Men's Basketball Hosts Talented Bradley Squad On Sunday
12/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (6-2)
vs. Bradley (5-2)
December 3, 2006
12 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
TV: ESPN+ Local - Tom Hamilton (Play by Play), Shon Morris (Color)
Local Clearances: Detroit - WKBD; Lansing - WLNS; Grand Rapids/K'zoo/Battle Creek - WXSP; New York - Sportsnet NY; St. Louis - Charter; Baltimore - MASN; Kansas City - Metro Sports; Oklahoma City - Cox; Providence - CST; Tulsa - Cox; Omaha - Cox2; South Bend/Elkhart - WMYS; Waco/Temple/Bryan - TW; Peoria/Bloomington - WEEK; Sioux City - NW Iowa
Michigan State Game Notes
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Tickets For Doubleheader: A limited number of tickets are available for Sunday's basketball doubleheader featuring the Michigan State men's and women's teams. The Spartan men host Bradley at 12 p.m., followed by the women facing South Florida at 2:30 p.m. A single ticket will allow admission to both games. Tickets range in price from $13 to $30 and can be purchased online at www.msuspartans.com. Buy Basketball Tickets
Women's basketball season ticket holders wanting to attend the men's game vs. Bradley need to come to Gate A, and will be issued a ticket for a seat in the upper level benches. Seating in the upper level benches will be based on availability. The regular-season ticket location will be valid for the women's game.
The Opening Tip
After the busiest November in school history, having played a record eight games, Michigan State opens December with a home game against Bradley. The Braves opened the season with five straight wins and have lost their last two games by a combined six points. The Spartans are coming off a road loss at Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and are looking to re-establish some positive momentum during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
The Starting Five
1. Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks 10th in MSU history with 322 career assists. With his four assists against Boston College, he moved past Terry Donnelly (321). Neitzel needs 28 assists to pass Kevin Smith (349) for ninth place all-time at MSU.
2. Nitro's New Role - Last season, Drew Neitzel ranked among the Big Ten leaders in assists, but averaged just 8.3 points per game and attempted just 7.1 shots per game as he distributed the ball to three future NBA players. This year, Neitzel is averaging a team-best 17.0 points per game, including 19.0 over the last five contests. In three of the last four games, Neitzel has topped the 20-point mark. He is averaging 11.6 shots and 3.5 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 47.3 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.5 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week in each of the last two weeks (Nov. 20 & 27), sharing the honor with Michigan's Courtney Sims last week and Purdue's Carl Landry this week.
3. Spartan Defense Among Big Ten's Best - Through the first month of the season, Michigan State ranks among the top defensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans currently stand second in scoring defense (52.9 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.363), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.286) and blocked shots (6.00 bpg).
4. MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 48 shots through the first eight games, an average of 6.0 blocks per contest, ranking second in the Big Ten. By comparison, MSU blocked just 101 shots last season in 34 games, an average of 3.0 per game. The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 14 and Idong Ibok with 13.
5. Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +10.6 rebounding margin through eight games, out-rebounding seven of their eight opponents. MSU's greatest margin came against Youngstown State (+21, 39-18), while Boston College is the only team to out-rebound the Spartans (37-36). MSU's rebound margin has been at least +15 in four games. In two games, the Spartans have grabbed more offensive rebounds, than their opponents totaled defensive boards. MSU accomplished this feat against both Youngstown State (MSU - 15 off. reb.; YSU - 9 def. reb.) and Maryland (MSU - 17 off. reb.; UMD - 16 def. reb.).
MSU vs. Bradley Notes
Series History - The first and only meeting between Michigan State and Bradley came on Dec. 19, 1969 at the Utah Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Spartans defeated the Braves, 89-87, and went on to capture second place in the tournament.
Coach Les - Jim Les (Bradley `86), is in his fifth season as both the head of his alma mater and as a collegiate head coach. During that time, Les has compiled a 67-62 record, which included an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, last season, marking a first for the Braves since 1955.
Braves Notes - Bradley began the season with five-straight wins before suffering back-to-back losses to the Illinois (75-71) and Tennessee Tech (86-84); the Braves' two losses have been by a combined six points ... Last year, Bradley advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen, defeating Kansas and Pittsburgh in the process ... Four different Braves have scored at least 20 points in a game; Jeremy Crouch and Zach Andrews have reached the mark twice, while Danny Adams and J.J. Tauai have done so once ... BU is shooting 48.6 percent from 3-point range, with 41.3 percent of its shots coming from behind the arc ... Against Florida A&M, Bradley tied a Missouri Valley Conference record by making 20 3-pointers in 35 attempts ... Jeremy Crouch is shooting a remarkable 64.4 percent from 3-point range (29-of-45).
