Men's Basketball Hosts Illinois On Senior Day
3/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#25/23 Michigan State (20-9, 8-7)vs. #10/10 Illinois (24-5, 10-5)
March 4, 2006Noon 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: CBS - Gus Johnson (Play by Play), Bill Raftery (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Six Spartans, Maurice Ager, Paul Davis, Delco Rowley, Matt Trannon, Jason Aerts and Anthony Hamo, will be honored in Senior Day ceremonies prior to tip-off. Over the past four seasons, the Spartans have compiled an 85-41 record, while playing arguably one of the toughest four-year schedules in NCAA history. The group has advanced to the NCAA Tournament each season, including the 2003 Elite Eight and the 2005 Final Four. Playing its last game of the season at home, MSU is 12-1 in the Breslin Center this year.
Spartan fans are encouraged to wear green shirts to Saturday's game.
The Starting Five
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 29 games, they are averaging a combined 55.5 points, or 72.9 percent, of MSU's 76.1 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.
Ager Is A Finalist - Maurice Ager has been named one of 10 finalists for two different awards. He is a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association to its player of the year. Ager is also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, presented to the top senior in the nation.
Davis Among Big Ten Leaders - Paul Davis stands among the top seven in the Big Ten statistics in seven different categories. He ranks third in rebounding (9.2 rpg), fifth in scoring (18.1 ppg), fourth in field-goal percentage (.575), third in free-throw percentage (.888), fifth in blocked shots (0.93 bpg), seventh in offensive rebounds (2.57 orpg) and second in defensive rebounds (6.61 drpg).
What Brown Can Do For MSU - Shannon Brown might be MSU's most consistent player during Big Ten action. He ranks third in the conference in scoring in league games (18.7 ppg) and fourth overall (18.2 ppg). He has topped the 20-point mark in nine of his last 20 games and has led the team in scoring in seven of the 15 Big Ten contests. Over the last eight games, he is averaging 6.8 rebounds.
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.
Spartan Seniors
Playing Like An All-American - A terrific combination of athleticism and basketball skills, Maurice Ager was hindered by injuries for his first two seasons at Michigan State. Still, he perservered and exploded as a junior, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. As a senior, Ager has taken his game to a new level, averaging career highs in scoring (19.2 ppg), rebounding (4.2 rpg), assists (2.7 apg) and steals (0.8 spg). His 19.2 points per game scoring average ranks third in the Big Ten and he is one of 10 finalists for the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Senior CLASS Award. He currently ranks 14th in MSU career scoring with 1,445 points, fourth in made 3-point field goals (187) and third in 3-point field-goals attempted (496).
MSU's Premier Big Man - Paul Davis will close his career as one of the most productive big men in Michigan State history. He currently ranks in the top 10 in Spartan history in six statistical categories, including scoring (9th, 1,647) free throws (4th, 452), free throws attempted (t-2nd, 593), rebounds (5th, 866), blocked shots (4th, 84) and field goals (9th, 591). (For complete charts, see sidebars on pages 5-6.) He is also one of just two players in Michigan State history to record 1,500 career points and 800 career rebounds, joining Greg Kelser. In his final season, he is averaging career-highs in scoring (17.8 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg) and is a candidate for both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.
Delco's Sense Of Humor - Delco Rowley has provided leadership and a sense of humor to the Spartans for the last four seasons. Always quick with a joke or retort to his teammates and coaches, Rowley also continually provides support and encouragement for his teammates. Despite battling injuries for much of his career, Rowley has appeared in 68 career games, starting six. Last year, he received MSU's Most Inspirational Player Award. He redshirted in 2002-03 and has another year of eligibility remaining, but is scheduled to receive his undergraduate degree in family community service this May.
A Two-Sport Standout - Although he is on a football scholarship, Matt Trannon has been a key contributor to the Spartan basketball team for the last three seasons, increasing his role each year. Last season, he was an important cog in MSU's run to the Final Four, averaging 13.4 minutes in the NCAA Tournament. This year, he has started 10 games, averaging 4.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, although he has missed three straight games with a broken jaw. Trannon can earn an additional year of eligibility for both football and basketball by meeting all Big Ten eligibility requirements by the end of the summer.
