Spartans Stand One Win Away From Big Ten Championship
3/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (17-9, 12-3)vs. Wisconsin (19-6, 10-4)
March 2, 20047 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 - Dave Barnett (Play by Play), Steve Lavin & Tim McCormick (Color)
The Opening Tip
First-place Michigan State looks to clinch a share of a Big Ten Championship with a win against Wisconsin. The Spartans enter the game having won five straight, nine of their last 10 and 12 of their last 14 contests since a 77-64 loss at Wisconsin in MSU's opening game of the conference season. The Spartans are 7-0 at home in Big Ten play this season and are looking to complete a perfect 8-0 home slate for the fifth time in six seasons. After the UW game, MSU will have nine days off before the Big Ten Tournament.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Spartan Championships - A win over Wisconsin would clinch at least a share of the Big Ten Championship for Michigan State for the fifth time in seven seasons. MSU has won 10 Big Ten Championships since joining the league in 1951 and four in Tom Izzo's tenure as head coach, including titles in 1957, 1959, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Spartans And Badgers Own Championships - It should come as no surprise that the Michigan State-Wisconsin game has championship implications, considering that Michigan State or Wisconsin has won at least a share of the Big Ten title every year since 1998. MSU won four straight league titles from 1998-2001, becoming just the fourth school in Big Ten history to win four straight league titles. UW won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.
Senior Salute - The Wisconsin game marks the final home game for seniors Jason Andreas and Rashi Johnson. Andreas is a fifth-year senior who redshirted during MSU's 2000 NCAA Championship season. A year later, he played on MSU's fourth straight Big Ten Championship team and appeared in the Final Four against Arizona. He will end his career as a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and earn his degree in general business administration. Johnson joined the Spartan program in 2002 after two years at Flint Mott Community College. A psychology major, Johnson will be appearing in his 50th career game at Michigan State.
A Different Looking Team - Following a 77-64 loss at Wisconsin on Jan. 10, Michigan State stood at 5-7 overall, 0-1 in the Big Ten Conference. Since that game, MSU has won 12 of its last 14 games, including nine of its last 10 and five in a row.
Finding Success On The Road - Michigan State finished the road portion of its Big Ten schedule with a 5-3 record away from the Breslin Center. The Spartans also finished the 2000 and 2001 Big Ten schedules with 5-3 road records en route to 13-3 overall records and a share of the league championship each year.
MSU's Month - Michigan State is 29-7 in March since the 1998-99 season, including a 7-0 mark in Big Ten regular-season play. For his career, Tom Izzo is 36-14 in March.
Game 26 Notes - MSU 67 - Penn State 42 - Feb. 28, 2004
* Paul Davis recorded a career-best six assists.
* Michigan State's defense allowed a season-low 42 points.
* Michigan State recorded a season-high 23 assists on 28 field goals.
* Michigan State made a season-high 11 three-point field goals on a season-high 27 attempts.
* Michigan State's 25-point margin of victory is its largest in the Big Ten this year and ties the largest of the season (MSU defeated Penn, 77-52); it's MSU's largest margin of victory on the road since defeating Michigan, 91-64, on Jan. 30, 2001.
* Penn State grabbed just seven offensive boards after entering the game averaging 14.08 offensive rebounds per game in Big Ten action.
* With 10 steals, it marked the fifth game of the season in which Michigan State has recorded 10 or more steals.
* Michigan State did not attempt a single free throw. MSU's previous season low was a 3-of-6 effort vs. Northwestern (2/21). This was the first game in recorded MSU history in which the Spartans did not attempt a free throw (dating back to 1950).
Wisconsin Notes
Coach Ryan - Bo Ryan (Wilkes College, '69) is 445-130 in his 20th year as a college head coach, including a 62-27 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, 63-50, including a 38-13 advantage in East Lansing. Although Wisconsin has won the last three games, Michigan State has won eight of the last 11 games and 12 of the last 16. Tom Izzo is 12-6 vs. Wisconsin, including 5-2 in East Lansing.
Badger Briefs - Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (56.5 ppg), scoring margin (+12.2), turnover margin (+4.84) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41) in all games ... Devin Harris ranks third in the Big Ten in both scoring (19.1 ppg) and assists (4.64 apg) ... In Big Ten games, Harris is tied for the conference lead in scoring (20.7 ppg).
