Men's Basketball Looks For Road Win At Minnesota
1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#16/19 Michigan State (11-3, 3-1)vs. Minnesota (13-4, 3-1)
Jan. 22, 20054:37 p.m. ESTMinneapolis, Minn.Williams Arena (14,625)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: ESPN Plus Regional - Craig Coshun (Play by Play), Bob Ford (Color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State and Minnesota enter Saturday's game tied for second place in the Big Ten with a 3-1 conference record. The Spartans have won eight of their last nine games, while the Golden Gophers have won 11 of their last 12. Michigan State won both games between the two teams last year, but Minnesota led at halftime of both contests.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five
The Hometown Boy - Spartan senior Alan Anderson was the 2001 Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Player of the Year at DeLaSalle High School. In his six games at Michigan State against Minnesota, he is averaging 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds. His best effort against the Golden Gophers was on Feb. 26, 2003, in East Lansing, when he recorded 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. In his last trip to Minneapolis (MSU's 79-78 overtime win on Jan. 28, 2004), he scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Getting Defensive - In the last nine contests, Spartan opponents are averaging just 58.6 points, with no single opponent scoring more than 64 points. Opponents are also shooting just 42.0 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 15.8 turnovers.
The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 9-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents, but just 2-3 when committing an equal number or more than the opposition. On the season, MSU is averaging 13.6 turnovers per game. In the last eight games, the Spartans are averaging 11.8 turnovers per game. MSU committed a season-low eight turnovers against Northwestern. MSU ranks second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+3.43) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33).
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.88-to-1. That number ranks first among Spartan point guards of the last 20 years, ahead of solid point guards like Mateen Cleaves (1.9 in his last three years); Mark Montgomery (2.3 as a junior), Scott Skiles (2.0 as a senior) and Eric Snow (2.5 as a junior and senior).
MSU In NCAA Stats - According to the most recent NCAA statistics (through games of 1/17), MSU ranks in the top 10 in three categories nationally and in the top 20 in six categories. The Spartans lead the nation in free-throw percentage (.796), rank fourth in scoring margin (20.2), tied for ninth in assists per game (18.2), 12th in scoring offense (82.5), 16th in field-goal percentage (.499) and 17th in rebound margin (+7.4).
Game 14 Notes - MSU 71 - Purdue 64 - Jan. 18, 2005
* Shannon Brown scored a career-high 20 points, while Maurice Ager led the Spartans with 22 points, tying a season high. It marked the second game this season in which two Spartans scored 20 or more points.
* Brown led MSU with a career-best nine rebounds, while Alan Anderson grabbed a season-high eight boards.
* Carl Landry's 31 points marked the most points scored against MSU this season and the most since Minnesota's Terrance Simmons scored 34 on Feb. 10, 2001.
* Ager scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half.
* Ager and Brown combined to score MSU's final 11 points and 23 of the final 28 over the last 8:26 of the game.
* MSU scored seven points in the first 11:34 of the second half and 28 in the final 8:26.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach Monson - Dan Monson (Idaho, '85) is 144-96 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including a 92-79 mark in six seasons at Minnesota. Prior to his arrival in Minneapolis, Monson spent two seasons at Gonzaga. Monson's father, Don, was a head coach at Idaho and Oregon after serving as an assistant coach to Jud Heathcote at Michigan State from 1976-78.
Golden Gopher Notes - Minnesota is led in scoring and rebounding by junior college transfer Vincent Grier ... The Golden Gophers are 10-1 in Williams Arena this season ... The Gophers lead the league with 10.24 steals per game, with three players ranking in the top five ... In Big Ten play, UM leads the league in field-goal percentage defense (.368) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.197).
MSU-UM Notes
Series History - Minnesota leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 55-49, including a 34-17 advantage in games played in Minneapolis. The Spartans have won three in a row and eight of the last 10. Tom Izzo has an 11-6 all-time record against the Golden Gophers, including a 5-3 mark in Williams Arena.
An Amazing Comeback - In MSU's last trip to Williams Arena on Jan. 28, 2004, it took an amazing comeback for the Spartans to emerge victorious with a 79-78 overtime win. MSU trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half and 16 at halftime. The game marked the largest halftime deficit the Spartans had ever overcome. MSU forced overtime when Maurice Ager hit a 3-pointer as time expired to tie the game at 69. Paul Davis scored seven of his game-high 19 points in overtime, shooting 5-of-5 from the foul line. Davis missed two shots in the final seconds but grabbed a rebound and was fouled, sending him to the free-throw line, where he made two shots with 5.2 seconds left to give MSU a one-point victory. Chris Hill scored all 16 of his points after halftime, making 6-of-7 shots, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
The Last Meeting - MSU 69 - Minnesota 58 - Feb. 14, 2004 East Lansing, Mich.
* Minnesota held a 39-31 halftime lead and led 51-47 with 10:19 remaining.
* Minnesota scored just one basket in the final 10 minutes and scored just three points in the final 6:14 as MSU outscored the Golden Gophers, 22-7, over the final 10 minutes.
* Michigan State recorded a season-best 15 steals, with five Spartans recording two or more.
* Chris Hill scored a season-high 20 points.
* Tom Izzo became the 17th coach to record 100 Big Ten victories, and just the third coach to reach the milestone in his first nine seasons.
* Michigan State's defense allowed Minnesota to shoot just 31.6 percent in the second half.
MSU Basketball Notes
The Free Throw Story - According to the most recent NCAA statistics, Michigan State leads the nation in free-throw percentage (79.6 pct. in NCAA stats through Jan. 17). The Spartans are currently shooting 79.5 percent from the foul line, including eight players who are shooting at least 80 percent. Among players with at least 15 attempts, Shannon Brown paces the way, connecting on 90.5 percent of his attempts (38-of-42). In fact, Brown and Alan Anderson (87.2 percent) rank first and second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. MSU is shooting 81.9 percent in games which it won and 71.2 percent in games which it lost.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State is doing a much better job rebounding the basketball this season than it did last year. The Spartans are out-rebounding their opponents by a +7.1 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 12.36 offensive boards per game. MSU leads the conference in rebounding margin and ranks third in offensive rebounds. Rebounding is also a good indicator of the team's success. MSU is 10-1 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded.
Spartan Point Guards Value The Ball - Michigan State's two point guards, Chris Hill and Drew Neitzel, have done a remarkable job taking care of the basketball over the last nine games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 68 assists and just 17 turnovers (Hill - 46 assists, 11 turnovers; Neitzel - 22 assists, 6 turnovers). In the last five games, Hill has recorded 29 assists and three turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 18 assists and just four turnovers in his last seven games.
Big Ten Leaders - The Spartans lead the conference in six statistical categories, including scoring offense (81.6 ppg), scoring margin (+19.2), free-throw percentage (.795), field-goal percentage (.500), rebounding defense (28.9) and rebounding margin (+7.1). MSU ranks in the top three in 13 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.88-to-1, while Shannon Brown paces the conference in free-throw percentage (.905). In fact, Brown and teammate Alan Anderson (.872) rank first and second in the league in free-throw percentage.
The 1,000 Club - With 11 points against Penn State, Kelvin Torbert (1,025 points) became the 32nd player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 in his career. He joins teammate Chris Hill (1,382) as current Spartans with more than 1,000 career points, while Alan Anderson (925) and Paul Davis (934) also are likely to reach 1,000 points this year.
Off The Gridiron, Onto The Hardwood - Matt Trannon is back with the basketball team after playing football in the fall. This year, he ranked second on the team in receptions (36) and yards (405), while also scoring two touchdowns in 11 games. He returned to practice on Monday, Dec. 13. He has appeared in seven games this season. In his last six games, he is averaging 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 points in 12.5 minutes per contest. He grabbed a career-best seven rebounds against UNC Asheville and scored a career-best six points against Northwestern. Last season, he averaged 6.9 minutes in 17 games, recording 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 12 out of 14 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 138 more points (9.9 per game). In six of the 14 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including three of 19 or more.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State's impressive offensive performance has been the result of a team effort. Five Spartans are averaging in double figures, led by Maurice Ager at 13.9 ppg. Chris Hill had been averaging in double figures all year, but slipped to 9.7 points per game after scoring just three against Purdue. Michigan State had been the only team in the nation with six guys averaging in dobule figures. By comparison, just three Spartans averaged in double figures last year, after Chris Hill was the only player to do so in 2002-03.
Taking Turns - Through 14 games, five different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Paul Davis and Maurice Ager have been the leading scorer in five games. Alan Anderson and Kelvin Torbert have each done it twice. Chris Hill has led the team in one game.
Hitting The Mark - Last season, Michigan State was the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (5th, .492), free-throw percentage (4th, .771) and 3-point field-goal percentage (8th, .401). Through 14 games this year, the Spartans are just as good, shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from 3-point range and 79.5 percent from the free-throw line. MSU's shooting should come as no surprise considering the team returns its top six scorers from a 2003-04 squad that became the first team ever to lead the Big Ten in league games in field-goal percentage (.522), 3-point field-goal percentage (.434), free-throw percentage (.777) and scoring offense (71.3 ppg) (conference games only).
Ager's Explosion - Finally healthy for the first time in his three seasons, Maurice Ager is having a very good junior campaign. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game, and ranks third in rebounding with 4.2 boards per contest. He entered the season averaging 7.5 points for his career, shooting 39.2 percent, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range. His accuracy has improved greatly this season, shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from 3-point range.
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 14 games, MSU is averaging 18.0 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 252 of their 401 baskets (62.8 percent).
