Men's Basketball Hosts Ohio State
2/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#18/16 Michigan State (19-7, 7-5)vs. #13/12 Ohio State (19-4, 8-4)Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
Feb. 22, 20068 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.Breslin Center (14,759)
TV: ESPN Plus Local - Mike Gleason (Play by Play), Bill Hosket (Color)
Michigan State-Ohio State will be televised locally on ESPN Plus. The game can be seen throughout the state on Comcast.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State looks to record its 20th win of the season as the Spartans play host to Ohio State. In the Big Ten standings, MSU is currently one game behind Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio State in the loss column. The Spartans will have three of their final four games in the Breslin Center, but they are all against teams ahead of them in the standings. Although the Buckeyes and the Spartans are the league's top two offenses, their first meeting was a double-overtime defensive battle.
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Two High-Powered Offenses - Michigan State and Ohio State feature the Big Ten's top-two scoring offenses. The Buckeyes lead the league, averaging 77.9 points per game, followed closely by the Spartans at 76.7 ppg. MSU ranks second in the conference in field-goal percentage (.488) and third in 3-point field-goal percentage (.385), while OSU ranks third in field-goal percentage (.486) and first in 3-point field-goal percentage (.408). Oddly enough, MSU won a low-scoring double-overtime contest, 62-59, in the first meeting, as the game was tied at 46 at the end of regulation.
Good To Be Back Home - After opening the Big Ten season with seven of its first 11 games on the road, Michigan State closes the year with four of its final five contests in the Breslin Center. MSU is 11-0 at home this season, including 5-0 in conference action. The Spartans are averaging 82.4 points per game at home, shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Paul Davis (20.2 ppg) and Maurice Ager (20.1 ppg) are both averaging more than 20 points at home, followed closely by Shannon Brown (19.0 ppg). In Big Ten home games, MSU is averaging 81.6 points, shooting 52.5 percent.
20-Win Seasons - With one more victory, Michigan State will record its seventh 20-win season in the last nine years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the previous 14 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 11 of them, six as a head coach and five as an assistant.
Award Candidates - Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis are among 30 midseason candidates for the Naismith Award. Ager and Davis are also among the 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.
MSU's Homecourt Advantage - Since the start of the 1998-99 season, MSU has won 110 of its last 117 games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .940. Over that same stretch, the Spartans are 57-4 (.934) at home in Big Ten action. MSU has sold out 123 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center.
Cracking The Top Ten - Paul Davis ranks in the top 10 in Michigan State history in five statistical categories, including scoring (9th, 1,592) free throws (5th, 437), free throws attempted (4th, 575), rebounds (5th, 846) and blocked shots (4th, 80). (For complete charts, see sidebars on pages 5-6.)
Ohio State Notes
Coach Matta - Thad Matta (Butler, '90) is 141-47 in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach, including 39-16 in his second season at Ohio State. Prior to his arrival in Columbus, he served as the head coach at Xavier for three seasons and at Butler for one year.
Buckeye Notes - Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (77.9 ppg), 3-point field-goal percentage (.488), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24) and 3-point field goals made (8.96) ... Buckeye guard Je'Kel Foster leads the conference in steals (2.48 spg) and 3-point field goals made (2.83), and ranks second in 3-point field-goal percentage (.492) ... The Buckeyes' starting lineup features five seniors.
