Superman usually wears blue tights and a red cape with a big "S" on it. But in East Lansing, Mich., superman wears green and white shorts and a tank top with the No. 24 on it. The big "S" is still there — but on the court.

If the similarities seem uncanny, it's because they are. Shawn Respert is a superhero at Michigan State.

And this weekend, Respert will take his talent on the road. He and the No. 7 Spartans (16-3, 8-2 Big Ten) invade Happy Valley for a tipoff with Penn State (13-6, 5-5) at noon tomorrow in Rec Hall.

"We beat Penn State on the scoreboard by 20 points, but late in the second half it was a four-point game," Spartan Coach Jud Heathcote said of his 82-62 win two weeks ago. "I know how well they play at home. I have great admiration for Penn State."

But the entire nation probably has admiration for Respert. Despite being an almost-sure lock as a lottery pick in the NBA draft, the fifth-year senior announced last May that he would return for his senior season at Michigan State. And the Spartans have thrived ever since.

As the week began, Respert led the Big Ten in scoring average (26.1), three-point field goals (70), three-point field-goal percentage (.519) and free-throw percentage (.858).

The Detroit native was named the conference player-of-the-week twice this season and just broke Michigan State's scoring record of 2,263 career points on Feb. 4.

"You don't just sit back like you did with Magic Johnson and watch how good he is," Heathcote said. "Respert is the best shooter that we've ever had, and we've had a lot of great guards."

Heathcote will find no argument from Penn State Coach Bruce Parkhill, who knows Respert is good. He also knows there may be no way to stop him.

"He's going to get his points," Parkhill said. "He might be the best player in the nation. You can't count on stopping Respert to beat Michigan State."

Although Parkhill's squad may not be able to stop Respert completely, it can control other aspects of the game -- like rebounding and defense.

The Spartans out-rebounded the Lions 37-24 in their first meeting on Feb. 2, and they tallied 82 points -- the most points the Lions have allowed all season.

Respert scorched the Lions for 23 points in that game, but the real difference was Spartan forward Quinton Brooks. The junior burned the Lions for 24 points and seven rebounds.

"He got easy put backs and easy rebounds for easy buckets, but he just worked hard to get the ball," Lion forward Rahsaan Carlton said. "We just have to play 40 minutes of good, hard basketball."

But that won't be easy. The Lions are trying to rebound from a 67-58 loss at Illinois on Wednesday, where they shot just 38.5 percent from the field after setting a Big Ten team record of 58.3 percent against Iowa on Saturday.

The key for Penn State will be John Amaechi. The senior center has been relatively quiet recently, scoring just 13 points at Illinois.

"I think that's definitely something we have to get back to," Carlton said of getting the ball to Amaechi. "He's our bread and butter -- definitely get the ball inside to him more."

But the game will boil down to whether or not Penn State can stop Michigan State's inside players. The Lions have to shut down Brooks and company in order to pull off the upset.

But according to Heathcote, it will be his guards that win or lose the game for the Spartans.

"It seems each game is an adventure for us at the forward position," he said. "We still rise and fall with our guard play."

And that means the game is in Respert's hands, which could mean bad news for Penn State.