A Walk-On With A Scholarship - Anthony Hamo is in his fourth season with the Spartan basketball program. A walk-on for three seasons, he was awarded a scholarship prior to this season. He has appeared in 26 games in his career, including nine this season. He recorded his only two career points against Penn State on Jan. 14, 2004. He was a two-time Class B All-State honoree as a prep standout at Flint Powers Catholic High School.
From Aquinas College To The Final Four - Jason Aerts opened his college career at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. After two seasons, he transferred to Michigan State to pursue a mechanical engineering major. Last year, he walked-on to the Spartan squad and has been a valuable member of the scout team in practice. He has appeared in 16 career games and has scored nine career points.
Illinois Notes
Coach Weber - Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 190-68 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including 87-14 in his third year at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.
Illini Notes - Seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine have played in a school-record 112 victories during their careers ... With 991 career rebounds, Augustine is Illinois' career leader ... Brown leads all active Big Ten players with 1,764 career points, ranking third in Illini history ... Illinois has used the same starting lineup in 28 of its 29 games ... The Illini lead the Big Ten in scoring defense (57.7 ppg), scoring margin (+12.6), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.309) and rebound margin (+6.8).
Series History - Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 51-47. The Spartans, however, own a 30-17 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Illini have won the last four games in the series. MSU's last victory in the series was a 68-65 win in East Lansing on Feb. 2, 2003. Tom Izzo is 10-9 in his career against the Illini.
The Last Meeting - Illinois defeated Michigan State, 60-50, on Jan. 5, 2006, in Champaign. The Spartans had a strong defensive effort, holding Illinois to 43.8 percent shooting, but Dee Brown scored 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range. No other Fighting Illini player scored in double figures. MSU shot just 36.2 percent from the field and scored a season-low 50 points. Shannon Brown led the Spartans with 17 points and Paul Davis just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Davis scored eight points in the first 11:10, but picked up his second foul with 8:08 left in the first half, and scored just four more points in the contest. MSU cut the Illini lead to 44-41 with 10:23 left, but Illinois scored six straight points after Matt Trannon picked up his fourth foul, and the Spartans did not get any closer than five points after that.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - No. 1 Illinois defeated No. 10 Michigan State, 81-68, on Feb. 1, 2005. The Fighting Illini held a 41-33 halftime lead and extended their lead to 17 points with 9:57 left. The Spartans made a couple of late surges, cutting the lead to seven points on two occasions with possession of the ball, but were unable to score either time. In the second half, Illinois went 12:46 without missing a shot, making 12 straight. Luther Head led all scorers with 22 points, and Dee Brown added 18. Five Spartans scored in double-figures, led by Alan Anderson's 14 points.
Game 29 Notes - Michigan State 74 - Wisconsin 65
* Michigan State's point guards, Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton, combined for 11 assists and just two turnovers, including six assists and no turnovers by Neitzel.
* Led largely by Shannon Brown, Michigan State's defense held Kammron Taylor to 4-of-18 shooting, including 0-of-5 from 3-point range, after Taylor shot 11-of-17, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc, in the first meeting between the teams.
* Goran Suton made his second start of the season, playing 28 minutes, the most since playing 29 against Arizona in the Maui Invitational. He recorded four points, six rebounds, and two blocks, far and away his best effort in Big Ten action.
* MSU trailed 23-13 with 10:21 left in the first half, but used a 20-6 run, ignited by a 9-0 spurt, to take a 33-29 advantage.
* Leading 59-55 entering the final five minutes, Michigan State went on a 14-4 run, sparked by 12 points from Maurice Ager over a span of 3:10.
* Wisconsin opened the second half making six of its first nine shots, but made just six of its final 20.
* Both teams made just four 3-pointers, but Wisconsin attempted 18, compared to just seven for Michigan State.
* MSU's trio of Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis scored 64 of the Spartans' 74 points, nearly outscoring Wisconsin by themselves.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 11th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 253-106 (.705), and 125-54 (.698) 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 .698 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 (.705). With 125 conference victories, Izzo currently tied for 13th all-time with former Iowa head coach Tom Davis.
