Men's Basketball Takes A Short Trip To Michigan
1/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State BasketballMichigan State (10-7, 2-3)vs. Michigan (12-6, 5-0)January 26, 20031:00 P.M. ESTCrisler Arena (13,751)Ann Arbor, Mich.
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: CBS - Gus Johnson (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
The Battle For Michigan - Michigan State travels to Michigan on Super Bowl Sunday for the only regular-season meeting between the teams this season. The Spartans are coming off an impressive defensive effort in a 70-36 victory over Penn State and hope the momentum carries over to their first Big Ten road win of the season. Michigan is riding a 12-game winning streak, having most recently defeated Minnesota, 75-63, on Wednesday.
Game 17 Notes - Michigan State 70 - Penn State 36
* Penn State's 36 points were: the fewest PSU had ever scored in a Big Ten game; the fewest by any team in a Big Ten game since MSU defeated Northwestern, 59-29, on January 27, 2000; the fewest points allowed by MSU since defeating Alabama State, 69-35, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
* Penn State's 11 first-half points were the fewest scored in the first half by a Spartan opponent since MSU held Ohio State to nine points on Feb. 7, 1996 in the Breslin Center.
* Michigan State committed a season-low nine turnovers.
* Chris Hill came off the Spartan bench for the first time this season, scoring a game-high 20 points and tying a career best with seven rebounds.
* Michigan State outrebounded Penn State by 11 boards (42-31). Entering the game, the Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in rebound margin (+5.0) in conference games.
* Penn State's 23.4 percent field-goal shooting (11-of-47) marked the lowest effort by a Spartan opponent this season.
* Six different Michigan State players finished with five or more rebounds.
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 177-72 (.711), 83-37 (.694) 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.
Michigan Notes
Coach Amaker - Tommy Amaker (Duke, '87) is in second season as head coach at Michigan with a record of 23-24. Prior to his arrival in Ann Arbor, he served as head coach at Seton Hall for four seasons from 1997-2001, posting a 68-55 record. Overall, he is 91-79 in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach.
Spartans Vs. Wolverines - Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 88-64. This includes a 53-25 Wolverine advantage in games played in Ann Arbor. Michigan State, however, has won the last eight games in the series, including three straight in Ann Arbor. Tom Izzo is 8-5 vs. Michigan, including 3-3 in Ann Arbor.
Izzo vs. Amaker - Tom Izzo is 2-0 in his career against Tommy Amaker. MSU defeated Amaker's Seton Hall squad, 72-57, on Dec. 19, 2000. Last season, the Spartans defeated the Wolverines, 71-44.
Wolverine Notes - Since losing its first six games of the season, Michigan has won 12 straight, marking its first 12-game winning streak since 1992-93 ... LaVell Blanchard, Bernard Robinson Jr. and Daniel Horton account for 64.6 percent of Michigan's scoring attack, averaging 46.2 points per game ... at 5-0 in the Big Ten, Michigan is off to its best start in conference play since 1976-77, when the Wolverines won their first eight conference games.
MSU Basketball Notes
For What It's Worth - Michigan State has a 2-0 record on Super Bowl Sunday. On Jan. 30, 2000, the Spartans defeated Illinois, 91-66, in East Lansing on the same day that St. Louis defeated Tennessee, 23-16, in Super Bowl XXXIV. Last year, MSU defeated Illinois, 67-61, in Champaign on Feb. 3, 2002, as New England defeated St. Louis, 20-17, in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Three-Point Attacks - Michigan and Michigan State are two of the best three-point shooting teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage in all games (.396) and conference games (.386). They are led by Chris Hill, who ranks fifth in all games (.453) and third in conference games (.467). Michigan ranks seventh in three-point shooting in all games (.351), but improves to second in conference action (.384). The Wolverines are led by LaVell Blanchard who ranks sixth in all games (.420) and second in conference games (.481). Defensively, Michigan State ranks second in conference games in three-point field goal percentage defense (.287), while Michigan ranks fifth (.311).
One Time Is A Rarity - For the second year in a row, Michigan State and Michigan will meet just once this season. Prior to last year, the Spartans and Wolverines had not met just once in any one season since 1970-71. In fact, since the Spartans joined the Big Ten for the 1951 season, this is just the 10th season that MSU and UM have met just once.
Solid Defense - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense in conference games, allowing opponents to shoot just 36.9 percent (93-of-252) from the field. This is even more impressive when you consider that numerous Spartan turnovers have led to easy transition baskets for opponents, not allowing MSU's defense to get set in the halfcourt. Most recently, Penn State shot just 23.4 percent from the field (11-of-47).
