The Magic touch: Guarding the State legacy

When Earvin wants to speak to you - even if you've been touted as the best at your position in the country, even if you're the star player on one of the best teams in the country - you go.

Immediately.

So when Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves received a message during pregame warmups before his team played Michigan on Saturday - "Go see Earvin. Immediately." - Cleaves, a preseason All-American who's struggled in recent weeks, went. Immediately.

The results? Magic.

"I just told him to have fun," said Magic Johnson after Michigan State's 81-67 victory over Michigan..

"He told me to go out there and be Mateen Cleaves," Cleaves said. "I was getting caught up in the accolades and wanted to be perfect. I wasn't having any fun."

On Saturday, in front of Johnson and 14,658 other rowdy State fans at the Breslin Center, Cleaves had the most fun of any game in his career. He was sinking shots from everywhere - inside the 3-point line, outside of it, along the baseline, at the top of the key. He was penetrating and laying the ball up. He was penetrating and dishing it off.

And all along, he had a grin on his face like a kid in a candy store. The net result? Twenty-five points, eight assists, four steals and one technical foul.

The technical foul? Cleaves drove down the right side of the key, faked a pass to his right and rolled the ball into the basket with his left hand as Michigan's Louis Bullock practically dragged him to the floor. So Cleaves leapt off the ground and did a little shimmy, thrusting his shoulders forward and flailing his arms like the fins of a beached whale. The dance wasn't anywhere near as pretty as the basket. The referee wasn't impressed, either, and issued the foul.

"I got caught up in the emotion," Cleaves said. "I was just having fun."

Cleaves' attitude, from the aggressive style of play to the aggressive style of celebration, was contagious. The rest of the Spartans were having fun. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was having from. From his seat in a luxury box, Earvin seemed to be having a pretty good time, too.

The only people who weren't having fun were the Wolverines, particularly their all-senior backcourt of Bullock and Robbie Reid.

After an early air ball from long range - Reid fell for a Breslin faithful prank and rushed the shot as the fans counted down to zero with five seconds left on the shot clock - Reid was timid offensively, often not even looking for the shot. He appeared to be affected by a loud Spartan crowd that was riding him relentlessly. Reid, who averages over 11 shots and seven 3-point attempts per game, took just eight and four, respectively, on Saturday. He finished with just seven points, more than five below his average.

Bullock was anything but the usual Sweet Lou. In the first half, he struggled to get open looks past State's Morris Peterson. At the intermission, he had just one basket on six shots and was 0-for-1 from the charity stripe, uncharacteristically missing the front end of a one-and-one.

Center Pete Vignier continues to improve. His nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals was impressive, one of the better games of his career. But he is tentative when handling the ball, particularly when receiving passes. Twice early in the game, a Robbie Reid pass into the post bounced off of Vignier's hands and out of bounds.

Despite the loss, many positives can be taken out of Saturday's game. The frontcourt had one of its best games to date. If the backcourt and frontcourt can come together, this Michigan basketball team could be a force in the conference.

But first they've got to take Magic's advice: loosen up, be themselves and have fun on the court.

When a legend speaks - even if he's not speaking to you - you should listen.

- Josh Kleinbaum can be reached via e-mail at apocalypse@umich.edu.

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Apocalypse

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