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 146-20 (.880) in the Breslin Center, including a 111-8 (.933) mark over the last eight seasons. In Big Ten play, Izzo is 77-12 (.865) in Breslin, 58-5 (.921) over the last eight years.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 58-52 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 51-41 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
MSU In March - Michigan State is 37-11 in March since the 1998-99 season. For his career, Tom Izzo is 44-18 in March.
Spartans Against Ranked Opponents - Michigan State is 6-5 against ranked opponents this season, including 3-2 against Top-10 teams. The game against Illinois marks MSU's ninth league game against a ranked opponent this season, as the Spartans are 4-4 in the previous eight.
Dunker Of The Year - Shannon Brown was voted the Dunker of the Year in an ESPN.com on-line poll on March 2. Brown has 16 dunks on the season, several of which have been highlighted on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays. He was also named the best dunker in the nation by Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS.
Davis At The Foul Line - Paul Davis is on pace to finish his career as one of the most accomplished free throw shooters in school history. He ranks fourth in career made free throws with 452, 24 behind Sam Vincent in first place, and tied for second with 593 free throws attempted, 21 behind Steve Smith. This season, he is shooting a career-best 88.8 percent from the foul line, ranking third in the Big Ten. Davis has had three games this year 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.
Hitting The Mark - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage, shooting 48.6 percent from the field. Paul Davis leads the starters, shooting 57.5 percent, ranking fourth in the league.
Hot Shooting Second Halves - In Michigan State's seven Big Ten home games, the Spartans have displayed some excellent second-half shooting. In MSU's six league victories at home, the Spartans are shooting 60.5 percent, including the following efforts: vs. Indiana (64.0), vs. Iowa (60.7), vs. Penn State (60.9), vs. Purdue (60.9), vs. Michigan (58.8) and vs. Wisconsin (58.3). In MSU's lone home loss against Ohio State, the Spartans shot just 42.9 percent in the second half.
20-Win Seasons - With a victory against Wisconsin, Michigan State recorded its seventh 20-win season in the last nine years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the 15 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 12 of them, seven as a head coach and five as an assistant.
NABC Honorees - The National Association of Basketball Coaches recently announced its all-district teams. Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown both earned first team all-district 11 honors, while Paul Davis was a second-team honoree. Ager and Brown were joined on the first team by Illinois' Dee Brown and James Augustine and Wisconsin's Alando Tucker.
Good To Be Back Home - Michigan State is 12-1 at home this season, including 6-1 in conference action. The Spartans are averaging 80.6 points per game at home, shooting 50.1 percent from the field. Both Maurice Ager (20.5 ppg) and Paul Davis (20.3 ppg) are averaging more than 20 points at home, followed closely by Shannon Brown (18.8 ppg). In Big Ten home games, MSU is averaging 78.6 points, shooting 50.8 percent.
MSU's Homecourt Advantage - Since the start of the 1998-99 season, MSU has won 111 of its last 119 games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .933. Over that same stretch, the Spartans are 58-5 (.921) at home in Big Ten action. MSU has sold out 125 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center.
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists, averaging 17.28 per game, while ranking 16th in the nation according to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 28). The Spartans have recorded assists on 63.6 percent (501 assists, 788 field goals) of their field goals this season. In conference games, the Spartans lead the Big Ten, averaging 15.93 assists per game.
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.
Money At The Charity Stripe - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage, shooting .779 (454-of-583). According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 28), the Spartans rank fourth in the nation at .779. MSU also leads the conference in free throws made (454). Drew Neitzel (.946) and Paul Davis (.888) pace the Spartans, as Davis ranks third in the Big Ten (Neitzel does not have enough makes to qualify). 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.
Cracking The Top Ten - Paul Davis ranks in the top 10 in Michigan State history in six statistical categories, including scoring (9th, 1,647) free throws (4th, 452), free throws attempted (t-2nd, 593), rebounds (5th, 866), blocked shots (4th, 84) and field goals (9th, 591). (For complete charts, see sidebars on pages 5-6.)
Chairman Of The Boards - Paul Davis ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 9.2 boards per contest. Iowa's Greg Brunner (9.9 rpg) leads the league. A Spartan has not led the Big Ten in rebounding since Antonio Smith in 1996-97 (10.6 rpg). With 866 rebounds, Davis now ranks fifth all-time in MSU history. He needs 40 rebounds to tie Mike Peplowski for fourth place.
