Like Magic, Draymond Green leads Michigan State
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Michigan State’s two national title teams had unselfish, charismatic, demanding leaders. Magic Johnson and Mateen Cleaves carried the Spartans to NCAA championships.
And Draymond Green might do it again.
After recording his second career triple-double in an NCAA tournament game, Green will try to move the top-seeded Spartans deeper in the West Regional on Sunday when they play No. 9 seed Saint Louis, a tough-nosed, discipline team that plans to “muck it up” against the Big Ten powerhouse.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says Green, like Johnson and Cleaves before him, is a transcendent player who leads by actions and words. Izzo says Green “can help you win games in a lot of different ways.”
Green, Johnson (2) and Oscar Robertson (4) are the only players with multiple triple-doubles in tourney play.