Game #8 Notes - Boston College 65 - Michigan State 58
* Boston College out-scored Michigan State, 21-14, in second-chance points, including a 13-0 advantage in the first half.
* Goran Suton scored a career-high 18 points, 14 of which were scored in the second half.
* Drew Neitzel scored all 12 of his points in the second half, after attempting just two shots in the first half.
* The Spartans were out-rebounded for the first time this season (37-36), as the Eagles held a 21-15 advantage in the first half.
* MSU tied a season high with eight blocked shots.
* The Eagles led 54-37 with 7:17 left in the game, but MSU fought back to pull within six points at 59-53 with 1:17 remaining.
* MSU dropped to 4-3 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge history.
Michigan State Notes
Morgan's Start Best In School History - With just five points against Oakland, Raymar Morgan failed to score in double figures for the first time this season. He had opened his freshman season with six double-figure efforts, becoming the first Spartan freshman to open his career with six games scoring in double figures. In fact, no other Spartan freshman had scored double figures in more than their first three games. Previously, Sam Vincent (1981-82) was the only Spartan freshman to score 10 or more in his first three games. Morgan is currently the team's second-leading scorer at 10.9 ppg, and has scored in double-figures in seven of eight contests.
College Hoops Classic Recap - Michigan State finished second in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches Vs. Cancer. MSU defeated Brown, 45-34, and Youngstown State, 86-61, to advance to the Championship Rounds in New York's Madison Square Garden. In the semifinals, MSU upset No. 19 Texas, 63-61, when Drew Neitzel made a driving layup with 2.4 seconds remaining. The next day, the Spartans lost a close 62-60 decision to Maryland. Neitzel was named the East Lansing Regional MVP and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team in New York.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers through the first eight games, averaging 16.4 per game. The problem, however, is not due to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 4.6 per game.
Walton's Improved Play - Sophomore co-captain Travis Walton has been asked to carry a lot of the point guard duties this season. He has responded by posting a 2.85 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking third in the Big Ten. Recently, he dished out a career-high eight assists against Maryland's pressure defense, committing just one turnover. He has also shown an improved offensive game, including career-high 11-point games against both Youngstown State and Oakland. In addition, Walton usually draws the opponent's top perimeter player as a defensive assignment.
What A Difference A Year Makes - After a quiet freshman season, MSU guard Maurice Joseph has opened his sophomore campaign with a bang. Through eight games, he has scored 67 points (8.4 ppg) in 160 minutes (20.0 mpg), including a career-best 16 points vs. Youngstown State. In 2005-06, Joseph scored 16 points for the entire season, playing just 54 minutes. Joseph is just one example of a player having made giant strides for the Spartans since last year. Drew Naymick (14 vs. YSU), Drew Neitzel (26 vs. Vermont), Travis Walton (11 vs. YSU & Oakland), Marquise Gray (14 vs. Oakland) and Goran Suton (18 vs. Boston College) have also posted career highs in scoring this season.
A Familiar Situation - While much is made of Michigan State losing three starters to the 2006 NBA Draft, it's encouraging to know that the Spartans are not in an unfamiliar setting. On the stat sheet, MSU returns just 22.4 percent of their points, 30.8 percent of their rebounds, and 40.5 percent of their minutes from last year's team. By comparison, the 2001-02 team returned just 19.0 percent of the points, 18.0 percent of the rebounds and 26.3 percent of the minutes from the 2001 team that won the Big Ten and advanced to the Final Four. In 2002, the Spartans finished just one game out of first place and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The key was that players stepped up their level of performance: Marcus Taylor went from averaging 7.4 points to being a first-team all-league selection, and Adam Ballinger increased his scoring average from 1.9 ppg to 11.2, securing third-team All-Big Ten accolades.
Looking For No. 10 - Last year, Michigan State made a ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (22), Kansas (17), Kentucky (15) and Duke (11) have longer current streaks.