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands at 1,385 points, in 13th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. With nine points, he will move into 12th place, passing Andre Hutson (1,393 points). With 156 points, he will move into the top 10.
Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best 3-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career 3-point field goals made (279) and career attempts (651) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.429). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 106 of 110 games in his career. His 279 career 3-point field goals rank sixth in Big Ten history, 53 behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky.
He Can Pass, Too - In addition to all of his scoring and long-range shooting, Chris Hill is positioned to finish his career among the school's all-time leaders in assists. He currently stands in seventh place in MSU history with 377 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
Chris Hill Off The Court - Chris Hill has been named the 2004 Playboy Magazine Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In recognition of this honor, Michigan State University receives a $5,000 check for its general scholarship fund in Hill's name. Now in its 17th year, the purpose of the award is to call attention to the importance of scholarship combined with excellence in collegiate athletics and to honor an individual who personifies the best qualities of both. In 2003-04, Hill earned first-team Academic All-America honors, becoming the first Spartan to accomplish that feat since Greg Kelser in 1979.
Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.8 percent in his last two years. This season, Torbert is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (8th, .583) and 3-point field-goal percentage (4th, .457). He would rank second in the league in free-throw percentage (.897) if he had two more made attempts. He was the only Big Ten player ranked in the top 10 of all three categories in 2003-04, ranking 8th in field-goal percentage (.534), 1st in 3-point field-goal percentage (.484) and 6th in free-throw percentage (.800). His .588 3-point percentage in conference games in 2003-04 is the second highest mark in conference history.
Spartan Depth - Through 14 games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 10 minutes of action, including six players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 25.6 minutes per contest.
Anderson Feeling Comfortable - With the addition of Drew Neitzel to help handle the point guard duties, Alan Anderson has been able to return to his natural forward position. The change has led to increased production, as he is currently averaging career highs with 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting a career-best 55.1 percent from the field. Prior to this season, he had never averaged 10 points in any season or shot better than 50.3 percent.
No Sophomore Slump - In 2003-04, Shannon Brown earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team, averaging 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game. This season, he is averaging 11.9 points and 3.6 boards in 24.4 minutes per contest. He is coming off a career-best game in scoring (20 points) and rebounding (9 boards) against Purdue.
The Century Mark - Michigan State opened the season with three consecutive 100-point games for just the second time in school history (1963-64). Prior to this season, Tom Izzo's Spartans had topped 100 points just twice in his nine full seasons.
Davis Earns Big Ten POW Honors - After scoring a season-best 20 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds vs. Stanford, Paul Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 13. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in recording the 10th 20-point game of his career.
Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Fourteen Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last five years, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Another Difficult Slate - Michigan State has put together another challenging schedule in 2004-05. It includes five teams that appeared in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (Duke, Illinois, Florida A&M, Stanford and Wisconsin) and five that appeared in the NIT (George Mason, George Washington, Iowa, Michigan and Purdue).
Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 382 starts in their careers, including 263 career starts for Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert. Entering the season, MSU's returning players had 312 career starts (most in the Big Ten) and 601 career appearances (second most in the Big Ten). The trio of Anderson, Hill and Torbert had 235 career starts, making them the most experienced trio in the Big Ten. The Spartans also return 93.7 percent of their scoring, 85.6 percent of their rebounding and 88.3 percent of their minutes from last year.
Spartans On TV - This season, 26 of Michigan State's 27 regular-season games will be televised, including seven on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and three on CBS. In addition, MSU could have one more game on either ESPN or ESPN2.
Davis Earns Preseason Honor - Junior center Paul Davis was selected to the Big Ten preseason all-conference team. As a sophomore, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor. Last year, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. This season, he has been named a John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-American and a preseason candidate for the Naismith Award.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past six seasons, seven McDonald's All-Americans have joined the Spartan squad, including Jason Richardson in 1999, Marcus Taylor and McDonald's All-American All-Star game MVP Zach Randolph in 2000, Kelvin Torbert in 2001, Paul Davis in 2002 and Shannon Brown and Brandon Cotton in 2003.
Home To Mr. Basketball - Five of the last six recipients of Michigan's Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have gone on to wear a Spartan jersey. Jason Richardson (Saginaw Arthur Hill HS) won the award in 1999, followed by Marcus Taylor (Lansing Waverly HS) in 2000, Kelvin Torbert (Flint Northwestern HS) in 2001, Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002 and Drew Neitzel (Wyoming Park HS) in 2004. While the 2003 winner did not attend MSU, Shannon Brown (Proviso East HS) captured Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award that same year.
Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on seven former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Jan. 14.)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 8 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 36 GP, 25.2 mpg, 10.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 33 GP, 37.4 mpg, 20.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.0 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 29 GP, 37.3 mpg, 20.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.4 apg Steve Smith (Charlotte): 22 GP, 19.8 mpg, 9.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.0 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 33 GP, 20.7 mpg, 3.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.5 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 22 GP, 12.0 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.3 apg
