Men's Basketball Heads To Washington D.C.
3/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Press Conference Audio:
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March 10, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan St. (19-11)vs. North Carolina St. (22-10)March 15, 200212:15 p.m. ESTMCI Center (20,037)Washington, D.C.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: CBS - Jim Nantz (Play by Play), Billy Packer (Color), Bonnie Bernstein (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
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NOTE OF THE TOURNAMENT
MSU In The NCAA Tournament - Michigan State is making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with a record of 33-14 in its previous 15 tournaments. MSU has made five trips to the Final Four (1957, 1979, 1999, 2000 and 2001) and captured the National Championship in 1979 and 2000.
THREE NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
MSU In Exclusive Company - Michigan State ranks third among all schools in NCAA Tournament winning percentage for schools with at least 20 tournament games. MSU's .702 winning percentage (33-14) trails only Duke (.768, 73-22) and UCLA (.736, 78-28).
MSU In The First Round - In its 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, Michigan State has a record of 13-2 in the first round. The two first-round losses came in 1995 (Weber State, 79-72) and 1985 (Alabama-Birmingham, 70-68).
MSU As A No. 10 Seed - Since the NCAA first assigned seeds in the 1979 NCAA Tournament, Michigan State has been the No. 10 seed just once. In 1985, No. 10 seed Michigan State lost to No. 7 seed Alabama-Birmingham, 70-68. MSU has never been ranked lower than No. 10.
#10 Michigan State Spartans (19-11) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (Jr., 6-8, 255)7.9 6.3 1.5F - #15 Alan Anderson (Fr., 6-6, 230) 6.6 4.3 1.7F - #55 Adam Ballinger (Jr., 6-9, 250) 11.4 7.0 1.2G - #1 Marcus Taylor (So., 6-3, 195) 16.8 2.9 5.3G - #23 Kelvin Torbert (Fr., 6-4, 225) 8.4 3.3 1.5
#7 North Carolina State Wolfpack (22-10)Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #3 Ilian Evtimov (Fr., 6-7, 226) 6.9 2.9 1.7F - #24 Julius Hodge (Fr., 6-6, 180) 10.4 4.8 2.1C - #54 Marcus Melvin (So., 6-8, 232) 10.2 5.5 2.0G - #2 Anthony Grundy (Sr., 6-3, 180) 17.9 5.5 3.6G - #11 Archie Miller (Sr., 5-10, 160) 9.9 1.4 2.3
TOM IZZO NOTES
Coach Izzo - In his seventh year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 167-64 (.723), 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 148 wins in his first six years give him the fourth most by a coach in his first six seasons of coaching. In his six 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. 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.
Carry The Torch - As the Olympic Torch made its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Games, it stopped in the Lansing area on Sunday, Jan. 6. Among the privileged few selected to carry the torch was Tom Izzo, who carried the flame for a two-tenths of a mile stretch on Grand River Ave. in East Lansing.
Izzo In Postseason Play - Now in his seventh season as head coach at Michigan State, Tom Izzo has a 24-8 record in postseason play, including a 16-3 mark in the NCAA Tournament.
Izzo Proteges In NCAA Tournament - Not only is Tom Izzo leading the Spartans into the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight year, but some of his former assistants have their current teams among the field of 65. Tom Crean, a MSU assistant for four seasons (1995-99), led the Marquette Golden Eagles to a 26-6 record and a No. 5 seed in the East Region. Stan Heath is in his first season at Kent State after five years as an assistant at MSU (1996-2001). The Golden Flashes (27-5) won the MAC regular-season championship and the conference tournament en route to a No. 10 seed in the South Region.
Better Than Wooden - Tom Izzo enters the 2002 NCAA Tournament as the active coach with the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage for coaches with a minimum of 10 games. Through four tournaments, Izzo has an NCAA record of 16-3 for a winning percentage of .842. He is followed by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski at .800 (56-14). Overall, Izzo trails only Cincinnati's Ed Jucker (.917, 11-1), LaSalle's Ken Loeffler (.900, 9-1) and San Francisco's Phil Woolpert (.867, 13-2). UCLA's legendary coach John Wooden is behind Izzo at .825 (47-10).
Izzo Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo is 43-33 against foes ranked in the AP Top 25. This includes wins in 31 of MSU's last 43 games against ranked opponents.
Making The Most Of A Tough Situation - Despite losing 81 percent of the scoring load from last year and 75 percent of the rebounds, Tom Izzo has performed one of his best coaching jobs this season. The three-time National Coach of the Year guided the young Spartan squad through many obstacles, including a difficult non-conference schedule and numerous key injuries to finish the regular season with a 19-10 record and 10-6 in the Big Ten, just one game out of first place.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
Four Straight Sweet 16s - With two wins this weekend, Michigan State would make its fifth-straight trip to the Sweet 16. Duke is the only other school to have appeared in the last four Sweet 16s.
MSU In The Second Round - Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Michigan State has advanced to the second round on nine occasions. MSU has a 6-3 record in second-round games, including four straight wins.
Two Titles Not Too Shabby - Michigan State is one of just 12 schools to have won two or more NCAA Championships. Cincinnati, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco join MSU with two titles. Only Duke (3), North Carolina (3), Indiana (5), Kentucky (7) and UCLA (11) have won more titles than MSU.
Spartan Opponents In NCAA Tournament - After review of the NCAA Tournament field of 65, it's clear that Michigan State did play one of the tougher schedules in the country as eight Spartan opponents are in the tournament. The list includes Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford and Wisconsin. MSU has a 6-6 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE NOTES
Back To The NCAAs - North Carolina State is making its 18th trip to the NCAA Tournament, but the first since 1991. The Wolfpack, like the Spartans, have won two NCAA Championships, in 1974 and 1983.
Cementing Its Place - North Carolina State closed the regular season with a 20-9 record, winning just two of its last five games. The Wolfpack, however, clinched a spot in the field of 65 with an impressive performance in the ACC Tournament, defeating Virginia, 92-72, and No. 2 Maryland, 86-82.
Coach Sendek - Herb Sendek (Carnegie Mellon, '85) is 171-110 (.609) in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach. In his sixth season at North Carolina State, Sendek is 108-84 (.563). Prior to his arrival in Raleigh, Sendek served as head coach at Miami (Ohio) for three seasons, posting an 80-41 record.
Spartans vs. Wolfpack - North Carolina State leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 4-1.The two teams have not met since Dec. 11, 1982, when the Wolfpack defeated the Spartans, 45-41, in Raleigh. MSU and NCSU have met once at a neutral site, with the Wolfpack taking a 67-46 victory in the 1981 Rainbow Classic in Hawaii.
Young Wolves - Like Michigan State, North Carolina State gets significant contributions from its freshmen. The Wolfpack have three freshmen, Ilian Evtimov, Julius Hodge and Josh Powell, that average over 19 minutes per game. Hodge leads the way, averaging 26.9 minutes and 10.4 points per contest.
NC State's Mr. Everything - Wolfpack senior guard Anthony Grundy is, without a doubt, the catalyst to his team's success. The first-team All-ACC performer leads the Wolfpack in scoring (17.9), rebounding (5.5) and assists (3.6), while also earning a spot on the all-defensive team.
CONNECTICUT NOTES
Route To The NCAAs - Connecticut earned a No. 2 seed in the East Region after capturing the BIG EAST Tournament Championship with a 74-65 double-overtime victory over Pittsburgh. The Huskies posted a 13-3 regular-season record in the BIG EAST to capture the East division championship.
Tournament Regulars - Connecticut is making is 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including the seventh time in nine years. In 1999, Connecticut won the NCAA Championship. The Huskies have advanced to the Elite Eight five times.
Spartans Vs. Huskies - The all-time series between Michigan State and Connecticut is tied at 1. The Huskies defeated the Spartans, 82-68, on Dec. 5, 1998, in Storrs, Conn. One year later, MSU defeated UConn, 85-66, on Feb. 5, 2000, in East Lansing.
Series Wins Lead To Championships - The winner of the previous two meetings between Michigan State and Connecticut has gone on to win the NCAA Championship. The Huskies won the 1999 NCAA Championship, followed by the Spartans in 2000.
Coach Calhoun - Jim Calhoun (American International, '68) is in his 16th season at Connecticut, posting a 373-148 (.716) mark. In his 30th season as a collegiate head coach, Calhoun is 623-285 (.686). He is one of just 11 active Division I coaches with over 600 career victories.
Young Pups - Connecticut boasts one of the best freshman duos in the nation with Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon. Okafor is No. 2 in the nation in blocked shots and is the leading freshman rebounder in the nation with 9.1 boards per game. Gordon is Connecticut's second-leading scorer, averaging 13.2 points per game.
HAMPTON NOTES
How We Got Here - The Pirates won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament crown with an 80-62 win over Howard on March 9. In doing so, Hampton becomes the first team to return to the NCAA tournament a year after winning as a No. 15 seed. The Pirates stunned second-seeded Iowa State 58-57 in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
Coach Merfeld - Steve Merfeld is in his fifth season at the helm of the Hampton program. He has a 90-56 (.616) career record and has led Hampton to back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. Prior to his arrival at Hampton, Merfeld spent 10 years as an assistant coach at Bowling Green.
Spartans Vs. Pirates - Michigan State and Hampton have never met on the basketball court. The Spartans have a 1-0 record against current members of the MEAC, defeating Howard, 75-45, on Dec. 3, 1999.
Did You Know? - Hampton knocked off then No. 20 North Carolina 77-69 to open the 2001-02 season.
MSU BASKETBALL NOTES
Taylor-Made - Marcus Taylor has raised his level of play late in the season. Over the last six games, he is averaging 22.2 points and 5.3 assists, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1-to-1. Against Purdue (2/16), he scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half. Taylor had a hand in 11 of MSU's final 13 points vs. Indiana (2/24), finishing with 16 points, eight assists and no turnovers. On the road at Ohio State (2/26), Taylor scored 32 points in 39 minutes of action, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, 3-of-3 from three-point range. Against Iowa (3/2), Taylor scored a career-best 34 points, while tying a career high with nine assists. In the Big Ten Tournament vs. Indiana (3/8), Taylor led all scorers with 20 points.
Taylor's Accolades Piling Up - Over the last part of the season, Marcus Taylor has played about as well as any guard in the nation and people are starting to notice. Among his accolades, Taylor has been named first-team All-Big Ten, NABC All-District 11, USBWA All-District V and Big Ten Player of the Week on March 4.
One Of A Kind - Many players can be great scorers or great with assists, but it takes a special kind of player to excel at both. Marcus Taylor is that kind of player, as he finished the Big Ten season ranked first in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg). He is just the second player in Big Ten history to accomplish the feat, joining Iowa's Andre Woolridge (1997). Taylor is the first Spartan to win the Big Ten scoring title since Shawn Respert in 1995. Mateen Cleaves led the Big Ten in assists from 1998-2000. In Taylor's 28 games, he has led the team in scoring 19 times and assists in 26 games.
MSU's Month - Over the last four seasons, including this year, Michigan State has a 24-4 record in the month of March. For his career, Tom Izzo is 31-11 in March.
MSU's All-Big Ten Performers - Marcus Taylor earned a spot on the All-Big Ten first team as selected by both the league's coaches and media. Taylor led the conference in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and assists (5.0 apg) in league games. This is the fifth-straight year that MSU has placed at least one player on the all-conference first team. Taylor's teammate, Adam Ballinger, was also honored as he was selected third-team All-Big Ten by the league's media.
Looking For No. 20 - With one more win this season, Michigan State will record its fifth-straight 20-win season and the 13th in school history. Of the 12 20-win seasons in MSU history, Izzo has been involved in nine of them, four as a head coach and five as an assistant.
A Select Group - According to the most recent Sagarin Ratings (March 11), Michigan State is one of just seven teams with six or more victories against teams ranked in the top 30. This elite list of teams includes Duke, Kansas, Maryland, Oregon, Arizona and UCLA.
