First-Place Spartans Look For Third Straight Win
2/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (14-9, 9-3)vs. Northwestern (11-11, 6-5)
February 21, 200412:17 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 Plus - Wayne Larrivee (Play by Play), Bob Ford (Color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State concludes a three-game homestand against Northwestern. The Spartans have won six of their last seven games and nine of their last 11, while the Wildcats have won three straight games and four of their last five. In the first meeting between these teams, exactly one month earlier, Michigan State used 61.5 percent shooting to win at Evanston. The Spartans currently stand alone atop the Big Ten Conference, one-half game ahead of 8-3 Illinois and Wisconsin.
Michigan State Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Getting Defensive - Michigan State's defense held Purdue to 36.4 percent shooting and 11.8 percent from three-point range. Both totals were season lows for Spartan opponents. Michigan State has held five of its last six opponents to 46.2 percent shooting or lower, including four below 44 percent. This season, Spartan opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 46.3 percent from the field, but that total is down from 48.8 percent on Jan. 11. On the season, eight 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.
Spartan Shooting Among Best Ever - Michigan State is shooting 48.9 percent from the field, including a remarkable 53.3 percent in Big Ten games. The Spartans' 53.3 percent shooting in conference games is the best since the '85-86 squad shot 55.3 percent.
Getting Respect From The Coaches - Paul Davis was recently named to the NABC All-District 11 first-team. Davis is one of 10 players from the states of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin to be honored by the members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Wisconsin's Devin Harris, Minnesota's Kris Humphries, Marquette's Travis Diener and Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Dylan Page join Davis on the first team.
Hill Hits The Books - Chris Hill was recently named to the Academic All-District team with a 3.84 grade-point average in finance. This is the second straight season that Hill has earned a spot on the all-district team. Hill's name will now appear on the Academic All-America ballot. Last season, he was a third-team Academic All-America honoree. He is also a member of the MSU Honors College.
Spartans Finish Strong - Since the 1998-99 season, Michigan State is 33-6 in Big Ten action in the month of February and 7-0 in regular-season conference games in March.
Breslin Success - This year, MSU is 11-1 at home. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 84 of its last 89 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .944. In addition, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 94 consecutive games. In Big Ten play, MSU is 44-2 (.957) since 1998-99.
Game 23 Notes - MSU 62 - Purdue 55 - Feb. 17, 2004
* Paul Davis grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds to go along with 21 points in recording his second career double-double.
* Purdue shot 34.0 percent from the field and 11.8 percent from three-point range, marking the lowest percentages for a Spartan opponent this season.
* Davis shot 11-of-11 from the foul line, marking the second game this season in which he's been perfect from the foul line with at least 10 attempts; he was 14-of-14 vs. Kentucky.
* Michigan State shot a season-best .923 (24-of-26) from the free throw line.
* With the win, MSU improved to 24-23 all-time vs. Purdue in East Lansing, giving the Spartans a winning home record against every Big Ten opponent.
Northwestern Notes
Coach Carmody - Bill Carmody (Union, '85) is 142-85 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach. In his fourth season at Northwestern, he has posted a 50-60 mark. Prior to his arrival in Evanston, he spent four seasons as head coach at Princeton.
Michigan State Vs. Northwestern Series Notes - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern 67-36, including a 40-7 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won nine of the last 10 games and 29 of the last 31 contests against Northwestern. Michigan State has won 17 straight home games against the Wildcats, with Northwestern's last win in East Lansing coming on Jan. 7, 1984. Tom Izzo is 12-2 against the Wildcats, including 6-0 at Breslin.
Wildcat Briefs - Northwestern is committing just 9.6 turnovers per game in conference ... The Wildcats have won four of their last five games and have road wins at Iowa and at Purdue this season ... Jitim Young ranks fourth in the league in scoring (17.6 ppg), third in steals (2.05 spg), seventh in field-goal percentage (.542) and eighth in rebounding (6.3 rpg) ... In Big Ten games, Northwestern leads the conference in steals (7.91 spg), turnover margin (+5.36) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.54) ... Forty-five percent of Northwestern's field-goal attempts are from three-point range.
Last Meeting 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 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.
(see page 19 of the notes for a complete box score and recap)
MSU Basketball Notes
100 Big Ten Wins - With a 69-58 Spartan victory over Minnesota on Feb. 14, Tom Izzo became the 17th coach in Big Ten history to record 100 league wins. Izzo also became just the third coach to reach win No. 100 in his first nine seasons, joining Bob Knight and Gene Keady. Both Knight and Keady reached win No. 100 in their eighth season. Knight leads the Big Ten with 353 league victories, while Keady stands second at 255. Former MSU coach Jud Heathcote ranks sixth with 182 league victories.
Hot Second Half Shooting - Michigan State is shooting 56.4 percent (145-of-257) from the field in the second half of Big Ten games. Over the last 11 games, MSU is shooting 57.4 percent (136-of-237) in the second half, shooting over 60 percent in seven games.
Shooting Better In The Big Ten - Conventional wisdom says that a team will see its shooting percentages drop in Big Ten play. This year's Spartan squad, however, is just the opposite as MSU is shooting 53.3 percent in conference games, compared to 44.8 percent in the non-conference. From three-point range, MSU is shooting 41.6 percent in Big Ten games, compared to 34.6 percent in non-conference action. It's a trend that is the result of a team effort as MSU's top seven scorers are all shooting better in league play from the field, while Chris Hill is the only one who has a better three-point percentage in non-conference games. 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 53.5 percent from the field, ranking eighth in the Big Ten. In conference games, he ranks sixth in the Big Ten at 56.2 percent. On the year, he is shooting 47.6 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years. He leads the Big Ten, shooting 60.0 percent from three-point range in league games. Over the last 14 games, Torbert is shooting 56.7 percent and 56.5 percent from three-point range.
Strong Start In Big Ten - With a 9-3 record in the Big Ten, Michigan State is off to its best 12-game start in the conference since 2001 when it also opened with a 9-3 mark. The Spartans finished 2001 with a 13-3 record and captured a fourth straight Big Ten title by winning their last six conference games after a road loss at Illinois.
Davis Down Low - Paul Davis has scored in double figures in 18 of 23 games this season, including seven games with 20 points or more. Most recently, Davis exploded from a mini-slump with a 21-point, 12-rebound effort against Purdue. The 12 rebounds were a career high as he recorded his second career double-double. Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 2, after averaging 25.5 points in Spartan victories over Minnesota and Indiana. Davis opened the week by scoring seven of his team-high 19 points in overtime at Minnesota, as the Spartans rallied from a 23-point deficit to defeat the Golden Gophers. He converted two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to give MSU a one-point victory. Against Indiana, Davis scored a career-best 32 points, shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 10-of-12 from the foul line. This marks the second time in three weeks that Davis has won the Big Ten weekly award. He won the first award on Jan. 19 after averaging 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two Spartan victories over Penn State and Michigan.
200 And Counting - With MSU's 89-72 victory over Iowa on Feb. 4, 2004, Tom Izzo recorded the 200th victory of his Spartan career, becoming just the third coach in MSU history to accomplish that feat, joining Jud Heathcote (340 wins) and Benjamin VanAlstyne (232 wins). Izzo became the eighth head coach in NCAA history to record 200 wins in his first nine seasons (among coaches with half their seasons at Division I), joining Roy Williams (247), Everett Case (241), Denny Crum (219), Jerry Tarkanian (218), John Calipari (210), Tubby Smith (210) and Jim Boeheim (204).
Spartans Share The Ball - Michigan State's potent offense can be attributed to many things, including taking good shots created by great passing. In Big Ten games, the Spartans rank third in the conference with 14.75 assists per game.
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense has been very good. In the last 14 games, MSU is averaging 73.8 points while shooting 53.0 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from three-point range and 78.0 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 15.4 assists per contest. MSU is 10-4 since Christmas.
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 (.489) and rank second in three-point field goal percentage (.380) 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 and ranks second in the conference at 41.6 percent from behind the arc. In addition, MSU leads the league in free throw percentage in all games (.776) and conference games (.787). Michigan State ranks third in the league in scoring in all games (72.6 ppg) and second in Big Ten games (72.7 ppg).
Hill Hits The Mark - One of the best shooters in the game, Chris Hill has been in a zone recently. Over the last 14 games, Hill is shooting .543 (69-of-127) from the field and .471 (40-of-85) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.457) and ranks seventh in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.470 as of 2/16).
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 1,150 points in 24th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. Hill needs six more points to pass Lindsay Hairston (1,155 points).
Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best three-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career three-point field goals made (224) and career attempts (521) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.433). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 85 of 89 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in 11 of his last 17 games.
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 +2.0, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans rank third in the conference at +3.0.
Money At The Charity Stripe - The Spartans lead the Big Ten in free-throw percentage at .776. Six different Spartans have attempted at least 48 free throws this season, and each one is shooting at least 70.4 percent from the line. On the season, MSU ranks fourth in the nation in free throw shooting (.766 as of 2/16).
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.
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.
Turnovers Critical - MSU stands a better chance of winning when it takes care of the ball. In their 14 wins, the Spartans are averaging 14.3 turnovers. In the nine losses, however, MSU has averaged 17.1.
A Variety Of Lineups - Michigan State has found stability in its rotation as the Spartans have used the same lineup for the past 11 contests. On the season, MSU has used seven different starting lineups. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 23 games, as nine different players have started at least one game.
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.
Bench Production - Through 23 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 469 of MSU's 1669 points (28.1 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 17 of 23 contests, posting a 13-4 record in those 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 18 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).
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 10-0 when entering the half with a lead, but are just 3-9 when trailing at the break. MSU, however, has won three of its last four games when trailing at the half, including overcoming a 16-point deficit against Minnesota, the largest halftime deficit ever overcome in recorded Spartan history dating back to 1950. MSU is also 1-0 when tied at the half.
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 15.8 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.7) and Kelvin Torbert (10.8). Three more Spartans are averaging more than eight points per game. 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.
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. He scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in 11 minutes vs. Indiana.
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).
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 236 of 290 games (81.4 percent).
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.
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.
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.
Spartans Spread Minutes - Sixteen different Spartans have seen game action this season, including nine averaging 7.1 minutes or more per contest. Six average 23.4 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.5 mpg) is the only one averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
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.
