Men's Basketball Hosts Penn State On Saturday
1/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#11/12 Michigan State (15-5, 3-3)vs. Penn State (10-7, 2-4)
Jan. 28, 200612:15 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.Breslin Center (14,759)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
TV: ESPN Plus - Wayne Larrivee (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color)
Michigan State-Penn State will be televised regionally on ESPN Plus on 33 stations, including the following affiliates in Michigan: Detroit - WXYZ; Grand Rapids/K'zoo/Battle Creek - WXSP; Flint/Saginaw/Bay City - WSMH; Lansing - WLAJ; Traverse City/Cadillac - WFQX
For a complete listing of television clearances, visit the official Big Ten Conference web site: http://bigten.collegesports.com/multimedia/big10-television.html
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State plays host to Penn State as the Spartans look to rebound from a tough loss at Michigan. The Spartans are a perfect 8-0 at home this season and are 15-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions in East Lansing. This, however, is a much improved Penn State team coming to the Breslin Center. With 10 wins already this season, PSU has surpassed its win total from each of the last four years.
The Starting Five
Getting Defensive - Michigan State has won three of its last four Big Ten contests, thanks in large part to its defense. In the last four games, the Spartans are holding opponents to 64.8 points on 39.9 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from 3-point range. In the last three games, MSU is allowing just 62.0 points on 35.6 percent shooting, including 28.1 percent from behind the arc.
The Big Three - Spartan seniors Maurice Ager and Paul Davis and junior Shannon Brown make up the most dynamic offensive trio in the nation. They are the only trio in which all three members average more than 17 points per game. Through 20 games, they are averaging a combined 55.8 points, or 70.9 percent, of MSU's 78.7 points per game. The trio has each scored 20 points or more in two games (vs. Cleveland State and UW-Green Bay), accomplishing a feat that had not been done at MSU since Feb. 15, 2000.
MSU's Homecourt Advantage - Since the start of the 1998-99 season, MSU has won 107 of its last 114 games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .939. MSU has sold out 120 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center.
Davis At The Line - Paul Davis is shooting a remarkable 90.7 percent (97-of-107) from the foul line this season, ranking second in the Big Ten. In conference games, he has made all 25 attempts, tying him for the league lead. He has made his last 28 free throws.
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists, averaging 18.10 per game, while ranking 10th in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 23). The Spartans have recorded assists on 65.2 percent (362 assists, 555 field goals) of its field goals this season. In conference games, the Spartans average a league-best 16.67 assists per game. Overall, MSU ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.23).
Penn State Notes
Coach DeChellis - Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 131-142 in 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 26-49 in three seasons at Penn State. He served as head coach at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003.
Nittany Lion Notes - Penn State ranks third in the Big Ten in assists, averaging 16.35 per game ... Mike Walker leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.79-to-1) ... Penn State starts five players 6-feet-6 or under ... PSU's roster features eight true freshmen and four sophomores.
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 22-3, including a 15-0 edge in games played in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions' three wins in the series have been by a combined seven points. The Spartans have won six straight games in the series and 14 consecutive regular-season meetings. Tom Izzo is 15-2 in his career against Penn State.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Penn State, 90-64, on March 5, 2005. The Nittany Lions hit 10 of their first 14 shots and held a 30-23 lead with 5:47 left in the first half. MSU answered with an 11-0 run and took a 39-35 lead into halftime. The Spartans opened the second half on a 16-2 run and put the game out of reach. In fact, MSU opened the second stanza on a 31-7 run. For Spartans Alan Anderson, Tim Bograkos, Andy Harvey, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, it was their last game in the Breslin Center. The Spartans finished with a season-high 28 assists and a season-best 15 steals. Anderson led the Spartans with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Mike Walker and Ben Luber each scored 12 points for PSU.
Game 20 Notes - Michigan 72 - Michigan State 67
* It was the first game Michigan State lost this season when shooting 50 percent from the field.
* Michigan attempted 34 free throws compared to 10 for Michigan State, tying a season-low for the Spartans.
* Michigan State led 45-38 with 16:12 left, but Michigan went on a 17-3 run to take a 55-48 lead with 9:06 remaining.
