Men's Basketball Wraps Up 2000 With Wright State
12/29/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#1/1 Michigan State (10-0)vs. Wright State (9-2)December 30, 20007:30 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.
Michigan State-Wright State Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Michigan State Player UpdatesDownload Free Acrobat Reader
Note Of The Game
Spartans Aim For Best Start Ever - A win against Wright State would give Michigan State an 11-0 record and establish the best start in 102 seasons of MSU Basketball. In 1991-92, the Spartans opened the season with a 10-0 record.
And The Rest Of The Starting Five
1. MSU At No. 1 - Michigan State is ranked number one by both major polls this week, marking the first time MSU has reached the top spot in a regular-season poll since the 1979 season. The first time that MSU held the top position in the Associated Press poll was Jan. 3, 1979. The Spartans were also the number one team on Jan. 10, 1979. Last year, Michigan State was No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll released after the NCAA Tournament. MSU has an all-time record of 3-2 when ranked No. 1. Michigan State is also the number-one ranked team in college hockey, marking the first time a school has held the number-one ranking during the regular season in both sports at the same time.
2. Don't Be Surprised If They Don't Remember - It's been nearly 22 years since Michigan State last held the number one spot in the Associated Press poll. Not surprisingly, there have been a few changes since then. Thirty different schools, not including MSU, have held the top spot in the poll between Jan. 10, 1979 and Dec. 25, 2000. Mike Chappell, David Thomas and Brandon Smith were the only current Spartans alive on Jan. 10, 1979.
3. 2000 Was A Good Year - The 2000 calendar year was very good to Michigan State. In 2000, the Spartans won the NCAA Championship, a third-straight Big Ten Championship and a second-consecutive Big Ten Tournament. Overall, MSU posted a 33-3 record during the year, including a perfect 16-0 at home.
4. Winning Streaks - Michigan State owns the nation's longest winning streak at 21 games. With a win tonight, the Spartans will equal the longest winning streak in school history, set during the 1998-99 season. The last loss came Feb. 26, 2000, at Indiana, with the Spartans falling to the Hoosiers, 81-79, in overtime.