Men's Basketball In Search Of Seventh Straight Win
2/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#9/10 Michigan State (20-4, 11-2)vs. Indiana (13-11, 8-5)
Feb. 27, 2005Noon ESTBloomington, Ind.Assembly Hall (17,456)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: CBS - Dick Enberg (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Color)
The Opening Tip
With three games remaining in the regular season, Michigan State and Indiana are meeting for the first time this year. The Spartans enter the game having won six in a row, 10 of their last 11 and 17 of 19 overall. MSU is 5-1 on the road in Big Ten play, while the Hoosiers are a perfect 6-0 at Assembly Hall in conference action.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five
Big Ten Road Warriors - Michigan State is 5-1 on the road in Big Ten play this season. The secret to its success is its defense, as the Spartans are holding opponents to 36.4 percent shooting and just 57.5 points per game. No team has scored more than 64 points. In MSU's five victories, it has an average margin of victory of +15.4.
Spartans Rebound After Loss - Michigan State has won six straight games by double figures since losing to Illinois at home on Feb. 1. The six straight conference wins marks MSU's longest Big Ten winning streak since 2001. During the streak, the Spartans are winning by an average score of 74.7-60.8, shooting 51.1 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 39.7 percent. MSU is also out-rebounding its opponents by a margin of +9.8. Alan Anderson is averaging a team-best 15.5 points during that stretch, while Paul Davis is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. Drew Neitzel has also taken Chris Hill's spot in the starting lineup. Both players have responded as Neitzel is averaging 5.0 points, 3.2 assists and 0.8 turnovers as a starter, while Hill is averaging 11.0 points and 3.8 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.
One For The Record Books - Alan Anderson turned in one of the best shooting performances in school history against Wisconsin. He shot 10-of-10 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line en route to a career high 28 points. Anderson joins Ron Charles (12-of-12; Jan. 24, 1980), Carlton Valentine (11-of-11; Dec. 2, 1986) and Bob Chapman (11-of-11; Dec. 2, 1977) as the only players in MSU history to shoot 100 percent from the field, taking at least 10 shots. Of those players, Anderson is the only one to also shoot 100 percent at the foul line. He is also the first player to shoot at least 10-of-10 in Breslin Center history.
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 20-4 record is its best 24-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 21-3 record in its first 24 contests and is tied for the second best in school history. MSU also opened with a 20-4 mark in 1977-78, 1994-95 and 1998-99. The 2000-01 team did not lose its fourth game of the season until the 28th game.
Spartan Depth - Through 24 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 25.4 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.
Game 24 Notes - MSU 77 - Wisconsin 64 - Feb. 24, 2005 -
* Alan Anderson scored a career-best 28 points, shooting 10-of-10 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. He became the fourth player in MSU history and the first in Breslin Center history to shoot 100 percent from the field with at least 10 attempts.
* Anderson's 28 points were the most by any Spartan this season. It marks the first 20-point game of his career as he becomes the sixth Spartan to score 20 points this year.
* Paul Davis recorded his sixth double-double of the season and his fourth in the last six games with 13 points and 11 rebounds. For the fifth time in his career and the first this season, he grabbed five offensive boards.
* MSU's defense held UW's guard trio of Sharif Chambliss, Clayton Hanson and Kammron Taylor to 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-9 from 3-point range. In the first meeting, the trio scored 34 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 10-of-19 from 3-point range.
* Shannon Brown scored 10 of his 11 points in the second half.
* Michigan State recorded its 20th win of the season, marking the sixth 20-win season under Tom Izzo and the 14th in the program's history.
* The Spartans' .652 second-half field-goal percentage tied their best outing in 31 halves, dating back to State's victory over Stanford (12/11). It marks MSU's second-best effort this season.
Indiana Hoosiers
Coach Davis - Mike Davis (Thomas Edison, '01) is 94-64 in his fifth year at Indiana. Prior to taking over the head coaching duties, he served for three seasons as a Hoosier assistant and two years as an assistant at Alabama.
Hoosier Notes - D.J. White is a top contender for Freshman of the Year honors, averaging 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in Big Ten games ... Bracey Wright is the Big Ten's second-leading scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game ... Indiana is 24-of-45 from 3-point range (53.3 percent) in its last two games ... Indiana leads the league in field-goal percentage defense (.410).
MSU-IU Notes Series History - Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 60-40, including a 38-10 advantage in games played in Bloomington. The Spartans, however, have won three in a row and nine of the last 13 games. MSU is 2-3 in its last five trips to Bloomington, including a 67-62 overtime win in the last game at Assembly Hall on Feb. 8, 2003. Tom Izzo is 10-6 in his career against Indiana.
MSU Notables - Paul Davis averages 19.7 points in three games against the Hoosiers, the best by any Spartan against any Big Ten team, shooting 70.0 percent from the field (21-of-30) and 77.3 percent from the foul line (17-of-22) ... Alan Anderson is shooting 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the foul line in his career against Indiana.
Spartans From The Hoosier State - Michigan State's roster features two players from the state of Indiana: Chris Hill and Delco Rowley. Hill was an all-state honoree in 2001, averaging 19.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior at Lawrence North High School, leading his team to sectional and regional championships. He was the conference player of the year in 2000 and 2001. Rowley was a first-team all-state selection in 2002, averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds as a senior at Arlington High School in Indianapolis.