Little Things Make A Difference - The reason that turnovers and missed free throws are such a cause for concern is that Michigan State has had a legitimate chance of winning every game this year. The Spartans' seven losses have been by a combined 42 points, an average of 6.0 points per game. But the games have been even closer than that stat indicates. Against Villanova, the Spartans trailed by one point with three minutes remaining. In the Oklahoma State game, MSU led by six points with 4:47 left and by one point with 1:43 left. Against Toledo, the game was tied in the final minute, while MSU trailed by just one point with less than 20 seconds remaining vs. Oklahoma. Against Iowa, the Spartans had a one-point lead with under two minutes left and had the ball in a tie game with one minute remaining. In the Purdue contest, MSU was down by just three points with 1:13 remaining. Most recently, Michigan State trailed Minnesota, 69-65, with 1:48 remaining and possession of the ball.
Spartans Cold In Big Ten - Michigan State is shooting 38.2 percent (105-of-275) from the field in five Big Ten contests. This trend, however, is not likely to continue as Michigan State is a good shooting team as shown in the non-conference schedule where the Spartans shot 48.5 percent (293-of-604). Against Penn State, the Spartans started to break out of the slump, shooting 44.6 percent (25-of-56), including 54.2 percent in the second half (13-of-24).
A Tale Of Two Halves - In Michigan State's three Big Ten defeats, turnovers and suspect defense in the first half have created halftime deficits that have been too much to overcome despite second-half surges. In the first half vs. Iowa, the Spartans committed 12 turnovers, while the Hawkeyes shot 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the field en route to a nine-point halftime lead. In the second half, MSU committed just six turnovers and held Iowa to 34.8 percent (8-of-23) shooting, as the Spartans took a one-point lead with under two minutes left before losing 68-64. Against Purdue, MSU committed nine first-half turnovers as the Boilermakers shot 51.9 percent (13-of-27) en route to a 39-26 halftime lead. In the second half, the Spartans rallied and cut the Purdue lead to three points with 1:13 remaining, as MSU committed just five turnovers and held the Boilermakers to 26.3 percent (5-of-19) shooting from the field. Against Minnesota, the Spartans committed 11 first half turnovers, and although they allowed Minnesota to shoot just 41.9 percent (13-of-31) from the field, the Gophers did connect on 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) three-point field goals. In the second half, MSU committed just six turnovers and held Minnesota to 40.9 percent (9-of-22) shooting, including just 25.0 percent (3-of-12) from three-point range.
Ager's Impact - Over his last six games since returning to the Spartan lineup, freshman Maurice Ager is averaging 11.0 points, ranking second on the team. In Big Ten games, he is MSU's second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per contest. Ager 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 scored five points. Ager adds a perimeter threat as he has already attempted 28 three-pointers in nine games, ranking second on the team. During a Dec. 25 practice, Ager fainted and underwent two days of tests forcing him to miss the Jacksonville State and Toledo contests. This season, Ager has participated in just over one-third of MSU's practices.
Ager Leads Bench Attack - When Maurice Ager is healthy and in the lineup, the Spartans have a much more potent bench. In the nine games in which Ager has played, MSU's bench is outscoring the opponents' benches by a combined 105 points, an average of +11.7 per game. By comparison, MSU's bench was outscored by 34 points in the eight games that Ager missed, an average of -4.25 per contest.
Rebounding And Defense Key In Victories - Michigan State's defense and rebounding are two keys to its performance. In MSU's 10 wins, the Spartans are holding opponents to 36.7 percent shooting and own a rebound margin of +8.3. In the seven losses, MSU opponents are shooting 44.4 percent, including 37.5 percent from long range. On the boards, the Spartans own a +4.7 advantage in the defeats.
Turnover Margin Critical - With Michigan State committing a large number of turnovers, turnover margin is a key indicator of MSU's chances of victory. The Spartans are 7-1 when committing the same number or fewer turnovers than their opponents. However, they are just 3-6 when committing more turnovers.
It's All About Boardwork - Through 17 games, the Spartans have a +6.8 rebounding margin to lead the Big Ten, outrebounding 13 of their 17 opponents and tying two others. Recently, the Spartans have posted two of their best efforts on the board, outrebounding Minnesota by nine (48-39) and Penn State by 11 (42-31). 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.
Torbert's Breakout - Since recovering from ankle surgery that forced him to miss most of MSU's preseason practices, 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 nine games, he is MSU's second-leading scorer at 9.8 points per game, while averaging 5.3 rebounds per contest.
Shooting For Seventy - The 70-point barrier seems to be an important one for Michigan State's offense. The Spartans are 7-2 when scoring 70 points or more, but just 3-5 when failing to reach 70 points.
Too Many Turnovers - Turnovers have been a problem for Michigan State all season long. The Spartans are averaging 15.6 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 .453 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. Against Penn State, however, MSU committed a season-low nine turnovers.
The Soft Touch - Senior Aloysius Anagonye is among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .556 for his career (234-of-421), which ranks eighth in MSU history.
