Michigan State's program climbing the ranks.

Byline: Michael Rosenberg

AUSTIN, Texas _ Michigan State is no Duke.

And in a twisted, backward, let-me-explain kind of way, I mean that as a compliment.

Compared to Duke, almost everybody falls short. Just being compared with Duke is complimenting enough. Nobody ever said, "Sure, Gardner Webb is a fine program, but it's no Duke."

And a decade ago, nobody would have compared Michigan State with Duke. The fact we do it today is a testament to Tom Izzo.

Since the Izzo era began in 1995, how many programs have outdone the Spartans? Michigan State fans can count them on one hand _ and still have a finger left over to show how they feel about Michigan.

But think back to the pre-Izzo era ...

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