Backcourt Leadership - Michigan State will be led in 2006-07 by the backcourt duo of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton, having been voted co-captains by their teammates. Neitzel is MSU's leading returning scorer, having averaged 8.3 points per game last season. He also led the Big Ten in assists in conference games, dishing out 5.56 helpers per contest. Although just a sophomore, Walton is an unquestioned leader on the Spartan squad. He averaged just 1.8 points and 2.4 assists last year, but in just under 20 minutes per game, he provided good defense and solid leadership. Walton becomes the third sophomore captain under head coach Tom Izzo, joining Antonio Smith in 1996-97 and Mateen Cleaves in 1997-98.
Winning Freshmen - If there is one common trait for freshmen Isaiah Dahlman, Tom Herzog and Raymar Morgan, it is that they are all winners. Over the last two years, the trio posted a combined mark of 152-8 with their high school teams, winning a combined four state championships. Dahlman was 95-4 over the last three years, including winning 65-straight games at one point, while Braham Area won three-consecutive Minnesota 2A state championships. Morgan led Canton McKinley to back-to-back Ohio Division 1 state championships, becoming the first school to win two straight crowns in Ohio's largest division since 1974. Herzog was 37-3 over the last two seasons, winning a district championship in 2005.
Neitzel On Cousy List - Junior point guard Drew Neitzel is one of 36 Division I candidates for the 2007 Bob Cousy Award. Presented annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the award recognizes the top collegiate point guard participating in NCAA Divisions I, II and III. As a sophomore, Neitzel ranked third in the Big Ten in overall assists (5.56 apg) and tied for the conference lead in league games (5.56 apg). Additionally, he led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.78). The selection committee is comprised of college basketball experts including media members, former coaches and players. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to maximize their team's collective potential, their leadership, their core basketball skills and overall team acheivement. Wisconsin's Kammron Taylor is the only other Big Ten player on the list, which also includes two Division II and one Division III candidates.
Spartans In The NBA - Nine former Spartans were on NBA rosters on opening day of the 2006-07 season. They include Maurice Ager (Dallas Mavericks), Alan Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (Toronto Raptors), Zach Randolph (Portland Trail Blazers), Jason Richardson (Golden State Warriors) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers). The nine players on opening day rosters gives MSU the most of any Big Ten school and ranks sixth in the nation behind UConn (14), Duke (13), North Carolina (12), Arizona (10) and UCLA (10).
Spartans In The NBA Draft - With three Spartans selected in the 2006 NBA Draft, Michigan State has had 10 players drafted in the last seven drafts, ranking behind only Connecticut (11) and Duke (11). With Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown being selected in the first round, the Spartans have produced six first rounders in the last seven years, ranking behind only Connecticut (8) and Duke (7) and tied with North Carolina.
Tough Competition - Michigan State will play nine teams that appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, including five league foes (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin) and four non-conference teams (Belmont, Boston College, Bradley and Texas). In addition, five other opponents appeared in the 2006 NIT (BYU, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State), making it likely that 20 of the Spartans' 31 regular-season games will be against team that played in the 2006 postseason. For comparison, Michigan State played eight 2005 NCAA Tournament teams last season, six 2004 NCAA Tournament teams in 2004-05 and 10 2003 NCAA Tournament teams in 2003-04, a year which featured one of the most difficult schedules in recent college basketball history.
Spartans On TV - Michigan State will have a minimum of 26 games televised in 2006-07, including at least 14 on national television networks (ESPN - 6, ESPN2 - 4, CBS - 3, ESPNU - 1). In addition, the final two regular-season games could be picked up by national networks. From 1997-98 to 2005-06, MSU averaged 29 televised games per year, including 18 per season on national television networks. This includes 71 appearances on CBS and 91 on ESPN and ESPN2.
Experience In The Front Court - While Drew Neitzel is the only full-time returning starter for Michigan State, there are three Spartans in the frontcourt that gained starting experience in 2005-06, combining for 22 starts. Red-shirt junior Drew Naymick started the first seven games of the season before a shoulder injury forced him to miss the rest of the year. Red-shirt sophomore Marquise Gray started nine contests as an athletic power forward, while classmate Goran Suton used his wide array of skills to earn the starting job in six games, including all four postseason contests.
Winning The Right Way - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 261-111 (.702), and 125-55 (.694) 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.
Among The Big Ten's Best - Tom Izzo's .694 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Purdue's Ward Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.702). With 125 conference victories, Izzo is currently tied for 13th all-time with former Iowa head coach Tom Davis.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 11 seasons, Tom Izzo won 255 games, ranking ninth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 11 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (Arkansas), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his fourth 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 second season at Tulsa. Former assistant Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is currently an assistant coach at SMU.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 60-54 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-43 record since 1997-98.
