Men's Basketball Opens Big Ten Play At Wisconsin
1/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (5-6, 0-0)at #21/18 Wisconsin (10-2, 1-0)
January 10, 2004Noon ESTMadison, Wis.Kohl Center (17,142)
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 opens the Big Ten schedule with a road game at Wisconsin. The Spartans enter as the preseason Big Ten favorites, while the Badgers are in search of their third straight Big Ten Championship. UW has won the last two games in the series, but MSU has won eight of the last 10 games. This year marks the first time since 2000-01 that Michigan State and Wisconsin will play twice in the regular season. The two teams will meet next in MSU's last game of the regular season on March 2 or 3.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
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.
Spartans And Badgers Dominate Big Ten - Michigan State and Wisconsin have combined to win at least a share of every Big Ten Conference title since 1998. The Spartans won four straight league crowns from 1998-2001. The Badgers won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.
Lending A Helping Hand - In its last two games, Michigan State has been doing a much better job passing the basketball, averaging 19.0 assists per game. The Spartans recorded 18 assists vs. Coppin State and 20 assists at Syracuse. Over the last four games, MSU is averaging 16.8 assists per game. On the season, MSU is averaging 13.9 assists.
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. 9), MSU's strength of schedule is ranked No. 3 in the nation. St. Joseph's is No. 1 and Providence is No. 2. The Spartans, however, have played a top-heavy schedule with five ranked non-conference opponents, compared to one for the Hawks and two for the Friars.
Spartans Close In Defeat - In four of MSU's six 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.
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 981 points.
Game 11 Notes - Syracuse 96 - MSU 83 - Jan. 3, 2004
* Shannon Brown notched career highs in both scoring (15) and rebounds (7).
* Maurice Ager's 14 points marked his first double-figure point game since leading the Spartans with 17 points at Kansas (11/25).
* Michigan State made a season-high nine three-point field goals.
* Syracuse opened the game with a 9-0 run over the first 2:08 of the game and opened the second half with an 11-0 run over the first 3:11.
* Chris Hill's nine assists marked the second-best effort of his career.
* Paul Davis scored MSU's first 10 points of the second half.
Wisconsin Notes
Coach Ryan - Bo Ryan (Wilkes College, '69) is 436-126 in his 20th year as a college head coach, including a 53-23 record in his third year at Wisconsin. Ryan previously served as head coach at UW-Milwaukee for two seasons and UW-Platteville for 15 seasons before that.
Michigan State Vs. Wisconsin Series Notes - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 63-49. The Badgers, however, own a 36-22 advantage in Madison. Although Wisconsin has won the last two games, Michigan State has won eight of the last 10 games and 12 of the last 15. Tom Izzo is 12-5 vs. Wisconsin, including 4-3 in Madison and 3-2 at the Kohl Center, making the Spartans one of just two Big Ten teams to win three games in the Kohl Center.
Badger Briefs - Wisconsin does a great job of taking care of the ball, averaging just 8.9 turnovers per game, to lead the conference with a +6.3 turnover margin ... Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing just 54.8 points per game ... Alando Tucker is UW's second-leading scorer at 14.0 ppg, although he's played in just four games due to a foot injury ... Devin Harris leads the conference with 5.7 assists per game.
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 48.5 percent from the field. Four of the last 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 five wins, the Spartans are averaging 13.6 turnovers. In the six losses, however, MSU has averaged 17.8.
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 .766 (200-of-261). In its last five games, MSU is shooting .804 (123-of-153).
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 six games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 18.3 points and 6.8 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. Most recently vs. Syracuse, Davis led the team with 21 points, scoring MSU's first 10 points in the second half.
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has used seven different starting lineups through the first 11 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 11 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 0-6 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. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Kentucky, No. 13 Kansas, No. 17 Syracuse, No. 19 Illinois, No. 21 Wisconsin, and No. 24 Purdue.
Bench Production - Through 11 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 272 of MSU's 810 points (33.6 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 15.4 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.4) and Kelvin Torbert (11.1). 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.
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.
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.
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 (193), third in career attempts (452) and sixth in career three-point field goal percentage (.427). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 73 of 77 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 (31.5 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 278 games (82.4 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.
