#21 Men's Basketball Travels To #12 Kentucky
12/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State Basketball#21 Michigan State (4-2)vs. #12 Kentucky (5-1)December 14, 20024:00 P.M. ESTRupp Arena (23,000)Lexington, Ky.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: CBS - Verne Lundquist (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Two Championship Programs - Over the past five seasons, Michigan State and Kentucky have been two of the premier programs in college basketball. Consider the accomplishments of the two teams since Tubby Smith became UK's head coach prior to the 1997-98 season: 2 National Championships (MSU - 2000; UK - 1998), 4 Final Four Appearances (MSU - 1999, 2000, 2001; UK - 1998), 10 NCAA Tournaments (MSU - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002; UK - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), 7 Conference Championships (MSU - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001; UK - 1998, 2000, 2001), 5 Conference Tournament Championships (MSU - 1999, 2000; UK - 1998, 1999, 2001).
Game 6 Notes - Michigan State 79 - Cleveland State 47
* Michigan State closed the first half with an 18-1 run over the last 7:30, and scored the first basket of the second half to make it a 20-1 run.
* Although he scored a season-low nine points, Chris Hill did record a career-best four steals.
* Erazem Lorbek was perfect from the field, shooting four-of-four from the field, including one three-pointer, and seven-of-seven from the foul line.
* MSU had 16 offensive rebounds, compared to just 15 defensive rebounds for CSU, and held a 24-10 advantage in second chance points.
* MSU held CSU to just 21.7 percent shooting in the first half and 31.8 percent for the game.
Probable StartersMichigan State Spartans (4-2) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (Sr., 6-8, 260)8.7 6.2 0.8F - #15 Alan Anderson (So., 6-6, 220) 8.7 3.7 3.3F - #55 Adam Ballinger (Sr., 6-9, 250) 10.7 4.7 1.5G - #5 Chris Hill (So., 6-3, 190) 16.8 2.8 4.0G - #23 Kelvin Torbert (So., 6-4, 215) 8.0 3.2 1.5
Kentucky Wildcats (5-1) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #44 Chuck Hayes (So., 6-6, 247) 8.3 5.8 2.5F - #50 Marquis Estill (Sr., 6-9, 236) 12.5 4.8 2.2 BPGC - #40 Jules Camara (Sr., 6-11, 220) 9.5 6.0 2.0 BPGG - #10 Keith Bogans (Sr., 6-5, 213) 18.7 3.0 3.3G - #4 Gerald Fitch (Jr., 6-3, 188) 14.8 2.8 3.2
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 171-67 (.718), 82-34 (.707) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. He is the third-winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) and Benjamin VanAlstyne (232) in total wins. Izzo's 167 wins in his first seven years give him the fifth most by a coach in his first seven seasons of coaching in college basketball history. In his seven seasons of coaching, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors three times, including NABC honors in 2001. 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.
Izzo's Two Decades - The 2002-03 season marks Tom Izzo's 20th with the Spartan basketball program. Now in his eighth year as a head coach, Izzo spent 12 years as an assistant under Jud Heathcote.
Kentucky Notes
Coach Smith - Tubby Smith (High Point, '73) is in sixth season as head coach at Kentucky with a record of 137-44. Head coach of the 1998 Kentucky NCAA Championship team, Smith is 261-106 in his 12th season overall as a head coach.
Spartans Vs. Wildcats - Kentucky leads the all-time series with Michigan State by an 11-8 margin, including a 7-2 advantage in Lexington. One of Michigan State's wins at Kentucky was a victory in the 1957 NCAA Tournament, when the Spartans defeated the Wildcats, 80-68. Kentucky considers this game a neutral-site contest, while Michigan State lists it as an away game. MSU's other victory at Lexington came on Dec. 13, 1971, when Gus Ganakas led his Spartans to a 91-85 win over Adolph Rupp's Wildcats. (The series record is incorrect in the MSU media guide.)
Close Calls - Michigan State and Kentucky have played three times since 1999, with all three games being close contests. In the 1999 NCAA Tournament, MSU defeated UK, 73-66, in a game where the Spartans led by just three points with less than 20 seconds remaining. That contest spoiled the Wildcats' bid for a fourth-straight trip to the Final Four. One year later, Kentucky defeated Michigan State, 60-58, in Lexington, when Michigan State missed two late attempts to tie the game in the final seconds. In December 2000, MSU returned the favor, defeating UK, 46-45, when Andre Hutson scored the game-winning basket with 26.4 seconds remaining.
