[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 26 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1656-S1657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF 100 YEARS OF BASKETBALL AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Michigan State University basketball program, which is celebrating 100 
years of excellence this year.
  The MSU fight song begins, ``On the banks of the Red Cedar, Is a 
school that's known to all, Its specialty is winning, And those 
Spartans play good ball. . .'' Any basketball fan who has watched the 
Spartans on the court throughout their history knows just how good they 
have been. Who could forget the wizardry of Lansing, Michigan's own 
Earvin Johnson, who performed ``magic'' every time he stepped onto the 
court? Or the deft shooting touch of Big Ten scoring champion Mike 
Robinson? Or the dapper sensibility of legendary coach Jud Heathcote, 
who coached Michigan State to a national championship in 1979? In all, 
the MSU men's basketball team has won seven Big Ten championships, one 
national title, and has made ten consecutive post-season tournament 
appearances. Forty-five Spartans have been drafted by the National 
Basketball Association, fifteen have been honored as first-team All-
Americans, and four have been Big Ten Player of the Year.
  This year's Spartans basketball team is living up to the standards 
set by the heroes of the past. They are currently in first place in the 
Big Ten and are ranked fourth in the nation. Under the leadership of 
their coach, Iron Mountain, Michigan native Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 
roaring into the post-season ready for the challenges ``March Madness'' 
will bring. Like countless basketball fans nationwide, I am looking 
forward to watching Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and the rest of the 
team add another national championship to the Michigan State trophy 
collection.
  Michigan State's athletes, whether they compete in basketball, 
volleyball, gymnastics, football, or any of MSU's athletic programs, 
also deserve recognition for their outstanding achievements in the 
classroom. More than three hundred of MSU's student athletes had 3.0 
cumulative grade point averages as of the fall semester. One hundred 
seventy-eight were on the

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Dean's List. And thirty-nine had 4.0 grade point averages. Now, thanks 
to the unprecedented generosity of a former Spartan basketball player, 
MSU's student athletes will have access to some of the finest academic 
support facilities in the country. Steve Smith, Michigan State's all-
time leading scorer and current NBA star, recently gave $2.5 million to 
MSU to build the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Center, named for 
Steve's late mother. The Center serves the more than 800 students who 
play varsity sports at Michigan State. Athletes are able to take 
advantage of tutoring and mentoring programs, computer literacy 
training and career development sessions. The Clara Bell Smith Student-
Athlete Center is truly a powerful symbol of Michigan State's 
commitment to the academic success of its athletes.
  Mr. President, Michigan State basketball has brought pride to the 
students and alumni of that great university, as well as to the people 
of Michigan. I know my colleagues will join me in congratulating 
Michigan State's students, alumni and faculty as it celebrates 100 
years of basketball excellence.

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