No. 15 Men's Basketball Hosts South Florida
12/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State Basketball#15/15 Michigan State (6-2)vs. South Florida (5-2)December 21, 20021:00 P.M. ESTBreslin Center (14,759)East Lansing, Mich.
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN Plus Local - Mike Gleason (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color). Detroit - WXYZ; Lansing - WILX; Flint/Saginaw/Bay City - WFUM; Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek - WXMI; Traverse City/Cadillac - WFQX.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
A Program Game - Michigan State took a 5-3 record into Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 20, 1997. Among MSU's defeats were losses at Illinois-Chicago and to Detroit at home. Tom Izzo entered with a career record of 38-31, coming off two straight seasons where the Spartans appeared in the NIT. South Florida entered the game with a 7-2 record, including a road win at Ohio State. MSU opened the game with a 13-2 run, but led by just six, 32-26, at the half. USF opened the second half with two three-pointers to tie the game. Sparked by a 12-2 run midway through the second half and 15 second-half points from Mateen Cleaves, the Spartans pulled away for a 68-53 victory, holding USF to 25.6 percent shooting from the field. MSU won 14 of its next 16 games, capturing the first of four straight Big Ten Championships and finishing the season in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. Since the USF victory, Coach Izzo is 135-36, a winning percentage of .789.
Game 8 Notes - Michigan State 80 - Loyola 54
* Michigan State committed a season-low 11 turnovers, while dishing out 20 assists.
* Michigan State's nine blocks were a season high and the most since the Spartans blocked 10 shots against Nicholls State on Dec. 9, 2001.
* In addition to scoring 18 points, Chris Hill grabbed a season-best seven rebounds and dished out a season-best seven assists.
* Michigan State's 36 points off the bench were a season high and the most since the Spartan bench scored 44 vs. Michigan on March 3, 2001.
* Michigan State's defense held Loyola to 36.1 percent shooting, including 28.0 percent from the free throw line.
Balanced Scoring - Chris Hill is leading Michigan State in scoring at 16.9 points per game. No other Spartans, however, are averaging double-figures. Although it's too early to expect this trend to continue, Michigan State has not had just one player average in double figures since the 1955-56 season when Julius McCoy averaged 27.2 points. While Hill is currently the only Spartan in double-figures, several players are contributing to the offensive attack as MSU has seven players averaging seven points per game or more this season.
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 173-67 (.721), 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.
South Florida Notes
Coach Greenberg - Seth Greenberg (Farleigh Dickinson, '78) is in seventh season as head coach at South Florida with a record of 98-88. Overall, he is in his 13th season as a head coach, with a career record of 203-158. His career also includes six seasons as head coach at Long Beach State.
Spartans Vs. Bulls - Michigan State leads the all-time series with South Florida, 1-0. In the only meeting between the two schools, MSU defeated USF, 68-53, on Dec. 20, 1997 in Tampa, Fla.
Bull Notes - In its other game against a ranked opponent this season, South Florida lost, 68-52, at No. 8 Florida ... with 500 career assists, Reggie Kohn is the Conference USA career leader ... Will McDonald is averaging 24 points, 13 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per contest in his last two games ... Jimmy Baxter is averaging 20.3 points and shooting 63.1 percent from the field in his last three games ... Seth Greenberg is 2-3 against the Big Ten during his career at South Florida.
MSU Basketball Notes
Turnover Reduction - Turnovers plagued Michigan State in the early season, as the Spartans averaged 17.2 per game through the first six games. After a 79-47 win over Cleveland State, Coach Tom Izzo ripped his team for committing 20 turnovers. In the following two games, MSU is doing a much better job of valuing the basketball, averaging 12.5 turnovers per contest, including a season-low 11 vs. Loyola.
Sledding Through December - After a rocky 2-2 record in November, the Spartans have proven to be a force in December, posting a 4-0 record this month with three games remaining in the 2002 calendar year.
Freshman Trio - Michigan State's class of newcomers was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation by some people. A large reason for the high ranking was the freshman trio of Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Erazem Lorbek. While injuries kept Ager out of the lineup until the Kentucky contest, the trio has provided solid play in the last two games, averaging a combined 27.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. Last season, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert averaged a combined 26.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in significantly more minutes.
Bench Production - Over the course of the last three games, Michigan State's bench has been providing a great boost to the Spartan offensive attack, averaging 32.3 points per game. Over the first five games, the bench averaged 19.2 points, never scoring more than 24 in a single game.
Ager's Debut - Freshman Maurice Ager made his regular-season Spartan debut in front of 23,145 people in Lexington, Ky. After playing in the exhibition opener vs. the Magic Johnson All-Stars, Ager suffered a stress fracture in his right foot. Five and a half weeks later he appeared in the Kentucky contest, and immediately made an impact. He played 14 minutes off the bench and hit his first shot, a floating jumper in the lane after dribble penetration. He also added a three-pointer in the second half. That performance was followed by a six-point, five-rebound effort vs. Loyola, including a spectacular dunk in transition that showed just a glimpse of his athleticism that had Coach Izzo singing his praises during the first weeks of practice.
Alan Of All Trades - Since returning from Alaska, Alan Anderson has been a peak performer, while being asked to do a little bit of everything. The natural wing is usually asked to guard one of the opponents' top offensive perimeter players, and has also moved into duty as MSU's reserve point guard. In the last four games, Anderson is averaging 11.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
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 are shooting 74.1 percent (137-of-185). The difference is that the Spartans are averaging 23.1 attempts per game. This means the Spartans are scoring three points a game more from the foul line this year. Prior to a poor 15-of-28 effort from the foul line against Loyola, the Spartans were leading the Big Ten in free throw shooting.
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. While his five-point, five-rebound performance vs. Kentucky won't turn many heads, he had two key rebounds on Kentucky missed shots in the last 20 seconds to cement an MSU victory. Against Loyola, Anagonye led the team with eight rebounds.
It's All About Boardwork - Through eight games, the Spartans have a +7.5 rebounding margin, outrebounding seven of their eight 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.
From Way Downtown - In just a little over one year, Chris Hill has established himself as one of the finest shooters in Michigan State history. He currently ranks 10th on the MSU career list with 96 made three-pointers. His career three-point field-goal percentage of .453 ranks third in MSU history. This season, Hill is 30-of-64 (.469) from three-point range.
The Soft Touch - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .556 for his career (205-369), which ranks eighth in MSU history. Ballinger is shooting .546 (195-357), which ranks 10th.
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.
Block Party - Senior Aloysius Anagonye ranks fourth on the MSU career blocked shots list with 72 rejections. With three blocks, he will tie Andre Hutson at 75 for third place. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, is 10th on the career blocks chart with 58.
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 63 of its last 65 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .969. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 71 consecutive regular-season games. MSU has also won 34 consecutive non-conference home games.
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.
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.
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.
In The Polls - Michigan State is ranked 15th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Dec. 16. Four Spartan opponents are ranked, including No. 6 Indiana, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 12 Illinois and No. 16 Illinois. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Dec. 16, MSU is also ranked 15th, while five opponents (No. 6 Indiana, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 12 Missouri, No. 18 Kentucky and No. 25 Minnesota) are ranked.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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. 15.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 1 GP, 2.0 mpg, 1.0 ppg, 1.0 apg Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 23 GP, 37.7 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 21 GP, 13.5 mpg, 7.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 23 GP, 35.2 mpg, 16.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 15 GP, 27.0 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.3 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 24 GP, 39.1 mpg, 11.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 7.5 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 20 GP, 11.3 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 3.1 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.
