Men's Basketball Opens Big Ten Tournament On Friday
3/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (22-5, 13-3)vs. Iowa (19-10, 7-9)/Purdue (7-20, 3-13)
March 11, 20056:40 p.m. ESTChicago, Ill.United Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: ESPN Plus Regional - Wayne Larrivee (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State enters the 2005 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed. On Friday, the Spartans will face the winner of Thursday's game between No. 7 Iowa and No. 10 Purdue. MSU was 1-0 this year against the Hawkeyes, winning in Iowa City, while going 2-0 against the Boilermakers. The Spartans enter the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won 12 of their last 14 games and 19 of their last 22. This is the eighth year for the Big Ten Tournament and its sixth appearance in Chicago. Michigan State won the tournament in 1999 and 2000 at the United Center, and remains the only school to win back-to-back championships. Last year, MSU defeated Northwestern, 68-55, in the quarterfinals, before falling to Wisconsin, 68-66, in the semifinals. Regular-season champion Illinois is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, while Wisconsin holds the No. 3 seed, followed by Indiana (No. 4), Minnesota (No. 5) and Ohio State (No. 6). The No. 2 seed has won four of the seven Big Ten Tournaments, including the last three. In the seven-year history of the tournament, the No. 1 and 2 seeds have met just once in the finals, with No. 2 Wisconsin defeating No. 1 Illinois in 2004.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five
MSU In The Big Ten Tournament - The Spartans are looking to capture their third Big Ten Tournament championship in eight years. In seven years of the Big Ten Tournament, MSU has a record of 8-5. The Spartans won the tournament in 1999 and 2000, and lost in the quarterfinals in 1998, 2001 and 2002. In each of the last two seasons, MSU has lost in the semifinals. Michigan State is 7-3 when the tournament is held in Chicago.
Anderson Down The Stretch - In the last weeks of his Spartan career, Alan Anderson is playing his best basketball. After not scoring more than 18 points in his first 116 games, he has scored more than 20 points in three of the last four contests. Since the loss to Illinois, Anderson is averaging 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds over the last nine games. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 7 after averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, while shooting 61.5 percent in wins over Northwestern and Penn State.
Big Ten Stat Champions - With the conclusion of Big Ten Conference games, Michigan State led the conference in three major statistical categories, including field-goal percentage (.498), free-throw percentage (.792) and rebound margin (+9.1). This is the second straight year that MSU has led in field goal and free throw shooting, marking the first school to go back-to-back in both categories since the 1981-83 Indiana teams did it three straight years. The Spartans' .792 free-throw percentage is fifth best in league history. This is the seventh time in the last eight years and the eighth time in Tom Izzo's 10 seasons as head coach that the Spartans have led the Big Ten in rebounding margin.
MSU's Windy City Kid - Shannon Brown is back in his hometown for the Big Ten Tournament. A native of Maywood, Ill., Brown starred at Proviso East High School, earning Illinois Mr. Basketball and McDonald's All-America honors as a senior in 2003, averaging 27 points. As a high school junior, Shannon teamed with current Illinois junior Dee Brown to take Proviso East to the Sweet Sixteen of the Illinois state tournament.
MSU At The United Center - Michigan State owns an 8-4 record in the United Center. Outside of the Big Ten Tournament, where MSU is 7-3, the Spartans played twice at the United Center for the Great Eight, losing to Duke, 73-67, in 1998 and defeating Kansas, 66-54, in 1999.
Iowa Hawkeyes
Coach Alford - Steve Alford (Indiana, '87) is 264-158 in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 108-81 in six years at Iowa. Alford's career also includes four-year coaching stints at Manchester College (1992-95) and Southwest Missouri State (1996-99).
Hawkeye Notes - Iowa enters the Big Ten Tournament having won its last three games ... In conference games, the Hawkeyes led the league in blocked shots (4.31 bpg) and ranked second in field-goal percentage defense (.426) ... Greg Brunner ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (8.3 rpg) ... Iowa is 4-5 without Pierre Pierce in the lineup.
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 55-47. The Spartans have won 12 of the last 14 and 16 of the last 20 meetings. Tom Izzo is 13-3 in his career against Iowa.
