Spartans Host Kentucky In Men's Basketball
12/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#2/2 Michigan State (7-0)vs. Kentucky (3-4)December 16, 20001:00 p.m. ESTEast LansingCBS
Michigan State-Kentucky Game Notes
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Note Of The Game
Thank You Weber State - With Weber State's 79-77 win on Saturday night at Utah, Michigan State now owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 34 games. Over the 34-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 22.8 points. Just four of the 34 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Four More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. 7-0 Start Among Best Ever - In 102 seasons of Michigan State basketball, the Spartans have opened a season with a 7-0 record just seven times. The last time MSU won its first seven games was 1991-92 when the team got off to a 10-0 start, the best in school history. The Spartans won the first nine games in 1916-17, the first eight in 1988-89 and 1984-85 and the first seven in 1957-58 and 1951-52.
2. Taylor Matures At The Point - Although Marcus Taylor is still coming off the Spartan bench, he has shown significant improvement over the last four games. After totaling nine assists and 10 turnovers in the first three games of the season, Taylor has 26 assists and just six turnovers in games against North Carolina, Illinois-Chicago, Florida and Loyola.
3. Offensive Explosion - In just seven games, Michigan State has topped the 90-point mark four times this season, the highest season total for a Tom Izzo-coached squad. The last MSU team to score at least 90 points four times in a season was the 94-95 unit that topped 90 points in six games. Against Loyola, MSU shot 65.2% from the field for the game, the highest percentage under Tom Izzo and the best since shooting 67.6% against Morehead State on December 1, 1992.
4. Winning Streaks - Michigan State owns the nation's longest winning streak at 18 games. The last loss came Feb. 26, 2000, at Indiana, with the Spartans falling to the Hoosiers, 81-79, in overtime. The current winning streak is the second longest in MSU history. The longest winning streak in school history is 22 games, set during the 1998-99 season.
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo is 127-48 (.726), 59-25 (.702) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. Izzo's 120 wins in his first five years tied for him seventh most by a coach in his first five seasons of coaching. In 1999, Izzo was named national coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98. With MSU's 77-71 overtime win over Indiana on Jan. 11, 2000, Izzo became just the fourth Spartan coach to reach the 100-win mark.
Izzo vs. Kentucky - Tom Izzo has a career record of 1-1 against Kentucky, losing to the Wildcats, 60-58, in Lexington last season and defeating UK, 73-66, in the 1999 NCAA Midwest Regional Final.
Izzo vs. the SEC - Tom Izzo is 7-1 in his career against members of the SEC.
Much Too Young To Feel This Old - Although just in his sixth year, Tom Izzo is currently tied for the second-longest coaching tenure in the Big Ten, trailing only Purdue's Gene Keady (21st year). Penn State's Jerry Dunn is also in his sixth year.
MSU vs. Unranked Opponents - Michigan State has won 15-straight games against unranked opponents with the last loss coming at Purdue, 70-67, on Feb. 8, 2000. The Spartans have not lost a home game to an unranked opponent since Dec. 13, 1997, when they fell to Detroit, 68-65, a span of 29-straight wins.
Kentucky Notes
Probable Starting LineupsMichigan State Spartans (7-0) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 245) 12.9 7.7 2.1F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (So., 6-8, 255)6.4 2.9 0.7F - #11 David Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 210) 5.0 4.9 2.4G - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)16.6 5.3 2.4G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 17.3 4.9 5.9
Kentucky Wildcats (3-4) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #42 Jason Parker (Fr., 6-8, 255) 8.3 6.4 1.0F - #21 Tayshaun Prince (Jr., 6-9, 215) 13.1 6.4 3.1C - #24 Marvin Stone (So., 6-10, 248) 8.3 6.3 0.7G - #11 Saul Smith (Sr., 6-2, 175) 10.6 2.7 5.0G - #10 Keith Bogans (So., 6-5, 205) 17.3 5.0 2.0
MSU/UK Stat ComparisonsCategory MSU (NCAA Rank) UKScoring Offense 92.1 (4th) 83.3Scoring Defense 64.1 74.4Scoring Margin +28.0 (4th) +8.9Field Goal Pct. 53.5% (5th) 46.7%Field Goal Pct. Defense 40.3% 40.0%3Pt. FG Pct. 41.6% (t-25th) 31.3%Free Throw Pct. 75.8% 61.5%Rebound Margin +19.6 (1st) +6.7Turnovers per game 15.1 17.4
Scouting Kentucky - Kentucky will bring a 3-4 record to East Lansing, having most recently lost to Georgia Tech, 86-84. Prior to that loss, the Wildcats had won three of their previous four games, including an impressive 93-76 win at North Carolina.
Tubby Tidbits - Orlando "Tubby" Smith is in his fourth season as head coach at Kentucky, having posted an 89-27 (.767) record. Prior to his arrival in Lexington, Smith held head coaching jobs at both Tulsa and Georgia. Now in his 10th season overall, he has a career record of 213-89 (.705).
Tangling With The Wildcats - Kentucky leads the all-time series with Michigan State by an 11-7 advantage. In East Lansing, UK leads the series, 4-3, although the Wildcats have not ventured to Michigan since Dec. 2, 1972, a 75-66 UK win. Kentucky won last year, 60-58, in Lexington (Dec. 23, 1999). MSU's last win was a 73-66 victory in the 1999 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Final. Kentucky has won the last four games in East Lansing, with MSU's last home win coming on Jan. 18, 1938, a 43-38 victory.
Balanced Attacks - Both Michigan State and Kentucky feature balanced offensive attacks with five players per team averaging double figures in points. MSU is led by Charlie Bell at 17.3 points per game and Jason Richardson at 16.6 ppg. Keith Bogans leads the Wildcats at 17.3 ppg, while Tayshaun Prince averages 13.1 points.
Team USA Teammates - MSU's Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph and UK's Tayshaun Prince were teammates on the USA Young Men's National Team that won a silver medal in Brazil last July. Richardson averaged 15.6 points (second best on the team) and 5.2 rebounds (third best) and Randolph averaged 11.6 points (third best) and 6.2 rebounds (second best).
Final Four Regulars - Michigan State and Kentucky have combined for six Final Four appearances in the last eight years. Kentucky appeared in three-straight from 1996-1998 including NCAA Championships in '96 and '98. In fact, MSU's 1999 victory over UK kept the Wildcats from a fourth-straight Final Four.
Looking Ahead - Seton Hall
Saluting Jimmy V - After taking a week off before playing Kentucky, MSU will turn around on Tuesday in what should be its most difficult road trip of the non-conference season as it faces Seton Hall in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Seton Hall is currently 6-1, with its only loss coming at Illinois in overtime last Saturday. The Pirates feature one of the top freshman classes in the nation, led by Eddie Griffin who is averaging 21.8 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.5 blocks.
More On MSU Basketball
Second Chances - Through seven games, Michigan State owns an impressive 112-58 advantage on the offensive glass. The Spartans are making the most of these rebounds, having outscored their opponents, 124-61, in second chance points. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (112) as its opponents have defensive boards (119).
Stat Sheet Stuffer - Charlie Bell continues to contribute to the team's success in a variety of ways. He ranks among the leaders in the Big Ten in scoring (4th, 17.3 ppg), assists (2nd, 5.86 apg), field-goal percentage (6th, .584), three-point field-goal percentage (5th, .538) and assists-to-turnover ratio (7th, 2.16). In addition, he is averaging 4.9 rebounds, fourth-best on the Spartans. In the season opener against Oakland, Bell joined Earvin Johnson as the only two Spartans to record a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. (Big Ten statistics through games of Dec. 14.)
Production Off The Pine - With nine players averaging over 10 minutes per game, Michigan State is one of the deepest teams in the nation. Not only are the Spartan subs logging minutes, they are also very productive. Through seven contests, players off the bench are averaging 34.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per game.
A Floor Fit For A Champion - The Spartans' current basketball court is the floor used at the 2000 Final Four. As the NCAA Champion, Michigan State purchased the floor for $75,000. It was placed in Breslin with the Final Four paint job on Sept. 23 for a National Championship celebration. It was then shipped to Dollar Bay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the same place it was built, for a new paint job. It was reinstalled in Breslin last week in time for the Coca-Cola Classic.
Scoring Well At The Bres - Michigan State's offense is usually hitting on all cylinders when playing in front of the home crowd. In the last seven games at the Breslin Center, including the 1999-2000 home finale, the Spartans have turned in four of their top-five offensive efforts under Tom Izzo (114 vs. Michigan 3/4/00, 99 vs. Florida 12/6/00, 97 vs. UIC 12/2/00, 97 vs. Oakland 11/19/00). In those seven games the Spartans are averaging 93.7 points.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,143 points, 503 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,042 points, 645 rebounds) reached the milestone against North Carolina when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
1,000, 500, 200 - Six rebounds also gave Charlie Bell admission into a more exclusive club. He became just the fourth Spartan to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists for his career. Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga and Ken Redfield are the three previous players to reach the mark. For his career, Bell has 1,143 points, 503 rebounds and 243 assists.
