Men's Basketball Looks For Fourth-Straight Victory
1/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (16-4, 3-2)
vs. Minnesota (7-12, 1-4)
January 24, 2007
7 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 Plus Local - Dick Bremer (Play by Play), Tim McCormick (Color)
Michigan clearances include: Detroit - WADL; Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek - WXSP; Lansing - WLAJ
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
After opening the Big Ten season with two losses on the road, Michigan State is looking for its fourth-straight victory. The Spartans are coming off their first road win of the season, a 91-64 win at Penn State on Saturday. Minnesota is looking to snap a four-game losing streak, having most recently lost to Northwestern, 55-40, in Minneapolis. This will be the only meeting of the regular season between the Spartans and the Golden Gophers.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans Strong At Home - The Spartans are 13-0 at home this season, thanks in large part to outstanding defense, holding opponents to just 52.1 points per game, allowing them to shoot just 35.0 percent from the field, including 31.5 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, the Spartans are shooting 48.2 percent, including 40.8 percent from behind the arc, scoring 70.6 points per contest. MSU's rebounding margin is +11.4 at the Breslin Center.
2. Spartan Defense Among Big Ten's Best - Michigan State ranks among the top defensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans lead the league in field-goal percentage defense (.377) and scoring defense (56.2 ppg), while ranking second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.306) and fifth in blocked shots (5.25 bpg). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 20 opponents to shoot better than 46 percent from the field, as 14 opponents have shot below 40 percent and 16 below 42 percent. The Spartans have held four opponents (Brown, The Citadel, Bradley and IPFW) below 30 percent shooting. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking eighth in scoring defense (56.3 ppg), ninth in field-goal percentage defense (37.7%) and 28th in blocked shots (5.3 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Jan. 22).
3. Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +9.7 rebounding margin, out-rebounding 16 of their 20 opponents, while tying two other teams. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 22), the Spartans rank fourth in the nation (+9.7). MSU's greatest margin came against Northwestern (+24, 37-13), while Indiana (30-26) and Boston College (37-36) are the only teams to out-rebound the Spartans. MSU's rebound margin has been at least +15 in seven games. In four games, the Spartans have grabbed more offensive rebounds than their opponents totaled defensive boards. MSU accomplished this feat against Youngstown State (MSU - 15 off. reb.; YSU - 9 def. reb.), Maryland (MSU - 17 off. reb.; UMD - 16 def. reb.), Northwestern (MSU - 16 off. reb.; NU - 7 def. reb.) and Penn State (MSU - 10 off. reb.; PSU - 7 def. reb.). Three different Spartans have grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a game, including Marquise Gray (12 vs. Oakland & BYU, 11 vs. Chicago State & Loyola), Drew Naymick (10 vs. Bradley) and Goran Suton (15 vs. UW-Green Bay, 12 vs. Youngstown State & 11 vs. BYU).
4. On Target - Thanks to a 67.9 percent shooting effort against Penn State, Michigan State jumped from fifth to second in field-goal percentage (.479) in the Big Ten statistics. In conference games, the Spartans are shooting a league-leading 51.6 percent from the field. Individually, Marquise Gray is shooting a conference-best 95.0 percent, having made 19-of-20 shots in Big Ten play. In all games, Gray ranks fourth (60.5%).
5. Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists with 16.95 per contest. In fact, MSU has recorded an assist on 339 of its 474 baskets (71.5 percent). That percentage ranks fourth in the nation. Individually, Travis Walton (3rd, 5.20 apg) and Drew Neitzel (5th, 4.60 apg) rank among the league leaders in assists.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History - Minnesota leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 56-51. MSU, however, owns a 33-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won five of the last six and 10 of the last 13 meetings. Tom Izzo has a 13-7 all-time record against the Golden Gophers, including a 7-2 mark in East Lansing.
Coach Molinari - Jim Molinari (Illinois Wesleyan, '77) was named interim head coach on Nov. 30, following the resignation of Dan Monson. He is 223-174 in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 5-7 at Minnesota. His coaching career began with a two-year stint at Northern Illinois, followed by 11 seasons at Bradley.
Golden Gopher Notes - Minnesota has struggled shooting the ball from the field, ranking last in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.435) and 10th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.334) ... Oklahoma transfer Lawrence McKenzie leads the Gophers in scoring and ranks sixth in the Big Ten (15.7 ppg) ... In conference games, Minnesota ranks second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.256) ... Dan Coleman leads the Big Ten in rebounding in league games (8.8 rpg).
The Last Meeting - Minnesota defeated Michigan State, 69-55, on Feb. 11, 2006, in Minneapolis. The Spartans committed 10 turnovers in the first half, compared to just two for Minnesota, falling behind the Golden Gophers, 31-25, at halftime. Shannon Brown scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. The game stood tied at 51 with 4:59 remaining, but Minnesota scored eight straight points and closed the game on an 18-4 run. Vincent Grier led four Gophers in double figures with 15 points, adding nine rebounds. MSU shot just 40.8 percent from the field, while Minnesota shot 48.0 percent.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 81-62, on Feb. 16, 2005, in East Lansing. The Spartans led 45-31 at the half and opened the second half on a 6-0 run, and Minnesota never got closer than 16 points after that. Shannon Brown led MSU with 18 points, while Maurice Ager added 16. Paul Davis recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, recording his 1,000th-career point in the process. The Spartans shot 57.1 percent from the field and out-rebounded Minnesota, 36-25. Vincent Grier led Minnesota with 19 points.
Game #20 Notes - Michigan State 91 - Penn State 64
* Michigan State shot a season-high 67.9 percent from the field, the best percentage since shooting 73.3 percent at Ohio State on Feb. 7, 2004. It also marked the highest percentage allowed by Penn State in a Big Ten contest.
* Michigan State shot a perfect 13-of-13 from the foul line, while Penn State shot just 14-of-24 at the foul line.
* Drew Neitzel's 28 points marked a personal best in a Big Ten game.
* Leading 18-12 midway through the first half, MSU took control of the contest with a 15-3 run over the next 4:52 to take a 33-15 lead.
* Penn State was never closer than 18 points in the second half.
* Marquise Gray shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 4-of-4 at the foul line.
* Michigan State's 45-23 lead was its largest halftime advantage of the season.
* Michigan State's 91 points marked the largest point total by any Big Ten team in league play this season.
Michigan State Notes
For Starters - Due to a variety of factors, including injuries, Michigan State has used seven different starting lineups this season. The most popular starting lineup consists of Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton, Raymar Morgan, Marquise Gray and Goran Suton, and has been used in five contests, sporting a 4-1 record in the first five games of the season.
Leading Scorers - Although Drew Neitzel is unquestionably Michigan State's number one scoring threat, his teammates have also contributed to the attack as six different Spartans have led MSU in scoring in a game this season. Neitzel has been the leading scorer on 15 occassions, followed by Maurice Joseph (2 games), Goran Suton (2), Marquise Gray (1), Raymar Morgan (1) and Travis Walton (1).
From Way Downtown - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 38.2 percent of its attempts from behind the arc. Coach Tom Izzo credits the success in large part to the right players attempting the shots, as just five Spartans have made more than one. Drew Neitzel (59-143, .413) and Maurice Joseph (26-61, .426) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters.
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 18.5 points per game. In 10 of the last 16 games, Neitzel has scored 20 or more, averaging 19.6 points over those 16 contests. He has scored 17 or more points in 15 games. On the season, he is averaging 12.7 shots and 4.6 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 44.9 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.6 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. He leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.902), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made (2.95 pg) and minutes played (34.75 mpg), fourth in scoring (18.5 ppg), fifth in assists (4.60 apg), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.92) and ninth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.413).
Morgan's Contributions - After missing seven games with a stress reaction in his right shin, Raymar Morgan has appeared in the last four games, averaging 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 23.3 minutes. He made his first start since the injury against Penn State, scoring 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds. There were 35 days between games for Morgan. He 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 10.5 ppg, and has scored in double-figures in 10 of his 13 contests. He scored a game-high 18 points in MSU's win over No. 19 Texas, and also scored 18 against Bradley.
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 2.31 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking third in the Big Ten, while also ranking third in the league in assists (5.20 apg). He has eight games with seven or more assists and five games scoring in double-figures, after not scoring more than seven in a game last season. In addition, Walton usually draws the opponent's top perimeter player as a defensive assignment.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers this season, averaging 15.1 per game. For the most part, the turnover problem has not been due to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 4.65 per game, while both rank in the top seven in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Neitzel's Second Halves - As a general rule, Drew Neitzel has been a more explosive scorer in the second half. Through 20 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.25 points in the first half and 11.25 after halftime. He scored 17 of his 20 points vs. Iowa in the second half. Recently, he scored 11 points in the first half against Chicago State and 21 after the break, followed by a two-point first half and 18-point second against Belmont. Earlier this season, he followed a four-point first half vs. Maryland with 17 points in the second. In five games this season, Neitzel has scored at least 10 more points in the second half than he did in the first. On the flip side, however, he has also shown a knack for some quick starts. He knocked down four first-half 3-pointers against Youngstown State and Vermont and three in the first against IPFW and Chicago State. In the most recent game, Neitzel scored 17 points in the first half at Penn State.