Last Meeting Notes - Wisconsin 77 - MSU 64 - Jan. 10, 2004
* MSU opened with a 17-5 run through the first 4:57, making its first eight shots.
* MSU shot 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free throw line.
* Michigan State shot just 13 free throws compared to Wisconsin's 35.
* Seven of MSU's 17 turnovers came in the final six minutes of the first half.
* MSU went from the 15:03 mark of the first half until 8:26 without scoring.
MSU Basketball Notes
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.
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 43.3 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 and Shannon Brown are the only two who have a better three-point percentage in non-conference games.
Spartan Shooting Among Best Ever - Michigan State is shooting 49.4 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 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 (.533), three-point field-goal percentage (.433) 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.
Davis Shares The Ball - Center Paul Davis is known for his scoring, but his passing is equally important in a potent Spartan offensive attack. Davis ranks third on the team at 2.1 assists per game, including 2.4 apg in Big Ten games. Most recently, he recorded a career best six assists vs. Penn State, one game after recording four vs. Michigan. He also dished out five assists against Ohio State.
Hot Second Half Shooting - Michigan State is shooting 56.8 percent (188-of-331) from the field in the second half of Big Ten games. Over the last 14 games, MSU is shooting 57.6 percent (179-of-311) in the second half, shooting over 60 percent in nine games.
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.
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 54.5 percent from the field, ranking ninth in the Big Ten. In conference games, he ranks fourth in the Big Ten at 57.3 percent. On the year, he is shooting a Big Ten-best 50.9 percent from three-point range, up from 31.8 percent over his first two years. He also leads the Big Ten in league games, shooting 61.3 percent from three-point range. Over the last 17 games, Torbert is shooting 57.5 percent and 58.8 percent from three-point range.
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.
Getting Defensive - Michigan State has held its last eight opponents to 43.1 percent shooting, with five of its last nine opponents shooting below 44 percent. This season, Spartan opponents are shooting an uncharacteristically high 46.0 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.
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 five-game winning streak, the Spartan defense is allowing just 56.0 points per game, holding four opponents under 60 points. Prior to this stretch, MSU had allowed six straight opponents to score 70 points or more. The Spartans are 8-0 when allowing fewer than 60 points and 11-1 when allowing fewer than 70.
Defending The Three - Over the last five games, Michigan State has done a terrific job defending the three-point shot as MSU opponents are shooting just 23.2 percent (16-of-69) 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; Penn State 3-of-11.
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.
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 third in the nation in free throw shooting according to the most recent NCAA statistics (.773 as of 2/29).
Spartans Clicking On Offense - In the nine games before Christmas, Michigan State was shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range. Since returning from the holiday break, the MSU offense has been very good. In the last 17 games, MSU is averaging 72.8 points while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from three-point range and 77.4 percent from the free throw line. In addition, MSU is also averaging 15.8 assists per contest. MSU is 13-4 since Christmas.
Davis Down Low - Paul Davis has scored in double figures in 21 of 26 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.
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 15.33 assists per game.
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 (.395) 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, including a conference-best 43.3 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 (72.1 ppg) and second in Big Ten games (71.8 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 (234) and career attempts (543) and sixth in career three-point field-goal percentage (.431). Hill has made at least one three-point field goal in 88 of 92 games in his career. He has made at least three three-pointers in 14 of his last 20 games. With 73 three-point field goals this season, he ranks 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 17 games, Hill is shooting .541 (86-of-159) from the field and .467 (50-of-107) from three-point range. On the season, he ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point percentage shooting (.456) behind teammate Kelvin Torbert and 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 (Jan. 14), Chris Hill became the 31st player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 points in his career. Hill currently stands at 1,199 points in 21st place on the MSU all-time scoring list. He needs 14 points to pass Kirk Manns and Ken Redfield (1,212 points)
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 +1.8, but in Big Ten play, the Spartans rank second in the conference at +2.5.
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 17 wins, the Spartans are averaging 13.9 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 15 contests, posting a 12-3 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 507 of MSU's 1874 points (27.1 percent). MSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 19 of 26 contests, posting a 15-4 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 15.7 ppg, followed by Chris Hill (14.0) and Kelvin Torbert (11.1). 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 21 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 12-0 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.
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 237 of 293 games (80.9 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.
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 22.4 minutes or more, while Chris Hill (32.0 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.