* The Spartans shot 59.3 percent in the first half, including 54.5 percent from 3-point range, but just 40.0 percent in the second stanza, including 30.0 percent from behind the arc.
* Drew Neitzel's 15 points marked the most he has ever scored in a Big Ten game.
* Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Neitzel each hit three 3-pointers.
* Paul Davis scored 10 points to become just the second player in MSU history with 1,500 career points and 800 career rebounds.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 11th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 248-102 (.709), and 120-50 (.706) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. With last year's win over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, he passed Benjamin Van Alstyne to become the second-winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) in total wins. In his 10 seasons as a head coach, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors four times, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and NABC honors in 2001. In 1999, Izzo was named National Coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98.
Big Ten Best - Tom Izzo's .706 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks first all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service. Former Indiana coach Bob Knight ranks second at .700. In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Purdue's Ward Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.709). With 120 conference victories, Izzo currently ranks tied for 14th all-time with John Orr.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 10 seasons, Tom Izzo won 233 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 10 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 10 full years directing the Spartan program, 77 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last six years, 17 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Six current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Mike Garland (Cleveland State), Stan Heath (Arkansas), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory and Garland are in their third years as head coaches, after leaving MSU in the spring of 2003. Crean directed Marquette to the 2003 Final Four, while Heath directed Kent State to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Wojcik is in his first season at Tulsa.
Safe At Home - Tom Izzo owns a career record of 142-19 (.882) in the Breslin Center, including a 107-7 (.939) mark over the last eight seasons. In Big Ten play, Izzo is 73-11 (.869) in Breslin, 54-4 (.931) over the last eight years.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 58-50 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 51-39 record since 1997-98.
At His Best When It Counts - Tom Izzo ranks second among active coaches for the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage at .767 (23-7). Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ranks first at .786 (66-18), while Louisville's Rick Pitino ranks third at .756 (31-10).
MSU Basketball Notes
Money At The Charity Stripe - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage, shooting .785 (333-of-424). According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 23), the Spartans rank third in the nation at .790. MSU also leads the conference in free throws made (333). Drew Neitzel (.923) and Paul Davis (.907) pace the Spartans, as Davis ranks second in the Big Ten (Neitzel does not have enough makes to qualify). In league games, Davis is tied for first in the conference, making all 25 of his free throws. This season, Davis has had three games in which he was perfect from the line with at least 10 attempts, shooting 12-of-12 against Gonzaga, 11-of-11 against Arkansas-Little Rock and 10-of-10 against Arizona. Last season, MSU led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation in free-throw percentage (.777), while featuring the top four foul shooters in the league.
Ager Challenges For Scoring Title - Maurice Ager ranks second in the Big Ten in overall scoring, averaging 20.1 points per game. Northwestern's Vedran Vukusic leads the league at 20.5 ppg, while Ager's teammates, Paul Davis (18.1 ppg) and Shannon Brown (17.6 ppg), rank fifth and sixth, respectively. A Spartan has not led the league in overall scoring since Shawn Respert's 25.6 ppg paced the conference in 1995.
Mr. Double-Double - With 11 double-doubles in the first 20 games of this season, Paul Davis has now recorded a double-double in 19 of his last 35 games. Davis elevated his level of play over the last two months of last season, recording a double-double in eight of the final 15 games, including the last four NCAA Tournament contests. His best effort might have come in the Sweet 16 when he out-scored (20 to 19) and out-rebounded (12 to 8) Duke's Shelden Williams. In the Final Four, against North Carolina's Sean May, Davis recorded a career-best 15 rebounds. For his career, he has posted 24 double-doubles.
1,500-800 Club - With 10 points against Michigan, Paul Davis (1,502 points, 806 rebounds) became just the second player in MSU history to record 1,500 career points and 800 career rebounds, joining Greg Kelser (2,014 points, 1,092 rebounds). Davis is also the 31st player in Big Ten history to reach this milestone.
Tough Starts - Michigan State opened the Big Ten season with five straight games against teams currently ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll at the time of the game, including three games on the road (at No. 6 Illinois, at No. 24 Wisconsin, No. 8 Indiana, at No. 16 Ohio State and No. 25 Iowa). The Spartans are the only team in the nation to open conference play with as many as four games against ranked opponents. Prior to this season, the Spartans had never played five straight conference games against ranked teams.