1,000-Point Spartans - Three current Spartans, including Paul Davis (1,647 points), Maurice Ager (1,455 points) and Shannon Brown (1,125 points) have scored more than 1,000 career points. Davis ranks 9th in career scoring, Ager ranks 14th and Brown ranks 30th. Ager needs 14 points to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points), while Davis needs 71 points to pass Mike Robinson (1,717 points). Brown needs 22 points to pass Pete Gent (1,146 points). Three members of last year's team, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, also were 1,000-point scorers.
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 19.2 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 19.3 ppg. 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 13 double-doubles in 28 games this season, Paul Davis has now recorded a double-double in 21 of his last 43 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 25 double-doubles.
MSU In The RPI - Michigan State is ranked No. 17 in the most recent official NCAA RPI, released March 1. Five Big Ten teams are in the top 17 and seven are in the top 44, including No. 5 Ohio State, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Iowa, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 26 Michigan, and No. 44 Indiana.
1,500-800 Club - Paul Davis (1,647 points, 866 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.
Neitzel Dishes It Out - Drew Neitzel ranks second in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.73-to-1 and third in assists, averaging 5.55 per game. In league games, he leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.80) and ranks second in assists (5.60 apg). Over the last 23 games, he has a 3.20-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, including an 8.3-to-1 ratio in the last four games. 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.
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.
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. This year, nine of MSU's 16 league games are against teams ranked in the Top 25 at the time of the game.
Controlling The Boards - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+5.7). This season, the Spartans have out-rebounded 17 of 29 opponents, but just eight of 15 league opponents. MSU is 15-2 when out-rebounding its opponent, but just 5-7 when not out-rebounding the opposition. In Big Ten games, MSU ranks second with a +3.5 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 third in the Big Ten in scoring at 19.2 points per game, Ager is averaging career bests in rebounding (4.1 rpg), assists (2.7 apg) and steals (0.8 spg). The same can be said for Brown, who is averaging career bests in scoring (18.2 ppg), rebounds (4.4 rpg), assists (2.7 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).
Trannon Suffers Broken Jaw - Matt Trannon broke his jaw against Michigan (Feb. 18). Prior to missing the last three contests, he had 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 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, he was recognized after averaging 22.5 points and 12.3 rebounds in four games, including the Maui Invitational.
Playing A Lot Of Minutes - Shannon Brown (35.1 mpg), Maurice Ager (34.4 minutes), Drew Neitzel (33.0 mpg) and Paul Davis (31.0 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.
Impressive Figures - Maurice Ager is currently averaging 19.2 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 9.2 rebounds, the best mark by a Spartan since Antonio Smith averaged 10.6 boards in 1996-97.
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 19.0 minutes, 1.9 points and 2.6 assists, while playing strong defense. Gray and Suton are redshirt freshmen getting their first taste of college basketball. Suton is averaging 2.7 points and 2.7 boards in 14.1 minutes per contest, while Gray is averaging 3.0 points and 3.6 boards per game and has started nine contests.
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 69 assists and 59 turnovers in the last 24 contests. In fact, he recorded a career-best six assists against Boston College. With 77 assists and 74 turnovers on the season, this is the first time in his career he has more assists than turnovers.
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 8.7 points and 7.3 shots per game, while maintaining a 2.73-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
A High Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 76.1 points per game. Last season, MSU led the Big Ten and ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 78.5 points per game.
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.
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.
MSU Is A "Powerhouse Program" - Last summer, 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.
Home To Mr. Basketball - Five of the last seven 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 six former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats through Feb. 23)
Alan Anderson (Charlotte): 22 GP, 12.3 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.8 apg Charlie Bell (Milwaukee): 31 GP, 1 GS, 16.9 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.5 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 54 GP, 49 GS, 35.7 mpg, 14.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.1 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 51 GP, 49 GS, 35.0 mpg, 18.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.0 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 49 GP, 49 GS, 38.4 mpg, 22.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.7 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 54 GP, 54 GS, 28.9 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.3 apg
