Men's Basketball Hosts Indiana In Big Ten Showdown
1/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (9-8, 4-2)vs. Indiana (11-6, 5-1)
January 31, 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 - Dan Shulman (Play by Play), Dick Vitale (Color), Doris Burke (Sidelines)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State and Indiana enter the game as two of the hotter teams in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have won five straight games, while the Spartans have won four of their last five. The Spartans are coming off a three-game road stretch that saw them win games at Northwestern and Minnesota, while dropping an overtime contest at Purdue. Michigan State is 7-1 in the Breslin Center this season, including 2-0 in the Big Ten. Indiana is tied for the conference lead at 5-1, with MSU just one game back at 4-2. This is the only regular-season meeting between Michigan State and Indiana this year.
Turn Back The Clock
The MSU-IU contest is the "Turn Back The Clock" game as part of ESPN's season-long celebration of its 25th year of televising college basketball. ESPN was launched on September 7, 1979 and Dick Vitale televised his first basketball game on December 5, 1979 (Wisconsin at DePaul). Vitale will wear a 1979-style blazer and horn-rimmed glasses, while play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman and sideline reporter Doris Burke will also wear period clothes. During the broadcast, ESPN's replays and graphics will reflect a 1979 look. Music during the telecast will include top songs from 1979. Michigan State will wear the throwback 1979 jerseys and fans have been encouraged to wear 1979-era clothes.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
What A Difference A Game Makes - After losing an overtime contest at Purdue on Sunday, Michigan State won at Minnesota in overtime with an amazing comeback. The win was the result of doing the little things down the stretch and making plays in winning time. After missing the front end of a one-and-one against Purdue, Alan Anderson made a free throw in overtime to give MSU a one-point lead in the final minute. After having two shots blocked in the final three minutes at Purdue, Paul Davis scored seven points in overtime, getting to the free throw line with a strong post move with 5.2 seconds remaining to score the winning points.
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense is starting to click. In the last eight games, MSU is averaging 74.2 points while shooting 52.9 percent from the field, 45.8 percent from three-point range and 77.0 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 15.9 assists per contest.
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 (.476) and three-point field goal percentage (.385) in all games. In conference games, the numbers are even more impressive as MSU is shooting a league best 53.3 percent from the field, including a conference best 47.5 percent from behind the arc. In addition, MSU leads the league in free throw percentage in all games (.771) and conference games (.781).
Hot Second Half Shooting - Michigan State is shooting 59.4 percent (76-of-128) from the field in the second half of Big Ten games. Over the last five games, MSU is shooting 62.0 percent (67-of-108) in the second half, shooting over 60 percent in four of the last five games.
Indiana Spartans - Michigan State's roster features two players from the Hoosier State. Junior Chris Hill was a 2001 All-State honoree as a senior at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Redshirt freshman Delco Rowley earned All-State honors as a senior in 2002 at Indianapolis Arlington High School.
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.
Game 17 Notes - MSU 79 - Minnesota 78 OT - Jan. 28, 2004
* Michigan State's comeback from a 16-point deficit at the half is the largest recorded second-half comeback in Spartan history; previously, MSU's largest halftime deficit it had overcome was a 15-point deficit (40-25) at Cincinnati on Dec. 13, 1990. The Bearcats had led MSU by 18 points in the first half of that game.
* The game was Michigan State's second straight game decided in overtime. The last time MSU played back-to-back overtime games was Feb. 28 and March 5, 1981.
* Michigan State trailed by 23 points (37-14) with 3:58 remaining in the first half.
* After committing 11 first half turnovers, Michigan State committed just five in the second half and none in overtime.
* Chris Hill scored all 16 of his points after halftime, making 6-of-7 shots, including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
* Paul Davis scored seven of his team-high 19 points in overtime, shooting 5-of-5 from the foul line.
Indiana Notes
Coach Davis - Mike Davis (Thomas Edison College, '01) is 78-44 in his fourth season as head coach at Indiana. Prior to taking over the head coaching duties, he served for three seasons as a Hoosier assistant and two years as an assistant at Alabama.
Michigan State Vs. Indiana Series Notes - Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 60-39. The Spartans, however, own a 28-21 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Michigan State has won 10 straight home games vs. Indiana. Tom Izzo is 9-6 vs. Indiana, including 7-0 in East Lansing.
Hoosier Briefs - Indiana has won five straight Big Ten games after opening the conference season with a loss at Wisconsin ... The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten with three conference road victories ... Indiana is the only team in the Big Ten ranked among the top three in field goal percentage defense (1st, .405) and three-point field goal percentage defense (3rd, .319).
Spartans And Hoosiers Equals Tight Games - Three of the last nine games between Michigan State and Indiana have resulted in overtime, including MSU's 67-62 victory in Bloomington last February. Three more games have been decided by seven points or less.
