With so much Michigan State-related breaking news this week, this was the time for Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari to reconvene for a new podcast episode. This week's topics:  NCAA Division I Council votes to allow football, men's basketball and women's basketball to resume voluntary workouts on June 1. Joshua Langford has expressed to Tom Izzo his desire to return to the MSU basketball team after missing the last year and a half with an injury NBA draft talk Curtis Blackwell lawsuit  NFL Draft/UFA roundup with MSU players Football recruiting update Cassius Winston and Pierre Brooks talk

Spartan Speak

Joshua Langford shoots for return to MSU basketball, voluntary workouts coming back for NCAA sports

It's been more than a month since we last convened, so Detroit Free Press sportswriter Chris Solari and Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch have plenty to catch up on.  This week's topics:  Mel Tucker, MSU football land 6 commits: Tyson Watson, Derrick Harmon, Davion Primm, Ethan Boyd, Gabe Nealy and Antoine Booth NFL draft prospects of Kenny Willekes, Joe Bachie, Raequan Williams, Josiah Scott and Brian Lewerke MSU basketball's chances of landing basketball recruits Karim Mane and Pierre Brooks Twitter questions

MSU hoops aims to land Karim Mane and Pierre Brooks, Football recruits, NFL draft

The Spartan Speak podcast practiced social distancing for this week's show, as Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari do their best to avoid coronavirus.  This week's topics: Coronavirus, coronavirus, coronavirus: How it's affecting our lives, the world, the sports world and, later, Michigan State sports and NCAA spring athletes If There Was A 2020 NCAA Tournament: Using the bracket made by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, Phil joins the discussion and we all pick our hypothetical Final Four teams and national champion. Trivia Time! In what most closely resembles a Sporcle quiz, Phil tests out Graham and Chris's knowledge on two MSU basketball-related questions. 

Social distancing, hypothetical Final Four picks, MSU trivia

On this week's Spartan Speak, Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari get ready for the college basketball postseason. Whether they'll be reporting from tournament locations or from home waits to be seen.  This week's topics: MSU wins share of Big Ten title with win over Ohio State, plus Chris Holtmann's comments about Spartan players kissing midcourt during the game A spirited discussion on how the coronavirus is going to affect the Big Ten, NCAA tournaments and how fans can/will cope with teams potentially playing in front of empty stadiums A breakdown of the All-Big Ten picks, and Graham defends his decision not to put Cassius Winston on the second team in his USA TODAY picks Graham and Chris make their picks for every Big Ten tournament game, and select a champion

Coronavirus concerns, MSU wins share of Big Ten, plus conference tournament picks for each game

Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari spent the past week at Maryland and Penn State, witnessing a pair of crucial wins for the Spartans basketball team.  This week's topics: - The importance of the wins over Maryland and Penn State - How the Big Ten regular season and tournaments are shaping up - Picking the best moments from each of MSU's seniors: Cassius Winston, Kyle Ahrens, Joshua Langford and Conner George - Scottie Hazelton hired as MSU football's defensive coordinator - Prediction for Sunday's game vs. Ohio State

Showing an appreciation for Michigan State basketball's seniors

Michigan State's comeback win over No. 17 Iowa on Tuesday night wasn't a dream. That actually happened, and could be a turning point in the Spartans' season. That's just one of the items Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari discuss on this week's podcast. The full list of topics include: -MSU's win over Iowa - Saturday's game vs. Maryland - Predicting the final Big Ten standings - Projecting NCAA Tournament seeds for B1G teams - Mel Tucker's new assistant coaches - Mel Tucker's press conference - Predictions for Maryland game

MSU's win over Iowa might change the course of the season

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari try and catch their breath after a whirlwind two weeks that saw Mark Dantonio resign as the Spartans' football coach and the hiring of Mel Tucker.  This week, Graham and Chris:  - discuss the hiring of Ron Burton, Mike Tressel and Chris Kapilovic as assistant coaches, along with the reported hiring of Jay Johnson as offensive coordinator - Predict what will happen within the next month or so for the football program - Break down the basketball team's 67-60 loss to Maryland on Saturday - Preview and make predictions for Thursday's game at Nebraska

Mel Tucker's coaching hires, MSU hoops loses to Maryland, Nebraska preview

There are no waffling flakes when it comes to the Spartan Speak podcast with Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari and Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch. It's been a busy week in Spartan world, as MSU officially announced its new football coach with the hiring of Mel Tucker, in which news broke in the middle of the night Wednesday morning following the Illinois game.  This week, Graham and Chris: - Discuss everything that's happened this week, from Wednesday morning to Thursday afternoon's release of the contract details - Break down the hoops team's Tuesday night win over Illinois and preview Saturday night's Maryland game.

