Men's Basketball Looks For Win No. 20
2/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#9/10 Michigan State (19-4, 10-2)vs. #20/20 Wisconsin (17-6, 8-4)
Feb. 24, 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 - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color), Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State enters Thursday's game with a five-game winning streak, having won each contest by double figures. Since losing at Wisconsin on Jan. 16, the Spartans have won nine of their last 10 games, with the lone loss coming to Illinois. The Badgers are 5-3 in that same stretch, with two of the three losses coming at the hands of the top-ranked Illini.
MSU Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Starting Five
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 19-4 record is its best 23-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 20-3 record in its first 23 contests and is tied for the second best in school history. MSU also opened with a 19-4 mark in 1958-59, 1977-78, 1994-95 and 1998-99 squads. The 2000-01 team did not lose its fourth game of the season until the 28th game.
Spartan Depth - Through 23 games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 9.7 minutes of action, including six players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 25.3 minutes per contest. Michigan State is the only school in the Big Ten that does not have a single player averaging 30 minutes per game. Most recently, 11 Spartans played 10 minutes or more against Purdue.
Spartans Rebound After Loss - Michigan State has won five straight games by double figures since losing to Illinois at home on Feb. 1. The Spartans are winning by an average score of 74.2-60.2, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 39.3 percent. MSU is also out-rebounding its opponents by a margin of +10.2. Alan Anderson is averaging a team-best 13.0 points during that stretch, while Paul Davis is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. MSU's bench is outscoring the opponent's bench by an average of 16.8 points. Drew Neitzel has also taken Chris Hill's spot in the starting lineup. Both players have responded as Neitzel is averaging 5.2 points, 3.4 assists and 1.0 turnovers as a starter, while Hill is averaging 12.8 points and 4.0 assists off the bench. Neitzel was averaging just 2.6 points as a reserve, while Hill was scoring just 9.2 points as a starter.
MSU's Prolific Offense - Michigan State's offense is averaging 78.6 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. It is MSU's highest scoring offense since the 1985-86 Spartans averaged 83.1 points, led by Scott Skiles' 27.4 points per game. Tom Izzo's highest-scoring Spartan team was the 2000-01 squad that averaged 77.4 points.
20-Win Seasons - A win over Wisconsin would be Michigan State's 20th victory of the season, marking the 6th 20-win season for Tom Izzo. In fact, of the previous 13 20-win seasons in Michigan State history, Izzo has been involved with 10 of them, five as a head coach and five as an assistant to Jud Heathcote.
Game 23 Notes - MSU 68 - Purdue 57 - Feb. 19, 2005
* Michigan State's defense held Carl Landry to just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting. In the first meeting of the season, Landry scored 31 points, and entered the game as the Big Ten's leading scorer at 19.5 ppg.
* After shooting 39.3 percent in the first half, the Spartans made 56.0 percent of their shots in the second half.
* Drew Neitzel scored a season-high 10 points.
* Michigan State held a 37-27 advantage on the boards, despite allowing Purdue to grab the final nine rebounds of the contest.
* Purdue was shooting 31.3 percent from the field, falling behind by 21 points, until it made six of its final nine shots.
* The Spartans attempted 15 3-pointers in the first half, but just four in the second half.
* Michigan State outscored Purdue, 10-0, in fast-break points.
Wisconsin Badgers
Coach Ryan - Bo Ryan (Wilkes College, '69) is 85-34 in his fourth year at Wisconsin. Overall, he is 468-137 in 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He opened his career with 15 years at UW-Platteville, followed by two years at UW-Milwaukee.
Badger Bits - Alando Tucker leads the Badgers in scoring overall (14.7 ppg), but Mike Wilkinson paces UW in conference games (15.8 ppg) ... Wilkinson ranks third in the league in rebounding in Big Ten games (8.1 rpg) ... Wisconsin ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage overall (.400) and leads the conference in Big Ten games (.405).
