Neither Duke nor Michigan St. putting much credence in their 6-point game earlier this year

Steve Carp

Friday, March 26, 1999 | 10:10 a.m.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If Tom Izzo is looking for an edge, he probably won't find it when he pulls out the Dec. 2 tape of the Michigan State-Duke game.

The Spartans' coach doesn't put much stock in the Blue Devils' 73-67 win at the United Center in Chicago. In his mind, it's a classic case of "that was then, this is now."

"I think they're a much different team than the first time," Izzo said on the eve of the rematch with Duke in the NCAA Final Four semifinals Saturday at Tropicana Field, where the stakes are considerably higher than they were in December.

"Elton Brand didn't play as well against us the first time. I don't know if it was because of us or them. I think Shane Battier is much-improved and Corey Maggette is raising his level a lot.

"We're a lot better than we were then. But they're a lot, lot better."

That's not to say Izzo and his staff haven't looked at the tape. They have. Probably a few dozen times. But the fact is the Big Ten champion Spartans know their task is a formidable one.

Only one team -- Cincinnati -- has managed to knock off the top-ranked, 36-1 Blue Devils. And if 33-4 Michigan State is to extend its season to Monday, it's going to have to match strength with strength.

That means Mateen Cleaves has to not only hold his own against William Avery at the point guard spot, but perhaps dominate, especially defensively.

It means Morris Peterson, the Spartans' leading scorer at 13.5 points a game, has to deliver against Duke when he comes off the bench.

It means Charlie Bell has to reasonably contain Trajan Langdon, the Blue Devils' standout shooting guard.

That's a lot of ifs. But every team that faces Duke faces the same dilemma. So what makes Michigan State a potential candidate to knock off the Dookies?

The Spartans play great team defense. That alone may keep them in the game. Teams average fewer than 60 points against Michigan State. It starts with Cleaves' ability to pressure the ball and Bell's ability to lock people up and challenge the scorers.

"Mateen is my best player, but he's also our hardest worker," Izzo said. He's a guy who comes to practice every night.

"There's no secret that sometimes his shot is missing in action. But the rest of his game, he's been extremely solid here for the three years he's been here. And when he turns up the defense, it seems like the rest of the players react."

Michigan State also is an excellent rebounding team. Many times, a team will get beat because it allows second- and third-chance baskets. Not so with the Spartans, who have nearly 400 more boards than their opponents.

Antonio Smith, the 6-foot-8 senior power forward, is an excellent rebounder and leads MSU with 309 caroms. Andre Hutson, who starts for Peterson, hits the glass hard at both ends. And while Peterson is the team's top scorer, he's also Michigan State's second-leading rebounder with 208.

"They're tough to defend," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They get good shots. And if they miss, they go after it. That makes them very good."

While Izzo downplays the first meeting with Duke, he doesn't discount that his team was very competitive. That should eliminate any fear or intimidation factors. The players know they can play with the Blue Devils and they don't figure to come out tight Saturday.

Michigan State also had to hack its way through a revived Big Ten Conference that sent seven teams to the tournament and still has two alive, Ohio State being the other. The Spartans are a team that will play physical and with confidence.

Duke has plenty of motivation going for it, not only trying to close out this decade as a three-time national champion, but to send Langdon out as a champion and bring the program's comeback from four years ago, when Krzyzewski took a medical leave of absence, full circle.

The team has handled all the hype and pressure flawlessly. The players almost seem to thrive on it. They appear to be on a mission to prove this hasn't been some sort of Duke Fluke.

There's other motivation as well.

Only two teams have won 70 games over a two-year period -- Kentucky in 1947-48 (70-6) and the 1986-87 UNLV teams, which went 70-7. Two more wins, and this Duke squad will have posted the best two-year run in NCAA history -- it is 68-5 headed into Saturday's game.