Men's Basketball Hits The Road To Face Iowa
1/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State Basketball#25/20 Michigan State (9-4, 1-0)vs. Iowa (9-3, 1-0)January 11, 20032:34 P.M. ESTCarver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500)Iowa City, Iowa
Michigan State Game Notes
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Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN Plus Regional - Larry Morgan (Play by Play), Eddie Fogler (Color)
The Opening Tip
Big Ten Road Warriors - Michigan State is well known for its dominance on its home floor. But it has been its strong performance on the road in conference play that has led to four Big Ten Championships in the last five seasons. From 1997-98 to 2001-02, the Spartans recorded a 27-13 mark away from home. Illinois and Ohio State are tied for second with 21 road victories over the last five years.
Game 13 Notes - Michigan State 66 - Ohio State 55
* Michigan State connected on its first 26 attempts from the free throw line and finished 29-of-30 from the line, just missing the Big Ten record of 25-of-25 set by Purdue in 1976 and again in 2001.
* Alan Anderson was 14-of-14 from the foul line, tying the fourth-best effort in MSU history.
* Alan Anderson finished with a career-high 18 points, while Maurice Ager also posted a career best with 15.
* The Spartans were outrebounded, 34-29, marking just the second time that has happened this season.
* Michigan State improved to 5-3 in Big Ten openers under Tom Izzo.
Ager's Impact - Freshman Maurice Ager is averaging 13.5 points over his last two games, scoring a team-best 12 points vs. Oklahoma and posting a season-high 15 points vs. Ohio State. He missed the first six games of the year with a stress fracture in his right foot and made his regular-season debut in front of 23,145 people against Kentucky in Lexington. 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. Ager also adds a perimeter threat as he has already attempted 13 three-pointers in five games, ranking third on the team. During practice on Christmas Day, Ager fainted and was taken to the hospital for two days of tests forcing him to miss the Jacksonville State and Toledo contests. This season, Ager has participated in about one-third of MSU's practices.
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 176-69 (.718), 83-34 (.709) 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.
Iowa Notes
Coach Alford - Steve Alford (Indiana, '87) is in fourth season as head coach at Iowa with a record of 65-47. Overall, he is in his 12th season as a head coach with a record of 221-124, with head coaching stints at Manchester (1991-95) and Southwest Missouri State (1995-99).
Spartans Vs. Hawkeyes - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 52-46. The Hawkeyes, however, hold a 29-18 advantage in games played in Iowa City. Dating back to 1997, the Spartans have won eight of the last nine games, including three of the last four in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Hawkeye Notes - Iowa snapped a 12-game Big Ten road losing streak with a 68-63 victory at Northwestern in the Big Ten opener on Wednesday ... the same five players have started all 12 Hawkeye games ... Jared Reiner ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game, including a career-best 16 vs. Northwestern ... just three of Iowa's 12 opponents have scored more than 65 points, with those three teams accounting for all of the Hawkeyes' losses ... Iowa leads the Big Ten with a +6.6 rebounding margin.
MSU Basketball Notes
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.
Ager Leads Bench Attack - When Maurice Ager is healthy and in the lineup, the Spartans have a much more potent bench. In the five games in which Ager has played, MSU is outscoring opponents by a combined +44 margin. By comparison, MSU's bench was outscored by a combined 34 points in the eight games that Ager missed.
Torbert's Breakout - Recently, Kelvin Torbert has shown flashes of the skills that made him the national high school player of the year coming out of Flint Northwestern High School. Over the last six games, he is MSU's second-leading scorer at 11.2 points per game. Over the last five games, he is averaging 5.8 rebounds per contest. He is also shooting better, connecting on 58.8 percent (20-of-34) of his shots over his last four games.
Spartans Hit Hard By Injuries - Injuries are a part of sports, but they usually don't hit a squad as hard they have attacked the Spartans this season. In fact, Michigan State has not had all 13 scholarship players healthy for a single practice or game this year. Maurice Ager (8), Rashi Johnson (6) and Adam Wolfe (8) have combined to miss 22 games, while several other Spartans have missed multiple practices throughout the year. While people understand the effect that missing games has on the team, the effect of missed practices is not as easy to comprehend. With a young Spartan team, practices are essential to developing continuity among teammates.
Anagonye's Emergence - As one of Michigan State's two scholarship seniors, Aloysius Anagonye is counted on for solid contributions in the post. Over the last three games, he is averaging 11.0 points. On the season, he leads MSU with 6.0 rebounds per game. In the last eight contests, he is shooting a remarkable 66.7 (26-of-39) from the field.
Dominating The Big Ten - Since the 1997-98, Michigan State has posted a 65-16 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .802. Illinois is the only other team to have as many as 50 conference wins over that same time period, posting a 52-29 mark. Michigan State was selected as the preseason favorite for the 2003 Big Ten Championship by both the league's media and coaches, prior to the start of the season.