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 59-46, including a 38-13 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Overall, the Spartans have won 19 of the last 22 games in the series, including 10 straight at the Breslin Center. Tom Izzo is 14-3 in his career against the Buckeyes.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Ohio State, 62-59, in double overtime on Jan. 15, 2006, in Columbus. The Spartans led 46-42 with 7:20 left in regulation. MSU, however, did not score another point in the half, but allowed just four as the Buckeyes forced overtime. MSU did not score in the first 2:30 of overtime, but four straight points from Shannon Brown gave the Spartans a 50-48 lead. Matt Sylvester's layup with 12 seconds left in the first extra period tied the game at 50, forcing a second overtime. Matt Trannon scored four early points in the second extra frame as MSU jumped out to a 54-51 advantage, but OSU fought back to tie the game at 56 with 1:18 left. Drew Neitzel had been held scoreless for the first 49 minutes of the game, but hit a running right-handed shot with 45 seconds left to give MSU a 58-56 lead. With 17 seconds remaining, he calmly knocked down two free throws. The win was MSU's fourth straight at Value City Arena and its first road win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 14, 2002, at Kentucky. MSU's defense held Ohio State to a season-low 32.9 percent shooting.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - Michigan State won its last meeting with Ohio State, 83-69, on Feb. 9, 2005. Chris Hill paced the Spartans with 26 points, hitting 8-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Maurice Ager celebrated his 21st birthday with 18 points, and Paul Davis collected a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Spartans to a 40-24 advantage on the glass. The Buckeyes, led by Terence Dials' 22 points, shot 63.0 percent from the field in the first half, but just 34.5 percent in the second half.
Game 26 Notes - Michigan State 90 - Michigan 71
* Drew Neitzel recorded a career-high 12 assists, marking the most by a Spartan since Mateen Cleaves dished out 20 against Michigan on March 4, 2000.
* Michigan State out-rebounded Michigan, 35-25, after being out-rebounded, 34-29, in the first meeting in Ann Arbor.
* Maurice Ager scored 19 points after scoring a combined 15 in the previous two games.
* Michigan State recorded 25 assists and just 11 turnovers.
* Trailing 13-5 early in the first half, Michigan State scored seven straight points to spark a 24-8 run.
* MSU's defense allowed Michigan to shoot 51.9 percent, but just 23.1 percent from 3-point range, including 0-of-4 in the second half.
* Michigan State shot 58.8 percent from 3-point range, marking a season high in Big Ten action.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 11th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 252-104 (.708), and 124-52 (.705) 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 .705 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 (.708). With 124 conference victories, Izzo currently ranks 14th all-time.
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 145-19 (.884) in the Breslin Center, including a 110-7 (.940) mark over the last eight seasons. In Big Ten play, Izzo is 76-11 (.874) in Breslin, 57-4 (.934) over the last eight years.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 58-51 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 51-40 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 .775 (410-of-529). According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 14), the Spartans rank third in the nation at .777. MSU also leads the conference in free throws made (410). Drew Neitzel (.943) and Paul Davis (.896) pace the Spartans, as Davis ranks third 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.
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists, averaging 17.77 per game, while ranking 11th in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 14). The Spartans have recorded assists on 65.0 percent (462 assists, 711 field goals) of their field goals this season. In conference games, the Spartans lead the Big Ten, averaging 16.67 assists per game.
Chairman Of The Boards - Paul Davis ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 9.5 boards per contest. Iowa's Greg Brunner (10.0 rpg) leads the league. A Spartan has not led the Big Ten in rebounding since Antonio Smith in 1996-97 (10.6 rpg). With 846 rebounds, Davis now ranks fifth all-time in MSU history. He needs 60 rebounds to tie Mike Peplowski for fourth place.
Getting Defensive - Michigan State has won seven of its last 10 Big Ten contests, thanks in large part to its defense. In the last 10 games, the Spartans are holding opponents to 64.3 points on 42.8 percent shooting, including 32.0 percent from 3-point range. In the last nine games, MSU is allowing just 63.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting, including 30.7 percent from behind the arc.
What Brown Can Do For MSU - Shannon Brown has elevated his play during Big Ten action. He ranks third in the conference in scoring in league games, averaging 19.0 points per contest. Overall, he ranks fourth in the league in scoring at 18.2 ppg. He has topped the 20-point mark in nine of his last 17 games and has led the team in scoring in seven of the 12 Big Ten contests. Leading into the conference schedule, he was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 26.
1,000-Point Spartans - Three current Spartans, including Paul Davis (1,592 points), Maurice Ager (1,380 points) and Shannon Brown (1,072 points) have scored more than 1,000 career points. Davis ranks 9th in career scoring, Ager ranks 17th and Brown ranks 32th. Ager needs 14 points to pass Robert Chapman (1,382 points), Darryl Johnson (1,383 points) and Andre Hutson (1,393 points), while Davis needs 126 points to pass Mike Robinson (1,717 points). Brown needs 28 points to pass Bill Kilgore (1,099 points). Three members of last year's team, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, also were 1,000-point scorers.
