Men's Basketball Looks To Win Fifth Straight Game
2/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (16-9, 11-3)at Penn State (9-15, 3-10)
February 28, 200412:17 p.m. EST -State College, Pa.Bryce Jordan Center (15,261)
The Opening Tip
First-place Michigan State brings a four-game winning streak to Penn State. This is the final road game of the regular season for the Spartans, who are 4-3 on the road in Big Ten play. This will be the second meeting of the season between the Spartans and Nittany Lions, although the two teams have not met since MSU's second game of the conference season, a 76-58 MSU victory in East Lansing on Jan. 14. That game started a stretch in which MSU has won 11 of 13 games.
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN Plus - Tom Hamilton (Play by Play), Bill Hosket (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Spartan Shooting Among Best Ever - Michigan State is shooting 49.4 percent from the field, including a remarkable 53.5 percent in Big Ten games. The Spartans' 53.5 percent shooting in conference games is the best in school history since the '85-86 squad shot 55.3 percent and the best in the Big Ten since Purdue shot 55.0 percent in 1990.
MSU's Trifecta - In Big Ten games, MSU is currently leading the league in field-goal percentage (.535), three-point field-goal percentage (.437) and free throw percentage (.779). Indiana is the only team to ever lead the league in all three offensive categories in the same season, doing it twice in 1983 and 1994.
Spartans Finish Strong - Since the 1998-99 season, Michigan State is 35-6 in Big Ten action in February and 7-0 in regular-season conference games in March.
Hot Second Half Shooting - Michigan State is shooting 57.2 percent (174-of-304) from the field in the second half of Big Ten games. Over the last 13 games, MSU is shooting 58.1 percent (165-of-284) in the second half, shooting over 60 percent in nine games.
Spartan Comebacks - The Spartans have won four of their last five games when trailing at halftime, after losing the first eight games of the year in which they trailed at the break. The trend started at Minnesota, when the Spartans rallied from 23 points down in the first half and 16 points at halftime, establishing the largest comeback from a halftime deficit in recorded MSU history as they pulled out a 79-78 overtime win. In the following game against Indiana, MSU trailed by eight points late in the first half and one at the break, before pulling away in the second half. In the second game against Minnesota, the Gophers held an eight-point halftime lead, before MSU outscored UM 38-19 in the second half. Most recently, MSU trailed Michigan, 34-26, at the half and 52-40 with 11:15 left before rallying for a 72-69 win.
Limiting Points - Holding opponents to a low shooting percentage is important, but even more important is holding opponents to a limited number of points. In Michigan State's current four-game winning streak, the Spartan defense is allowing just 59.5 points per game, holding three opponents under 60 points. Prior to this stretch, MSU had allowed six straight opponents to score 70 points or more. The Spartans are 7-0 when allowing fewer than 60 points and 10-1 when allowing fewer than 70.
Game 25 Notes - MSU 72 - Michigan 69 - Feb. 24, 2004
* Trailing 52-40, Michigan State scored on 14 of its next 16 possessions, including 11 straight.
* Michigan State outrebounded Michigan, 17-9, in the second half, limiting Courtney Sims to just one of his nine rebounds after the half.
* Chris Hill recorded a season high and tied a career best with four steals; Hill also tied a season high with six rebounds.
* Kelvin Torbert scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half.
* Trailing 55-48, Michigan State's defense forced seven straight missed shots for Michigan as the Wolverines went 7:04 (8:15 - 1:11) without a basket.
Penn State Notes
Coach DeChellis - Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 114-108 in his eighth year as a college head coach, including a 9-15 mark in his first season at his alma mater. DeChellis previously served as head coach at East Tennessee State for seven seasons, leading the Buccaneers to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State Vs. Penn State Series Notes - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 19-3. The Spartans hold a 6-2 advantage in games played in State College. MSU has won 11 of the last 12 meetings, with Penn State's only win in that stretch coming in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. Penn State's three wins in the series have been by a combined total of seven points. Tom Izzo is 12-2 in his career against Penn State, 5-1 in State College.
Nittany Lion Briefs - In Big Ten games, Aaron Johnson ranks second in the conference in rebounding (7.9 rpg), leading the league with 3.69 offensive boards per contest, while Jan Jagla ranks fourth in rebounding (7.5 rpg) ... Penn State leads the Big Ten with 14.08 offensive boards per game in conference action ... Marlon Smith is Penn State's leading scorer in Big Ten games, averaging 15.0 points per game ... Four Nittany Lions are averaging more than 30 minutes per game in league play, led by Ben Luber at 39.1 minutes per contest.
Last Meeting Notes - MSU 76 - Penn State 58 - Jan. 14, 2004
* MSU improved to 35-19 in Big Ten home openers, including 7-2 under Tom Izzo.
* Chris Hill became the 31st player in MSU history to score 1,000 career points when he connected on his second three-pointer of the game with 13:12 remaining.
* Hill became the third player in MSU history to make 200 three-point field goals.
* MSU held Penn State to 38.0 percent shooting, the lowest mark by a Spartan opponent at that point in the season and currently the third-lowest mark.
* Six Spartans recorded two or more assists.
* MSU's defense held Penn State's Jan Jagla to 2 points on 1-of-8 shooting; Jagla entered the game averaging 17.4 points per contest.
* MSU's 57.1 percent field-goal shooting is its fifth-best effort of the year.
* Matt Trannon and Anthony Hamo scored their first career points as Spartans.
MSU Basketball Notes
The Junior Trio - Without a doubt, the most experienced players on MSU's roster are the junior trio of Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert. Tom Izzo has stated publicly that this team will go as far as those three can take them. The key to MSU's success is getting them to play well together. MSU is 6-1 in games where all three score in double figures, including a 4-0 record in Big Ten games. In MSU's last game vs. Michigan, the trio combined for 48 of MSU's 72 points, shooting a combined 70 percent from the field.
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 53.5 percent in conference games, compared to 44.8 percent in the non-conference. From three-point range, MSU is shooting 43.7 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.
Getting Defensive - Michigan State has held its last eight opponents to 43.9 percent shooting, with four of its last eight opponents shooting below 44 percent. This season, Spartan opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 46.4 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.
Defending The Three - Over the last four games, Michigan State has done a terrific job defending the three-point shot as MSU opponents are shooting just 22.4 percent (13-of-58) from behind the arc. Consider the following defensive efforts: Minnesota 1-of-7; Purdue 2-of-17; Northwestern 2-of-16; Michigan 8-of-18.
Hill Hits The Books - Chris Hill was recently named to the CoSIDA 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.
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.
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense has been very good. In the last 16 games, MSU is averaging 73.2 points while shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 43.4 percent from three-point range and 77.4 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 15.3 assists per contest. MSU is 12-4 since Christmas.
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 53.2 percent from the field, ranking ninth in the Big Ten. In conference games, he ranks eighth in the Big Ten at 55.1 percent. On the year, he is shooting 48.0 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years. He leads the Big Ten, shooting 57.1 percent from three-point range in league games. Over the last 16 games, Torbert is shooting 55.7 percent and 54.8 percent from three-point range.
Strong Start In Big Ten - With an 11-3 record in the Big Ten, Michigan State is off to its best 14-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 20 of 25 games this season, including seven games with 20 points or more. Davis has earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors twice this season. The second time came on Feb. 2, after averaging 25.5 points in Spartan victories over Minnesota and Indiana. 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).
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 (.494) and three-point field goal percentage (.394) in all games. In conference games, the numbers are even more impressive as MSU is shooting a league-best 53.5 percent from the field, including a conference-best 43.7 percent from behind the arc. In addition, MSU leads the league in free throw percentage in all games (.773) and conference games (.779). Michigan State ranks third in the league in scoring in all games (72.3 ppg) and second in Big Ten games (72.1 ppg).
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 (230) and career attempts (532) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.432). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 87 of 91 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in 13 of his last 19 games. With 69 three-point field goals this season, he ranks tied for sixth on the MSU single-season list.
Hill Hits The Mark - One of the best shooters in the game, Chris Hill has been in a zone recently. Over the last 16 games, Hill is shooting .551 (81-of-147) from the field and .479 (46-of-96) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.463) and ranks eighth in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.455 as of 2/23).
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 1,185 points in a tie for 21st place on the MSU all-time scoring list with Mike Peplowski (1,185 points).
Money At The Charity Stripe - The Spartans lead the Big Ten in free-throw percentage at .773. Six different Spartans have attempted at least 50 free throws this season, and each one is shooting at least 69.6 percent from the line, with five shooting 78.0 percent or better. On the season, MSU ranks tied for second in the nation in free throw shooting according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.773 as of 2/23).
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 second in the conference with 14.79 assists per game.
Hitting The Glass - Michigan State has recently improved its rebounding efforts. On the season, MSU is ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +1.7, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans rank third in the conference at +2.4.
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.
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. Former MSU coach Jud Heathcote ranks sixth with 182 league victories.
Turnovers Critical - MSU stands a better chance of winning when it takes care of the ball. In their 16 wins, the Spartans are averaging 14.1 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 14 contests, posting an 11-3 record in those games. On the season, MSU has used seven different starting lineups. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 25 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 - Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 490 of MSU's 1807 points (27.1 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 18 of 25 contests, posting a 14-4 record in those games.
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 15.6 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (14.0) and Kelvin Torbert (11.0). 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.
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 20 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 11-0 when entering the half with a lead, but are just 4-9 when trailing at the break. MSU, however, has won four of its last five games when trailing at the half, including overcoming a 16-point deficit at 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.
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.
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 292 games (80.8 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.
Breslin Success - This year, MSU is 12-1 at home. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 85 of its last 90 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .944. In addition, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 96 consecutive games. In Big Ten play, MSU is 45-2 (.957) since 1998-99.
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 22.7 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.3 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.
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).
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.
