Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 24

Lansing State Journal TENNIS DREAM TEAM Stoimenoff is player of year Grand Ledge junior reached state semifinals and had 24-3 record at No. 1 singles. PORTS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2010 Page7B EDITOR: MARK MEYER SPORTSLSJ.COM 377-1073 WWW.LSJ.COM 10B BASKETBALL SIGNING DAY Saginaw standout picks Vols over MSU USC, U-M, California other finalists for Arnett Hill will start for Lions Sunday OB is healthy enough to play against Buffalo Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press DETROIT Shaun Hill is back. Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz announced Wednesday that, barring setbacks, the quarterback will return to the starting lineup Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Starter Matthew Stafford is out indefinitely with a separated shoulder, and Hill has been cleared to return from the fractured left forearm he suffered Oct.

17 against the New York Giants. Hill started five games in Stafford's place when Stafford was out with a sim Denny Schwarze dbschwarzelsj.com SAGINAW Throughout his recruitment, Saginaw High School wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett kept his true feelings close to the vest. But on Wednesday night, he couldn't hide his rmile after putting on a Tennessee hat. Arnett, one of the top prep prospects in Michigan, ended months of speculation and committed to play for the Volunteers, i seemingly putting an end to a long and often perplexing process that left people guessing to the end. Arnett, rated the sixth best senior wide receiver in the country by recruiting web sites Scout.com ilar shoulder injury earlier this year.

"He was in position last week that we i and Rivals.com, chose Arnett Tennessee over Michigan State, Michigan, USC and California. He had offers from 41 programs. Arnett was one of the top remaining recruiting targets for MSU, which Arnett quickly labeled as the runner-up in the race for his commitment. Similar to Flint's Mark Ingram who went to Alabama in 2008 and went on to win last season's Heisman Trophy, the Spartans will watch another highly-touted in-state star leave for the Southeastern Conference. "It was hard, especially with the great season Michigan State is having," Arnett said.

"Coach Dantonio is doing a great job with the players he has, and he's going to continue to do that. It was just hard See Arnett Page 8B DAVID KILKENNEYSpecial to the Detroit Free Press Turning green: Detroit Southeastern's Brandan Kearney (left), a member of Michigan State's incoming 2011 recruiting class, was compared by MSU coach Tom Izzo on Wednesday to former Spartan and NBA great Steve Smith. mm, SpiirteiBis reap tailte Scandals may hurt Newton's Heisman hopes Ralph D. Risso Multiple Final Four trips pay off with lauded 2011 class Joe Rexrode jrexrodelsj.com EAST LANSING Tom Izzo's latest recruiting class is an immediate need filler and a long-term success residual. "I really felt like for the first Associated Press dressed Hill him as our third quarterback where he could hand off, he could do all those different things," Schwartz said.

"Wasn't really in a position to take a hit, but he can play with a cast, and another week will be good for it, and he'll be closing in on (the original four-week timetable). So doctors feel good about that, and Shaun will be ready. Like I said, barring any setbacks." Hill took snaps from a shotgun formation and handed off using his protected left arm during the open portion of practice on Wednesday, while Stafford watched from the sideline. Drew Stanton worked behind Hill, with Stafford watching from the sidelines because of a separated throwing shoulder, his second of the year. Schwartz called speculation that Stafford's latest injury will end his season and might require surgery "irresponsible" but did not definitively rule anything out.

"Here's the deal," he said. "I'm not going to play Marco Polo on commenting and responding to every rumor or every other thing. We keep our evaluations and our things like that in-house, and we don't announce those kind See LlONS Page 8B Sunday's game Detroit at Buffalo p.m. TVRadio: FoxWVFN I Inside: Pennington replaces Henne in Miami, Page 8B time this year, for sure a little bit last year but this year for sure we started to reap the benefits of the Final Fours," said Izzo, who has i I MSU WOMEN The Spartans announced the signing of three players Wednesday for its 2011 class: Jasmine Hines (Central Lake): Hines, a 6-3 center, enters her senior season on pace to become the state's all-time leader in points and rebounds. She was the Class Player of the Year.

Becca Mills (Midland): Mills is a 6-4 forward who averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season. She was first team All-State and hasa4.1GPA. Akyah Taylor (Elkhart, Taylor is a 5-11 forward who was first team All-State as a junior after averaging 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. LOCAL SIGNEES Here are the area athletes who signed letters of intent Wednesday, or will soon sign, to play college basketball: Wednesday Eastern's LaDontae Henton (Dayton) East Lansing's Deborah Hoekstra (Bowling Green) Holt's Mandy Johnson (Western Michigan) Friday Grand Ledge's Maddie Johnston Wisconsin-Parkside) To be determined DeWitt's Dena Droste (Grand Valley State) son opener, is why ESPN recruiting analyst Dave Telep said: "The value of the Michigan State brand is extremely high right now." Four players signed with Michigan State on national signing day Wednesday, meaning Izzo was allowed to talk about them publicly for the first time. All four are perimeter players and they will replenish a roster that will lose three guards from this MSU team Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Mike Ke-bler.

"This class brings a lot of what we're gonna be losing," Izzo said, and it might allow MSU to remain a national title contender next season despite the loss of four-year stars Lucas and Summers. Branden Dawson, a 6-foot-6 wing and consensus national top-20 player, headlines a class that is ranked No. 15 by Rivals.com, No. 17 by ESPN and No. 18 by Scout.com.

Dawson, of Gary, prompted Izzo comparisons to former Spartans Raymar Morgan and Shannon Brown. "This kid is so good, he fits anywhere," Telep said, "but he really fits at Michigan State, a place that's synonymous with rebounding the basketball." Dawson is joined by 6-3 wing Dwaun Anderson (Suttons Bay), See Recruits Page 6B reached two Dawson NEW YORK Cam Newton was on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy until about a week ago. Now the Auburn quarterback is facing allegations that he and his family sought money for him to play at Mississippi State and that he cheated on his school work while a student at Florida. Just two months after Reggie Bush returned his Heisman, voters for college football's most famous player of the year award have more than yards and touchdowns to consider. There is no denying Newton's worthiness as a player.

He has performed spectacularly, transforming No. 2 Auburn into a national championship contender. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound junior is 10th in the nation in rushing (114 yards per game), second in passer rating (182.8) and has accounted for 35 touchdowns. By Dec. 6, about 925 Heisman voters nationwide will be asked to submit a ballot with three players listed.

First-place votes are worth three points, second-place two and third-place one. Most of the voters are media members who cover college football. Previous See Newton Page 8B I INSIDE A quick look atMSU's four-player 2011 class, Page 6B straight and six in 12 years. "I thought we had kids who wanted to come and wanted to come earlier, were excited about us." The members of the 2011 class were in the finger-paintingafternoon naps stage of their schooling when Izzo reached his first Final Four in 1999. That extended stay near the top of the sport, along with a recent surge and a No.

2 ranking heading into Friday's sea- Grant still searching for 1st goal Weekend games I Ohio State at MSU, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday, at Munn Arena TV: Comcast Ch ly we'll find some chemistry and we'll put some pucks in the net. "Once the first one goes in, it'll settle down and I can put some more in." Grant hopes it's this weekend as the No. 16 Spartans (3-2-3, 1-2-1-0 CCHA) face Ohio State (4-5-0, 1-3-0-0) in a CCHA series at 6:30 p.m.

Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday at Munn Arena. Of course, Grant, who has four assists but no power-play points, isn't the only Spartan that hasn't found the scoring touch. 900 on Friday I Radio: WVFN 730-AM, Friday; WJIM1240-AM, Saturday I Inside: CCHA standings, Page 5B Forward among several Spartans yet to find net Neil Koepke nkoepkelsj.com EAST LANSING Michigan State has played eight games this season and eight forwards are still looking for their first goal. Surprisingly, sophomore left wing Derek Grant is one of them.

He's had 23 shots on goal and has come close to scor ing a few times. But not once has the red light blinked behind the opposing goaltender for Grant, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound left wing from Abbotsford, British Columbia. "It's (frustrating), but you just have to work through it and keep shooting," he said. "I try to get out early in practice and work on my shooting. Now I've kind of changed in practice to wanting to score on every shot." As a freshman, Grant had four goals in his first six games and went on to score 12 and chip in 18 assists in 38 games for a solid 30-point season.

Grant doesn't think he's doing anything different from last season. "Sometimes the puck goes in and sometimes not," he said. "It's early, and hopeful KEVIN W. FOWLERFor the Lansing State Journal Goal drought: Sophomore left wing Derek Grant had 12 goals and 30 points as a freshman last season but has yet to score his first See HOCKEY Page 9B goal this year through the Spartans' first eight games..