[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 27 (Monday, February 22, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S1740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    100 YEARS OF SPARTAN BASKETBALL

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my alma 
mater, Michigan State University, as their basketball program 
celebrates its centennial season. Over the course of the last century, 
Spartan basketball has been a tremendous source of pride for the 
Michigan State student body and its vast alumni network. A splendid 
representative of the Big Ten conference since 1951, MSU is one of the 
premier college basketball programs in the nation. MSU basketball has 
produced 45 NBA draft picks, among them some of the greatest players in 
the history of the game.
  The many great teams and coaches that have graced the floor of the 
Jenison Field House and Breslin Center should be very proud of the 
tradition of excellence that they have built. The accomplishments of 
Michigan State's basketball program are tremendous: 15 First-Team All-
Americans, seven Big Ten championships, four Big Ten players of the 
year, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, and one National Championship.
  I extend my warmest regards and best wishes to the 1998 National 
Coach of the Year, Tom Izzo, and all current Spartan players. I also 
applaud all past coaches, players, and supporters of Spartan 
Basketball's first one hundred years. I hope the next century is as 
exciting and successful as the first.

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