Breakout Offensive Performance - Marcus Taylor cemented his position on the All-Big Ten first team with a remarkable final week of the regular season, averaging 33.0 points and 6.0 assists in games vs. Iowa and Ohio State. His 34 points vs. Iowa marked the most by a Spartan since Mateen Cleaves scored 34 points vs. Northwestern on Jan. 31, 1998. Combined with a 32-point performance vs. Ohio State on Feb. 26, he became the first Spartan to score 30 or more points in back-to-back games since Shawn Respert scored 39 points vs. Iowa on March 8, 1995, and 31 vs. Wisconsin on March 11. For his efforts, Marcus Taylor was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 4.
Spartans On A Roll - Michigan State is finishing the season on a strong note, having won eight of its last 11 games and 10 of its last 14.
MSU's 1-2 Punch - Michigan State is most effective when Marcus Taylor and Adam Ballinger lead the Spartan attack. In MSU's 19 wins, Taylor averages a team-best 16.9 points, while Ballinger is second with 12.6 points per game. With Ballinger and Taylor both in the starting lineup, the Spartans are 17-6.
Quality Wins - Michigan State's 19-11 record includes some very impressive victories with six wins over teams ranked in the RPI Top 25. In the non-conference schedule, the Spartans defeated Oklahoma (No. 5), and Arizona (No. 6). In the Big Ten, MSU recorded road victories at Illinois (No. 12) and Ohio State (No. 17) and home wins over Ohio State (No. 17) and Indiana (No. 20). (Ratings according to Collegerpi.com, updated March 11.)
Taking Care Of The Ball - Michigan State's five-game winning streak to close out the regular season was attributable to many factors. One of the main reasons was the Spartans' ability to take care of the ball. In the five games, MSU averaged just 11.8 turnovers per game, with a turnover margin of -1.8. In the Big Ten Tournament, however, the Spartans struggled, committing 21 turnovers. On the season, the Spartans are averaging 14.9 turnovers with a turnover margin of -3.7.
Spartan Offense Clicking - Michigan State ended the Big Ten regular season with its two best offensive performances of the conference season. In games against Ohio State and Iowa, the Spartans averaged 87.0 points per game, shooting 54.9 percent from the field, including 64.0 percent from three-point range.
Hill Sets Freshman Records - Through 30 games, freshman Chris Hill is 62-of-139 from three-point range, establishing a MSU freshman record for made three-point field goals and three-point field goal attempts. Shawn Respert (1991-92) was the record holder in both categories with 60 three-pointers in 132 attempts.
Second-Half Comebacks - Until the Purdue game on Feb. 16, Michigan State had trailed at halftime in six games, posting an 0-6 record in those contests. Trailing the Boilermakers at the half, 29-26, the Spartans rallied to take a 62-59 win. Since then, the Spartans have won two more games when trailing at the half, rallying from a 32-25 deficit vs. Indiana and a 36-31 disadvantage against Ohio State. On the year, MSU is 3-7 when trailing at the half.
Ballinger Earns POW Honors - Junior forward Adam Ballinger was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 25. In two games against Minnesota and Indiana, Ballinger averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds, while shooting 60.0 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent from three-point range. Against Minnesota, he tallied a career-best 20 points. Ballinger shared the honor with Illinois' Robert Archibald.
Learning How To Win - During the season, Michigan State's has learned how to win the close games. The Spartans have won four of their last five games decided by five points or less. For the season, MSU is 5-6 in games decided by five or fewer points. Last year, MSU was 2-2 in games decided by five points or less.
Beating The Best - Michigan State has a 6-6 record against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 at the date of the game. This includes a 4-1 record against ranked teams at the Breslin Center. The Spartans are 4-2 against ranked Big Ten opponents.
Marcus' Minutes - Marcus Taylor is currently averaging 34.3 minutes per game, the most by any player under Tom Izzo and the most by a Spartan since Shawn Respert averaged 34.3 minutes in 1992-93. Not counting the game at Illinois in which Taylor missed most of the second half with a concussion, he is averaging 34.9 minutes per game, the most by a Spartan since Steve Smith averaged 37.8 minutes as a senior in 1990-91.