Chairman Of The Boards - Paul Davis ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 9.9 boards per contest. Iowa's Greg Brunner (10.5 rpg) leads the league. A Spartan has not led the Big Ten in rebounding since Antonio Smith in 1996-97 (10.6 rpg). With 12 rebounds against Iowa, Paul Davis surpassed 800 career boards. With 806 rebounds, he now ranks seventh all-time in MSU history. He needs eight boards to tie Bill Kilgore.
Controlling The Boards - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+6.0). This season, the Spartans have out-rebounded 12 of 20 opponents. MSU is 11-1 when out-rebounding its opponent, but just 4-4 when not out-rebounding the opposition. In Big Ten games, MSU ranks fourth with a +1.5 margin. Michigan State has led the league in rebound margin in conference games in eight of Tom Izzo's 10 years as head coach.
All-Around Stars - While Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown give Michigan State the most athletic wing duo in the nation, they have worked to become better all-around players. Besides ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.1 points per game, Ager is averaging career bests in rebounding (4.1 rpg), assists (3.2 apg) and steals (0.9 spg). The same can be said for Brown, who is averaging career bests in scoring (17.6 ppg), rebounds (3.6 rpg), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).
Trannon As A Starter - Matt Trannon has started the last four games, averaging 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.8 minutes. In 12 games this season, he is averaging 4.9 points and 4.0 boards. The ultimate "glue-guy," Trannon adds toughness, defensive skills and athleticism to the lineup since joining the team after the conclusion of the football season. As a wide receiver on the football team, he ranked second on the squad in receptions, with 40 for 573 yards and four touchdowns.
Davis Earns Big Ten Honor - Paul Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 16 after averaging 20.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in a pair of Spartan victories over No. 9/8 Indiana and No. 19/16 Ohio State. He scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Hoosiers, and recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds at Columbus. This marked the second time this season and the fifth time in his career that Davis earned the weekly league honor. On Nov. 28, Davis was recognized after averaging 22.5 points and 12.3 rebounds in four games, including the Maui Invitational.
Free Basketball - Michigan State has played three overtime games this season, including a triple-overtime game with Gonzaga and a double-overtime win at Ohio State, along with an overtime win over Arizona. The six overtime periods tie the school record, equalling the 1987-88 Spartans who played five overtime games, including one double-overtime contest.
Davis Among Career Leaders - Paul Davis ranks among the Michigan State career leaders in several different statistical categories, including free throws (5th, 414), free throws attempted (4th, 548), rebounds (7th, 806), blocked shots (t-4th, 75) and scoring (12th, 1,502). (For complete charts, see sidebars on pages 5-6.)
Lending A Helping Hand - Drew Neitzel ranks fifth in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.53-to-1 and fourth in assists, averaging 5.45 per game. Over the last 14 games, he has a 3.17-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His best effort in that stretch was a nine assist, one turnover effort against Arkansas-Little Rock.
Midseason All-Americans - As conference play gets underway, some analysts are releasing midseason All-America teams. ESPN's Jay Bilas put Maurice Ager on his Preconference All-America First Team, along with Kentucky's Rajon Rondo, Duke's J.J. Redick, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison and Texas' LeMarcus Aldridge. Paul Davis earned a spot on Bilas' second team. Shannon Brown earned a spot on Bilas' Preconference All-Defensive Team. CBS Sportsline's Gregg Doyel put both Ager and Davis on his All-America team with Morrison, Redick and Villanova's Randy Foye.
A High Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 79.3 points per game. Last season, MSU led the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 78.5 points per game.
Non-Conference Victories - Michigan State won 12 non-conference games this season, establishing a school record since joining the Big Ten in 1950-51. The 1989-90, 1998-99 and 2000-01 squads won 11 non-conference games during the regular season.
Playing A Lot Of Minutes - Shannon Brown (34.7 mpg) Maurice Ager (34.7 minutes), Drew Neitzel (32.1 mpg) and Paul Davis (31.2 mpg) are all averaging more than 30 minutes per game. By comparison, Michigan State was the only Big Ten team last season without a single player averaging 30 minutes per game. In fact, Davis led MSU in minutes played at 26.9 per game.