Rebounding And Defense Key In Victories - Michigan State's defense and rebounding are two keys to its performance in any game. In MSU's nine wins, the Spartans are holding opponents to 38.0 percent shooting and own a rebound margin of +8.0. In the four losses, MSU opponents are shooting 46.0 percent, including 41.8 percent from long range. On the boards, the Spartans own just a +2.8 advantage in the defeats.
Wolfe's Return - Adam Wolfe appeared in the season opener vs. UNC Asheville in his first action since a Jan. 19 hamstring injury that left doubt as to whether he would ever play again. Due to inconsistency in his ability to practice in the days following the game, Wolfe underwent further rehabilitation, missing eight straight games. He returned to practice following the holiday break and played 12 minutes vs. Jacksonville State, scoring four points. Two days later, he scored five points vs. Toledo. Last season, Wolfe averaged 20.9 minutes, 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 17 contests.
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 74.9 percent (251-of-335). The difference is that the Spartans are averaging 25.8 attempts per game. This means the Spartans are scoring over five points a game more from the foul line this year. That is significant in that MSU lost five games last season by four points or less, including four in the Big Ten season.
Getting To The Charity Stripe, Part II - The Spartans have made more free throws (251) than their opponents have attempted (245). They also lead the Big Ten in free throws made and attempted (335).
Not Always Free - Although the Spartans are getting to the free throw line more this year, they have struggled to convert in recent games. Through the first seven games of the year, Michigan State shot 77.7 percent (122-of-157) to lead the Big Ten Conference. In the next five games, MSU shot 67.6 percent (100-of-148). The Spartans regained their shooting touch against Ohio State, hitting 29-of-30 attempts, including the first 26 of the game.
Too Many Turnovers - Turnovers have been a problem for Michigan State all season long. The Spartans are averaging 16.0 turnovers per game and have a negative turnover margin at -0.5. In two games this year, MSU has committed at least 20 turnovers, including 20 vs. Cleveland State and 21 vs. Jacksonville State. Considering that the Spartans are shooting .481 from the field, it is easy to see that they are costing themselves several points per game, while giving up easy scoring opportunities for opponents in transition.
Balanced Scoring - Chris Hill is leading Michigan State in scoring at 16.0 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 six points per game or more this season.
It's All About Boardwork - Through 13 games, the Spartans have a +6.4 rebounding margin to rank second in the Big Ten, outrebounding 10 of their 13 opponents and tying one other. 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.
Alan Of All Trades - Since returning from Alaska, Alan Anderson has been a steady contributor, 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 eight games, Anderson is averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists. This includes an 18-point, five-rebound effort vs. Ohio State.
Fast Starts - Michigan State has made a habit of jumping out to early leads over its opponents. Consider these game opening runs by the Spartans this season: 11-0 vs. UNC Asheville, 16-3 vs. Montana, 12-3 vs. Oklahoma State, 12-4 vs. Kentucky, 22-4 vs. South Florida, 12-3 vs. Jacksonville State.
From Way Downtown - In a year-and-a-half, Chris Hill has established himself as one of the finest shooters in Michigan State history. He currently ranks eighth on the MSU career list with 106 made three-pointers. His career three-point field-goal percentage of .445 ranks fourth in MSU history. This season, Hill is 40-of-90 (.444) from three-point range.
Hill Ranks Among Big Ten Leaders - The Big Ten Conference recognizes individual statistics in 12 categories, nine of which do not include rebounding. Chris Hill ranks in the top 10 in five of them, including eighth in assists (4.08 apg), second in steals (2.15 spg), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.444), second in three point field goals made (3.08) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29).
The Soft Touch - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .564 for his career (224-of-397), which ranks sixth in MSU history. Ballinger is shooting .531 (200-of-377), which ranks just outside the top 10.
Block Party - Senior Aloysius Anagonye ranks third on the MSU career blocked shots list with 76 rejections. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, is 10th on the career blocks chart with 60, just one short of Anthony Miller's 61 in ninth place.
The Breslin Experience - Although MSU's Big Ten-record 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped in 2002, the Breslin Center continues to be one of college basketball's great homecourt advantages. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 66 of its last 69 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .957. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 75 consecutive regular-season games.
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.
In The Polls - Michigan State is ranked 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Jan. 6. Four Spartan opponents are ranked, including No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 11 Illinois, No. 15 Indiana and No. 19 Kentucky. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Jan. 6, MSU is ranked 25th, while four opponents (No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Illinois, No. 15 Indiana and No. 18 Kentucky) 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 24 regular-season games televised (not including postseason). Of those 24, 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.
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 Jan. 5.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 3 GP, 3.7 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.3 apg, Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 34 GP, 36.9 mpg, 15.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 30 GP, 13.8 mpg, 7.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 32 GP, 34.1 mpg, 15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 26 GP, 24.4 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.7 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 33 GP, 37.8 mpg, 10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.0 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 29 GP, 11.3 mpg, 4.9 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.