High Flying J-Rich - Everyone has heard the stories of Jason Richardson's dunks. He's on Dick Vitale's All-Dipsy-doo Dunk-a-roos Team and leads MSU with nine dunks, but there is much more to his game. He is second on the team in offensive rebounds (16) which contributes to his second-best 16.6 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 59.5% from the field, including 47.8% from three-point range.
Magic Company - Charlie Bell made a strong statement in the season opener, becoming just the second player in Michigan State history to record a triple-double. His 13-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist effort gave MSU its first triple-double since March 24, 1979, when Earvin Johnson recorded a triple-double against Pennsylvania in the NCAA Tournament. In his career, Johnson had eight triple-doubles. Prior to the Oakland game, Bell had never even recorded a double-double. For his efforts, Bell was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week.
Defensive Stopper - While Bell's triple-double got most of the publicity after the Oakland contest, his defensive effort was equally impressive. He held Oakland's Jason Rozycki, who scored 32 against Michigan on Friday, to three points in 32 minutes. "I would almost call it a quadruple-double because I really think the defense he played might have been what won the game," said Tom Izzo. "If there's a better defensive guard, I want to see him." ESPN's Dick Vitale has called Bell the best defensive guard on the perimeter in the nation.
Charlie Bell Getting Defensive - Look for Charlie Bell to regularly defend the opponent's top scorer. Also look for Bell to regularly hold the opposition's leading scorer under his normal scoring average. The chart below demonstrates Bell's defensive prowess, showing the opponent's points in the game before playing Bell, points in the game being guarded by Bell and points the game after playing Bell. It's important to note that MSU's defensive system employs a lot of switching.
Bell's Defense Against Loyola - Bell opened the Loyola contest matched up against Terry Grant. At the half, Bell switched onto David Bailey, who scored 16 first-half points. Bailey scored only nine points in the second half on 3-5 shooting.
The 70-Point Barrier - Through seven games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game, while holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points in all but two games. Last season, MSU posted a 22-2 record when scoring more than 70 points. This has also led to some happy Spartan fans who receive a free crunchy taco if MSU scores 75 points or more, courtesy of a promotion on the ticket stubs.
Reaching A Milestone - Andre Hutson became the 30th player in Michigan State history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for his career with 14 points against North Carolina. Hutson (1,042 career points) needs 13 points to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 points) and become MSU's 28th-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,143, good for 23rd place. With four more points, Bell can become MSU's 22nd-leading all-time scorer, passing Pete Gent (1,146 points)
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 48 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 41-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-two ranking in the current AP poll. (Does not include Dec. 11 poll.)
In Case You Missed The Trip To Indy Last March - MSU plays host to the other three teams from the 2000 Final Four (Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin) in East Lansing this season. This is the first time in history that a defending NCAA Champion has played the other three Final Four participants at home the following year. The always tough schedule also includes non-conference contests at home against Kentucky and in East Rutherford, N.J., against Seton Hall. Nine of the Spartans' 2000-01 opponents made an appearance in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. In the 1989-90 season, Michigan played the other three teams from the 1989 Final Four but did not play each team in Ann Arbor.
Thirty-Something x 2 - Michigan State is the only school in the nation to record 30 or more victories in each of the past two seasons, posting a 33-5 mark in 1998-99 and 32-7 record in 1999-2000.
Thirty Something x 2 (Take Two) - MSU is just the second school in Big Ten history to record 30 or more wins in consecutive seasons. Indiana did it in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The 65 Spartan wins over the past two years are the most ever by a Big Ten school in a two-year period.
Missing Parts - Michigan State is without three starters from the 2000 NCAA Championship team. The trio of Mateen Cleaves, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson accounted for 46 percent (1342) of the points, 32 percent (486) of the rebounds and 46 percent (276) of the assists in 1999-2000.
The Champs! Round Four - Michigan State was tabbed as the preseason favorite by the league's coaches at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. Should the Spartans capture the conference crown, they will become just the fourth team to win four-consecutive Big Ten titles, joining Chicago (1907-10), Ohio State (1960-64) and Indiana (1973-76). The league's media selected Illinois to win the league with MSU picked to finish second.
It's All About Boardwork - In the 1999-2000 season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +11.7 rebounds per game. If early games are any indication, the Spartans are at it again in 2000-01, posting a rebound margin of +19.6 through seven contests.
