CLEVELAND -- Cruising through the first round of the Midwest Regional with the Flintstones ...

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You recognize the names Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell, the trio from Flint, Mich. that led Michigan State to the Final Four last season.

"I definitely think our team reflects their personalities and I've said that since I came here," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "Everybody said I'm the blue-collar person -- and I think I am -- but I also think they're the blue-collar people who don't let their egos get in the way. They respect players. They respect other teams and I think they respect their teammates. I've said it to our writers a million times; it's been amazing how every group that's come in here, they just take them under their wing. They treat him just bad enough to make him know that he's a freshman, but just good enough to make him know he's a Michigan State teammate, and that's perfect for me.

"It's been incredible what those three guys have done. Mateen ... he's the lead man in that. He's the hardest worker and the best player, and it makes it nice for a coach."

Consequently, there are a lot of people out there who believe there's no reason they shouldn't return to that lofty perch again, particularly after they blew out Valparaiso 65-38 Thursday night in a game that was never that close.

"They were the No. 1 rebounding team in the nation coming in, and I was even more impressed seeing them in person," Valparaiso coach Homer Drew said. "It became very alarming to see how good their defense was."

The entire game, they flirted with the NCAA record 32-point scoring differential, if only because Valpo had trouble scoring, as evidenced by its one field goal the first 13-plus minutes of the first half. Although the Spartans never looked particularly sharp offensively, Cleaves removed any doubt over what the Spartans were bound to accomplish by taking over the game defensively.

Cutting off penetration, slapping the ball loose. When the game was stale with an 18-point lead midway through the second half, the All-American point guard stole a pass, was fouled and hit two free throws. Taking a pass on the run after a missed Valpo shot, he pulled up and drained a 3-pointer. Moments later, he slapped another ball loose and took it the length of the floor for a 3-point play.

Any doubts about the rout between top-seeded Michigan State and bottom-feeder Valpo were answered. Ditto regarding the questions about Cleaves' ability to take over a game.

"I really do think our defense got our offense going," Cleaves said. "On offense, we were a tad timid, we weren't taking advantage of certain situations. We did a great job on defense, and once we got our defense going, we got some open shots, the transition game going, so pretty much we did pick up off our defense."

With 15 points and eight assists, Cleaves extended his advantage as the Big Ten's all-time leader in assists and conceded his legs are much fresher than they would have been were it not for the stress fracture in his right foot that caused him to miss 11 weeks of the season and the first 18 games of the season. Now 27-7, the Spartans are younger and better shooters than they were last season. Granted, they are not as experienced as they were last year, but with the Flintstones and a fresh crop of newbies that have everybody excited.

"We're all happy to get out of that that first game because it's as big a game on your mind as it is on anything else," Izzo said. "Early Valparaiso was doing some good thing on defense. They were trapping, they were zoning, they were manning, and did a great job. And we seemed to be rushing some shots, maybe taking too many from the perimeter. The second half we played much better, and moved the ball better. Especially 4-5 minutes into the second half, Mateen took over and made some guys better. And we're just pleased to win a game over a team that played awfully hard and just couldn't find the basket."

That was no accident, it was by design. As each round progresses, the pressure will build, putting a premium on defense.

And so as not to underestimate what it means to have a Mateen Cleaves on the point defensively for ball pressure, well, just ask the last coach who faced him. It isn't often a coach lives to talk about his team shooting 25 percent from the field like Drew had to endure Thursday night with this season's version of Valpo.

"Mateen is the best defensive point guard in the country, and he sets up his teammates better than anybody else I've seen," Drew said. "He is what great players are all about, and it makes his teammates that much better."

Which might be just good enough to take them back to the Final Four ... and their real goal, winning a national championship.

No fear, but no win either

Wednesday, Samford coach Jimmy Tillette joked about how scared his players were when playing St. John's last year in their first NCAA Tournament appearance, tossing up airballs on free throws and the like in a 69-43 embarrassment.

This time around, despite conceding they're not exactly in the top 20 class, his Bulldogs weren't the least bit intimidated by the Syracuse Orangemen and were still looking at a single-digit deficit with less than eight minutes left in the game before conceding a 79-65 decision Thursday afternoon.

Shooting 41.2 percent from the field, they weren't going to beat a team the quality of Syracuse, but that's not what bothered him. It was the Orangemen shooting nearly 55 percent that was the difference.

"We did not make the quality stops when necessary," Tillette said. "They are a very good offensive team and we need to make those success against the zone and we hoped they would play more zone. Defense was our problem today."

Senior forward Reed Rawlings led all scorers with 28 points for the Bulldogs, while the Orangemen had four players in double-figures. Guards Tony Bland and Jason Hart had 17 points apiece, while center Etan Thomas had 16 points and four blocks.

Syracuse is 10-0 this season when shooting 50 percent or better, but more importantly, it was coach Jim Boeheim's 30th NCAA tourney victory, tying him for ninth place overall with legendary coach Adolph Rupp. This also was the 12th time in school history the Orangemen have compiled 25 victories.

"It's flattering, but we've got a lot more to accomplish," Boeheim said. "I have a lot of respect for Samford and the way they played this game. We knew we were in for a battle."

Shots from the perimeter

• Jim Boeheim is 17-3 in first round NCAA Tournament games.
• Thomas' four blocks gave him 419 in his career, which ties Rodney Thomas of St. Joseph's for seventh on the all-time list.
• Samford was 11-of-24 from 3-point range during its loss to Syracuse, a very good .458 for most teams. But the Bulldogs were the best 3-point shooting team in the country at .503.
• Kentucky's NCAA-best record improved to 85-35.
• The double-overtime victory for the Wildcats was the first 2OT game in the NCAA Tournament since 1997. But the Wildcats have been in at least one overtime game for four consecutive years.
• Tayshaun Prince's 28 points in the double-overtime victory is a career-high and a single-season-high for the team.
• St. Bonaventure's Caswell Cyrus had a career-high 18 rebounds in the game, while Kentucky's Saul Smith recorded a best-ever eight assists.
• Argentinean Patricio Prato, whose father was a professional basketball player in Argentina, led St. Bonaventure with 18 points, including a career-high four 3-pointers.
• Utah now has 16 NCAA Tournament wins since 1990, the ninth most in the country, and improved to 32-24 all-time in the tournament, and Majerus is 8-0 in first round games with Utah.
• Saint Louis shot a season-low .409 from the free throw line (9-of-22), while the Utes also were a season-low 9-of-19 (.474).
• Both teams recorded season lows in points this season as well.