Spartan Basketball Prepares For Rivalry Game Against Michigan
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#12/13 Michigan State (16-4, 7-2)vs. Michigan (12-12, 3-7)
Feb. 12, 20054 p.m. ESTAnn Arbor, Mich.Crisler Arena (13,751)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: ESPN - Dave Barnett (Play by Play), Tim McCormick (Color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State begins its second swing through the Big Ten with a trip to Crisler Arena. The Spartans have won 11 of the last 12 games in the series and four of the last five in Ann Arbor. MSU is 3-1 on the road in Big Ten action this season. Michigan State has played just four games since defeating Michigan, 64-53, in East Lansing on Jan. 27.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five
The 1,000 Club - Alan Anderson (999) and Paul Davis (985) have a chance to both score their 1,000th point against Michigan. Earlier this season at Penn State, Kelvin Torbert (1,090 points) became the 32nd player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 in his career. Chris Hill (1,448) scored his 1,000th point last season. This will be the first time in school history that a single Spartan squad has had four 1,000 point scorers, and the first time that a single senior class has produced three 1,000 point scorers. Two Spartans have never scored their 1,000th point in the same game.
Slump Buster - Chris Hill broke out of a shooting slump with a 26-point game against Ohio State, shooting 8-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range. In fact, Hill made his first eight shots of the game. In the previous 10 games, Hill averaged 7.2 points, shooting 34.8 percent (23-of-66) from the field and 30.0 percent from 3-point range (15-of-50). But even during his shooting slump he remained an important contributor, averaging 4.8 assists. His 26 points were the second-highest total of his career, and the most since scoring 34 against Syracuse on Feb. 23, 2003.
Anderson Feeling Comfortable (And Rebounding Well) - 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 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting a career-best 52.6 percent from the field. He is averaging a team-best 7.1 rebounds in his last eight contests. He recorded his first career double-double against Iowa (11 pts., 11 reb.) and was just one rebound shy against Ohio State (16 pts., 9 reb.).
Hill To Join Elite Company - With one more assist, Chris Hill (1,448 points, 399 assists) will become just the fourth player in Michigan State history to record 1,400 points and 400 assists in his career. Mateen Cleaves (1,541 points, 816 assists), Scott Skiles (2,145 points, 645 assists) and Steve Smith (2,263 points, 453 assists) are the other three Spartans to accomplish this feat. Hill will become just the 24th player in Big Ten history to reach the milestone.
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 16-4 record is its best 20-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 18-2 record in its first 20 contests and is tied for the fifth best in school history. MSU opened with a 17-3 mark in 1958-59, 1977-78 and 1994-95. This year's 16-4 mark was equalled by the 1989-90, 1991-92, 1997-98 and 1998-99 squads. By comparison, MSU started 12-8 in each of the last three seasons.
Game 20 Notes - MSU 83 - OSU 69 - Feb. 9, 2005
* Chris Hill scored a season-high 26 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range, making his first eight shots.
* Maurice Ager celebrated his 21st birthday with an 18-point effort on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, despite suffering from flu-like symptoms.
* Drew Neitzel recorded a season-high seven assists.
* Michigan State's comeback from a 43-41 halftime deficit marked the first time all year that the Spartans had won after trailing at the half.
* Michigan State's bench outscored Ohio State's 44-22.
* Paul Davis recorded a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) for the second-straight game, marking the first time in his career.
* After allowing Ohio State to shoot 63.0 percent in the first half, Michigan State's defense held the Buckeyes to 34.5 percent shooting in the second half.
* After being out-rebounded 14-13 in the first half, Michigan State held a 27-10 advantage on the boards in the second half.
* After being MSU's sixth man for the first 19 games, Kelvin Torbert made his first start of the season.
Michigan Wolverines
Coach Amaker - Tommy Amaker (Duke, '87) is 131-109 in eight seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 63-54 in four seasons at Michigan. Prior to his arrival in Ann Arbor, he spent four years at Seton Hall where he went 68-55.
Wolverine Notes - Michigan has lost 65 total games due to injury and suspension this season, forcing the Wolverines to use 13 different starting lineups ... In a 57-51 loss to Illinois on Tuesday, Michigan held the Illini to their lowest point total of the season ... Overall, Michigan ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.418), but ranks 7th in Big Ten games (.446) ... Brent Petway (.584) and Courtney Sims (.583) rank third and fourth, respectively, in the league in field-goal percentage.