Common Opponent - Although the season is young, Michigan State and Kentucky have both played Virginia. In the second game of the Maui Invitational, Virginia defeated Kentucky, 75-61. Poor shooting plagued the Wildcats, who connected on just two-of-22 three-point field goal attempts. One week later, MSU defeated UVA, 82-75, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in East Lansing, as the Spartans used a 17-0 run in the first half to break the game open.
MSU Basketball Notes
Defense Keys Game-Deciding Runs - In each of its last two games, Michigan State has used suffocating defense to key a long run giving the Spartans a victory. Against Virginia, MSU used a 17-0 run over 6:06 of the last part of the first half to turn a 19-16 deficit into a 33-19 advantage. During that stretch, Virginia committed six turnovers and missed six shots. One game later vs. Cleveland State, MSU went on an 18-1 run over the final 7:30 of the first half, as the Vikings committed six turnovers and missed eight shots.
Getting To The Charity Stripe - Last season, Michigan State shot 77.1 percent (442-of-573) from the free throw line, ranking fifth in the nation. The problem was that MSU attempted just 18.5 free throws per game, finishing the year with just 12 more attempts than its opponents. This season, the Spartans lead the Big Ten in foul shooting once again at 77.1 percent (111-of-144). The difference is that the Spartans are averaging 24 attempts per game. This means the Spartans are scoring over four points a game more from the foul line this year. This is important when you consider that Michigan State lost five games last year by four points or less, including four Big Ten contests.
Hot Shooting - Both Michigan State and Kentucky are shooting the ball well in the first month of the season. The Wildcats are shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three-point range. The Spartans are hitting 49.5 percent from the field, including a solid 41.6 percent from behind the three-point arc.
Anagonye's Emergence - As one of Michigan State's two seniors, Aloysius Anagonye is counted on for solid contributions in the post. For the most part, he has been up to the challenge, especially in recent games. In the final game in Alaska vs. Oklahoma State, Anagonye scored a career-best 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He followed that performance up with a solid 10-point, nine-rebound effort vs. Virginia. More importantly, Anagonye is staying out of foul trouble. With the exception of the Villanova contest, where he fouled out in just 10 minutes, Anagonye has not picked up more than three fouls in any contest. Against Virginia, his physical play picked up two fouls in the first four minutes on preseason All-ACC honoree Travis Watson.
Turnovers Prove Costly - Offensively, Michigan State is shooting the ball well, with a field-goal percentage of .495. The problem, however, is turnovers. Through six games, Michigan State is averaging 17.2 turnovers per contest.
Creating Turnovers - Although turnovers continue to be a problem for Michigan State, in recent games the Spartans are doing a better job of creating turnovers, as Virginia committed 19 and Cleveland State had 24. The Spartan defense deserves a lot of credit for their opponents' sloppy play as MSU recorded 11 steals vs. the Cavaliers and 12 vs. the Vikings.
One For The Thumb - Last season, Michigan State missed becoming just the second team in Big Ten history to win five straight conference championships, finishing just one game out of first place. This season, however, the Spartans still have a chance to reach elite status by winning a fifth Big Ten crown in a span of six years. Only the Ohio State squads of 1960-64 that captured five championships in a row can claim such an honor.
It's All About Boardwork - Despite several new faces in the Spartan lineup, MSU continues to be a rebounding machine. Through six games, the Spartans have a +8.3 rebounding margin, having outrebounded all six opponents. The 2001-02 season marked the fifth-straight year in which Michigan State led the Big Ten in rebound margin, outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.9 boards per game. In Tom Izzo's seven years as head coach, Michigan State has never ranked worse than second in the Big Ten in rebound margin.
Pulling For A Brother's Championship - While Michigan State senior walk-on Brian Westrick and the Spartans are battling Kentucky, Brian's brother, Dale, will be playing for the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Dale is an All-America offensive lineman for Grand Valley State, which will play Valdosta State on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Florence, Alabama. GVSU is a perfect 13-0 this season.
Preseason Favorites - Michigan State was selected as the preseason favorite for the Big Ten Championship by both the league's media and coaches. Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans welcome the expectations as it signifies a sign of respect for the program. It is also a sign that the Spartans are a true team that relies on many different players as no individual was selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team. Michigan State was last tabbed as the preseason favorite in 2001, when it finished in a tie for first place.
Significant Depth - After playing the 2001-02 season with just eight recruited scholarship players (before injuries), the Spartans feature great depth in 2002-03. Depth, a common factor on Michigan State's Final Four squads, leads to more competitive practices, while also allowing Coach Izzo to play the aggressive defense and up-tempo game he prefers. Ten players are currently averaging nine or more minutes per contest.
The Soft Touch - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .554 for his career (201-363), which ranks eighth in MSU history. Ballinger is shooting .553 (192-347), which would rank ninth except for the fact that he does not have the 350 field-goal attempts necessary to qualify for the career list.
Block Party - Junior Aloysius Anagonye ranks fifth on the MSU career blocked shots list with 70 rejections. With one block, he will tie Kevin Willis at 71 for fourth place. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, is 10th on the career blocks chart with 57.
Izzo Featured On ESPN - Tom Izzo and the Michigan State basketball program were one of six teams featured on ESPN's SportsCenter during a week-long series by college basketball analyst Jay Bilas on Monday, Nov. 18. The series, entitled "Bilas On The Bench With:", took a behind-the-scenes look at practice with a microphone on each coach, while also interviewing the coach about his specific philosophies on the game. Bilas' interview with Coach Izzo will run in different formats throughout the season as part of ESPN's coverage of college basketball.
Young At Heart - Depth does not always equal experience. Although Michigan State has eight players returning who averaged more than 10 minutes per game in 2001-02, just four players (Aloysius Anagonye, Jason Andreas, Adam Ballinger and Adam Wolfe) have more than one year of playing experience with the Spartans. MSU does not have a backcourt player with more than one year of experience.
An Experienced Pair - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are the senior foundation of a young Spartan squad. Entering this season, the two of them had played in a combined total of 191 games at Michigan State. The remaining 15 players on the roster had appeared in 232 games.
In The Polls - Michigan State is ranked 21st in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Dec. 9. Five Spartan opponents are ranked, including No. 6 Indiana, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 14 Illinois and No. 25 Minnesota. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Dec. 9, MSU is also ranked 21st.
Dominating The Big Ten - Over the past five seasons, Michigan State has posted a 64-16 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .800. Illinois is the only other team to have as many as 50 conference wins over that same time period, posting a 51-29 mark.
The Breslin Experience - Although MSU's 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped in 2002, the Breslin Center continues to be one of college basketball's great homecourt advantages. Over the past four years, Michigan State has won 62 of its last 64 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .969. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 70 consecutive regular-season games. MSU has also won 33 consecutive non-conference home games.
Coaching Consistency - One of the keys to MSU's success is continuity on the coaching staff. The four member coaching staff have been at MSU for a combined 43 years. Tom Izzo is in his 20th season as a Spartan, having spent the first 12 as an assistant. Associate head coach Brian Gregory is in his 10th year at MSU and fourth year in his current stint. Mike Garland is a college teammate of Izzo's and has been an assistant for seven of Izzo's eight years as head coach. Mark Montgomery is in his second season as an assistant, after four years (1988-92) as MSU's point guard.
Hill Is Most Recent Wooden Nominee - Chris Hill is one of this year's 50 John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-Americans. He is just the latest Spartan to be nominated for the prestigious award. Last season, Marcus Taylor was a preseason honoree. In 2000-01, both Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson were preseason nominees while Bell and Jason Richardson were among the 20 finalists. At season's end, Bell was named a Wooden All-American. During the 1999-2000 season, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson were both recognized as Wooden All-Americans, an honor that Cleaves also received in 1999.
Air Time - Over the last four years, Michigan State has averaged over 29 television broadcasts per year, including more than 21 per year on national television networks. In 2002-03, MSU will have 25 regular-season games televised (not including postseason). Of those 25, 16 could be broadcast by national networks, including eight on ESPN, three on ESPN2 and five more on CBS.