MSU vs. Iowa In Big Ten Tournament - Michigan State and Iowa have met just once in the Big Ten Tournament, squaring off in the 2000 quarterfinals as the Spartans defeated Iowa, 75-65. Morris Peterson scored a MSU Big Ten Tournament record 22 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while grabbing nine rebounds. A.J. Granger also grabbed nine rebounds for the Spartans. Dean Oliver paced the Hawkeyes with 30 points, but Iowa shot just 40.0 percent from the field.
Spartans Vs. Hawkeyes Season Recap - Michigan State defeated Iowa, 75-64, on Feb. 5 in the only meeting this season. The Spartans led 39-27 at the half, and by as many as 22 points early in the second half. Iowa, however, made a desperate run to get back into the game. Jeff Horner hit a driving layup with 1:08 left to cut the deficit to 67-64, but he was also called for a foul. Although the basket counted, Tim Bograkos was sent to the foul line for MSU, where he knocked down two free throws. The Hawkeyes missed their final four field-goal attempts and MSU converted on 6-of-6 free throws to seal the victory. Kelvin Torbert led the Spartans with 16 points, his high in a Big Ten game this year. Alan Anderson (11 pts., 11 reb.) and Paul Davis (12 pts., 10 reb.) each posted double-doubles. Adam Haluska paced the Hawkeyes with 24 points. Iowa shot 32-of-42 at the foul line, but was held to 28.8 percent shooting from the field, including 13.3 percent from 3-point range.
MSU Notables - Drew Neitzel's first career start came against Iowa. He recorded six points, one assist and one turnover in 25 minutes ... Kelvin Torbert leads all current Spartans with a 13.0 ppg scoring average in his career against the Hawkeyes, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range ... Chris Hill is shooting 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from 3-point range against Iowa ... Tom Izzo notched career win No. 200 with a 89-72 win over Iowa on Feb. 4, 2004.
Purdue Boilermakers
Coach Keady - Gene Keady (Kansas State, '58) is 512-269 in his 25th year at Purdue. Overall, he is 550-288 in 27 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He spent the first two years of his coaching career at Western Kentucky. Keady is the only Big Ten coach with a longer tenure than Tom Izzo.
Boilermaker Bits - Purdue is without the services of its leading scorer, Carl Landry (18.2 ppg), who suffered a season-ending ACL knee injury against Minnesota on Feb. 26 ... The Boilermakers are 1-11 away from Mackey Arena this season ... Purdue is shooting just 29.8 percent from 3-point range.
Series History - Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 59-40. MSU, however, has won 11 of the last 15 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 11-7 in his career against Purdue.
MSU Vs. Purdue In Big Ten Tournament - Michigan State defeated Purdue, 54-42, in the quarterfinals of the 2003 Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans led 24-12 at the half and won despite shooting 38.0 percent from the field, largely due to the Boilermakers shooting 26.0 percent. Purdue's 42 points were the third-fewest in the tournament's history. Alan Anderson and Erazem Lorbek each scored 10 points to pace the Spartans, as Michigan State became the first No. 5 seed to win a game in the six-year history of the tournament. Willie Deane led the Boilermakers with 16 points, but shot just 5-of-17 from the field.
Spartans Vs. Boilermakers Season Recap - Michigan State swept the season's two meetings with a close victory (71-64) in East Lansing and a comfortable win (68-57) in West Lafayette. On Jan. 18, MSU needed 22 points from Maurice Ager to win a tight game. MSU led 40-27 early in the second half, but a 15-3 run pulled the Boilermakers within a point. Ager then scored 17 points in the final 8:26, including a 3-pointer with 1:18 left to give MSU a six-point lead. Shannon Brown recorded career highs in scoring (20 points) and rebounding (9 boards) in the first game, while Carl Landry recorded 31 points and nine rebounds for Purdue. In the second meeting, MSU closed the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 28-18 halftime lead. The Boilermakers cut the lead to five early in the second half, but the Spartans responded with a 12-0 run to take a 47-30 lead. MSU led by as many as 21 points late in the game. Ager and Alan Anderson paced the Spartans with 12 points each. David Teague scored 15 points to lead Purdue, but Landry just scored seven.