1,000-Point Spartans - Earlier this season, Maurice Ager became the 35th player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 career points. With 1,299 points, he joins Paul Davis (1,502 points) as current Spartans over 1,000. Davis ranks 12th in career scoring, while Ager ranks 18th. Ager needs 79 points to pass Julius McCoy (1,377 points) while Davis needs 39 points to pass Chris Hill (1,540 points) and 40 to pass Mateen Cleaves (1,541 points) and move into the top 10. Three members of last year's team, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, were all 1,000-point scorers. The next Spartan to reach the milestone should be Shannon Brown, who currently has 950 points.
What Can Brown Do For You? - Shannon Brown was named the men's basketball Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 26. Brown led the Spartans with 26 points in a 98-69 road win at Wisconsin-Green Bay on Dec. 21, and dished out a career-best eight assists while committing no turnovers. He shot 9-of-13 from the field against the Phoenix, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, establishing career highs for field goals and 3-point field goals. The game marked the third straight contest in which Brown led the team in scoring, recording 20 points or more in all three games. He has topped the 20-point mark in six of his last 10 games.
Ager Hits The Boards - Through the first 99 games of his career, Maurice Ager had never grabbed more than nine rebounds. In his 100th career game, Ager grabbed 10 boards against Cleveland State. He bettered that effort in game No. 101, recording 14 boards against Florida International.
Impressive Figures - Maurice Ager is currently averaging 20.1 points per game. It's the best scoring average by a Spartan since Shawn Respert averaged 25.6 points as a senior in 1994-95. Paul Davis is currently averaging 9.9 rebounds, the best mark by a Spartan since Antonio Smith averaged 10.6 boards in 1996-97.
Ager's Improved Decision Making - One of the biggest improvements in Maurice Ager's game is his decision making. Recently, it can be seen in his assist-to-turnover ratio. After opening the season with eight assists and 15 turnovers in the first five games, he has totaled 56 assists and 33 turnovers in the last 15 contests. In fact, he recorded a career-best six assists against Boston College. He has recorded five assists or more in six of the last 15 games, after having never tallied more than four in the first 95 games of his career.
Freshmen Contributions - Eight active Spartans are currently averaging more than 10 minutes per game (Drew Naymick averaged 10.6 minutes in the first seven games, but will apply for a medical redshirt after the season). Of those eight, three are freshmen in Marquise Gray, Goran Suton and Travis Walton. A true freshman, Walton is the primary reserve in the backcourt averaging 18.3 minutes, 2.0 points and 2.5 assists, while playing strong defense. Gray and Suton are redshirt freshmen getting their first taste of college basketball. Suton is averaging 3.3 points and 3.3 boards in 15.9 minutes per contest, while Gray is averaging 3.8 points, ranks tied for third on the team with 4.0 boards per game and has started seven contests.
An Offensive Threat - By his own admission, Drew Neitzel just tried to run the offense last season as a true freshman point guard and get the ball to the other weapons on the team. He recorded an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.1-to-1, but averaged just 3.5 points per game and attempted just 3.4 shots per contest. A prolific scorer in high school, Neitzel is looking to score more this season. He is averaging 8.6 points and 6.7 shots per game, while maintaining a 2.53-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
MSU Is A "Powerhouse Program" - ESPN named Michigan State one of the 10 "Powerhouse Programs" in college basketball. Of the 10 schools featured, only seven were division I men's programs. MSU was joined by Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA, Division II Kentucky Wesleyan, and the Tennessee and Connecticut women's programs. The television program featuring the list was part of ESPNU's Honor Roll series.
Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Seventeen Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last six years, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on six former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats through Jan. 24)
Alan Anderson (Charlotte): 12 GP, 12.2 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.1 apg Charlie Bell (Milwaukee): 18 GP, 12.2 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.9 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 41 GP, 36 GS, 34.9 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.9 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 38 GP, 36 GS, 35.9 mpg, 18.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.1 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 40 GP, 40 GS, 38.9 mpg, 22.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 38 GP, 38 GS, 28.6 mpg, 4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.3 apg