Straight Shooters - This year's Spartan squad may be the best group of shooters that Tom Izzo has coached. Over the past 15 games, MSU is shooting 48.1 percent from the field. The Spartans have shot 50 percent or better in six of their last 12 games, including 51.7 percent vs. Iowa (3/2), 59.1 percent vs. Ohio State (2/26), 50.0 percent vs. Purdue (2/16), 50.0 percent vs. Ohio State (2/10), 52.1 percent vs. Michigan (1/30) and 53.1 percent vs. Iowa (1/22).
Breslin Success - Michigan State has won 59 of its last 61 games at the Breslin Center, including 30 of 32 against Big Ten opponents.
Spartan Offense Benefits From Ballinger - Adam Ballinger has started 24 games this season. When he starts, Ballinger averages 12.0 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds. As a whole, the Spartan offense benefits from his presence, averaging 70.8 points and recording a 17-7 mark with Ballinger in the lineup. Ballinger had been out of the starting lineup for six games, including missing four with a sprained right ankle. Without him in the starting lineup, the Spartans averaged just 65.3 points and failed to score 70 points in a single game, posting a 2-4 record.
Injuries Take Toll On MSU's Record - With a short bench, MSU has been adversely affected by injuries to its key players. Adam Ballinger missed four games with a severely sprained ankle, during which time the Spartans posted a 1-3 record. He came off the bench in two other games, while recovering from the injury. The Spartans were 1-1 in games which Ballinger played but did not start. Marcus Taylor missed two games (Minnesota and Northwestern) with different injuries. MSU lost both games in which Taylor sat on the bench. With Adam Wolfe out for the season with a torn hamstring, the Spartans are down to seven recruited scholarship players.
Defensive Stoppers - MSU leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.5 percent from the field, ranking 14th in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 3/4/02.) In Big Ten games, the Spartans rank fourth, allowing opponents to shoot 41.9 percent from the field.
Minutes From Freshmen - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in minutes played by freshmen. Of the 200 minutes played each game by the Spartans, a remarkable 87.2 (43.6%) minutes are played by freshmen. Chris Hill's 26.9 minutes are the fourth most by any freshman in the league. Kelvin Torbert's 25.0 minutes rank fifth in the league, while Alan Anderson's 24.9 minutes are sixth. By comparison, Arizona is the only team in The Associated Press Top 25 to get more minutes from its freshmen.
Still Rebounding - In each of the past two seasons, MSU has led the nation in rebounding margin. The Spartans have once again made a commitment to rebounding, outrebounding their opponents this season by a +8.0 margin to lead the Big Ten for a fifth-straight year and rank seventh in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 3/4/02.)
Halfway To 1,000 - With 693 career points, Taylor is the only current Spartan with over 500 career points. Aloysius Anagonye is the closest with 491 career points. Compare this to the last two seasons when four Spartans (Charlie Bell, Mateen Cleaves, Andre Hutson and Morris Peterson) surpassed the 1,000-point mark.
Rare Company For Spartan Freshman - Spartan freshman Chris Hill is currently averaging 11.1 points per game. This puts Hill in select company as just eight previous true freshmen have averaged over 10 points per contest for the Spartans, including Mateen Cleaves, Greg Kelser, Earvin Johnson, Zach Randolph, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Jay Vincent and Sam Vincent.
Block Party - Junior Aloysius Anagonye ranks eighth on the MSU career blocked shots list with 67 rejections. With one block, he will tie Mike Peplowski (68) for seventh, while two blocks will tie him for fifth with DuJuan Wiley and Quinton Brooks at 69. Anagonye's career total includes a team-best 30 blocks this year, which ties him for seventh on the single-season list with Matt Steigenga (1989-90).
Turnovers Costly - One of the reasons Michigan State has struggled in some games this season is the amount of turnovers it has committed. In MSU's 11 losses, the Spartans are averaging 16.6 turnovers with a turnover margin of -6.3, compared to just 13.8 turnovers and a margin of -2.2 in the team's 19 wins. For the season, MSU is averaging 14.9 turnovers per contest. The Spartans rank 11th in the Big Ten with a turnover margin of -3.7.
