The Return of Russell Byrd

Who remembers Russell Byrd? You should.

It is hard to forget the majestic shot that Byrd put up last year against Iowa that put the Spartans ahead in a tight game. The former MSU guard transferred from MSU to The Master’s College this past year to finish his senior year.

Byrd will go up against his former team Monday night, as MSU’s men’s basketball team opens exhibition play against The Master’s College at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans look to get off to a strong start this year after receiving a ranking of 18 in the AP poll. The team is in a bit of a transitional period this year after losing Adreian Payne, Keith Appling and Gary Harris.

These exhibition games should be a good barometer for the freshmen class that will be relied upon for valuable bench minutes this season. Two key freshmen to watch are Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn and Marvin Clark Jr. Once the game gets settled, these two should be able to see some of the hardwood.

If you are not a big fan of watching exhibition basketball, you could come out and do the signature bird wave one more time when Russell Byrd steps on the court Monday at 7 p.m.


Nick Carver is a multimedia journalist for Impact Sports

Photo: Jonathan Yales/Impact Sports