Men's Basketball To Face Indiana In Big Ten Tournament
3/5/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2002
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EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002 Big Ten TournamentMichigan State (19-10)vs. Indiana (19-10)March 8, 200211:30 a.m. ESTConseco Fieldhouse (18,345)Indianapolis, Ind.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN2 - Dave Barnett (Play by Play), Quinn Buckner (Color).
Michigan State Game Notes
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NOTE OF THE TOURNAMENT
MSU In The Big Ten Tournament - Michigan State journeys to Indianapolis in search of its third Big Ten Tournament Championship in five years. In four years of the Big Ten Tournament, MSU has a record of 6-2. The Spartans won the tournament in 1999 and 2000, and lost in the quarterfinals in 1998 and 2001. (For complete results, records and box scores for Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament, see pages 230-232 in the MSU Media Guide.)
TWO NOTES NO MEDIA PERSON SHOULD BE WITHOUT
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 27 games, he has led the team in scoring 18 times and assists in 25 games.
MSU's Month - Over the last four seasons, including this year, Michigan State has a 24-3 record in the month of March. For his career, Tom Izzo is 31-10 in March.
TOM IZZO NOTES
Coach Izzo - In his seventh year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 167-63 (.726), 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 24-7 record in postseason play, including a 6-2 mark in the Big Ten Tournament.
Izzo Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo is 43-32 against foes ranked in the AP Top 25. This includes wins in 31 of MSU's last 42 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.
MSU BASKETBALL NOTES
Spartans vs. Hoosiers - Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 59-37. Although this is the 97th meeting between the two teams, it will be just the second neutral court meeting for the Spartans and Hoosiers. In 1978, they played in the Far West Classic in Portland, Ore., with MSU taking a 74-57 victory. The two teams have never met in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan State has won six of the last nine games in the series.
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.
Exclusive Company - According to the most recent Sagarin Ratings (March 4), Michigan State is one of just five teams with six or more victories against teams ranked in the top 30. This elite list of teams includes Kansas, Oregon, Arizona and UCLA.
Spartans On A Roll - Michigan State is finishing the season on a strong note, having won eight of its last 10 games and 10 of its last 13.
Breakout Offensive Performance - Marcus Taylor's 34 points vs. Iowa marked the most by a Spartan since Mateen Cleaves scored 34 points vs. Northwestern on Jan. 31, 1998. After scoring 32 points at Ohio State, Taylor is 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. The last Spartan to score 30 or more in three straight games was Scott Skiles in March of 1986. For his efforts, Marcus Taylor was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 4.
Hill's Homecoming - MSU freshman Chris Hill will be performing in his hometown at the Big Ten Tournament. The Indianapolis native was a 2001 all-state honoree at Lawrence North High School, leading his team to a No. 3 ranking in Class 4A and county, sectional and regional championships. Hill's current teammate, junior forward Adam Ballinger, also hails from the Hoosier State. A Bluffton, Ind., native, Ballinger earned all-state honors as a senior at Bluffton High School, while also leading his team to a No. 3 ranking in the state.
Conseco Experience - Michigan State has never played at Conseco Fieldhouse, but one member of the team does have some playing experience at the facility. Freshman Chris Hill scored 16 points to lead the Indiana All-Stars over the Kentucky All-Stars at Conseco Fieldhouse this past summer.
Taking Care Of The Ball - Michigan State's five-game winning streak is attributable to many factors. One of the main reasons has been the Spartans' ability to take care of the ball. In the last five games, MSU is averaging just 11.8 turnovers per game, with a turnover margin of -1.8. On the season, the Spartans are averaging 14.7 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.
Taylor-Made - Marcus Taylor has raised his level of play a notch during MSU's current five-game winning streak. Over the last five games, he is averaging 22.6 points and 6.0 assists, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.3-to-1. Against Purdue, 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, finishing with 16 points, eight assists and no turnovers. On the road at Ohio State, 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, Taylor scored a career-best 34 points, while tying a career high with nine assists.
Quality Wins Starting To Pile Up - Michigan State's 19-10 record includes some very impressive victories with six wins over teams ranked in the RPI Top 20. In the non-conference schedule, the Spartans defeated Oklahoma (No. 5), and Arizona (No. 7). In the Big Ten, MSU recorded road victories at Illinois (No. 9) and Ohio State (No. 20) and home wins over Ohio State (No. 20) and Indiana (No. 16). MSU is currently ranked 30th. (Ratings according to Collegerpi.com, updated March 4.)