Who To Start? - With so many injuries this season, the Spartans have featured several different starting lineups, 10 to be exact. There is one lineup, however, that is Izzo's lineup of choice. If everyone is healthy, Izzo has preferred the lineup of Marcus Taylor, Kelvin Torbert, Aloysius Anagonye, Alan Anderson and Adam Ballinger. That fivesome has posted a 9-1 record this season.
Outrebounding MSU Is A Rarity - Michigan State has outrebounded its opponent in 23 of 30 games this season, with Florida, Stanford, Purdue and Illinois being the only teams to better MSU on the boards, while the Spartans tied Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana once each. In 2000-01, MSU was outrebounded only once in 33 games. In 1999-2000, the Spartans were outrebounded in just two of 39 games. In 1998-99, MSU outrebounded the opposition in 35 of 38 games. This means that in the last three-plus seasons, MSU has outrebounded 127 of 141 (90.1 percent) teams. In Tom Izzo's tenure as head coach, the Spartans have won the battle of the boards in 197 of 231 (85.3 percent) games.
A Tough Schedule - The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on March 11 includes seven of MSU's 2001-02 opponents. The teams are No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 8 Arizona, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 14 Florida, No. 16 Illinois, No. 23 Stanford and No. 25 North Carolina State.
The 35 Percent Barrier - Michigan State has held nine opponents this season to less than 35 percent field-goal shooting. MSU is 9-0 when holding its opponent below 35 percent from the field, with all nine of those games being played at the Breslin Center.
Movin' On Up - Upon the Spartans return from the Pete Newell Challenge, the men's basketball staff moved into their new offices in the newly constructed Berkowitz Basketball Complex. The $8-million dollar project provides Michigan State with one of the finest basketball complexes in the nation. Included in the addition are offices for the coaching staff, a large video review room, a video workroom, a conference room and an additional auxiliary gymnasium.
Money From The Charity Stripe - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage, shooting 76.6 percent from the line. This total ranks sixth in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 3/4/02.)
Growing Up Quickly - MSU's success relies on contributions from three true freshmen. Through 30 games, the trio of Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert have combined to average 26.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists. The three have started a combined 57 games and are averaging a combined 76.8 minutes per game.
Wolfe Out For Season - Michigan State suffered a loss in January when the MSU Sports Medicine staff determined that a torn hamstring would keep sophomore forward Adam Wolfe out of action for the remainder of the season. Wolfe suffered the injury in the first half of the Penn State game (1/19). In 17 games this season, including seven starts, Wolfe averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. He shot 46.7 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line.
One Heck Of A Non-Conference Schedule - In its non-conference schedule, Michigan State played six ranked opponents, posting a 2-4 record against ranked teams, including wins over now No. 5 Oklahoma and then No. 6 Arizona. In addition, MSU also played a ranked Virginia team, before the game was suspended and eventually cancelled due to unsafe playing surface conditions. At one point in the second half vs. Virginia, MSU held a nine-point lead.
Freshmen Starters Under Izzo - Throughout his seven years as head coach, Tom Izzo has shown a willingness to put a freshman in the starting lineup. Consider the following freshmen who have all started under Izzo: Aloysius Anagonye (5 games), Alan Anderson (22 games), Charlie Bell (30 games), Mateen Cleaves (24 games), Doug Davis (1 game), A.J. Granger (7 games), Chris Hill (12 games), Andre Hutson (26 games), Jason Klein (10 games), Morris Peterson (18 games), Zach Randolph (8 games), Jason Richardson (3 games), Antonio Smith (20 games), Marcus Taylor (9 games), David Thomas (3 games) and Kelvin Torbert (25 games).
Getting Help From Football - Aaron Alexander made his debut on the basketball court in MSU's 71-44 win against Michigan. A reserve quarterback on the football squad, Alexander (6-5, 190) joined the basketball team the last week of January. In two minutes vs. Michigan, Alexander scored two points and grabbed two rebounds. Alexander's presence is a boost to a team that has been reduced to seven recruited scholarship players with Adam Wolfe's season-ending injury.