MSU Notables - Chris Hill (Lawrence North) and Delco Rowley (Indianapolis Arlington) both went to high school in Indianapolis ... Maurice Ager averaged 17.0 points in two games against Purdue this season, while Shannon Brown averaged 14.0 points.
MSU Basketball Notes
Hill Recognized As Top Student-Athlete - On March 2, Chris Hill was named the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year, while repeating as a First-Team Academic All-American. Hill owns a 3.75 grade-point average in finance and is a member of MSU's Honors College. He was a first-team honoree in 2004 after earning third-team honors in 2003. He is the only three-time honoree in MSU history. At the beginning of the season, he was 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.
All-Big Ten Spartans - Five different Spartans earned some type of All-Big Ten recognition when the teams were announced on Tuesday, March 8. Maurice Ager earned second-team honors from the coaches and third-team accolades from the media. Alan Anderson was just the opposite, finding a spot on the media's second team and the coaches' third team. Paul Davis was a third-team selection by both groups. Drew Neitzel was named to the All-Freshman Team and Shannon Brown was an honorable mention all-league selection by the coaches.
MSU In March - Michigan State is 32-10 in March since the 1998-99 season. For his career, Tom Izzo is 39-17 in March.
The Free Throw Story - According to the most recent NCAA statistics, Michigan State leads the nation in free-throw percentage (79.6 pct. through Feb. 28). The Spartans are currently shooting 79.1 percent from the foul line, including five players who are shooting at least 81.0 percent. Among players with at least 20 attempts, Alan Anderson paces the way, connecting on 89.8 percent of his attempts (88-of-98). In fact, Anderson, Kelvin Torbert (85.9 percent), Shannon Brown (85.3 percent) and Maurice Ager (81.0 percent) rank first, second, third and sixth in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. In conference games, Michigan State's 79.2 percent is the fifth-best percentage in Big Ten history. MSU is shooting 80.3 percent in games which it won and 73.4 percent in games which it lost.
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 22-5 record is its best 27-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 24-3 record in its first 27 contests and is tied for the fourth best in school history. MSU opened the 1977-78 and 1998-99 seasons with a 23-4 mark. In 1989-90 and 1994-95, the Spartans also opened at 22-5.
Second-Half Shooting - Michigan State has shot 50 percent or better in the second half in each of the last eight games, and in 14 of the last 18. In the last five games, the Spartans are shooting 58.3 percent in the second half.
Big Ten Road Warriors - Michigan State finished with a 6-2 record on the road in Big Ten play this season. The secret to its success was its defense, as the Spartans held opponents to 39.2 percent shooting and just 60.1 points per game. No team scored more than 64 points in regulation (Indiana finished with 78 points in overtime). All six Spartan victories were by double figures, marking the first time a MSU squad has recorded six double-digit road victories in a Big Ten season.
Spartan Depth - Through 27 games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 9.8 minutes of action, including six players playing more than 22 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 26.2 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.
A Switch At The Point - After coming off the bench for the first 18 games of the season, freshman Drew Neitzel has started eight of the last nine at point guard, with the lone exception coming on Senior Night. As a starter, Neitzel is averaging 4.6 points, 2.9 assists and 1.1 turnovers, compared to just 2.6 points as a reserve. Neitzel replaced Chris Hill in the starting lineup, and the change has sparked Hill's performance. The senior is averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 assists off the bench, compared to 9.8 points as a starter.
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 1,000 Club - Michigan State's roster features four players with 1,000-career points, including seniors Chris Hill (1,516), Kelvin Torbert (1,137), Alan Anderson (1,121) and junior Paul Davis (1,052). 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. Since MSU reached this milestone, North Carolina and Illinois have also accomplished the feat, making for eight teams in Big Ten history and 48 in NCAA history.
Winning Comfortably - According to the most recent NCAA Stats (through games of Feb. 28), Michigan State ranks sixth in the nation in scoring margin (+15.1). MSU's current margin of victory is +15.3. The Spartans have won 20 of their 27 games this season by double figures.
MSU's Prolific Offense - Michigan State's offense is averaging 78.4 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 22nd in the nation (as of 2/28). It is MSU's highest-scoring offense since the 1994-95 Spartans averaged 78.4 points, led by Shawn Respert's 25.6 points per game, and the highest of Tom Izzo's head coaching career.
