Men's Basketball Faces Syracuse On The Road
1/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (5-5)at Syracuse (8-1)
January 3, 2004Noon ESTSyracuse, N.Y.Carrier Dome (33,000)
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
Michigan State opens the 2004 New Year with the final game of its one-of-a-kind non-conference schedule. Syracuse will be the fifth ranked non-conference opponent for MSU. Last season, the Spartans and Orangemen played a classic game in East Lansing, with Syracuse taking a one-point victory as MSU had three shots come up short in the final 10 seconds. The Spartans are coming off one of their best offensive efforts of the season as they shot a season-high 61.0 percent against Coppin State on Tuesday.
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Hill Against Syracuse - Including his record-setting game against Syracuse last season, Chris Hill has experienced success against the Orangemen. In two games, Hill has averaged 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 52.0 percent from three-point range. Last season, he scored a career-high 34 points, shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 10-of-18 from three-point range to set a Big Ten record for three-point field goals made, playing 39 minutes. As a freshman in the 2001 Preseason NIT, Hill scored 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-7 three-pointers, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out three assists.
Spartans Close In Defeat - In four of Michigan State's five losses, the Spartans have been within striking distance in the final minutes. Against Kansas, MSU trailed by four points with less than three minutes left. The Spartans pushed Oklahoma to overtime, and trailed by just two points in the final minute, scoring a tying basket only to have it waved off by a charging call. Against Kentucky, MSU trailed by two points in the final minute. At UCLA, the Spartans trailed by four points in the final minute.
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has used six different starting lineups through the first 10 games. The starting lineup of Chris Hill, Alan Anderson, Maurice Ager, Kelvin Torbert and Paul Davis is the most used 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 10 games, as nine different players have started at least one game.
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 965 points. He would need a career-high 35-point effort to reach the mark against Syracuse.
Andreas' 100th Game - The Syracuse game will mark the 100th game of Jason Andreas' Spartan career, the most among current Michigan State players. Andreas is the only player remaining from the 2000 NCAA Championship team.
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 five losses, however, MSU has averaged 18.8.
Game 10 Notes - MSU 78 - Coppin State 72 - Dec. 30, 2003
* With Paul Davis scoring 22 points and Kelvin Torbert adding 21, it marked the first time since Jan. 3, 2001, that two Spartans scored 20 or more points. In that game vs. Penn State, Charlie Bell scored 26 and Andre Hutson had 20.
* Davis, Torbert and Chris Hill combined for 61 of MSU's 78 points.
* Michigan State shot a season-high 61.0 percent from the field, including 70.8 percent (17-of-24) in the second half.
* Michigan State recorded assists on 18 of its 24 baskets.
* In the second half, the Spartans recorded 12 assists and just six turnovers.
* At 8:11 in the first half, the Spartans trailed by eight (24-16), which marked the largest deficit MSU has overcome to win a game in 2003-04.
Syracuse Notes
Coach Boeheim - Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, '66) is 661-227 in his 28th year as a head coach at Syracuse. With 661 wins he ranks 20th on the all-time coaches' win list.
Michigan State Vs. Syracuse Series Notes - Syracuse leads the all-time series, 8-7, including a 5-2 advantage in games played in Syracuse, N.Y. MSU has made just one trip to Syracuse since 1946, dropping a 75-67 contest on Dec. 3, 1977.
Recent Meetings - Although this year's game marks the 16th meeting between Syracuse and Michigan State, it is just the fifth game since 1946. This year's game, however, marks the fourth time the Spartans and Orangemen have met in the last five seasons. The teams met in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich. Syracuse led 34-24 at halftime, outshooting the Spartans, 53.8 percent to 33.3 percent. Early in the second half, the Orangemen extended the lead to 40-26, and with 15:14 remaining they held a 49-38 advantage. Michigan State, however, would finish the game on a 37-9 run. With 5:55, the score was tied at 58, before the Spartans closed the game on a 17-0 run to take a 75-58 victory. Morris Peterson scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, and A.J. Granger added 19. In 2001-02, the two squads met in the Preseason NIT semifinals, where Syracuse won, 69-58. The Orangemen turned 26 Spartan turnovers into 32 points. Syracuse held a 13-point lead early in the second half, but MSU rallied and tied the game at 54 with seven minutes remaining. The Spartans, however, turned the ball over nine times in the final seven minutes as the Orangemen closed the game on a 15-4 run. Last season, the two teams played to the final buzzer in the Breslin Center with Syracuse taking a 76-75 victory. The Orangemen held a 44-39 lead in a high-scoring first half. SU held the lead for most of the second half, but MSU kept it close, thanks in large part to Chris Hill's career-high 34 points and Big Ten record 10 three-pointers. Trailing by a single point, MSU had three shots to win in the final 10 seconds, but could not convert.
Orangemen Briefs - Syracuse has used the same starting lineup in all nine games this season ... Three Orangemen (Hakim Warrick, Gerry McNamara, Billy Edelin) average more than 32 minutes per game ... McNamara has made 30 three-pointers, while no other player has made more than three.
MSU Basketball Notes
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 47.2 percent from the field. Three of the last six Spartan opponents have shot at least 50 percent. 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.
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 .765 (186-of-243). In its last five games, MSU is shooting .807 (109-of-135).
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 five games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 17.8 points and 7.2 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. Most recently against Coppin State, he led the Spartans with 22 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field.
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 0-5 when trailing at the break. MSU is also 1-0 when tied at the half.
Spartan Opponents In The Rankings - Eight of Michigan State's opponents are currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25, including five non-conference opponents. These teams include No. 2 Duke, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Kansas, No. 17 Syracuse, No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 20 Illinois and No. 21 Purdue.
Bench Production - Through 10 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 248 of MSU's 714 points (34.7 percent).
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 14.8 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.1) and Kelvin Torbert (11.4). 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 is playing five ranked non-conference teams.
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.
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.
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 (189), fourth in career attempts (444) and sixth in career three-point field goal percentage (.426). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 72 of 76 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.
Spartans Spread Minutes - Fifteen different Spartans have seen game action this season, including nine averaging 8.5 minutes or more per contest. Six average 20 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (30.8 mpg) is the only one averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
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.
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.
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 277 games (82.7 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. Although Brandon Cotton (DePorres HS) finished second 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.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past five seasons, seven 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, Paul Davis in 2002 and Shannon Brown and Brandon Cotton in 2003.