Streaks Snapped - Wisconsin's win at the Breslin Center on Jan. 12 snapped MSU's 53-game homecourt winning streak. The 53-game winning streak was the nation's longest active streak and a Big Ten record. MSU also dropped out of The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since January 1998, a span of 72 consecutive weeks ranked.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past three seasons, four 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 and Kelvin Torbert in 2001.
What I Did On Summer Vacation - Five Spartans plus head coach Tom Izzo spent part of their summer taking part in international basketball competition. Red-shirt sophomores Jason Andreas and Adam Wolfe were members of the Big Ten Foreign Tour team, where Wolfe led the squad in scoring (14.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Juniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger played on NYC Hoops coached by St. John's coach Mike Jarvis that competed in Greece against Olympic caliber competition. Finally, both sophomore Marcus Taylor and Tom Izzo represented USA Basketball in separate competitions. Taylor was a member of the gold-medal winning USA Young Men's World Championship team, averaging 5.7 points and 2.8 assists. Izzo was an assistant coach on the USA Basketball squad that won the gold medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Australia. In total, the six Spartans logged a combined 70,000 miles in international travel.
Home To Mr. Basketball - The last three 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 and Kelvin Torbert (Flint Northwestern HS) in 2001. Missing Parts - Missing from Michigan State's 2001 Big Ten Champion and Final Four squad are seven lettermen who accounted for 81 percent (2,068) of the points, 75 percent (1,046) of the rebounds and 76 percent (438) of the assists.
Spartans Keep Reloading - Michigan State signed four players to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period. Additionally, Matt Trannon signed a National Letter of Intent to play football for MSU on Feb. 6. He will also play basketball for the Spartans next season. As a whole, the class ranks among the best in the nation as FoxSports.com ranks the class No. 3, while CNNSI, ESPN.com and CBS Sportsline.com rank the group the fourth best class in the nation.
Maurice Ager (G, 6-4, 175, Detroit/Crockett High School) averaged 23 points, six rebounds and three assists as a junior, leading Crockett High School to a 23-3 record and a state championship in Class B. An all-state honoree, he is ranked as the No. 16 player in the nation by ESPN.com. Ager is also's Coach Izzo's first recruit from the Detroit Public School League.
Paul Davis (F, 6-10, 235, Rochester, Mich./Rochester High School) averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks as a junior and is a consensus top-10 player, including being ranked No. 3 by Bob Gibbons and FoxSports.com's Frank Burlison.
Rashi Johnson (G, 6-2, 195, Chicago/King High School/Mott Community College) averaged 17 points over eight games in the 2001 NJCAA Division II Tournament, leading Mott to an appearance in the national championship game. As a junior at Chicago King High School, he helped lead his team to the Chicago city championship. He is a combo-guard with excellent toughness.
Delco Rowley (F, 6-8, 235, Indianapolis/Arlington High School) is a very athletic and strong forward who earned first-team all-city and all-sectional honors as a junior. He is a preseason first-team all-state selection and is ranked No. 71 in the nation by Bob Gibbons.
Matt Trannon (F, 6-7, 215, Flint/Northern High School) was named the top high school athlete in the nation by Prep Spotlight after starring in both football and basketball at Flint Northern. As a senior wide receiver, Trannon caught 32 passes for 558 yards and nine touchdowns. On the basketball floor, Trannon averaged 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as a junior. Trannon is ranked as the No. 18 player in the nation by ESPN.com.
Spartans In The NBA - Michigan State led the Big Ten with nine players on opening day rosters in the NBA. Listed below is an update on eight former Spartans currently on NBA rosters. (Stats current through March 10.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 22 GP, 3.8 mpg, 1.7 ppg, 0.7 apg currently on injured list Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 46 GP, 30.1 mpg, 12.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 34 GP, 5.5 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 58 GP, 31.3 mpg, 13.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.0 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 62 GP, 29.6 mpg, 12.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 41 GP, 35.0 mpg, 10.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.3 apg Kevin Willis (Houston): 48 GP, 16.9 mpg, 6.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg
