Spartans And Boilermakers Meet In Contest For First Place
1/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (8-7, 3-1)at #23/23 Purdue (13-4, 3-1)
January 25, 20042 p.m. ESTWest Lafayette, Ind.Mackey Arena (14,123)
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 travels to Purdue in a battle for first place in the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans and Boilermakers are two of four teams sitting atop the league standings with a 3-1 record. Purdue will be playing its third straight Big Ten home game, while Michigan State is playing the second of three straight road games. The Spartans enter the game riding their first three-game winning streak of the season, having captured their first road win of the season on Wednesday at Northwestern.
The Starting Five
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense is starting to click. In the last six games, MSU is averaging 74.2 points while shooting 54.4 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from three point range and 76.7 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 16.0 assists per contest.
Hitting The Glass - Over the last three games, Michigan State is rebounding much better. Against Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern, the Spartans have recorded a +9.3 margin. On the season, MSU is eighth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +2.3, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans rank second at +6.2.
Torbert's Improved Shooting - Kelvin Torbert entered his junior season as a career 41.1 percent shooter. This season, his shooting is much improved, as he is shooting 56.0 percent from the field. In conference games, he leads the Big Ten at 77.8 percent. On the year, he is shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years.
Ager Explodes - Maurice Ager erupted for a career-best 24 points against Northwestern, including 22 in the first half, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-6 from three-point range. Those close to the program knew it was just a matter of time before Ager had a big game. In the second game of the season, Ager scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting at Kansas. That game, however, was Ager's only double-figure scoring effort of the first 10 games, as he was shooting just 28.4 percent from the field. Over the last five games, he has shown improvement, shooting 48.9 percent and averaging 13.2 points. In addition to his 24 points vs. Northwestern, Ager scored 14 at Syracuse, 10 against Penn State and nine against both Wisconsin and Michigan. Ager has also improved other areas of his game, averaging 4.2 rebounds in his last five games, including a team-best eight boards vs. Michigan, while also being one of MSU's most improved defensive players.
MSU In Offensive Rankings -
The latest Big Ten statistics show that Michigan State is one of the best offensive teams in the conference. The Spartans lead the conference in field goal percentage (.474) and three-point field goal percentage (.381) in all games. In conference games, the numbers are even more impressive as MSU is shooting a league best 55.9 percent from the field, including a conference best 50.0 percent from behind the arc. In addition, MSU leads the league in free throw percentage (.769) in all games and ranks second (.781) in conference games.
Game 15 Notes - MSU 73 - Northwestern 61 - Jan. 21, 2004
* Maurice Ager scored a career-high 24 points, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-6 from three point range.
* Ager's 22 first-half points marked the first time that a Spartan had scored at least 20 points in a half since Marcus Taylor scored 22 in the second half against Iowa on March 2, 2002.
* Michigan State's 61.4 percent shooting was a season-best effort.
* Michigan State outscored Northwestern, 14-0, in second-chance points.
* Paul Davis scored 11 of his 14 points and grabbed five of his seven rebounds in the second half.
* Kelvin Torbert scored all 10 of his points in the the second half.
* Michigan State scored 27 of its 42 first-half points on three-point field goals, but none in the second half.
Purdue Notes
Coach Keady - Gene Keady (Kansas State, '58) is 539-258 in his 26th season as a collegiate head coach. In his 24th year at Purdue, he has posted a 501-239 mark. Keady is the only Big Ten head coach to have a longer tenure at his current school than Tom Izzo.
Michigan State Vs. Purdue Series Notes - Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 58-37, including a 35-13 advantage in West Lafayette. The Spartans, however, have won the last two games in the series and eight of the last 11, including three of the last five in Mackey Arena.
Boilermaker Briefs - Purdue is 7-1 at home this season, with its lone loss being a 60-59 defeat against SMU ... Kenneth Lowe is leading the Big Ten in free throw shooting (87.6 percent) ... The Boilermakers have seven different players averaging at least 17 minutes per contest ... Purdue defeated Duke, 78-68, in the championship game of the 2003 Great Alaska Shootout, handing the top-ranked Blue Devils their only loss of the season ... Purdue leads the Big Ten conference in field-goal percentage defense in league games, holding opponents to 38.9 percent shooting from the field.
