Branden Dawson News

The Michigan State Spartans' quest for a 2014 national championship ended the moment that they lost in the 2013 Sweet 16 to the Duke Blue Devils.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is mixing it up on the recruiting trails with his fellow future hall of fame coaches, wedging his way into the battle for the services of the best prospect in the Class of 2014, Jahlil Okafor .

MSU has had 13 players drafted in Tom Izzo's tenure, six of them in the first round.

Tom Izzo and Gary Harris are two reasons why Michigan State will yet again be a team to beat next year Streeter Lecka/Getty Images His presence in the paint will be missed, but thanks to the return of Adreian Payne, the Spartans will have muscle and finesse under the basket to alleviate pressure and compensate for Nix's departure.

Pressure? What pressure? Asked about the expectations for next season that took a sharp turn to the north as soon as Adreian Payne said, "I'm gonna stay," Tom Izzo invoked his friend Jim Leyland.

Adreian Payne played must-see basketball for roughly two months last season. It was enough to propel the 6-foot-10 Michigan State junior from enigma to -- at the least -- late first-round draft pick.

A few hours after Adreian Payne and roommate Branden Dawson got into a Jan. 16 scrap at the Michigan State team hotel that invited police response - and major Internet response - Payne came off the bench for the second half of a victory at Penn State and performed like never before.

For a while, everything was breaking right for Big Ten men's basketball teams who didn't have candidates to leave school early for the 2013 NBA draft.

We're keeping the band together, guys. MSU will enter the 2013-2014 basketball season with 9 of its 10 scholarship players returning while adding a redshirt freshman and two late breaking recruiting commitments to the mix.

Baylor's Isaiah Austin isn't the only big man to decide on Sunday that another year of college basketball is the best move.

Now that Big Ten Conference men's basketball player movement appears complete for the spring, the 2013-2014 league picture is much more clear.