MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

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EAST LANSING -- Senior center Goran Suton's limited return to practice gives Michigan State hope for the future, just not the near future.

Suton, who missed the last three games due to a sprained left knee and a significant amount of practice before that because of an injury to his right knee, can't possibly get back up to speed in time for Wednesday's game against No.1 North Carolina at Detroit's Ford Field, as far as coach Tom Izzo is concerned.

After a bad loss to Maryland to open up the Old Spice Classic in Orlando last week, the Michigan State players had an emotional team meeting. MLive.com's Steve Grinczel tells Ryan Terpstra on WGHN, the Spartans have lacked a true leader on this relatively young team, and after their 80-62 loss to the Terrapins, Tom Izzo's team may have found one.

"Travis Walton is by far their most vocal leader and I think he finally just took the bull by the horns and asserted himself [after the Maryland game]," says Grinczel. "I think this might have just become Travis Walton's team. It's not the same as being Drew Neitzel's team when Drew was their top scorer or their best player, or the same when it was Mateen Cleaves' team when he was an All-Big Ten player -- Travis Walton probably won't even get an All-Big Ten vote -- but from a leadership standpoint, I think it might have just become his team over this weekend."

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State center Goran Suton's spirit is willing, but he won't play against No. 1 North Carolina if his knee is weak.

The senior center practiced Monday for the first time since spraining his left knee in the early stages of the Nov. 19 game at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne. He didn't participate in any drills where contact could occur.

"Running up and down the court felt the best and I felt pretty good laterally, I really did," Suton said. "It was kind of hard to accelerate and decelerate, and stopping was probably the hardest.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- There's a substantial amount of bowl talk out there about where Michigan State may or may not end up, but not a whole lot being said.

The Spartans played their last regular season game more than a week ago, but it's still just too early.

Certainly, Oregon's victory over Oregon State could eventually impact MSU's bowl travel plans, but as of right now, everything's etched in Jello because the BCS process remains fluid.

AP PhotoMichigan State guard Chris Allen, left, passes the ball off in front of Wichita State forward Aaron Ellis during the first half at the Old Spice Classic tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Sunday.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Michigan State uncovered a variety of unsightly flaws in its fact-finding mission at the Old Spice Classic.

The Spartans had to overcome another poor free-throw performance to beat Wichita State 65-57 on Sunday afternoon at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

In the course of three games in four days, MSU also saw its best shooters struggle to make open shots and how much of a drag junior forward Raymar Morgan can be on the team when he's weighted down by foul trouble and a negative vibes.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Travis Walton has been an accidental scorer throughout his Michigan State basketball career.

In his first 107 games as a Spartan, Walton reached double figures all of nine times. His 12-point performance against BYU was his only foray into double-digit territory last season as a junior.

He's gone 21 scoreless times, including a goose-egg against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne in the second game of this season.

AP PhotoMichigan State guard Brittney Thomas, left, and Notre Dame guard Melissa Lechlitner battle for a loose ball.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame basketball coach Muffet McGraw said the 3-point shot doesn't play a prominent role in the Fighting Irish offense.

Kellie Watson might change her coach's mind.

The former Ionia High School standout and 2008 Michigan Miss Basketball burned Michigan State for a career-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc Saturday afternoon in the Joyce Center, leading the No. 14th-ranked Fighting Irish to a 78-72 victory against the No. 24 Spartans.

AP File PhotoNew York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress (17) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis during an NFL game on Nov. 16.

Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the right thigh and spent the night in the hospital, another dramatic turn in a tumultuous season in which the star New York Giants receiver has been fined and suspended.

The Giants said the shooting happened Friday night and he was released from the hospital early Saturday. The team did not say which hospital Burress went to or how badly he was injured.

However, a team official told The Associated Press that Burress shot himself in a nightclub. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was still trying to sort out all the facts.

AP PhotoMichigan State's Raymar Morgan, center, squeezes his way through the Oklahoma State defense. Morgan didn't start, but led the Spartans with 29 points.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Just when it looked like fifth-ranked Michigan State was in a state of disarray, it regained a measure of self-respect with its first win of the season against a team from a power conference.

Twenty-five hours after their first loss of the season, the Spartans ratcheted up their play in an emphatic 94-79 victory against Oklahoma State on Friday night in second round of the Old Spice Classic.

Michigan State (3-1) will play Wichita State (3-2) for fourth place at 1 p.m. Sunday (ESPNU) in The Milk House at the Disney Sports Complex.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Watch Purdue play basketball and then watch Michigan State. The contrast couldn't be more striking.

The Boilermakers just look like a team that's already got its act together while MSU seems discombobulated.