Playing Like A Senior Should - 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 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting a career-best 55.9 percent from the field. In Big Ten games, he led the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (6.1 rpg). He has scored in double figures in 13 straight games, averaging 15.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in that stretch, including double-doubles vs. Iowa (2/5 - 11 pts., 11 reb.) and Penn State (3/5 - 22 pts., 10 reb.).
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 27 games, MSU is averaging 18.00 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans have recorded assists on 486 of their 752 baskets (64.6 percent).
Second Half Spurts - In 10 of the last 13 games, Michigan State has opened the second half with a run. Consider the following runs that MSU has used to open the second half (Penn State (3/5) - 16-2 over 5:47; 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).
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 +8.5 margin. According to the most recent NCAA statistics, they rank sixth in the nation (+8.3 as of Feb. 28). They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 11.85 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 21-3 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded. In Big Ten games, MSU's margin is +9.1. The Spartans are out-rebounding their last eight opponents by an average margin of +11.5.
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, Tom Izzo has been involved with 11 of them, six as a head coach and five as an assistant to Jud Heathcote.
One For The Record Books - Alan Anderson turned in one of the best shooting performances in school history against Wisconsin (Feb. 24). 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.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 63.1 points per game. In Big Ten games, the Spartans rank second in the league in scoring defense (62.2 ppg) and fifth in field-goal percentage defense (.434). Over the last nine games, MSU is holding its opponents to 42.0 percent shooting, including 33.6 percent from 3-point range, allowing 62.8 points per game.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 23 out of 27 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 277 more points (10.26 per game). In 13 of the 27 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including seven 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 seven straight games.
Mr. Double-Double - Paul Davis has recorded a double-double in four of his last nine 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 nine in his career. Over the last nine games, Davis is averaging 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds.
Hill In Elite Company - Chris Hill (1,516 points, 434 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 53.1 percent in his last two years. This season, he ranks second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.859). 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 third in rebounding with 3.7 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 50.0 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from 3-point range.
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands in 11th place on the MSU all-time scoring list at 1,516 points. With 26 points, he will move into the top 10, passing Mateen Cleaves (1,541).
MSU In NCAA Stats - According to the most recent NCAA statistics (through games of 2/28), 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 (.796), rank 6th in scoring margin (+15.1) and rebound margin (+8.3), 7th in assists per game (17.7), 12th in field-goal percentage (.499) and 22nd in scoring offense (78.3).
The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 13-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents, but just 9-5 when committing an equal number or more than the opposition. On the season, MSU is averaging 13.9 turnovers per game. MSU ranks third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.59) and third in 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 22 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 162 assists and just 55 turnovers (Hill - 102 assists, 33 turnovers; Neitzel - 60 assists, 22 turnovers). In the last 18 games, Hill has recorded 85 assists and 25 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 56 assists and 20 turnovers in his last 20 games.
Taking Turns - Through 27 games, six different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Alan Anderson has done it 10 times, while Maurice Ager has done it eight times. Paul Davis has done it six times. Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill have led the team in three games and Shannon Brown has done it once.
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.13-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 four statistical categories, including field-goal percentage (.499), free-throw percentage (.791), rebounding defense (27.5) and rebounding margin (+8.5). MSU ranks in the top three in 13 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.13-to-1, while Alan Anderson paces the league in free-throw percentage (.898).
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 (304) and career attempts (713) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.426). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 116 of 123 games in his career. His 304 career 3-point field goals rank fifth in Big Ten history, 28 behind Big Ten career leader Pete Lisicky of Penn State, and four behind Penn State's Joe Crispin (308) in fourth place.
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 434 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
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 10.3 points and 3.2 boards in 24.2 minutes per contest.
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 2.2 points in 11.8 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.
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.
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.
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 March 5)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 10 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 58 GP, 28.4 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 46 GP, 34.8 mpg, 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.9 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 49 GP, 38.4 mpg, 23.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.8 apg Steve Smith (Miami): 37 GP, 17.2 mpg, 7.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.5 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 56 GP, 21.8 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.6 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 28 GP, 11.3 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg
