Men's Basketball Faces Second Straight Road Contest
1/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (17-5, 4-3)
vs. Illinois (15-8, 3-5)
January 30, 2007
9 p.m. EST
Champaign, Ill.
Assembly Hall
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
TV: ESPN - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color), Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State will have to quickly bounce back from a tough defeat as the Spartans nearly rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit at No. 5 Ohio State, but fell just two points short. The Spartans are facing an Illinois squad that lost at Purdue on Saturday. These two teams just met on Jan. 14, with MSU rallying from a 14-point first-half deficit to claim a 63-57 victory in East Lansing.
The Starting Five
1. Neitzel On The Road - Drew Neitzel has played excellent basketball on the road in Big Ten action, averaging 21.8 points in four league road contests. In the last two road games, Neitzel is averaging 28.5 points.
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 third in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.309) and fourth in blocked shots (5.14 bpg). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 22 opponents to shoot better than 46 percent from the field, as 15 opponents have shot below 40 percent and 17 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 sixth in scoring defense (56.2 ppg), eighth in field-goal percentage defense (37.7%) and 31st in blocked shots (5.1 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Jan. 29).
3. Close Losses - Of Michigan State's five losses, four have been by seven points or fewer, including three by just a single basket. The Spartans lost by two points each to Maryland, Iowa and Ohio State, and fell by seven at Boston College. The lone exception was a 22-point loss at Indiana.
4. On Target - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.479). In conference games, the Spartans are shooting a league-leading 50.3 percent from the field. Individually, Marquise Gray is shooting a conference-best 75.0 percent, having made 21-of-28 shots in Big Ten play. In all games, Gray ranks third (58.2%). Over the last six games, MSU is shooting 52.0 percent from the field.
5. Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists with 17.09 per contest. In fact, MSU has recorded an assist on 376 of its 527 baskets (71.3%). That percentage ranks third in the nation, behind Sam Houston State (74.7%) and Northwestern (72.5%). Recently against Minnesota, Michigan State recorded a season-high 25 assists on 29 baskets (86.2%). Individually, Travis Walton (2nd, 5.45 apg) and Drew Neitzel (5th, 4.50 apg) rank among the league leaders in assists.
MSU vs. Illinois Notes
Series History - Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 52-49, including a 33-15 record in Champaign. The Spartans have won the last two games in the series after dropping the previous five. Tom Izzo is 12-10 in his career against the Illini.
Coach Weber - Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 207-78 in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach, including 104-24 in four seasons seasons at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.
Illini Notes - Illinois leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, averaging 13.48 per game, led by Shaun Pruitt with 3.22 per contest ... Pruitt ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.6 rpg), and has recorded a double-double in three straight games ... In league games, Rich McBride is averaging 2.75 3-pointers per game ... Illinois has used seven different starting lineups this season.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Illinois, 63-57, on Jan. 14, 2007, in East Lansing. The Spartans held a 14-13 lead at the 12:08 mark of the first half, but Illinois closed on a 21-9 run as Michigan State did not score a field goal over the final 9:08. MSU, however, opened the second half on a 28-5 run. The Spartan defense held Illinois to scoring droughts of 6:10 and 6:05 in the second half. MSU's lead grew to 12 points in the second half, but Illinois pulled within three points in the final minute, but Drew Neitzel hit a jumper to give MSU a five-point lead with 25 second remaining. Neitzel led all scorers with 19 points, hitting all 10 free-throw attempts. Rich McBride led the Illini with 12 points on four 3-pointers.
The Last Meeting In Champaign - 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. 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.
Game #22 Notes - Ohio State 66 - Michigan State 64
"Drew Neitzel, tonight, was the best player in college basketball. That was one of the most incredible second halves I've ever seen." - OSU head coach Thad Matta
* Drew Neitzel scored 24 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, scoring one more point in the period than the Ohio State team.
* Michigan State shot just 30.0 percent in the first half, followed by a 62.5-percent effort in the second half. Conversely, Ohio State followed a 62.5 percent first half with a 23.8 percent second half, as the Buckeyes made just five field goals in the second half.
* MSU outscored OSU, 22-18, in the paint, and, 13-5, in fast-break points.
* The Spartan defense did not allow Greg Oden to make a field goal after the 13:20 mark of the first half.
* Ohio State was 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half, but just 1-of-9 in the second.
* The Buckeyes outscored MSU, 23-8, over the final 9:03 of the first half, but the Spartans got back in the game with a 21-7 run over the first 7:51 of the second stanza.
* Michigan State grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, but just one in the second.
Michigan State Notes
Morgan Feeling Better - Raymar Morgan has started the last three games, averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 28.7 minutes, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field. With Morgan back in the starting lineup, MSU's offense has improved, averaging 75.0 points in the last three games. He missed seven games in December and January with a stress reaction in his right shin. He came off the bench in the first three games back from injury, before returning to the starting lineup against Penn State. Although he has returned to action, he still has to routinely sit out parts of practice as a precautionary measure. There were 35 days between games for Morgan. He opened his freshman season with six straight 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 11.0 ppg, and has scored in double figures in 12 of his 15 contests. He scored a game-high 18 points in MSU's win over No. 19 Texas, and also scored 18 against Bradley.
From Way Downtown - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 37.8 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 (66-163, .405) and Maurice Joseph (29-70, .414) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +9.6 rebounding margin, out-rebounding 18 of their 22 opponents, while tying two other teams. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 29), the Spartans rank third in the nation (+9.6). 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 +14 in nine 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).
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 18.7 points per game. In 11 of the last 18 games, Neitzel has scored 20 or more, averaging 19.8 points over those 18 contests. He has scored 17 or more points in 16 games. On the season, he is averaging 13.0 shots and 4.5 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 44.6 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.5 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 (.900), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made (3.00 pg) and minutes played (34.95 mpg), fourth in scoring (18.7 ppg), fifth in assists (4.50 apg), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98) and 10th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.405). In league games, Neitzel ranks second in scoring (19.6 ppg).
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 2.50 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the Big Ten, while also ranking second in the league in assists (5.45 apg). In the last three games, he is averaging 7.7 assists, including dishing out a career-best 11 against Minnesota. He has nine 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.
Gray Raises Level Of Play - Marquise Gray has enjoyed the most productive stretch of his Spartan career over the last 14 games. During that stretch, Gray is averaging 9.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in just 21.8 minutes, shooting 67.9 percent (57-of-84) from the field. He is shooting 75.0 percent (21-of-28) in Big Ten games.
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 16 occassions, followed by Maurice Joseph (2 games), Raymar Morgan (2), Goran Suton (2), Marquise Gray (1) and Travis Walton (1).
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers this season, averaging 14.9 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 4.45 per game, while both rank in the top six in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 113 shots through the first 22 games, an average of 5.14 blocks per contest, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. According to the most recent NCAA stats (Jan. 29), MSU ranks 31st in the nation (5.1 bpg). By comparison, MSU blocked just 101 shots last season in 34 games, an average of 3.0 per game. Since blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78, MSU's greatest single-season total was 133 in 2001. The 113 blocks rank fourth in MSU single-season history, behind 2001 (133 blocks), 2003 (122) and 1998 (117). The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 33, followed by Idong Ibok with 26 and Marquise Gray and Goran Suton with 16 each. Naymick's 33 blocks already rank him sixth in the Spartan single-season record book. With three more blocks, Naymick will move into sole possession of fourth most in a single season.
Neitzel's Second Halves - As a general rule, Drew Neitzel has been a more explosive scorer in the second half. Through 22 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.3 points in the first half and 11.4 after halftime. His most dramatic performance came against Ohio State where he scored 24 second-half points after five in the first half, nearly leading MSU back from a 20-point halftime deficit. In fact, he scored one more point in the second half (24) than did the Buckeyes (23). He scored 17 of his 20 points vs. Iowa in the second half. 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, Chicago State and Minnesota.
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks eighth in MSU history with 385 career assists. Next on the list is Chris Hill, who recorded 452 assists.
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.
Ibok On Offense - Idong Ibok has increased his offensive productivity over the last 13 games, averaging 3.4 points per game. He has scored 44 points in the last 13 contests after scoring just seven points through the first nine games. During the last 13 games, Ibok is shooting 18-of-19 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 18 games this season, he is averaging 7.3 points (including a career-best 16 points vs. Youngstown State) and 16.9 minutes. Joseph returned to action against Iowa, and has averaged 5.7 points and 13.7 minutes over the last seven 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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 272-114 (.705), and 129-58 (.690) 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 .690 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 129 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 60-55 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-44 record since 1997-98.
