Michigan State Looks To Continue Win Streak At Illinois
2/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (12-8, 7-2)at Illinois (15-5, 6-3)
February 10, 20049 p.m. ESTChampaign, Ill.Assembly Hall (16,500)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN - Dave Barnett (Play by Play), Bill Raftery (Color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State travels to Illinois in a meeting of Big Ten heavyweights. Both teams enter the game on a roll as the Spartans have won seven of their last eight league games, including three of their last four on the road, while the Fighting Illini have won five of their last six in Big Ten action. The Spartans lead the Big Ten race with a 7-2 conference mark, while the Illini are just one game back at 6-3. This is the only regular-season meeting between the two squads this year.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five
Teammates, Part 1 - Spartan freshman Shannon Brown and Illinois sophomore Dee Brown, although not related, were teammates at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill. In Shannon's junior season and Dee's senior year, the Pirates advanced to Sweet Sixteen of the Illinois state tournament. Shannon averaged 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Dee averaged 25.6 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 steals that season on his way to winning Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award. Shannon won the same award in his senior year, averaging 27.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.0 steals.
Teammates, Part 2 - Michigan State sophomores Maurice Ager and Paul Davis and Illinois sophomores Dee Brown and Deron Williams were teammates last summer with USA Basketball for the Junior World Championship Team that posted a 7-1 record in Greece. Davis led the team in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg), while Ager averaged 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Brown was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 17.3 points. Williams averaged 8.4 points and led the squad in assists with 4.8 per contest.
100 Big Ten Wins - With one more conference victory, Tom Izzo will become the 17th coach in Big Ten history to record 100 league wins. Izzo will also become 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.
Spartan Shooting Among Best Ever - Michigan State is shooting 49.5 percent from the field, including a remarkable 55.8 percent in Big Ten games. The 49.5 percent is the school's best percentage since 1994-95 when MSU shot 49.8 percent. The Spartans' 55.8 percent shooting in conference games is the best in school history and the second best ever in Big Ten history. Michigan shot 56.1 percent in 1989. In addition, MSU's 48.8 percent three-point shooting in Big Ten games is the best in the league since Indiana shot 49.7 percent in 1989.
MSU's Trifecta - In Big Ten games, MSU is currently leading the league in field-goal percentage (.558), three-point field-goal percentage (.488) and free throw percentage (.770). 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.
Game 20 Notes - MSU 84 - Ohio State 70 - Feb. 7, 2004
* Maurice Ager (6-of-6), Alan Anderson (2-of-2), Paul Davis (3-of-3) and Kelvin Torbert (5-of-5) were a combined 16-of-16 in the first half.
* Michigan State's 73.3 percent shooting was the second-best effort in school history; MSU shot 73.8 percent against Minnesota on Feb. 28, 1987. The percentage was also the fifth-best ever by a Big Ten team and the third-best ever in a conference game.
* Michigan State's 73.3 percent shooting was the best ever against Ohio State.
* Michigan State was shooting 78.6 percent until it missed its final three shots, including two in the final minute.
* 53 of Michigan State's 84 points came from outside the paint.
* Paul Davis recorded a career-best five assists.
* Every Spartan who attempted a shot connected on 50 percent of his attempts.
* Michigan State got the offensive rebound on two of its five misses in the first half.
Illinois Notes
Coach Weber - Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '78) is 118-59 in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach. Weber owns a 15-5 mark in his first year at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber spent five seasons as head coach at Southern Illinois, leading the Salukis to the NCAA Tournament in 2002 and 2003. Before that, Weber spent 19 years as an assistant to Gene Keady, including 18 seasons at Purdue.
Michigan State Vs. Illinois Series Notes - Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 48-47, including a 31-15 advantage in games played in Champaign. The Spartans have won seven of the last 10 games in the series, including two of the last four in Champaign. Tom Izzo is 10-6 in his career against Illinois, including 3-4 in Assembly Hall.
Fighting Illini Briefs - Deron Williams leads the Big Ten in assists (6.12 apg), while teammate Dee Brown ranks tied for third (4.60 apg) ... James Augustine ranks third in the Big Ten overall in rebounding (8.1 rpg) and second in field-goal percentage (.632) ... Illinois leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense in all games (.401) and second in conference games (.411) ... The Fighting Illini lead the conference in assists both overall (17.25 apg) and in conference games (16.22 apg).
Dominating The Big Ten - Since the 1997-98 season, Michigan State and Illinois have been the two most successful programs in the Big Ten. MSU has posted a 81-24 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .771. Illinois has the second-best record over that same time period, posting a 68-37 mark. Over that stretch, the Spartans won four straight Big Ten Championships, while the Illini won three titles. Michigan State and Illinois shared conference titles in 1998 and 2001.
Highs And Lows At Assembly Hall - MSU has experienced some ups and downs in its two most recent trips to Assembly Hall. Last season, Illinois defeated Michigan State, 70-40. In that game, Alan Anderson played 19 minutes with a cast on his right hand in his first action after missing three games with an open dislocation of his little finger. One year earlier, MSU defeated Illinois, 67-61, behind 18 points from Adam Ballinger. MSU's defense forced the Illini to miss their final eight shots from the field as the Spartans snapped Illinois' 28-game winning streak.
MSU Basketball Notes
Davis Dominates - Paul Davis has scored in double-figures in 17 of 20 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 15 games, he has recorded solid performances, averaging 17.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. Over the last seven games, he is averaging 19.3 points. 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.
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 56.6 percent from the field, ranking fifth in the Big Ten. In conference games, he leads the Big Ten at 64.8 percent. On the year, he is shooting 50.0 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years. He leads the Big Ten, shooting 75.0 percent from three-point range in league games. Over the last 11 games, Torbert is shooting 63.4 percent and 66.7 percent from three-point range.
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 second in the conference with 16.00 assists per game.
Spartans Clicking On Offense - Since returning from the holiday break, the Michigan State offense is starting to click. In the last 11 games, MSU is averaging 77.4 points while shooting 55.0 percent from the field, 47.2 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 16.5 assists per contest. MSU is 8-3 since Christmas.
Hot Second Half Shooting - Michigan State is shooting 58.9 percent (116-of-197) from the field in the second half of Big Ten games. Over the last eight games, MSU is shooting 60.5 percent (107-of-177) in the second half, shooting over 60 percent in six of the last eight games.
Strong Start In Big Ten - With a 7-2 record in the Big Ten, Michigan State is off to its best nine-game start in the conference since 2001 when it also opened with a 7-2 mark. The Spartans finished 2001 with a 13-3 record and a fourth straight Big Ten title.
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 (.495) and three-point field goal percentage (.403) in all games. In conference games, the numbers are even more impressive as MSU is shooting a league best 55.8 percent from the field, including a conference best 48.8 percent from behind the arc. In addition, MSU leads the league in free throw percentage in all games (.768) and conference games (.770). Michigan State ranks second in the league in scoring in all games (74.3 ppg) and Big Ten games (76.7 ppg).
Hill Hits The Mark - One of the best shooters in the game, Chris Hill has been in a zone recently. Over the last 11 games, Hill is shooting .563 (58-of-103) from the field and .515 (34-of-66) from three-point range. On the season, he is leading the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.479) and ranks seventh in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.473 as of 2/2).
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 (218) and career attempts (502) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.434). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 82 of 86 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in 10 of his last 14 games.
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 1,112 points in 25th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. Hill needs 35 more points to surpass Pete Gent (1,146 points).
Hitting The Glass - Michigan State has recently improved its rebounding efforts. On the season, MSU is seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at +2.3, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans lead the conference at +4.1.
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.
Spartans Look To Tighten Up Defense - This season, Spartan opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 46.7 percent from the field, but that total is down from 48.8 percent on Jan. 11. On the season, 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 12 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 .768. Six different Spartans have attempted at least 42 free throws this season, and each one is shooting at least 72.1 percent from the line. On the season, MSU ranks fifth in the nation in free throw shooting (.764 as of 2/2).
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 15 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 eight contests. On the season, MSU has used seven different starting lineups. Davis is the only Spartan to start all 20 games, as nine different players have started at least one game.
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 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 9-0 when entering the half with a lead, but are just 2-8 when trailing at the break. MSU, however, has won its last two 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 16.3 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (13.9) 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. In Big Ten games, Maurice Ager (10.6) joins Davis (17.4), Hill (14.6) and Torbert (10.9) in double figures.
Bench Production - Through 20 games, Michigan State is taking advantage of its depth as the Spartan bench has scored 430 of MSU's 1487 points (28.9 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 16 of 20 contests, posting a 12-4 record in those games.
Spartan Opponents In The Rankings - Six of Michigan State's opponents are currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 (Feb. 2), including five non-conference opponents. These teams include No. 1 Duke, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 18 Syracuse, No. 20 Kansas and No. 22 Oklahoma.
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.
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 235 of 287 games (81.9 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.
Breslin Success - This year, MSU is 9-1 at home. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 82 of its last 87 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .943. In addition, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 93 consecutive games. In Big Ten play, MSU is 42-2 (.955) since 1998-99.
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.
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 7.4 minutes or more per contest. Six average 23.4 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.4 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.