Proving The Old Saying True - Rebounding and defense really do win championships. Just ask the Spartans. During Coach Izzo's tenure, they have regularly been ranked among the nation's leaders in both categories, including the 1999-2000 season when they led the country in rebounding margin at +11.7, two full rebounds ahead of second-place Stanford, and ranked eighth in scoring defense at 58.9 ppg.
Streak Busters - With a 72-68 win over the Harlem Globetrotters on Nov. 13, the Spartans snapped the Globetrotters' 1,270-game winning streak. The Trotters had not lost since 1995 and had not dropped a game to a college squad since 1962 when they lost 101-89 to a group of college all-stars.
For Openers - Michigan State opened its 102nd season of basketball with a 97-61 win over Oakland, marking the 24th-straight season in which MSU has opened with a win. MSU is 81-21 all-time in openers. Tom Izzo has won his six season openers by an average of 29.3 points. The win also marked the 24th-straight home opener for the Spartans, who improved to 84-18 in home openers and 70-11 in season openers at home.
The Past Is Too Good To Ignore - While past success does not guarantee future championships, some stats from the past four years (including the 2000-01 season) are worth repeating, including MSU's record in Big Ten action, 41-7, in the Breslin Center, 46-3, in postseason play, 18-3, in the NCAA Tournament, 12-2.
MSU Rebounds vs. Opponent Points - Against Illinois-Chicago, the Spartans had more rebounds (54) than the Flames had points (53). Last year, Michigan State posted similar efforts on seven occasions, including games against Wisconsin (4/1 - 42 reb., 41 pts.), Valparaiso (3/16 - 39 reb., 38 pts.), Minnesota (3/2 - 45 reb., 43 pts.), Wisconsin (2/12 - 50 reb., 44 pts.), Northwestern (1/27 - 42 reb., 29 pts.), Howard (12/3 - 54 reb., 45 pts.) and Toledo (11/22 - 45 reb., 33 pts.).
In Order To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best - Once again, the Spartans boast one of the nation's most difficult schedules. Six of MSU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, including four in the top 12. They include Illinois (5), Florida (9), Seton Hall (10), North Carolina (15), Wisconsin (17) and Iowa (25).
Carrying On With The Flintstone Tradition - Charlie Bell was named Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten by both the league's media and coaches. Should he finish the season with first-team all-conference honors it will mark the fourth consecutive season in which a Spartan has been named first-team all-league, joining former MSU stars and Flint natives Mateen Cleaves (1998-2000) and Morris Peterson (1999-2000).
Wizards Of Westwood - Seniors Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson were named to the John Wooden Award Preseason All-American Team. Bell was also announced as a top-25 vote getter. Last year, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson earned spots on the 10-man Wooden All-American Team. Bell is also one of 30 Preseason Candidates for the Naismith Award.
U-S-A, U-S-A - Three members of the MSU squad gained experience playing for Team USA over the summer. Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor were on the 2000 USA Hoop Summit Team that defeated an International Select squad, 98-97. Randolph earned MVP honors at the Hoop Summit. Randolph and Jason Richardson were members of the silver-medal winning World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team, where Richardson ranked second on the team in points and third in rebounds, while Randolph ranked third in points and second in rebounds. Richardson also earned a spot on the Men's Select Team that competed against the 2000 US Olympic Dream Team, scoring a team-high 20 points along with a team-best five rebounds and four assists.
Spartans Sign Another Strong Recruiting Class - While Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor teamed last year to give MSU one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, the Spartans have once again landed a strong group of high school athletes. On Nov. 8, 2000, Tom Izzo announced three players signed their National Letters of Intent to play for Michigan State. In keeping with a tradition of tough players at MSU, all three recruits played football in high school.
Alan Anderson is a 6-5, 218-pound G/F from Minneapolis (De LaSalle HS). He averaged 21.3 points as a junior and is ranked by many to be among the top 25 seniors in the country after being named by The Sporting News as the number one surprise player of the summer.
Chris Hill is a 6-3, 175-pound combo guard from Indianapolis (Lawrence North HS). He averaged 17 points and four assists as a junior in helping his team to an 18-4 mark. He was selected to the 2000 All-Tournament Team at the AAU adidas Big Time Tournament.
Kelvin Torbert is a 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard from Flint, MI (Northwestern HS). He ranks among the top players in the nation including No. 2 by The Sporting News and Bob Gibbons. He averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4 assists as a junior in helping his team to a 20-3 record, while also earning Parade Magazine third-team All-America honors.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State boasts one of the top freshman classes in the nation with McDonald's All-Americans Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor. Randolph earned MVP honors at the 2000 McDonald's All-American game. Randolph and Taylor join sophomore Jason Richardson as McDonald's All-Americans on the Spartan roster.