featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State – four of the sport’s winningest programs – playing each other from a different neutral site location each year. (more…)

NEW YORK — A dejected Kalin Lucas dressed somberly in the Michigan State locker room early Wednesday morning.

His No. 7 Spartans team had just been dominated by No. 8 Syracuse, 72-58, in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m just very disappointed,” Lucas said. “You’re playing in the Garden, you’re supposed to play hard physically. You’re supposed to give it your all and tonight we didn’t. We didn’t play tough at all. They just manhandled us the whole game pretty much.” (more…)

NEW YORK — Scoop Jardine has known Rick Jackson since the sixth grade, and he can easily remember what Jackson looked like then.

“He was fat,” Jardine recalled with a smile after Jackson matched his season-high with 17 points and 16 rebounds as No. 8 Syracuse routed No. 7 Michigan State, 72-58, in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. “He always could catch, though.”

Click here to read the full story at SNY.

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NEW YORK — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said the offseason offer he received to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers was the “toughest” choice he ever had to make.

“I’ve got to admit, it was the toughest decision I’ve had in my coaching career just because of the opportunity,” Izzo said Friday.

“Not only to be a head coach in the NBA, and a lot of money to be honest with you, but also the thought of being able to maybe coach a LeBron James, one of the greatest players who ever played. So it was tough. I gave it a good look. I have no regrets. I did what I wanted to do and I appreciate that I had the opportunity.”

Izzo made the comments at Howard Garfinkel’s “Clinic to End All Clinics” at Manhattan College, where he was joined by UConn coach Jim Calhoun, Villanova coach Jay Wright, Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer and Boston Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank. (more…)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich knows the lurid details that came to light during the trial of a woman who tried to extort millions from Rick Pitino could affect some people’s perception of the highly successful coach.

Jurich isn’t one of them.

He reiterated his support for Pitino on Thursday after a jury found Karen Cunagin Sypher guilty of three counts of extortion, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of retaliating against a witness. (more…)