MSU-UW Notes
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series, 63-53, including a 38-14 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Wisconsin has won the last six games in the series. Prior to that, the Spartans won eight in a row and 12 of 13. Tom Izzo is 12-9 in his career against Wisconsin.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - Wisconsin 68 - MSU 64, OT - March 2, 2004 - Michigan State entered the game needing a win to clinch a share of a Big Ten Championship. Wisconsin closed the first half on an 11-2 run to take a 35-30 halftime lead. MSU tied the game at 39, but UW held a 45-41 lead with 11:46 left in regulation. Paul Davis scored seven consecutive Spartan points as MSU took a 48-46 lead. Unfortunately, that would be Davis' last basket as severe leg cramps kept him on the bench. With 2:14 left, Kelvin Torbert had an offensive rebound and put back to give MSU a 52-49 lead. The Spartans had a chance to extend its lead, but missed a long three. Devin Harris responded by nailing a 3-pointer in transition to tie the game at 52. Chris Hill missed two free throws with 22 seconds left, but Wisconsin missed a game-winning shot, sending the game into overtime. MSU never led in overtime. UW's Clayton Hanson hit a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left to give UW a four-point lead and the Badgers sealed the game by going 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final 20 seconds. Davis led MSU with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but missed the final two-and-a-half minutes of regulation and all of overtime with cramps. MSU was outscored 21-14 in his absence. MSU shot just 39.3 percent from the field, marking its lowest effort of the 2004 Big Ten season. Wisconsin got 18 points each from Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson, while Hanson added 13 off the bench.
The Last Meeting - UW 62 - MSU 59 - Jan. 16, 2005 - Madison, Wis. - Trailing 23-22 late in the first half, Michigan State went on a 10-2 run to take a 32-25 lead. At the half, MSU led 32-28. In the second half, the Spartans creeped out to a 48-42 lead, only to watch Wisconsin hit three 3-pointers en route to taking a 51-50 lead with 8:30 left. MSU's defense then held UW without a point for the next six-and-a-half minutes as the Spartans surged out to a 59-51 lead. Sharif Chambliss broke MSU's run with a 3-pointer at the 1:57 mark. Chris Hill missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Mike Wilkinson hit two free throws. Seconds later, Paul Davis missed the front end of another 1-and-1, only to watch Wilkinson hit two more free throws to cut MSU's lead to 59-58. After a Spartan miss, Kammron Taylor hit a driving layup to give UW a 60-59 lead. Alan Anderson missed a close shot and Zach Morley hit two free throws to extend the Badger lead to 62-59. Shannon Brown had a good look at a tying 3-pointer, but it rimmed out as time expired. Michigan State shot a season-low 42.1 percent from the field and shot an uncharacteristically low 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from the foul line. Paul Davis led all scorers with 20 points. The Spartan defense held Wisconsin to 38.2 percent shooting. MSU's starting backcourt of Brown, Hill and Maurice Ager was a combined 6-of-26 from the field, including 2-of-13 from 3-point range. UW's Clayton Hanson, Chabliss and Taylor were 12-of-23, including 10-of-19 from 3-point range. Twelve of Wisconsin's 21 field goals were 3-pointers.
MSU Basketball Notes
The 1,000 Club - With 14 points against Minnesota, Paul Davis (1,013) became the 34th player in Michigan State history and the fourth member of the current Spartan squad to score 1,000 points in a career. Alan Anderson (1,037) and Kelvin Torbert (1,105) scored their 1,000th point earlier this season. Chris Hill (1,479) scored his 1,000th point last season. This is the first time that a single MSU senior class has produced three 1,000 point scorers and the first time in school history that a single Spartan squad has had four 1,000 point scorers. MSU is just the seventh team in Big Ten history and the 46th team in NCAA history with four 1,000 point scorers on the same team. For just five of the seven Big Ten teams, did all four players score all 1,000 points at that school.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State features five players averaging double figures in scoring, and another, Kelvin Torbert, averaging 9.7 points. MSU had been the only team in the nation with 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.
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 80.5 percent from the foul line, including six players who are shooting at least 82.1 percent. Among players with at least 20 attempts, Shannon Brown paces the way, connecting on 89.4 percent of his attempts (59-of-66). In fact, Brown, Alan Anderson (88.1 percent), Kelvin Torbert (87.9 percent) and Maurice Ager (82.4 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 81.5 percent in games which it won and 75.9 percent in games which it lost.
Second Half Spurts - In eight of the last nine 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 (Minnesota (2/16) - 6-0 over 2:55; Michigan (2/12) - 20-12 over 8:50; Ohio State (2/9) - 9-2 over 3:43; Iowa (2/5) - 14-4 over 4:21; Illinois (2/1) - 7-2 over 1:07; Oakland (1/29) - 12-2 over 3:55; Michigan (1/27) - 8-0 over 2:10; Minnesota (1/22) - 7-2 over 1:56). The lone exception was the Purdue contest which saw the Boilermakers cut MSU's 10-point lead to five points four minutes into the half. The Spartans responded with a 12-0 run.
