Men's Basketball Hosts Minnesota On Wednesday
2/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#10/11 Michigan State (17-4, 8-2)vs. Minnesota (16-8, 6-5)
Feb. 16, 20057 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.Breslin Center (14,759)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: ESPN Plus Local - Mike Gleason (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color)
The Opening Tip Michigan State enters the game having won 14 of its last 16 games. The Spartans currently stand at 8-2 in Big Ten play, in sole possession of second place. One week ago, Minnesota was making a strong run at an NCAA bid after a win over a ranked Wisconsin squad, but has since lost two straight games. The Spartans are 11-1 at the Breslin Center this season.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 17-4 record is its best 21-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 18-3 record in its first 21 contests and is tied for the fifth best in school history. MSU also opened with an 18-3 mark in 1958-59, 1977-78 and 1994-95. This year's 17-4 mark was equalled by the 1991-92, 1997-98 and 1998-99 squads. By comparison, MSU started 13-8 in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and 12-9 last year. A win over Minnesota would allow Michigan State to equal the third-best 22-game start in MSU history at 18-4 (1977-78, 1994-95, 1998-99). The 1958-59 and 2000-01 squads started 19-3.
The Hometown Boy - Spartan senior Alan Anderson was the 2001 Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Player of the Year at DeLaSalle High School. In his seven games at Michigan State against Minnesota, he is averaging 10.0 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 58.1 percent from the field. 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.
The 1,000 Club - Paul Davis (995) needs five points against Minnesota to record his 1,000th point. In MSU's last game against Michigan, Alan Anderson (1,015) became the 33rd player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 in his career. Earlier this season at Penn State, Kelvin Torbert (1,097 points) surpassed 1,000. Chris Hill (1,459) scored his 1,000th point last season. This is the first time that a single senior class has produced three 1,000 point scorers and will be the first time in school history that a single Spartan squad has had four 1,000 point scorers.
Breslin Success - Michigan State has sold out 109 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 96 of its last 103 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .932. This season, MSU is 11-1 at home, averaging 83.8 points, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point range at the Breslin Center.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State is the only team in the nation to feature six players scoring in double-figures, led by Maurice Ager at 13.7 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.
Game 21 Notes - MSU 64 - Michigan 49 - Feb. 12, 2005
* Michigan State made its first five shots of the first half and its first six shots of the second half.
* Michigan State's defense forced 17 turnovers and allowed just 16 field goals.
* Alan Anderson scored his 1,000th career point on a dunk with 17:34 left in the first half.
* After recording just two points and one rebound in the first half, Anderson tallied 14 points and five rebounds in the second half.
* Chris Hill became the fourth player in MSU history to record 1,400 points and 400 assists in his career.
* Michigan's 20 first-half points were the third fewest allowed by MSU this season.
* The Spartans shot a perfect 11-of-11 from the foul line, marking the second game this season in which they did not miss a free throw.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach Monson - Dan Monson (Idaho, '85) is 147-100 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including a 95-83 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.
Gopher Notes - Vincent Grier ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game ... Minnesota leads the Big Ten with 9.54 steals per contest ... In conference games, the Golden Gophers rank second in field-goal percentage defense (.417) and first in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.282), but rank 10th in field-goal percentage (.412) and 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.297).
MSU-MINN Notes
Series History - Minnesota leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 55-50. The Spartans, however, have a 32-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing. MSU has won four in a row and nine of the last 11. Tom Izzo has a 12-6 all-time record against the Golden Gophers, including a 6-2 mark in the Breslin Center.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - MSU 69 - Minnesota 58 - Feb. 14, 2004 - Michigan State scored the first seven points of the game, but it was Minnesota that led by eight points at the half, 39-31. MSU scored eight of the first 10 points of the second half, including 3-pointers from Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill. With 10:19 remaining, Minnesota led 51-47. MSU responded with a 7-0 run and scored 11 of the next 13 points to take a 58-53 lead it would not relinquish. The Spartan defense allowed just one field goal in the final 10 minutes and just three points in the final 6:14. In the second half, MSU shot 61.1 percent from the field, compared to 31.6 percent for Minnesota. 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.