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. Since the 1997-98 Big Ten season, the Spartans have recorded a 27-16 mark away from home in conference games. Illinois is second with 22 conference road victories over the last five-plus years. (Stats through games of Jan. 22.)
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's Jan. 16 practice marked the first time this season that all 13 scholarship players participated in the same practice, only to see Paul Davis injured in that practice. The Jan. 18 Minnesota game was the first contest in which all 12 non-redshirting scholarship players participated, although Davis' ankle injury limited him to four minutes. Maurice Ager (8), Rashi Johnson (9) and Adam Wolfe (8) have combined to miss 25 games due to injury, 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.
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 72.9 percent (309-of-424). The difference is that the Spartans are averaging 24.9 attempts per game. This means the Spartans are scoring nearly four 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.
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 last 10 games, MSU has shot 70.0 percent (187-of-267). This includes a 29-of-30 effort vs. Ohio State. If the OSU contest is not included, MSU is shooting 66.7 percent (158-237) over nine of the last 10 games. In the Spartans' seven defeats, they are shooting 71.8 percent (122-of-170) from the line, compared to 73.6 percent (187-of-254) in the 10 victories.
Big Al - As one of Michigan State's two scholarship seniors, Aloysius Anagonye is counted on for solid contributions in the post. Over the last eight games, he is averaging 9.4 points. On the season, he leads MSU with 6.2 rebounds per game, while leading the Big Ten with a 59.6 field goal percentage (53-of-89).
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 67 of its last 70 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .957. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 76 consecutive regular-season games.
Looking For A Second Option - Chris Hill is leading Michigan State in scoring at 14.9 points per game. No other Spartans, however, are averaging double-figures. 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 eight players averaging at least 5.5 points per game or more this season and five averaging at least 8.3 or more.
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.
Dominating The Big Ten - Since the 1997-98 season, Michigan State has posted a 66-19 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .776. Illinois has the second-best record over that same time period, posting a 54-31 mark. (Records through games of Jan. 22.) 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.
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 119 made three-pointers. His career three-point field-goal percentage of .449 ranks third in MSU history. This season, Hill is 53-of-117 (.453) from three-point range and 25-of-55 (.455) from inside the arc.
Wolfe's Return - Adam Wolfe appeared in the season opener vs. UNC Asheville in his first action since a Jan. 19, 2002, 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 has played in five of the last six games. Last season, Wolfe averaged 20.9 minutes, 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 17 contests.
Hill Ranks Among Big Ten Leaders - Chris Hill ranks in the top 10 in of six Big Ten statistical categories (all games), including ninth in scoring (14.9 ppg), eighth in assists (3.94 apg), second in steals (2.00 spg), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.453), first in three point field goals made (3.12) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34). (Stats through games of Jan. 22.)
Block Party - Senior Aloysius Anagonye ranks third on the MSU career blocked shots list with 78 rejections. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, ranks ninth on the career blocks chart with 62.
Coaching Consistency - One of the keys to MSU's success is continuity on the coaching staff. The four members of the 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.
Ranked Opponents - Five Spartan opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Jan. 20, including No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 10 Kentucky, No. 15 Illinois, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Oklahoma State. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Jan. 20, five opponents including No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Indiana and No. 18 Illinois are ranked.
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.
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.
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. 19.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 6 GP, 4.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.8 apg, Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 41 GP, 37.7 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 36 GP, 13.9 mpg, 7.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 39 GP, 32.8 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 31 GP, 23.7 mpg, 8.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.6 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 40 GP, 38.3 mpg, 11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.9 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 32 GP, 11.2 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Spartans Keep Reloading - Michigan State signed three players to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period. The class is a consensus top-five class, including a No. 4 ranking from recruiting analyst Dave Telep.
Shannon Brown (G, 6-3, 190, Maywood, Ill./Proviso East) is the consensus pick as the No. 1 shooting guard in the nation. As a junior, he averaged 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals en route to earning first-team all-state honors. Overall, Dave Telep and Bob Gibbons have him ranked as the No. 9 player in the nation.
Brandon Cotton (G, 6-0, 170, Detroit/DePorres) averaged 28.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior. He earned Class C All-State and All-Detroit honors from both the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. Cotton is ranked the No. 17 player in the nation and No. 3 point guard in the country by PrepStars.com. Cotton led DePorres to a 17-4 record and a Catholic AA Division title.
Drew Naymick (C, 6-10, 235, Muskegon/North Muskegon) averaged 21.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.4 blocks as a junior, earning Class C All-State honors. He also shot a remarkable 70.6 percent from the field. Over the summer, he gained significant national experience while playing at the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival (with Brown and Cotton) and participating at the Nike Camp where he was named to Dave Telep's All-Nike Camp team.
