No. 10 Michigan State Hosts Nicholls State
11/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#9/10 Michigan State (2-0)vs. Nicholls State (0-2)
November 27, 2004Noon 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), Stephen Bardo (Color).
The Opening Tip High-scoring Michigan State looks to top 100 points for the third consecutive game. It is the final game of a three-game homestand for the Spartans, whose next four games will be away from the Breslin Center. The game will mark the 100th consecutive sellout at the Breslin Center and Tom Izzo's 300th game as Spartan head coach.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five
No. 100 - Today's game marks the 100th consecutive sellout at the Breslin Center. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 87 of its last 93 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .935.
The Century Mark - With back-to-back 104-point games, Michigan State has scored 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since back-to-back 107-point games in Feb. 1964 (107-89 vs. Iowa, 2/22/64; 107-97 vs. Minnesota, 2/29/64). The 1963-64 season is also the only time that MSU opened the season with three consecutive 100-point games. Prior to this season, Tom Izzo's Spartans had topped 100 points just twice in his nine full seasons.
Getting To The Charity Stripe - Michigan State has done a good job getting to the foul line this season, averaging 24.5 attempts per game. For the season, the Spartans have made more free throws (40) than their opponents have attempted (35).
Hitting The Mark - Last season, Michigan State was the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (5th, .492), free-throw percentage (4th, .771) and 3-point field-goal percentage (8th, .401). Through two games this year, the Spartans are even better, shooting 53.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and 81.6 percent from the free-throw line. Michigan State's shooting should come as no surprise considering the team returns its top six scorers from a 2003-04 squad that became the first team ever to lead the Big Ten in league games in field-goal percentage (.522), 3-point field-goal percentage (.434), free-throw percentage (.777) and scoring offense (71.3 ppg) (conference games only).
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State's impressive offensive performance has been the result of a team effort. Six Spartans are averaging in double figures, led by Kelvin Torbert's 18.0 ppg. Prior to this season, the last time six Spartans scored in double figures was Dec. 9, 2001, against Nicholls State. In each of the first two games this year, six Spartans have scored in double figures.
Game 2 Notes - MSU 104 - UW-Green Bay 46 - Nov. 23, 2004
* Michigan State outscored UW-Green Bay, 33-4, in points off turnovers. The Spartans forced the Phoenix into 19 turnovers.
* MSU's bench outscored UWGB's, 32-3.
* The Spartans' 58-point margin of victory is the largest since MSU defeated Morehead State by 68 points (121-53) on Dec. 1, 1992.
* Alan Anderson tied his career high with 18 points.
* The Spartans shot 19-of-36 from the field (52.8 percent) in both halves.
* MSU's 104 points marked the first time the Spartans had scored 100 or more points in consecutive games since Feb. 1964.
Nicholls State Notes
Coach Piper - J.P. Piper (Southeastern Louisiana '91) is in his first season as a college head coach. After serving as an assistant for two seasons at Nicholls State, he was promoted in mid-October when former head coach Ricky Blanton resigned. Prior to his arrival at Nicholls State, he was a high school head coach at The Dunham School in Baton Rogue, La.
Colonel Notes - The Michigan State game marks the final contest in a three-game road trip to open the season; the Colonels played Mississippi State and Auburn in the first two games of the year ... After averaging 4.2 points last year, sophomore forward Stefan Blaszczynski is the Colonels' leading scorer this year, averaging 22.5 points per contest ... Nicholls State's leading returning scorer is senior guard Willie Depron, who averaged 15.4 points in 2003-04 to earn All-Southland Conference second-team honors ... Senior forward Jason Wilkins started every game last season, averaging 11.1 points.
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Nicholls State, 1-0. The Spartans defeated the Colonels, 92-38, on Dec. 9, 2001, in East Lansing in the only game between the two schools.
MSU Basketball Notes
Six Starters - Tom Izzo has repeatedly said that he has six players worthy of a spot in the starting lineup (Maurice Ager, Alan Anderson, Shannon Brown, Paul Davis, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert). In both of the first two games, Torbert has come off the bench. He has responded by leading the Spartans in scoring with 18.0 points per game, averaging 22.0 minutes per game, fourth-most on the squad.
Spartan Depth - Through two games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 10 minutes of action, with five players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging 25 minutes per contest. This trend is likely to continue in the regular season, as MSU hopes to use its depth to its advantage.
MSU In November - Michigan State has an all-time record of 60-17 in games played in the month of November. This includes a 43-3 mark at home.