The Last Meeting - MSU 69 - Minnesota 55 - Jan. 22, 2005 - Minneapolis - Leading 39-34 at the half, Michigan State opened the second half scoring seven of the first nine points to extend its lead to 46-36 with 18:04 left in the game. Minnesota tried to narrow the deficit, but MSU was able to keep its lead between six and 11 points for much of the half. The Gophers made one last surge, pulling to within five points at 58-53. Chris Hill missed a three, but Alan Anderson jumped above everyone to grab the rebound and put back the miss to give MSU a 60-53 lead. On the other end, Anderson grabbed a Gopher miss and called timeout before falling out of bounds. The Spartans sealed the win by making 7-of-8 free throw attempts in the final 1:02. Michigan State out-rebounded Minnesota by 15 (40-25). Anderson led MSU with 13 points, shooting 11-of-12 at the foul line, as the Spartans made a season-high 26 free throws. MSU's defense held Vincent Grier to 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting. Grier entered the game averaging 16.9 points.
MSU Notables - Four Spartans average in double-figures against Minnesota, led by Chris Hill at 14.3 points ... Tom Izzo recorded his 100th Big Ten career victory with a 69-58 win over Minnesota on Feb. 14, 2004 ... Shannon Brown is shooting 58.8 percent from the field against the Gophers.
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 80.4 percent from the foul line, including six players who are shooting at least 82.4 percent. Among players with at least 20 attempts, Kelvin Torbert paces the way, connecting on 89.1 percent of his attempts (49-of-55). In fact, Torbert, Shannon Brown (88.3 percent), Alan Anderson (87.2 percent) and Maurice Ager (83.1 percent) rank first, second, third and fifth in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. In conference games, Michigan State's 82.4 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 81.4 percent in games which it won and 75.9 percent in games which it lost.
Second Half Spurts - In each of the last seven games, Michigan State has opened the second half with a little run. Consider the following runs that MSU has used to open the second half (Michigan - 20-12 over 8:50; 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 +7.8 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 12.10 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 16-2 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded. In Big Ten games, MSU's margin is +8.0.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 19 out of 21 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 230 more points (11.0 per game). In 10 of the 21 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. In the last three games, MSU bench has outscored its opponents' bench by a combined score of 95-36.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 62.9 points per game. In the last three games, opponents have shot just 39.7 percent and 34.1 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. 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. Most recently, the Spartans allowed Michigan to score just 49 points. 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.
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 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting a career-best 52.7 percent from the field. He is averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds in his last nine 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.).
Slump Buster - In the last two games, Chris Hill is averaging 18.0 points, shooting 60.0 percent (12-of-20) from the field and 60 percent (9-of-15) from 3-point range, after averaging 7.2 points, shooting 34.8 percent (23-of-66) from the field and 30.0 percent from 3-point range (15-of-50) in the prior 10 games. He 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. But even during his shooting slump he remained an important contributor, averaging 4.8 assists over those 10 games. His 26 points were the second-highest total of his career, the most since scoring 34 against Syracuse on Feb. 23, 2003, and the most for any Spartan this season.
Hill In Elite Company - Chris Hill (1,459 points, 402 assists) is 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 is also just the 24th player in Big Ten history to reach the milestone.
Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.7 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 1st in free-throw percentage (.891), 6th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.426) and 7th in field-goal percentage (.567). 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. Finally healthy for the first time in three seasons, Ager is having a very good junior campaign. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, and ranks third in rebounding with 4.0 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 49.0 percent from the field and 41.4 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).
The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 12-0 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 13.6 turnovers per game. MSU ranks third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+2.43) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29). Over the last five games, MSU is averaging just 11.6 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 16 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 113 assists and just 37 turnovers (Hill - 71 assists, 23 turnovers; Neitzel - 42 assists, 14 turnovers). In the last 12 games, Hill has recorded 54 assists and 15 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 38 assists and 12 turnovers in his last 14 games.
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.14-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 three statistical categories, including free-throw percentage (.804), rebounding defense (28.1) and rebounding margin (+7.8). MSU ranks in the top three in 12 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.14-to-1, while Kelvin Torbert paces the conference in free-throw percentage (.891).
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 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 points in 11.1 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 1,459 points, in 12th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. With 10 points, he will move into 11th place, passing Charlie Bell (1,468 points). With 82 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 (295) and career attempts (689) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.428). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 112 of 117 games in his career. His 295 career 3-point field goals rank fifth in Big Ten history, 37 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 21 games, MSU is averaging 17.57 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 369 of their 576 baskets (64.1 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 402 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
Taking Turns - Through 21 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 Alan Anderson have done it five times. 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 10.9 points and 3.3 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 21 games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 9.6 minutes of action, including six players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 25.7 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 21 games this year, the Spartans are just as good, shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from 3-point range and 80.4 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 417 starts in their careers, including 275 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