How Mel Tucker became Michigan State's new football coach

Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari, along with Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and sportswriter Phil Friend, break away from the normal Spartan basketball coverage to tackle Tuesday's stunning news that football coach Mark Dantonio is retiring.  Topics include:  - Reaction to Dantonio's announcement on Twitter (Starting at 3:13) - His legacy - The press conference and the halftime speech - Potential replacements - How Dantonio's announcement affected the beginning of the second signing period - We also find some time to talk about men's basketball team's losses to Wisconsin and Penn State, and preview Saturday's game against Michigan (39:57).

Reaction to Mark Dantonio's retirement as Michigan State's football coach

Each week, Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari react to the biggest news in Spartans sports.  This week's hodgepodge of news includes:  Cassius Winston breaks Mateen Cleaves' Big Ten assist record in MSU's win over Wisconsin (2:06) 4-star PG Jalen Terry, who decommited from MSU in the fall, comments on his reasons for doing so (9:28) Details on Tom Izzo's latest contract, which was signed before the Final Four last year (17:56) Rutgers makes the AP Top 25, plus one voter omits MSU from his poll (20:43) Preview of Indiana and Minnesota games (26:08) MSU football's strength of schedule for 2020 (29:19) Twitter Questions (32:52) Predictions for IU and Minnesota games (42:46)

Jalen Terry's comments, Tom Izzo contract, Indiana and Minnesota preview

Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari, along with host Phil Friend, discuss the latest in Spartan news.  This week's topics:  - MSU basketball's loss to Purdue, Kyle Ahrens injury, what's wrong with Aaron Henry, Wisconsin preview (3:30) - MSU football: Mark Dantonio's $4.3 million retention bonus, staff chances, Cody White declares for the NFL draft, LaDarius Jefferson transfers to Western Michigan and George Perles' legacy (29:44) - Twitter questions (50:10) - Wisconsin predictions (55:45)

What still lingers from MSU's loss to Purdue, Aaron Henry, Mark Dantonio bonus talk

The Spartan Speak podcast is back from the holiday break and ready to wreck some fools ... not unlike what the Michigan State men's basketball team did to Michigan on Sunday afternoon in an 86-69 win at Breslin Center for the fourth straight win over the Wolverines.  Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch, sports reporter Phil Friend and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari's discussion topics include:  MSU's win over Michigan (2:37) A look at the Big Ten picture (20:54) Recapping our picks in the Big Ten bowl games (31:28) MSU football notes, including Josiah Scott, Ed Warinner, Wake Forest QB Jamie Newman and Mark Dantonio leaving his coaching staff intact for 2020 (35:31) Twitter questions (46:21) Predictions for Thursday's Minnesota game (56:13)

Michigan State basketball tops Michigan. Again.

Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch and sportswriter Phil Friend pick out the highlights and newsworthy items from Michigan State's 27-21 victory over Wake Forest on Friday evening in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.  Topics include: - Brian Lewerke's performance - Wide receiver youth movement - Mark Dantonio's future - And more!

Pinstripe Bowl: Post-game reaction to Michigan State's win over Wake Forest

MERRY CHRISTMAS SPARTAN SPEAK FAM! Your eyes and ears are not deceiving you as we have delivered into your stocking a Christmas Day edition of the podcast! This week, Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari, Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and LSJ sportswriter Phil Friend get you ready for the Spartan football team's bowl game against Wake Forest in the Pinstripe Bowl. This week's topics: - Christmas icebreakers - MSU basketball announces that Joshua Langford will not return this season, and potentially ever - Pinstripe Bowl preview - Picking the winners of the Big Ten bowl game - Talking Michigan State hockey with the LSJ's Nate Bott

Pinstripe Bowl preview, Joshua Langford, Big Ten bowl picks

Lansing State Journal sports columnist Graham Couch, sports reporter Phil Friend and Detroit Free Press Michigan State beat writer Chris Solari are in the holiday spirit this week as Christmas nears. Even with the holiday break coming, there's no such thing as a break in sports reporting - or podcasts.  This week's topics: - Has MSU basketball taken a step forward since losing to Duke? (6:52) - MSU football national signing day preview (21:15) - The 6 players from the 2020 class that excites us the most (28:39) - 6 Christmas gifts for MSU Athletics, courtesy of Chris and Graham (42:04) - Twitter questions (52:24) - Northwestern predictions (56:35)

6 players that excite us from the 2020 recruiting class, Christmas gifts for MSU athletics

Weekly discussion from the Lansing State Journal sports staff on Michigan State football/basketball and beyond.

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Spartan Speak

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