Spartans Host Nittany Lions In Big Ten Home Opener
1/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (5-7, 0-1)vs. Penn State (8-5, 2-0)
January 14, 20048 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.Breslin Center (14,759)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM) TV: ESPN Plus Local - Mike Gleason (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Opening Tip
Michigan State hosts Penn State in the Spartans' Big Ten home opener. The Nittany Lions are one of the early surprises of the Big Ten season, standing atop the conference standings as one of just two undefeated teams in league play after one week. MSU is 5-1 at home this season, but has played just one game at the Breslin Center since Dec. 17. Last season, MSU was 8-0 at home in Big Ten action.
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Strength Of Schedule - Michigan State's schedule has been discussed as the most difficult slate in the nation and the figures back that up. According to CollegeRPI.com (as of Jan. 12), MSU's strength of schedule is ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Alabama. The Spartans, however, have played a top-heavy schedule with six ranked opponents, compared to three for the Crimson Tide.
Hill Approaching 1,000 - Chris Hill will soon become the 31st player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 points in his career. Hill currently stands at 994 points, needing just six points against Penn State to reach 1,000.
Big Ten Home Openers - Over the past 53 seasons, Michigan State has posted a 34-19 in Big Ten home openers. Tom Izzo is 6-2 in the first conference game played in East Lansing.
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense is starting to click. In the last three games, MSU is averaging 75.0 points while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from three-point range and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line. MSU is also averaging 17.3 assists per contest. Much of the success can be attributed to large amounts of practice time allowing MSU to concentrate on itself rather than exclusively on its next opponent.
Hill Heating Up - One of the best shooters in the game, Chris Hill has been in a zone recently. Over the last three games, Hill is shooting .571 (16-of-28) from the field and .571 (12-of-21) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.473).
Freshman Starters Under Izzo - Tom Izzo has shown a willingness to put a freshman in the starting lineup throughout his career. This season, Shannon Brown has started seven games. Other MSU freshmen who started include: Maurice Ager (4 games), Aloysius Anagonye (5 games), Alan Anderson (23 games), Charlie Bell (30 games), Mateen Cleaves (24 games), Doug Davis (1 game), Paul Davis (5 games), A.J. Granger (7 games), Chris Hill (12 games), Andre Hutson (26 games), Jason Klein (10 games), Erazem Lorbek (16 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 (26 games).
Game 12 Notes - Wisconsin 77 - MSU 64 - Jan. 10, 2004
* Michigan State opened the game with a 17-5 run through the first 4:57, making its first eight shots.
* MSU shot 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free throw line.
* Michigan State shot just 13 free throws compared to Wisconsin's 35.
* Seven of MSU's 17 turnovers came in the final six minutes of the first half.
* MSU went from the 15:03 mark of the first half until 8:26 without scoring.
Penn State Notes
Coach DeChellis - Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 113-98 in his eighth year as a college head coach, including an 8-5 mark in his first season at his alma mater. DeChellis previously served as head coach at East Tennessee State for seven seasons, leading the Buccaneers to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State Vs. Penn State Series Notes - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 18-3. The Spartans hold a 12-0 advantage in games played in East Lansing. MSU has won 10 of the last 11 meetings, with Penn State's only win in that stretch coming in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. Penn State's three wins in the series have been by a combined total of seven points. Last year's 70-36 victory for MSU marked the largest margin of victory in the series' history.
Nittany Lion Briefs - Just six Penn State players are averaging more than seven minutes per game ... After opening the season with a 3-4 mark, Penn State has won five of its last six games ... Penn State has opened the Big Ten season with a 2-0 record for just the second time in school history and the first time since January 1996 when the Nittany Lions opened the Big Ten with four straight wins.
MSU Basketball Notes
Spartan Great Earns NCAA Award - Former Michigan State All-American Greg Kelser was one of six recipients of the 2004 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, presented annually to former student-athletes who have distinguished themselves since completing their collegiate careers. Kelser was an All-American and Academic All-American in 1979 as the Spartans won the NCAA Championship. After an NBA career, Kelser got involved in broadcasting both college basketball and the NBA. He is also heavily involved with community service projects.
Spartans Look To Sure Up Defense - One of Michigan State's top priorities is solidifying its field-goal defense. This season, opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 48.8 percent from the field. Five of the last eight Spartan opponents have shot at least 50 percent, with two topping the 60 percent mark. By comparison, MSU held its opponents to 40.3 percent shooting last season to rank second in the Big Ten, and allowed just four opponents to shoot 50 percent.
Turnovers Critical - MSU stands a better chance of winning when it takes care of the ball. In their five wins, the Spartans are averaging 13.6 turnovers. In the seven losses, however, MSU has averaged 17.7.
Money At The Charity Stripe - Michigan State is shooting well as a team from the free throw line. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in free-throw percentage at .777 (213-of-274). In its last seven games, MSU is shooting .819 (136-of-166).
Preseason Favorites - Michigan State was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Conference by both the league's media and coaches. This is the second year in a row and the fifth time in the last six years that MSU has been selected as the preseason favorite.
Davis Emerging - Paul Davis scored in double figures in the first two games of the season. In the three contests that followed he was held under 10 points. In the last seven games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 17.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. Against Oklahoma, he played 44 of 45 minutes, scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. In the game with Kentucky, he scored a career-best 24 points, including shooting 14-of-14 from the foul line, while collecting eight rebounds, five on the offensive boards. He recorded his first career double-double vs. South Florida with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Against UCLA, Davis finished with 14 points and five rebounds, playing just 25 minutes due to foul problems. Against Coppin State, he led the Spartans with 22 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. At Syracuse, Davis led the team with 21 points, scoring MSU's first 10 points in the second half. Against Wisconsin, Davis was held to just 12 points, playing just 22 minutes due to foul trouble.
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has used seven different starting lineups through the first 12 games. The starting lineup of Chris Hill, Alan Anderson, Maurice Ager, Kelvin Torbert and Paul Davis is the most common lineup, posting a 2-1 record in three starts, although it has not been used since Dec. 3. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 12 games, as nine different players have started at least one game.
Halftime Lead Is An Indicator - The halftime score has been a good indicator of the outcome of MSU's games this season. The Spartans are a perfect 4-0 when entering the half with a lead, but are 0-7 when trailing at the break. MSU is also 1-0 when tied at the half.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State's offense has many different weapons as three Spartans currently average double figures in scoring. Paul Davis leads the way with 15.1 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.3) and Kelvin Torbert (11.3). To contrast, Hill was the only Spartan who finished last season averaging double figures at 13.7.
BasketBowl Breaks Attendance Record - A world-record crowd of 78,129 attended "The BasketBowl" between Michigan State and Kentucky on Dec. 13, 2003, at Detroit's Ford Field. The attendance total shattered the previous record of 75,000 held by the Harlem Globetrotters during a 1951 exhibition game in Berlin, Germany. The previous NCAA record was 68,112 for a game between Louisiana State and Notre Dame on Jan. 20, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome. The largest crowd ever to watch a Michigan State game prior to The BasketBowl was 45,406 at the 2001 Final Four in Minneapolis.
Sustained Excellence - The mark of an elite program is sustaining excellence over time and doing it against top-flight competition. There are 13 programs that amassed 125 or more victories between 1998-99 and 2002-03. Michigan State is third on that list with 134 victories. However, MSU is also the team most willing to play top-notch competition, ranking first with 59 games against ranked opponents, while winning a nation's best 38. Michigan State and Kentucky are tied with 21 games in the regular-season against non-conference ranked teams. A look deeper into the numbers shows that of those 21 games for MSU, 13 were against top-10 teams. (Rankings based on The Associated Press Top 25 poll at the date the game was played.) This season, Michigan State played five ranked non-conference teams.
Bench Production - Through 12 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 283 of MSU's 874 points (32.4 percent).
One-Of-A-Kind Schedule - Michigan State's 2003-04 schedule is heading into uncharted waters. No team has ever played Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and UCLA during the same regular season. Add Oklahoma to that group and you have one of the greatest schedules of all-time.
Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best three-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks third in career three-point field goals made (196), tied for second in career attempts (457) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.429). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 74 of 78 games in his career.
Playing The Best - Michigan State's 2003-04 schedule has the opportunity to go down as one of the greatest in college basketball history. Opponents on this year's slate have combined for 32 National Championships, 406 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven of the 11 all-time winningest programs, five of the six all-time winningest Final Four teams, eight 2003 conference champions and 14 2003 postseason teams (10 NCAA Tournament and four NIT).
Returning Talent - The Spartans return five of their top six scorers from last year's squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, 71.6 percent of their scoring and 70.7 percent of their minutes played.
Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime - This year's Spartan schedule is just the latest in Tom Izzo's trend to play the best teams across the country. Consider the squads that have appeared on MSU's schedule under Izzo: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Stanford, Syracuse, Temple, Texas, UCLA and Virginia.
What To Wear - Michigan State has worn four different jerseys this season. In addition to their normal white home and green road jerseys, the Spartans have two alternate uniforms. This is the third straight season the Spartans have worn the 1979 throw-back-uniform featuring a script "State" across the chest and shorts with a basketball on the right leg. In honor of the Silver Anniversary of the 1979 NCAA Championship team, MSU wore a silver version of its home uniform against Duke.
Spartans Spread Minutes - Fifteen different Spartans have seen game action this season, including nine averaging 8.4 minutes or more per contest. Six average 20 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (31.5 mpg) is the only one averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
Breslin Success - Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 78 of its last 83 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .940. In addition, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 89 consecutive games.
Davis And Hill Earn Individual Honors - Junior guard Chris Hill and sophomore center Paul Davis were both selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team as selected by the league's coaches. Hill also earned a spot on the media's all-conference team. Davis is the only non-guard to earn a spot on either team, while no seniors were honored. Davis and Hill were also named John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-Americans in August and Naismith Award candidates in November.
Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Ten Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last three years, including five each in 2001 and 2003. MSU entered the fall semester with a cumulative grade point average of 3.04.
It's All About Boardwork - Michigan State has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin for six straight seasons, including leading the nation in both 2000 (+11.7) and 2001 (+15.4). In Tom Izzo's nine years as head coach, MSU has outrebounded its opponent in 229 of 279 games (82.1 percent).
U-S-A, U-S-A - Four Spartans had the opportunity to represent their country in international competition over the summer. Sophomores Maurice Ager and Paul Davis played for the USA Basketball Junior World Championship Team that posted a 7-1 mark in Greece. Davis was the squad's leading scorer (17.7 ppg) and rebounder (8.7 rpg). Junior Chris Hill was a member of the USA Basketball Pan American Games Team in the Dominican Republic with Tom Izzo serving as head coach.
Home To Mr. Basketball - Four of the last five recipients of Michigan's Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have 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. In 2003, Shannon Brown (Proviso East HS) captured Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award.
Statue Specifics - The statue honoring Earvin "Magic" Johnson was unveiled on Nov. 1. The structure, entitled "Always A Champion," symbolizes Johnson's championships at the high school, collegiate, NBA and Olympic levels with a statue of his body erupting from four abstract figures. The total height of the structure and base is approximately 12-feet tall, with the actual statue of Johnson less than 9 feet tall. The cost of the project is approximately $250,000 and is funded entirely through private donations. In the sculpture, Johnson is looking up the court with the basketball in one hand and is directing his teammates with the other hand, all of which were attributes that made him one of the greatest basketball players of all time and the man who made "triple-double" part of the basketball vocabulary. The statue was designed by sculptor Omri Amrany from the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany, based in Highland Park, Ill. Amrany's previous works include the Michael Jordan statue in front of Chicago's United Center, a Harry Caray statue at the entrance to Chicago's Wrigley Field and six statues of great Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Most recently, he's completed statues of Vince Lombardi and Earl "Curly" Lambeau at Green Bay's Lambeau Field and a statue of Al McGuire at Marquette.