The Last Meeting - MSU 84 - Indiana 72 - Jan. 31, 2004 - East Lansing - Indiana used a 9-2 run late in the first half to take a 35-27 lead. Michigan State scored the next seven points, but still trailed by a single point at halftime. Trailing 39-37 with 17 minutes left in the game, the Spartans scored eight straight points, including six from Paul Davis, to claim a 45-39 lead. MSU slowly built on its lead until it held a 64-46 advantage with 6:06 remaining. In the second half, MSU shot 66.7 percent from the floor, while the defense held Indiana to just 36.7 percent, including making just four of its first 18 attempts. Davis finished the game with a career-high 32 points, making 11-of-16 shots and 10-of-12 free throws. MSU outscored IU, 37-11, over the final 2:23 of the first half and the first 13:54 of the second half. Bracey Wright led the Hoosiers with 29 points, hitting 9-of-18 field goals, including 6-of-13 from 3-point range.
The Last Meeting In Bloomington - MSU 67 - Indiana 62, OT - Feb. 8, 2003 - Michigan State ended the first half on a 6-0 run to take a 27-24 halftime lead. MSU extended the lead to 41-34, before a 14-4 Hoosier run gave Indiana a 48-45 advantage. With the score tied at 53, Chris Hill hit his only 3-pointer of the game. Bracey Wright, however, answered with a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Paul Davis scored the first four points of overtime to give MSU a 60-56 lead. Indiana pulled within two points at 64-62, but MSU hit three of four free throws in the final 16 seconds to seal victory. Davis finished with a then-career high of 21 points, including six in overtime, and a then-career high of nine rebounds. He was 7-of-9 from the field and 7-of-9 from the foul line. Jeff Newton scored a career-best 24 points, while Bracey Wright added 20. The Spartans were without Alan Anderson, who dislocated a finger in practice the day before the game.
MSU Basketball Notes
The 1,000 Club - Michigan State's roster features four players with 1,000-career points, including seniors Chris Hill (1,481), Kelvin Torbert (1,109), Alan Anderson (1,065) and junior Paul Davis (1,026). 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 four players averaging double figures in scoring, and two others averaging at least 9.5 points, led by Maurice Ager at 13.6 points per game. Until recently, MSU had been the only team in the nation with six players scoring in double-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.
The Free Throw Story - According to the most recent NCAA statistics, Michigan State leads the nation in free-throw percentage (80.5 pct. through Feb. 21). The Spartans are currently shooting 80.2 percent from the foul line, including six players who are shooting at least 82.1 percent. Among players with at least 20 attempts, Alan Anderson paces the way, connecting on 89.0 percent of his attempts (81-of-91). In fact, Anderson, Kelvin Torbert (87.9 percent) Shannon Brown (87.1 percent) and Maurice Ager (83.5 percent) rank first, second, third and fourth in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. In conference games, Michigan State's 81.6 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 81.1 percent in games which it won and 75.9 percent in games which it lost.
Winning Comfortably - According to the most recent NCAA Stats (through games of Feb. 21), Michigan State ranks fifth in the nation in scoring margin (+16.0). MSU's current margin of victory is +15.9. The Spartans have won 18 of their 26 games this season by double figures.
MSU's Prolific Offense - Michigan State's offense is averaging 78.5 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 22nd 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 - With a 77-64 victory over Wisconsin, Michigan State recorded its 20th win of the season. It is the sixth 20-win season in the last eight years for the Spartans and the 14th in school history. In fact, of the 14 20-win seasons in Michigan State history, Izzo has been involved with 11 of them, six as a head coach and five as an assistant to Jud Heathcote.
Second Half Spurts - In nine of the last 10 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 (Wisconsin (2/24) - 8-2 over 2:05; 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, only to watch the Spartans respond 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 11.79 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 19-2 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 five opponents by an average margin of +11.0.
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands in 11th place on the MSU all-time scoring list at 1,481 points. With 61 points, he will move into the top 10, passing Mateen Cleaves (1,541).
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 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting a career-best 55.5 percent from the field. In Big Ten games, he leads the team in scoring (13.4 ppg) and ranks second in rebounding (5.8 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.). Most recently, he scored a career-best 28 points against Wisconsin.
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 24 games, MSU is averaging 17.71 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 425 of their 661 baskets (64.3 percent).
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 21 out of 24 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 246 more points (10.25 per game). In 11 of the 24 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, has come off the bench in six straight games.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 62.6 points per game. In the last six games, opponents have shot just 39.7 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range. In the two games prior to the last six, 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.
Brown Is Red Hot - Shannon Brown is one of the hottest Spartans over the last four games, averaging 12.8 points, while shooting 60.6 percent (20-of-33) 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. In the last two games, he is shooting a combined 0-of-6 in the first half, but 7-of-12 in the second half.
Mr. Double-Double - Paul Davis has recorded a double-double in four of his last six 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. He scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds again against Minnesota. Most recently, he recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. Wisconsin. He has recorded six double-doubles this season and eight in his career.
Hill In Elite Company - Chris Hill (1,481 points, 417 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 53.6 percent in his last two years. This season, he ranks second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.879). In 2003-04, he was the only Big Ten player to rank in the top 10 in all three shooting categories, 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 13.6 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 48.6 percent from the field and 40.2 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 8-4 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 (+1.88) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30).
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 19 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 136 assists and just 45 turnovers (Hill - 85 assists, 29 turnovers; Neitzel - 51 assists, 16 turnovers). In the last 15 games, Hill has recorded 68 assists and 21 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 47 assists and 14 turnovers in his last 17 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 three statistical categories, including free-throw percentage (.802), rebounding defense (27.9) and rebounding margin (+8.0). MSU ranks in the top three in 11 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.03-to-1, while Alan Anderson paces the league in free-throw percentage (.890).
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 11.6 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 (700) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.426). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 114 of 120 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.
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 417 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
Taking Turns - Through 24 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 seven 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 432 starts in their careers, including 278 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. 10)
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