MSU Basketball Notes
Hill Heating Up - One of the best shooters in the game, Chris Hill has been in a zone recently. Over the last six games, Hill is shooting .566 (30-of-53) from the field and .553 (21-of-38) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.484) and ranks seventh in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.477 as of 1/19).
Shutting Down The Leading Scorer - In two of its last three victories, Michigan State has done a remarkable job shutting down the opponent's leading scorer. Against Penn State, MSU held Jan Jagla to two points on 1-of-8 shooting. Jagla entered the game averaging 17.4 points. Michigan's Bernard Robinson Jr. scored just five points on 2-of-8 shooting, well below his 14.2 points per game average. Most recently, Northwestern's Jitim Young scored 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting. He had been averaging 18.0 points and scored 11 of his points in the second half, after MSU led by 17 at the break.
Cleaves On Silver Anniversary Team - Three-time MSU All-American Mateen Cleaves was selected to ESPN's Big Ten Silver Anniversary Team. ESPN, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is honoring players who have played since the network started televising college basketball during the 1979-80 season. Minnesota's Kevin McHale, Ohio State's Jim Jackson, Purdue's Glenn Robinson and Indiana's Steve Alford round out the squad. Cleaves led MSU to the NCAA Championship in 2000 and finished his career with 1,541 points (10th all-time at MSU) and a Big Ten record 816 assists.
Spartans Look To Tighten Up Defense - MSU has recently cranked up the defensive intensity, holding its last three opponents to 40.0 percent shooting, including limiting Michigan to 36.2 percent shooting, a season-low for Spartan opponents. This is a dramatic improvement from the first part of the season. This season, opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 47.2 percent from the field, but that total is down from 48.8 percent on Jan. 11. Before the last three games, five of the prior seven Spartan opponents had 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.
Davis Earns Weekly Honor - Sophomore Paul Davis earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Jan. 19 after averaging 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two Spartan victories over Penn State and Michigan. After recording 10 points and eight rebounds vs. Penn State, he scored 22 points and added seven rebounds vs. the Wolverines. On the week, Davis shot 52.6 percent from the field.
Turnovers Critical - MSU stands a better chance of winning when it takes care of the ball. In their eight wins, the Spartans are averaging 14.0 turnovers. In the seven losses, however, MSU has averaged 17.7.
Money At The Charity Stripe - The Spartans lead the Big Ten in free-throw percentage at .769 (257-of-334) and ranks fourth in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.774 as of 1/19). In its last nine games, MSU is shooting .796 (180-of-226). Six different Spartans have attempted at least 33 free throws this season, and each one is shooting at least 72.7 percent from the line.
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 (205), second in career attempts (474) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.432). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 77 of 81 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in eight of his last nine games.
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 10 straight games and redshirt-freshman Delco Rowley has started one. 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).
Hill Tops 1,000 - With 17 points against Penn State, Chris Hill became the 31st player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 points in his career. Hill currently stands at 1,036 points, needing 19 points to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 pts) for 29th place on the MSU all-time scoring list.
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 10 games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 16.8 points and 6.7 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. He recorded 10 points and eight rebounds vs. Penn State. He scored a game high 22 points vs. Michigan, while grabbing seven rebounds. Most recently, he scored 11 of his 14 points vs. Northwestern in the second half, while grabbing seven boards.
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.
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. Kelser was honored Sunday, Jan. 11 at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has used seven different starting lineups through the first 15 games, with no lineup being used in more than four games. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 15 games, as nine different players have started at least one game. MSU has used the same lineup for the past four contests.
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 7-0 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.
Spartan Opponents In The Rankings - Seven of Michigan State's opponents are currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 (Jan. 19), including five non-conference opponents. These teams include No. 1 Duke, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 12 Kansas, No. 13 Syracuse, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 21 Wisconsin and No. 23 Purdue.
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 (13.5) and Kelvin Torbert (10.9). To contrast, Hill was the only Spartan who finished last season averaging double figures at 13.7.
Bench Production - Through 15 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 349 of MSU's 1081 points (32.3 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 12 of 15 contests.
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.
Breslin Success - This year, MSU is 7-1 at home. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 80 of its last 85 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .941. In addition, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 91 consecutive games. In Big Ten play, MSU is 40-2 (.952) since 1998-99.
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.
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).
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.
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 232 of 282 games (82.3 percent).
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 8.5 minutes or more per contest. Six average 22 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.2 mpg) is the only one averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
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.