Fond Memories Of Indy - Michigan State is making its first trip to Indianapolis since it won the 2000 NCAA Championship at the RCA Dome.
Hill Sets Freshman Records - Through 29 games, freshman Chris Hill is 61-of-136 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 of 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.
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 - Over the course of the season, Michigan State's young squad 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 entire 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.
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 17-5.
Beating The Best - Michigan State has a 6-5 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 4-1 against ranked teams in Big Ten action.
Marcus' Minutes - Marcus Taylor is currently averaging 34.1 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 34.7 minutes per game, the most by a Spartan since Steve Smith averaged 37.8 minutes as a senior in 1990-91.
MSU's Best Defense In Nearly Half A Century - Michigan State is allowing opposing teams to shoot just 39.1 percent from the floor. Not only is this the best field-goal percentage defense under Izzo, it's also the lowest total since the 1958-59 squad allowed opponents to shoot 37.9 percent from the field.
Straight Shooters - This year's Spartan squad may be the best group of shooters that Tom Izzo has coached. Over the past 14 games, MSU is shooting 48.3 percent from the field. The Spartans have shot 50 percent or better in six of their last 11 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 23 games this season. When he starts, Ballinger averages 12.0 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds. As a whole, the Spartan offense benefits from his presence, averaging 71.5 points and recording a 17-6 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 39.1 percent from the field, ranking eighth in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 2/25/02.) In Big Ten games, the Spartans rank fourth in field-goal percentage defense, 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 87.4 (43.7%) minutes are played by freshmen. Chris Hill's 26.8 minutes are the fourth most by any freshman in the league. Kelvin Torbert's 25.3 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.
Halfway To 1,000 - With 673 career points, Taylor is the only current Spartan with over 500 career points. Aloysius Anagonye is the closest with 486 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 11.2 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 10 losses, the Spartans are averaging 16.2 turnovers with a turnover margin of -6.4, compared to just 13.8 turnovers and a margin of -2.2 in the team's 19 wins. For the season, MSU is averaging 14.7 turnovers per contest. The Spartans rank 11th in the Big Ten with a turnover margin of -3.66.
The Magic Lineup - With so many injuries this season, the Spartans have featured several different starting lineups, nine 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 9-0 record this season.
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.
A Tough Schedule - The ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on March 4 includes seven of MSU's 2001-02 opponents. The teams are No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 12 Florida, No. 14 Arizona, No. 15 Illinois, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Stanford and No. 22 Indiana.
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.
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.
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 +8.2 margin to lead the Big Ten for a fifth-straight year and rank sixth in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 2/25/02.)
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.
Outrebounding MSU Is A Rarity - Michigan State has outrebounded its opponent in 23 of 29 games this season, with Florida, Stanford, Purdue and Illinois being the only teams to better MSU on the boards, while the Spartans tied Iowa and Ohio State in Columbus. 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 140 (90.7 percent) teams. In Tom Izzo's tenure as head coach, the Spartans have won the battle of the boards in 197 of 230 (85.7 percent) games.
Money From The Charity Stripe - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage, shooting 77.0 percent from the line. This total ranks third in the nation. (NCAA Stats as of 2/25/02.)
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.
Doing So Much More Than Before - In addition to playing three true freshmen and one redshirt freshman, the Spartans are counting on other players to play a much larger role than they have in the past. Every returning Spartan has scored more points this year than any previous season.
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.
Growing Up Quickly - MSU's success relies on contributions from three true freshmen. Through 29 games, the trio of Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert have combined to average 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists. The three have started a combined 55 games and are averaging a combined 77.0 minutes per contest.
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 (21 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 (24 games).
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 2.)
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): 41 GP, 30.9 mpg, 12.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 33 GP, 5.6 mpg, 2.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 56 GP, 31.1 mpg, 13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.9 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 58 GP, 30.0 mpg, 11.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 36 GP, 34.8 mpg, 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.3 apg Kevin Willis (Houston): 45 GP, 17.2 mpg, 6.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg