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks eighth in MSU history with 378 career assists. Chris Hill ranks seventh on the MSU career charts with 452 assists.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 105 shots through the first 20 games, an average of 5.25 blocks per contest, ranking fifth in the Big Ten. According to the most recent NCAA stats (Jan. 21), MSU ranks 28th in the nation (5.3 bpg). By comparison, MSU blocked just 101 shots last season in 34 games, an average of 3.0 per game. As recently as 2004, MSU blocked just 54 shots for the entire season. Since blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78, MSU's greatest single-season total was 133 in 2001. The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 32, followed by Idong Ibok with 24 and Marquise Gray with 16. Naymick's 32 blocks already rank him tied with Matt Steigenga (1990-91) for the sixth-best single season total in Spartan history. With four more blocks, Naymick will move into sole possession of fourth most in a single season.
Dahlman On The Shelf - Isaiah Dahlman is currently out of action with an injury in his right foot. He suffered the injury during practice on Jan. 16, and will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. While Maurice Joseph and Raymar Morgan were both out of the Spartan lineup with injuries, Dahlman saw significantly increased playing time. In the seven games without Morgan in the lineup, Dahlman averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 31.7 minutes, shooting 20-of-40 from the field. He started the last eight games, averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 25.6 minutes. In the first nine games of the season, with Morgan in the lineup, Dahlman averaged just 11.1 minutes, 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Gray Raises Level Of Play - Marquise Gray has enjoyed the most productive stretch of his Spartan career over the last 12 games. During that stretch, Gray is averaging 11.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just 22.3 minutes, shooting 72.4 percent (55-of-76) from the field. He is shooting 95.0 percent (19-of-20) in Big Ten games.
Ibok On Offense - Idong Ibok has increased his offensive productivity over the last 11 games, averaging 3.5 points per game. He has scored 39 points in the last 11 contests after scoring just seven points through the first nine games. During the last 11 games, Ibok is shooting 16-of-17 from the field. He had made 15 straight shots until a miss against Northwestern, but he grabbed his own miss and made the put back.
What A Difference A Year Makes - Prior to missing four games with a stress reaction in his right foot, MSU guard Maurice Joseph had opened his sophomore campaign on a strong note. In 16 games this season, he is averaging 7.6 points, including a career-best 16 points vs. Youngstown State, and 17.8 minutes. Joseph returned to action against Iowa, and has averaged 6.2 points and 15.2 minutes over the last five games. 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 (32 vs. Chicago State), Travis Walton (15 vs. Bradley), Marquise Gray (19 vs. Loyola), Goran Suton (27 vs. Loyola) and Idong Ibok (7 vs. Belmont & Indiana) are returning players who have also posted career highs in scoring this season.
Non-Conference Victories - Michigan State won 13 non-conference games, establishing a school record for regular-season non-conference victories since joinint the Big Ten in 1950-51. Last year's squad won 12 non-conference games. The 1989-90, 1998-99 and 2000-01 squads won 11 non-conference games during the regular season.
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.
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).
Looking For No. 10 - Last year, Michigan State made its 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. Walton is the third sophomore captain under head coach Tom Izzo, joining Antonio Smith in 1996-97 and Mateen Cleaves in 1997-98.
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.
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 its points, 30.8 percent of its rebounds, and 40.5 percent of its 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.
Home Sweet Home - Michigan State will play a record 19 regular-season home games at the Breslin Center this season, surpassing the previous mark of 17 established in 1996-97 and equaled in 2001-02. During Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 159-21 (.883) at home, including 136-12 (.919) over the last 10 years.
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.
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.
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.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 271-113 (.706), and 128-57 (.692) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. In 2005, 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 .692 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 (.706). With 128 conference victories, Izzo currently ranks 13th all-time, having passed former Iowa head coach Tom Davis with a win over Northwestern
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.