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 +8.0 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 11.87 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 18-2 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded. In Big Ten games, MSU's margin is +8.4. The Spartans are out-rebounding their last four opponents by an average margin of +11.8.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 21 out of 23 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 255 more points (11.1 per game). In 11 of the 23 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including six of 18 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 five games, MSU bench has outscored its opponents' bench by a combined score of 133-49.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 62.6 points per game. In the last five games, opponents have shot just 39.3 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from 3-point range. In the two games prior to the last five, 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.
Breslin Success - Michigan State has sold out 110 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 97 of its last 104 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .933. This season, MSU is 12-1 at home, averaging 83.6 points, shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3-point range at the Breslin Center.
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 12.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting a career-best 53.0 percent from the field. In Big Ten games, he is second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg). 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 Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands in 11th place on the MSU all-time scoring list at 1,479 points. With 63 points, he will move into the top 10, passing Mateen Cleaves (1,541).
Brown Is Red Hot - Shannon Brown is the hottest Spartan over the last three games, averaging 13.3 points, while shooting 69.6 percent (16-of-23) from the field. At Michigan, he scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He followed that up with an 18-point effort against Minnesota, connnecting on 6-of-7 shots. That game marked the first time all season that he had led the Spartans in scoring. He struggled in the first half at Purdue, shooting 0-of-4, but bounced back to hit 3-of-4 in the second half.
Mr. Double-Double - Paul Davis has recorded a double-double in three of his last five games. The trend started with a 10-point, 12-rebound game at Iowa. In the next game, he scored 10 points and grabbed a career-best tying 12 rebounds vs. Ohio State, marking the first time in his career that he had recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games. Most recently, he scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds again against Minnesota. He has recorded five double-doubles this season and seven in his career.
Slump Buster - In the last four games, Chris Hill is averaging 14.3 points, shooting 55.6 percent (20-of-36) from the field and 52.2 percent (12-of-23) 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 (1,479 points, 413 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 54.2 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 3rd in free-throw percentage (.879), 9th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.404) and 10th in field-goal percentage (.547). 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 fourth in rebounding with 3.9 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 49.3 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
MSU In NCAA Stats - According to the most recent NCAA statistics (through games of 2/21), MSU ranks in the top 10 in four categories nationally and in the top 25 in six categories. The Spartans lead the nation in free-throw percentage (.805), rank 5th in scoring margin (+16.0), tied for 7th in rebound margin (+7.8), 10th in assists per game (17.7), 14th in field-goal percentage (.494) and 22nd in scoring offense (78.6).
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 7-4 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 (+1.96) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28).
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 18 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 131 assists and just 44 turnovers (Hill - 82 assists, 28 turnovers; Neitzel - 49 assists, 16 turnovers). In the last 14 games, Hill has recorded 65 assists and 20 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 45 assists and 14 turnovers in his last 16 games.
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.97-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 (.805), rebounding defense (28.0) and rebounding margin (+8.0). MSU ranks in the top three in 12 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.97-to-1, while Shannon Brown paces the league in free-throw percentage (.894).
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 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 points in 11.4 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 For Three - Chris Hill is among the best 3-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career 3-point field goals made (298) and career attempts (697) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.428). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 114 of 119 games in his career. His 298 career 3-point field goals rank fifth in Big Ten history, 36 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 23 games, MSU is averaging 17.65 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 406 of their 633 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 413 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
Taking Turns - Through 23 games, six different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Maurice Ager has led the team in eight games, while Alan Anderson has done it six times. Paul Davis has done it five times and Kelvin Torbert has done it three times. Chris Hill has led the team in two games and Shannon Brown has done it once.
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 11.0 points and 3.2 boards in 24.6 minutes per contest. Recently, he posted career highs in scoring (20 points) and rebounding (9 boards) against Purdue (1/18).
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. This season, he has named first-team all-district honors, earning a spot on the All-America ballot.
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.
Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 427 starts in their careers, including 277 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).
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. 17)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 10 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 53 GP, 27.9 mpg, 11.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 42 GP, 35.2 mpg, 18.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.0 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 44 GP, 38.2 mpg, 22.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.9 apg Steve Smith (Charlotte): 36 GP, 17.6 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.6 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 50 GP, 22.5 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.7 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 28 GP, 11.3 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg
