Spartans Open Big Ten Play At Illinois
1/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#7/7 Michigan State (12-2)vs. #6/6 Illinois (14-0)
Jan. 5, 20069 p.m. ESTChampaign, Ill.Assembly Hall (16,618)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
TV: ESPN - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color), Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State faces Illinois in the Big Ten opener in a meeting of top-10 teams and 2005 Final Four participants. The Spartans (11 straight) and Fighting Illini (14 straight) feature the two-longest winning streaks in the conference. The two squads have won at least a share of seven of the last eight Big Ten Championships. For MSU, it is the start of a difficult stretch to open conference play with three of its first four and seven of its first 11 conference games being played on the road. Illinois is MSU's fourth top-10 opponent this year.
The Starting Five
Tough Starts - Michigan State is opening the Big Ten season with four straight games against teams currently ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, including three games on the road (at No. 6 Illinois, at No. 24 Wisconsin, No. 15 Indiana and at No. 18 Ohio State). The Spartans are the only team in the nation to open conference play with four games against ranked opponents. The Spartans have not played four straight conference games against ranked teams since the end of the 1993 season. Michigan State has never opened Big Ten play with four games against ranked opponents.
Midseason All-Americans - As conference play gets ready to start, 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.
Big Ten Openers - In its 55 seasons playing basketball in the Big Ten Conference, Michigan State has compiled a 24-31 record in Big Ten openers, including a 10-22 record away from East Lansing. Tom Izzo is 6-4 in Big Ten openers, 2-4 on the road.
Spartans Are Streaking - Michigan State has won 11 games in a row entering the Illinois contest. It is tied for the third-longest one-season winning streak of Tom Izzo's coaching career, and the longest since opening the 2000-01 season with 12 straight victories. In 1998-99, the Spartans won 22 in a row after losing the Big Ten opener. Michigan State closed out the 1999-2000 season by winning its final 11 games en route to the NCAA Championship. Over the course of two seasons, MSU won 23 straight games at the end of 1999-2000 and the start of 2000-01.
Ager Leads Big Ten - Maurice Ager leads the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 22.0 points per game. Northwestern's Vedran Vukusic is second at 21.7 ppg, while Ager's teammates Paul Davis (19.9 ppg) and Shannon Brown (17.6 ppg) rank third 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. Marcus Taylor led the league in scoring in conference games in 2002, averaging 17.7 ppg.
Illinois Notes
Coach Weber - Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 180-63 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including 77-9 in his third year at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.
Fighting Illini Notes - Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+19.9), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.270), rebounding margin (+9.7) and offensive rebounds (14.21 orpg) ... The Fighting Illini have won 29 straight home games ... With 854 rebounds, James Augustine is the leading rebounder in Illinois history ... True freshman Jamar Smith is Illinois' third-leading scorer with 10.2 points per game, shooting 56.9 percent from 3-point range.
No, We Are Not Related - Shannon Brown and Illinois senior guard Dee Brown were teammates at Proviso East High School in the metro Chicago area. In 2001-02, Dee averaged 25.6 points as a senior to earn Illinois Mr. Basketball honors. That season, Shannon averaged 24 points as a junior as Proviso East advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the Illinois state tournament. One season later, Shannon averaged 27.9 points, earning Illinois Mr. Basketball honors. Other prominent Proviso East alumni include former NBA player and current NBA coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers and current NBA star Michael Finley.
Series History - Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 50-47, including a 32-15 advantage in games played in Champaign. The Illini have won the last three games in the series, including two straight in Champaign. MSU's last win at Illinois was a 67-61 victory on Feb. 3, 2002. Tom Izzo is 10-8 in his career against the Illini.
Game 14 Notes - Michigan State 78 - Coppin State 54
* Michigan State recorded their 12th non-conference victory, establishing a school record.
* Michigan State's defense held Coppin State to 54 points, a season-low for Spartan opponents.
* Michigan State grabbed a season-high 23 offensive rebounds, while Coppin State grabbed just 17 defensive rebounds.
* Michigan State blocked a season-high six shots.
* Coppin State shot 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from 3-point range, but just 29.0 percent (9-of-31) from inside the arc.
* Michigan State out-scored Coppin State, 32-10, in the paint.
* Michigan State closed the first half on a 17-8 run and opened the second half on a 10-2 run.
* Michigan State played its first game on New Year's Eve since 1958.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 11th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 245-99 (.712), 117-47 (.713) 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 of coaching, 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.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 10 seasons, Tom Izzo has 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 year as head coach, 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 140-19 (.881) in the Breslin Center, including a 105-7 (.938) mark over the last eight seasons. In Big Ten play, Izzo is 71-11 (.866) in Breslin, 52-4 (.929) over the last seven years.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 55-49 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 48-38 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.
MSU Basketball Notes
A High Octane Offense - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 82.8 points per game. It's the highest scoring average at MSU since the 1985-86 Spartans averaged 83.1 points. According to the most recent NCAA stats (Jan. 2), MSU ranks 14th in the nation at 82.8 ppg. Last season, MSU led the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 78.5 points per game.
Improved Defense - Michigan State has shown some improved defense over the last five games. Through the first nine games of the season, MSU was allowing opponents to shoot 44.7 percent from the field, allowing 76.8 points per game. In the last five, opponents are shooting just 39.5 percent from the field and 63.8 points from the field.
Chairman Of The Boards - Paul Davis leads the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 10.0 boards per contest. A Spartan has not led the Big Ten in rebounding since Antonio Smith in 1996-97 (10.6 rpg).
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.
Statistical Leaders - A quick glance at the Big Ten stats (through Dec. 31) will find several Spartans at the top of nearly every category. Michigan State players are leading the conference in scoring (Maurice Ager - 22.0 ppg), rebounding (Paul Davis - 10.0 rpg), defensive rebounds (Davis - 6.71 drpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (Neitzel - 2.66). Davis (19.9 ppg) and Shannon Brown (17.6 ppg), rank third and sixth, respectively, in scoring. Davis ranks second in free-throw percentage (.878) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.612), while Brown ranks fifth in the league in steals (1.79 spg), fourth in free-throw percentage (.836) and tied for fourth in minutes played (33.86 mpg). Ager is third in minutes played (34.29 mpg) and tied for fifth in 3-point field goals made (2.50) and Neitzel is fourth in assists (5.50 apg).
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 four of his last five games.
Davis Among Career Leaders - Paul Davis ranks among the Michigan State career leaders in several different statistical categories, including free throws (5th, 389), free throws attempted (7th, 523), rebounds (8th, 749), blocked shots (7th, 70) and scoring (13th, 1,418).
Lending A Helping Hand - Drew Neitzel leads the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.66-to-1, while ranking fourth in assists averaging 5.5 per game. Over the last eight games, he has a 4.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His best effort in that stretch was a nine assist, one turnover effort against Arkansas-Little Rock.
Playing A Lot Of Minutes - Through the first 14 games, Maurice Ager (34.3 minutes), Shannon Brown (33.9 mpg), Paul Davis (31.2 mpg) and Drew Neitzel (30.9 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.
Money At The Charity Stripe - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage, shooting .775 (258-of-333). According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 2), the Spartans rank sixth in the nation. MSU also leads the conference in free throws made (258) and attempted (333). Drew Neitzel (.895) and Paul Davis (.878) pace the Spartans, as Davis ranks second in the Big Ten (Neitzel does not have enough makes to qualify). 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.
The Big Three - Spartan seniors Maurice Ager and Paul Davis and junior Shannon Brown will carry a lot of the scoring load for Michigan State this season. Through 14 games, the trio has not disappointed, averaging a combined 59.4 points, or 71.8 percent, of MSU's 82.8 points per game. The trio has each scored 20 points or more in two of the last five games (vs. Cleveland State and UW-Green Bay), accomplishing a feat that had not been done at MSU since Feb. 15, 2000.
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. In the last six games, he has raised his rebounding average from 2.5 to 4.6 boards per contest.
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 39 assists and 24 turnovers in the last nine contests. In fact, he recorded a career-best six assists against Boston College. He has recorded five assists or more in five of the last nine games, after having never tallied more than four in the first 95 games of his career.
Trannon's Addition - Senior forward Matt Trannon has played in six games since joining the basketball team after the conclusion of the football season. Prior to sitting out the Tennessee Tech and Coppin State contests with a sprained ankle, he had averaged 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 16.5 minutes. The ultimate "glue-guy," Trannon adds toughness, defensive skills and athleticism to the lineup. His stat line against Cleveland State was a great example of what he can add to the Spartans, recording two points, two assists, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 28 minutes, including 18 in the second half. He scored a career-high 10 points against Wisconsin-Green Bay. During the football season, he ranked second on the team in receptions, with 40 for 573 yards and four touchdowns.
1,000-Point Spartans - Earlier this season, Maurice Ager became the 35th player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 career points. With 1,206 points, he joins Paul Davis (1,418 points) as current Spartans over 1,000. Davis ranks 13th in career scoring, while Ager ranks 23rd. Ager needs seven points to pass Kirk Manns and Ken Redfield (1,212 points) while Davis needs 51 points to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points). 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 844 points.
Mr. Double-Double - With eight double-doubles in the first 14 games of this season, Paul Davis has now recorded a double-double in 16 of the last 29 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 21 double-doubles
It's Early, But ... - While it's impossible to project season statistics off just 14 games, a few Spartans are putting up impressive numbers in the early going. Maurice Ager is currently averaging 22.0 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 10.0 rebounds, the best mark by a Spartan since Antonio Smith averaged 10.6 boards in 1996-97.
Freshmen Contributions - Nine Spartans are currently averaging more than 10 minutes per game. Of those nine, three are freshmen in Marquise Gray, Goran Suton and Travis Walton. A true freshman, Walton is the primary reserve in the backcourt averaging 18.9 minutes, 1.6 points and 2.9 assists, while playing strong defense. Gray and Suton are redshirt freshmen getting their first taste of college basketball games. Suton is the team's fifth-leading scorer at 4.2 points and the fourth-leading rebounder at 4.0 boards in 19.2 minutes per contest. Gray is averaging 4.0 points and ranks third on the team with 4.1 boards per game and has started five 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 will look to score more this season. He is averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 shots per game, while maintaining a 2.66-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Davis Named POW - Paul Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 28. In four games, the senior center averaged 22.5 points and 12.3 rebounds. MSU posted a 3-1 record on the week, falling only to Gonzaga, 109-106 in triple overtime. Davis recorded double-doubles in three of the four games. Coach Izzo was impressed with his performance, saying "I'm pleased with the way he's playing on all ends of the court and really excited about the leadership I think he's showing. He's made some giant strides."
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.
Big Ten Favorites - Michigan State was named the Big Ten preseason favorite at the league's media day on Oct. 30. The Spartans are followed by Illinois and Indiana in the poll. Paul Davis also earned a spot on the Preseason All-Big Ten squad.
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.
America's Best Backcourt - Lindy's College Basketball preseason magazine ranked Michigan State's backcourt the best in the nation: "The backcourt was solid enough to get the Spartans to the Final Four last season and that should be the case again in 2006. Shannon Brown and Maurice Ager will be the `wings' and either could be defined as a `shooting guard,' if you like to see players locked into position descriptions. They're both explosive enough to jump over the top or drive past any variety of defender. Drew Neitzel was solid the last half of the season as the team's playmaker and should be much improved as a sophomore."
Izzo's Busy Summer - In addition to the always-busy summer recruiting season, Coach Tom Izzo enjoyed a few unique opportunities. In July, he had the opportunity to play golf with Tiger Woods at the Buick Open Pro-Am, prompting Woods to say "he's a guy that if I was playing ball, he's the type of guy that I'd want to go play for.' In mid-August, Izzo was one of a select number of coaches at Michael Jordan's Senior Flight School. The summer closed with Izzo traveling to Kuwait to take part in "Operation Hardwood - Hoops With The Troops." Izzo was one of eight coaches and sports personalities coaching 13-member military basketball teams on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from Aug. 27-31. Camp Arifjan defeated the other bases to win the championship under the direction of Coach Izzo.
Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on seven former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats through Dec. 26)
Alan Anderson (Charlotte): 5 GP, 7.0 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 1.0 apg Charlie Bell (Milwaukee): 18 GP, 12.2 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.9 apg Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 17 GP, 9.8 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 1.7 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 27 GP, 22 GS, 33.4 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.6 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 26 GP, 25 GS, 35.9 mpg, 18.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.8 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 28 GP, 28 GS, 38.9 mpg, 22.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.6 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 26 GP, 26 GS, 27.3 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.2 apg