MSU-UM Notes
Series History - Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 89-67, including a 54-26 advantage in games played in Ann Arbor. MSU, however, has won 11 of the last 12 games in the series, including four of the last five in Crisler Arena. Tom Izzo is 11-6 in his career against the Wolverines. Michigan's last win in the series was a 60-58 Wolverine victory on Jan. 26, 2003, in Ann Arbor.
MSU Notables - Paul Davis leads all current Spartans in scoring against the Wolverines, averaging 12.7 points in four games, including 15.7 in the last three meetings ... Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.5 percent from 3-point range in his career against Michigan.
The Last Meeting In Ann Arbor - MSU 72 - UM 69 - Feb. 24, 2004 - Michigan held a 34-26 advantage at the half. The Spartans made a couple of runs early in the second half, but Michigan held a 52-40 lead with 11:15 remaining. Both teams traded missed shots, but MSU then started a stretch where it scored on 14 of its next 16 possessions, including 11 straight at one point. 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. MSU tied the game at 57 when Paul Davis slammed home an Alan Anderson miss. With 3:24 remaining in the game, Anderson's layup gave the Spartans a 63-61 lead, their first since 8-6. Leading 65-63 with 39 seconds left, Chris Hill hit a 3-pointer over Courtney Sims to take a five-point lead. UM hit a three to pull within two, but Kelvin Torbert and Hill each hit two free throws in the final seconds to give the Spartans a 72-69 win. Torbert scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half.
The Last Meeting - MSU 64 - Michigan 53 - Jan. 27, 2005 - East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State missed its first four shots and committed two turnovers in the first four minutes as Michigan took a 7-0 lead. MSU responded with a 12-0 run and never trailed after that. Leading 28-22 at the half, the Spartans scored the first eight points of the second half to take a 36-22 lead. Michigan never got closer than nine points after that. For the game, MSU's defense forced more turnovers (23) than it allowed field goals (21), while forcing Michigan into scoring droughts of 6:32 and 4:00. Michigan State made a season-low two 3-point field goals, but did hold a 35-25 advantage on the glass. Maurice Ager led the Spartans with 18 points, while Paul Davis came off the bench to score 12 points after missing the previous three days of practice with an ankle injury. Dion Harris and Courtney Sims each scored 12 points to lead the Wolverines.
MSU Basketball Notes
The Free Throw Story - According to the most recent NCAA statistics, Michigan State leads the nation in free-throw percentage (80.3 pct. through Feb. 7). The Spartans are currently shooting 80.0 percent from the foul line, including six players who are shooting at least 82.2 percent. Among players with at least 20 attempts, Shannon Brown paces the way, connecting on 88.3 percent of his attempts (53-of-60). In fact, Brown, Kelvin Torbert (88.0 percent), Alan Anderson (86.8 percent) and Maurice Ager (82.2 percent) rank first, second, third and fifth in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. In conference games, Michigan State's 81.3 percent is on pace to set a Big Ten record. Purdue's 1969 squad currently holds the record at 80.6 percent. MSU is shooting 80.8 percent in games which it won and 75.9 percent in games which it lost.
Second Half Spurts - In each of the last six games, Michigan State has started the second half with a little run. Consider the following runs that MSU has used to open the second half (Ohio State - 9-2 over 3:43; Iowa - 14-4 over 4:21; Illinois - 7-2 over 1:07; Oakland - 12-2 over 3:55; Michigan - 8-0 over 2:10; Minnesota - 7-2 over 1:56).
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 +7.7 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 12.15 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 15-2 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded. Most recently, the Spartans out-rebounded Ohio State, 40-24, marking the largest margin of the Big Ten season.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 18 out of 20 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 221 more points (11.1 per game). In 10 of the 20 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including five of 19 or more. One reason for MSU's advantage is the experienced talent it brings off the bench with two All-Big Ten performers. Kelvin Torbert, a third-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2004, has been MSU's sixth man all season. Chris Hill, a second-team all-league performer in 2003 and 2004, came off the bench for the first time all season against Iowa. The two combined to score 23 points against the Hawkeyes, helping the Spartans to a 33-5 bench points advantage. Most recently, Torbert started against Ohio State in place of an ill Maurice Ager. Hill and Ager combined to score 44 points off the bench. In the last two games, MSU bench has outscored its opponents' bench by a combined score of 77-27.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 63.5 points per game. In the last two games, opponents have shot just 38.9 percent and 26.7 percent from 3-point range. MSU's defense allowed Iowa to shoot just 28.8 percent from the field, a season low for Spartan opponents, and 13.3 percent from 3-point range. Most recently, Ohio State torched the nets to shoot 63.0 percent in the first half, but the MSU defense responded in the second half, allowing the Buckeyes to score just 26 second-half points on 34.5 percent shooting. In the two games before Iowa, Spartan opponents averaged 78.0 points and shot 54.8 percent from the field. In the 11 contests prior to that, opponents shot just 41.8 percent, averaging just 57.7 points, with no opponent scoring more than 64 points.
Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.9 percent in his last two years. This season, he is the only Big Ten player to rank in the top 10 in all three shooting categories, ranking 2nd in free-throw percentage (.880) and 6th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.434) and field-goal percentage (.573). In 2003-04, he accomplished the same feat, 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.
Ager's Explosion - Maurice Ager is currently playing the best basketball of his Spartan career. Over the last seven games, he is averaging 15.7 points. Finally healthy for the first time in three seasons, Ager is having a very good junior campaign. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 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 49.7 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from 3-point range.
MSU In NCAA Stats - According to the most recent NCAA statistics (through games of 2/7), MSU ranks in the top 10 in two categories nationally and in the top 20 in six categories. The Spartans lead the nation in free-throw percentage (.803), rank 8th in scoring margin (+16.3), 12th in assists per game (17.6), 13th in rebound margin (+7.2), 17th in scoring offense (79.5) and 18th in field-goal percentage (.489). Balanced Scoring - Michigan State is the only team in the nation to feature six players scoring in double-figures, led by Maurice Ager at 14.1 points per game. By comparison, just three Spartans averaged in double figures last year, after Chris Hill was the only player to do so in 2002-03.
The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 11-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents, but just 5-4 when committing an equal number or more than the opposition. On the season, MSU is averaging 13.7 turnovers per game. MSU ranks third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+2.30) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30). Over the last four games, MSU is averaging just 11.5 turnovers.
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 15 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 108 assists and just 36 turnovers (Hill - 68 assists, 23 turnovers; Neitzel - 40 assists, 13 turnovers). In the last 11 games, Hill has recorded 51 assists and 15 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 36 assists and just 11 turnovers in his last 13 games.
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.03-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).
Big Ten Leaders - The Spartans lead the conference in five statistical categories, including scoring offense (79.7 ppg), free-throw percentage (.800), rebounding offense (36.3), rebounding defense (28.6) and rebounding margin (+7.2). MSU ranks in the top three in 12 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.03-to-1, while Shannon Brown paces the conference in free-throw percentage (.883).
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 basketball practice on Dec. 13. This season, he is averaging 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 points in 11.3 minutes per contest. He grabbed a career-best eight rebounds against Wisconsin and scored a career-best seven points against Oakland. Last season, he averaged 6.9 minutes in 17 games, recording 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands at 1,448 points, in 12th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. With 21 points, he will move into 11th place, passing Charlie Bell (1,468 points). With 93 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 (292) and career attempts (681) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.429). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 111 of 116 games in his career. His 292 career 3-point field goals rank fifth in Big Ten history, 40 behind Big Ten career leader Pete Lisicky of Penn State.
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 20 games, MSU is averaging 17.75 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 355 of their 551 baskets (64.4 percent).
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 399 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
Taking Turns - Through 20 games, five different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Maurice Ager has led the team in seven games, while Paul Davis and has done it five times. Alan Anderson has done it four times and Kelvin Torbert has done it three times. Chris Hill has led the team in two games.
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.
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 10.7 points and 3.4 boards in 24.6 minutes per contest. Recently, he posted career highs in scoring (20 points) and rebounding (9 boards) against Purdue (1/18).
Spartan Depth - Through 20 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 25.4 minutes per contest.
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.
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 20 games this year, the Spartans are just as good, shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from 3-point range and 80.0 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).
Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 412 starts in their careers, including 274 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.
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).
Spartans On TV - This season, 26 of Michigan State's 27 regular-season games will be televised, including six on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and three on CBS.
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 Feb. 10)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 10 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 50 GP, 27.7 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 40 GP, 35.3 mpg, 19.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.0 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 40 GP, 38.0 mpg, 22.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.8 apg Steve Smith (Charlotte): 33 GP, 17.9 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.7 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 46 GP, 22.8 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.7 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 27 GP, 11.6 mpg, 2.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.3 apg