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 18 points per game. Through 26 games, they are averaging a combined 54.8 points, or 71.4 percent, of MSU's 76.7 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. The 1964-65 trio of Bill Washington (21.3), Bill Curtis (19.4) and Marcus Sanders (18.5) is the only other trio in MSU history where each player averaged at least 17 points per game.
Mr. Double-Double - With 13 double-doubles in 25 games this season, Paul Davis has now recorded a double-double in 21 of his last 40 games. The 13 double-doubles this season lead the Big Ten, two ahead of Iowa's Greg Brunner. 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.
MSU In The RPI - Michigan State is ranked No. 10 in the most recent official NCAA RPI, released Feb. 14. Four Big Ten teams are in the top 13 and seven are in the top 37, including No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Iowa, No. 13 Illinois, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 30 Michigan, and No. 37 Indiana.
Ager Challenges For Scoring Title - Michigan State's offense features three of the Big Ten's five leading scorers. Maurice Ager ranks third in the Big Ten in overall scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game, while Shannon Brown (18.2 ppg) and Paul Davis (18.1 ppg) rank fourth and fifth, respectively. Northwestern's Vedran Vukusic leads the league at 20.1 ppg. A Spartan has not led the league in overall scoring since Shawn Respert's 25.6 ppg paced the conference in 1995.
1,500-800 Club - Paul Davis (1,592 points, 846 rebounds) is 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 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.
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 third in the Big Ten in scoring at 18.5 points per game, Ager is averaging career bests in rebounding (4.2 rpg), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (0.8 spg). The same can be said for Brown, who is averaging career bests in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounds (4.1 rpg), assists (2.8 apg) and steals (1.5 spg).
Lending A Helping Hand - Drew Neitzel ranks second in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.60-to-1 and third in assists, averaging 5.69 per game. Over the last 20 games, he has a 3.02-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His best effort in that stretch was a 12-assist, one-turnover effort against Michigan on Feb. 18, as the 12 assists marked the most by a Spartan since Mateen Cleaves recorded 20 against Michigan on March 4, 2000.
Trannon As A Starter - Matt Trannon broke is jaw against Michigan (Feb. 18) and is out indefinitely. He has started the last 10 games, averaging 5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.3 minutes. In 18 games this season, he is averaging 4.7 points and 4.3 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.
Midseason All-Americans - Some analysts released 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. Ager was also named second-team All-America by SI.com.
A High Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 76.7 points per game. Last season, MSU led the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 78.5 points per game.
Playing A Lot Of Minutes - Shannon Brown (34.8 mpg), Maurice Ager (34.4 minutes), Drew Neitzel (32.4 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.
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. Recently, he grabbed 11 rebounds at Northwestern.
Impressive Figures - Maurice Ager is currently averaging 18.5 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 9.5 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 67 assists and 50 turnovers in the last 21 contests. In fact, he recorded a career-best six assists against Boston College. He has recorded five assists or more in seven of the last 20 games, after having never tallied more than four in the first 95 games of his career. This is the first time in his career he has more assists than turnovers.
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 17.9 minutes, 1.9 points and 2.3 assists, while playing strong defense. Gray and Suton are redshirt freshmen getting their first taste of college basketball. Suton is averaging 2.8 points and 2.7 boards in 13.9 minutes per contest, while Gray is averaging 3.3 points and 3.8 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 9.2 points and 7.2 shots per game, while maintaining a 2.60-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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 seven former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats through Jan. 30)
Alan Anderson (Charlotte): 16 GP, 12.8 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.8 apg Charlie Bell (Milwaukee): 20 GP, 13.4 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 apg Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 19 GP, 9.3 mpg, 3.4 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 1.7 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 44 GP, 39 GS, 34.5 mpg, 13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.0 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 41 GP, 39 GS, 35.6 mpg, 17.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 41 GP, 41 GS, 38.8 mpg, 22.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.8 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 42 GP, 42 GS, 28.5 mpg, 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.3 apg
