Last Season: 19–12, NCAA First Round

	It could be a breakout year for Torbert.

He coulda had a starting lineup featuring Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor this season, instead of losing them early to the pros. He coulda won a record-tying fifth straight Big Ten title last season, instead of finishing one game shy. But Tom Izzo refuses to dwell on coulda, not when this year's team has more balance than Tony Hawk. He's got steady senior forwards Adam Ballinger (11.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Al Anagonye (the 6'8", 260-pound rugged embodiment of Spartan ball). He's got ultratalented sophomore guards Chris Hill, Kelvin Torbert and Alan Anderson -- all just itching to break out. He's got another top-notch recruiting class, led by Michigan Mr. Basketball Paul Davis, a 6'11" center from Rochester. Coulda, woulda, shoulda? How about gonna?

One Step Ahead: The Spartan student section -- a.k.a. the Izzone -- is such an imposing sixth man that MSU should fork over a scholarship. Face-painted, banner-wielding, psyche-destroying -- this mob makes playing in the Breslin Center hell for visitors. You don't win 53 straight home games (a streak snapped last January) on talent alone.

One Step Behind: Izzo's offensive scheme requires the perfect conductor -- or it sounds like nails on a blackboard. But having failed to recruit an understudy for Taylor, who unexpectedly bolted as a soph, State must now get by at the 1 with converted SG Hill (11.5 ppg, 2.1 apg) and erratic juco transfer Rashi Johnson.

2002-2003 NCAA PREVIEW
MEN
1. Arizona Wildcats	9. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Kansas Jayhawks	10. UCLA Bruins
3. Oklahoma Sooners	11. Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Pittsburgh Panthers	12. Kentucky Wildcats
5. Florida Gators	13. Virginia Cavaliers
6. Texas Longhorns	14. Michigan State Spartans
7. Duke Blue Devils	15. Xavier Musketeers
8. UConn Huskies	16. Indiana Hoosiers

This article will appear in the November 25 issue of ESPN The Magazine.