Getting Defensive - While Michigan State's offense has gotten most of the publicity, its defense has also shown improvement in the young season. After allowing opponents to shoot 45.6 percent last season, MSU is holding the opposition to 36.0 percent this year.
Spartans Picked Second In Big Ten Poll - In a vote of the league's media, the Michigan State men's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Big Ten. 2003-04 Big Ten Champion Illinois was selected as the preseason favorite. Wisconsin was picked to finish third.
Davis Earns Preseason Honor - Junior center Paul Davis was selected to the Big Ten preseason all-conference team. As a sophomore, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor. Last year, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. This season, he has been named a John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-American and a preseason candidate for the Naismith Award.
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands at 1,273 points, in 18th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. He needs three points to pass Quinton Brooks (1,275 points) and move into 17th place. With 268 points, he will move into the top 10.
Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best 3-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career 3-point field goals made (250) and career attempts (578) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.433). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 94 of 98 games in his career. His 250 career 3-point field goals rank sixth in Big Ten history, 82 behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 89.5 3-pointers.
He Can Pass, Too - In addition to all of his scoring and long-range shooting, Chris Hill is positioned to finish his career among the school's all-time leaders in assists. He currently stands 10th in MSU history with 320 career assists, one behind 9th-place Ken Redfield.
Chris Hill Off The Court - Chris Hill has been named the 2004 Playboy Magazine Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In recognition of this honor, Michigan State University will receive a $5,000 check for its general scholarship fund in Hill's name. Now in its 17th year, the purpose of the award is to call attention to the importance of scholarship combined with excellence in collegiate athletics and to honor an individual who personifies the best qualities of both. In 2003-04, Hill earned first-team Academic All-America honors, becoming the first Spartan to accomplish that feat since Greg Kelser in 1979.
Torbert Hits The Mark - In 2003-04, Kelvin Torbert was the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (8th, .534), 3-point field-goal percentage (1st, .484) and free-throw percentage (6th, .800). His .588 3-point percentage in conference games is the second highest mark in conference history. He is off to an even better start this season, shooting 75.0 percent from the floor, 66.7 percent from 3-point range and 100.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Fourteen Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last five years, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 322 starts in their careers, including 239 career starts for Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert. Entering the season, MSU's returning players had 312 career starts (most in the Big Ten) and 601 career appearances (second most in the Big Ten). The trio of Anderson, Hill and Torbert had 235 career starts, making them the most experienced trio in the Big Ten. The Spartans also return 93.7 percent of their scoring, 85.6 percent of their rebounding and 88.3 percent of their minutes from last season.
Another Difficult Slate - Michigan State has put together another challenging schedule in 2004-05. It includes six teams that appeared in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (Duke, Illinois, Florida A&M, Maryland, Stanford and Wisconsin) and five that appeared in the NIT (George Mason, George Washington, Iowa, Michigan and Purdue).
Spartans On TV - This season, 26 of Michigan State's 27 regular-season games will be televised, including seven on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and three on CBS. In addition, MSU could have one more game on either ESPN or ESPN2.
New Faces - Michigan State's 2004-05 roster features five new names, including freshmen Marquise Gray, Idong Ibok, Drew Neitzel, Goran Suton and junior Jason Aerts. Netizel is an ambidextrous point guard who won the 2004 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award. Gray is a 6-8 athletic power forward who was named The Associated Press Class C Player of the Year. Ibok is a Nigerian native, who attended school in Florida last season. He features a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is a dangerous shot blocker. Suton is a 6-10 post player with solid ball skills who can score in the post or on the perimeter. He moved to Lansing from Bosnia-Herzegovina prior to high school. Aerts is a walk-on who played two seasons at Aquinas College.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past six 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.
Home To Mr. Basketball - Five of the last six recipients of Michigan's Hal Schram 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, Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002 and Drew Neitzel (Wyoming Park HS) in 2004. While the 2003 winner did not attend MSU, Shannon Brown (Proviso East HS) captured Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award that same year.
Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on six former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Nov. 25.)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 6 GP, 1.8 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 13 GP, 22.1 mpg, 8.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 11 GP, 38.8 mpg, 22.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.2 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 11 GP, 36.5 mpg, 18.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg Steve Smith (Charlotte): 10 GP, 22.7 mpg, 10.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.0 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 11 GP, 25.4 mpg, 5.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.5 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 8 GP, 14.4 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.1 apg
