Focusing forward

DETROIT - Unlike what often happens in college football, one ugly loss does not end a team's chances at wining a championship in college basketball.

And that's the way the Michigan State Spartans were looking at things in the aftermath of their humbling 98-63 loss to top-ranked North Carolina on Wednesday night the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Ford Field.

"We've got to pick it up and bounce back. It's still a long season," said sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas. "We are still going to be playing some top teams. (We) got the Big Ten to look forward to. We got plenty to play for. We just have to stay focused."

They probably don't want to focus much on what happened Wednesday night.

After a decent first half, the Spartans fell apart after the break and were left in the dust by talent-laden Tar Heels (8-0).

"I think it's potentially the best team that we have played against over the years," MSU coach Tom Izzo.

The 35-point margin of defeat was the second-worst of Izzo's 14-year tenure, surpassed only by a 36-point loss at Iowa in his first season.

Izzo and his players admitted after the game that fatigue had a lot to do with their performance.

After playing its fourth game in seven days - an NBA-type schedule, and an inspired first half - MSU (4-2) lost its legs in the second half and the Tar Heels took advantage. They opened the half on a 18-4 run and eventually outscored the Spartans, 45-24, in the final 20 minutes.

"We ran out of gas," said senior Marquise Gray. "It is difficult to play this many games back-to-back-to-back in this type of stretch. But we hung in there in the first half and then the second half, we just could not hit any shots."

The Spartans are ready to move on, but they'll have to do it without their best post player for the next few weeks

It was announced prior to Wednesday's game that senior center Goran Suton was expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery Thursday on his injured left knee. He is expected to miss two to four weeks.

Suton was hurt during the IPFW game and has not played since. He missed Wednesday's game, as well as the three games in last weekend's Old Spice Classic tournament.

"You know what? It's going to be easier than the way it's been," Izzo said of knowing Suton will be out. "It has been a constant, 'He might play here. He might play there.' This will be good for all of us. Now we know what we got and what's going on.

"(So far) It's been a nightmare, to be honest with you."

But fortunately for the Spartans, the schedule does ease up over the next couple weeks.

They have three consecutive home games, starting with Bradley at 4 p.m. Sunday (Big Ten Network).

Their next big challenge comes Dec. 20 when they travel to Houston to take on No. 8 Texas.

But for now, it's back to the drawing board.

"We go up. We are Michigan State. We won't drop out heads, not one bit," senior Travis Walton said. "I am the captain of this team and I am not going to let anybody drop their heads.

"We are going to regroup. We are going to get better. Everybody is against us right now. You will see a different team by the end of this year. After Christmas, we will be a different team, that's a guarantee."