New Faces - Considered by many analysts to be the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation, the five-member class of 2002 should immediately contribute to the Spartans. Maurice Ager is a very quick guard that is Tom Izzo's first recruit from the Detroit Public School League. Paul Davis is one of the top players in his class and Michigan's Mr. Basketball winner for 2002. Rashi Johnson is a junior college transfer who led Mott (Flint) Community College to an appearance in the national championship game of the 2001 NJCAA Division II Tournament. Erazem Lorbek joins the Spartans from Slovenia where he gained valuable international experience. Delco Rowley brings strength and athleticism to the power forward position.
Sophomore Explosion - Michigan State has developed a tradition of sophomores who elevate their game tremendously in their second year, dating back to Greg Kelser who raised his scoring average by 10 points from his first to his second year. Steve Smith went from averaging under 11 points as a freshman to nearly 18 points as a sophomore. More recently, after some struggles as a freshman, Mateen Cleaves averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 assists in his second season, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors. In 2001, sophomore Jason Richardson earned second-team Associated Press All-America honors after averaging just five points as a freshman. Last season, Marcus Taylor became just the second player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring and assists, one season after averaging fewer than eight points per contest. This season, Alan Anderson (6.5 ppg in '01-02), Chris Hill (11.5 ppg in '01-02) and Kelvin Torbert (8.2 ppg in '01-02) seem like good candidates for the "Spartan Sophomore Explosion."
Tough Opponents - Michigan State's 2002-03 schedule features 14 teams that appeared in postseason play in 2002. NCAA Tournament teams include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. Iowa, Minnesota, South Florida, Syracuse, Villanova and Virginia all appeared in the National Invitation Tournament.
Summer Plans - Coach Izzo has said this was the best summer of work and preparation by any team since he has been at Michigan State. This includes several players who gained additional experience away from the MSU campus. Chris Hill played with the Big Ten Foreign Tour team, ranking second on the team in scoring at 12.2 ppg. He also played a majority of minutes as the squad's point guard, leading the team in assists (3.0 apg) and steals (2.2 spg). While Hill played in Europe, Aloysius Anagonye, Jason Andreas and Adam Ballinger attended Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in Hawaii in August.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past four seasons, five McDonald's All-Americans have joined the Spartan squad, including Jason Richardson in 1999, Marcus Taylor and McDonald's All-American All-Star game MVP Zach Randolph in 2000, Kelvin Torbert in 2001 and Paul Davis in 2002.
Home To Mr. Basketball - The last four recipients of Michigan's Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have all gone on to wear a Spartan jersey. Jason Richardson (Saginaw Arthur Hill HS) won the award in 1999, followed by Marcus Taylor (Lansing Waverly HS) in 2000, Kelvin Torbert (Flint Northwestern HS) in 2001 and Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002.
Spartans In The NBA - Michigan State led the Big Ten with eight players on opening day rosters in the NBA. Listed below is an update on eight former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Dec. 8.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 0 GP, currently on injured list Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 19 GP, 37.3 mpg, 14.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 16 GP, 12.9 mpg, 6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 20 GP, 35.7 mpg, 16.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.6 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 12 GP, 26.8 mpg, 10.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 21 GP, 38.9 mpg, 10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 7.5 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 17 GP, 11.1 mpg, 5.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Spartans Keep Reloading - Michigan State signed three players to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period. The class is a consensus top-five class, including a No. 4 ranking from recruiting analyst Dave Telep.
Shannon Brown (G, 6-3, 190, Maywood, Ill./Proviso East) is the consensus pick as the No. 1 shooting guard in the nation. As a junior, he averaged 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals en route to earning first-team all-state honors. Overall, Dave Telep and Bob Gibbons have him ranked as the No. 9 player in the nation.
Brandon Cotton (G, 6-0, 170, Detroit/DePorres) averaged 28.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior. He earned Class C All-State and All-Detroit honors from both the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. Cotton is ranked the No. 17 player in the nation and No. 3 point guard in the country by PrepStars.com. Cotton led DePorres to a 17-4 record and a Catholic AA Division title.
Drew Naymick (C, 6-10, 235, Muskegon/North Muskegon) averaged 21.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.4 blocks as a junior, earning Class C All-State honors. He also shot a remarkable 70.6 percent from the field. Over the summer, he gained significant national experience while playing at the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival (with Brown and Cotton) and participating at the Nike Camp where he was named to Dave Telep's All-Nike Camp team.