Last Meeting - MSU 67 - Indiana 62 OT - Feb. 8, 2003
* Michigan State's win snapped a 10-game homecourt winning streak for Indiana.
* With two wins over Indiana in less than two weeks, Michigan State swept a home-and-home series with the Hoosiers for the first time since 1990.
* Paul Davis scored a season-best 21 points and tied a season high with nine rebounds.
* Michigan State was 3-of-4 from the field in overtime, while Indiana was held to just 1-of-9 shooting.
* Michigan State's bench outscored Indiana's by a 29-7 margin.
* Chris Hill made his first jump shot, missed the next nine, but hit his last two, including a three-pointer, in the last two minutes of regulation.
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 eight games, Hill is shooting .566 (43-of-76) from the field and .519 (27-of-52) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.476) and ranks 11th in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.474 as of 1/26).
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 seven games, he has shown improvement, shooting 42.2 percent and averaging 11.3 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 3.7 rebounds in his last seven games, including a team-best eight boards vs. Michigan, while also being one of MSU's most improved defensive players. Although he scored just seven points against Minnesota, his deep three-pointer as time expired, sent the game into overtime.
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 (211), second in career attempts (488) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.432). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 79 of 83 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in nine of his last 11 games. With two more three-pointers, he will pass Kirk Manns (212 3-pt. FG) for second place on the MSU career three-point field goals chart.
Davis Emerging - Paul Davis has scored in double-figures in 14 of 17 games this season. He scored in double figures in the first two games of the season, but was held under 10 points in the three games that followed. In the last 12 games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. Some of his more impressive performances include a career-best 24 points vs. Kentucky, including shooting 14-of-14 from the foul line, 22 points vs. Coppin State and Michigan, and 21 points vs. Syracuse. Most recently, Davis scored 19 points in an overtime win at Minnesota, scoring seven points in the extra period.
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 54.0 percent from the field. In conference games, he ranks fourth in the Big Ten at 61.3 percent. On the year, he is shooting 42.3 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years.
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 1,070 points in 27th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. With 16 points against Minnesota, he passed Earvin Johnson (1,059 points) and John Green (1,062 points) in career scoring. Hill needs 30 more points to surpass Bill Kilgore (1,099 points).
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.
Hitting The Glass - Michigan State has recently improved its rebounding efforts. On the season, MSU is eighth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +2.3, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans lead the conference at +5.0.
Spartans Look To Tighten Up Defense - This season, Spartan opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 47.5 percent from the field, but that total is down from 48.8 percent on Jan. 11. In the three games prior to Purdue, MSU was holding opponents to 40.0 percent shooting, including limiting Michigan to 36.2 percent shooting, a season-low for Spartan opponents. On the season, however, seven 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 nine wins, the Spartans are averaging 14.2 turnovers. In the eight losses, however, MSU has averaged 17.4.
Money At The Charity Stripe - The Spartans lead the Big Ten in free-throw percentage at .771. Six different Spartans have attempted at least 36 free throws this season, and each one is shooting at least 72.2 percent from the line.
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 12 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).
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has found stability in its rotation as the Spartans have used the same lineup for the past six contests. On the season, MSU has used seven different starting lineups through 17 games. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 17 games, as nine different players have started at least one game.
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.
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.
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 just 1-8 when trailing at the break. MSU is also 1-0 when tied at the half. MSU's lone win when trailing at the half saw the Spartans rally from a 16-point deficit, in the largest second half comeback ever recorded.
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.
Spartan Opponents In The Rankings - Seven of Michigan State's opponents are currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 (Jan. 26), including five non-conference opponents. These teams include No. 1 Duke, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 15 Kansas, No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 20 Syracuse, No. 21 Purdue and No. 25 Oklahoma.
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 15.5 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.9) and Kelvin Torbert (10.4). To contrast, Hill was the only Spartan who finished last season averaging double figures at 13.7.
Bench Production - Through 17 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 374 of MSU's 1230 points (30.4 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 13 of 17 contests, posting a 9-4 record in those games.
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.
Trannon Joins Squad - Sophomore Matt Trannon joined the Spartan basketball team following the conclusion of the football season. A wide receiver on John L. Smith's 8-5 squad, Trannon caught 28 passes for 259 yards. As a high school basketball player at Flint Northern, he was ranked among the top 20 prep basketball players by ESPN.com, averaging 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior. He saw his first game action against Penn State, knocking down two free throws. In MSU's overtime win at Minnesota, he scored four first-half points.
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.
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).
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.
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 233 of 284 games (82.0 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 - Sixteen different Spartans have seen game action this season, including nine averaging 7.9 minutes or more per contest. Six average 23 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.9 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.
