Spartans Open Regular Season In CBE Classic
11/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#12/12 Michigan State (0-0)
vs. Chicago State (0-1)
November 13, 2007
7 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: ESPNU - Jim Barbar (Play by Play), Mike Kelley (Color)
Watch Coach Izzo Press Conference
The Starting Five
1. For Openers - Michigan State is 86-22 all-time in openers, winning 29 of the last 30. In November 2005, MSU lost at Hawai'i, 84-62, to open the season. Prior to that, the Spartans last loss in an opener came on Nov. 29, 1976, when they fell to Central Michigan, 81-76.
2. For Openers, Part II - Michigan State is 90-18 all-time in home openers. The Spartans last lost a home opener on Dec. 4, 1976, falling to Western Michigan, 74-73. Overall, the Spartans are 75-11 in season openers at home. The Spartans last lost a season opener at home Dec. 1, 1970, to Northern Illinois, 76-75.
3. MSU In November - Michigan State has an all-time record of 71-22 in games played in the month of November. This includes a 51-3 mark at home. This is the second earliest start to a season in school history. Last year marked the earliest start ever to a regular season as MSU opened on Nov. 8.
4. Home Sweet Home - During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 164-22 (.882) at home, including 141-13 (.916) over the last 10 years.
5. Returning Talent - The Spartans return 89.8 percent of their scoring (2,043 points), 92.6 percent of their rebounding (1,021 rebounds), 93.2 percent of their assists (522 assists) and 89.4 percent of their minutes (6,256 minutes) from the 2006-07 squad.
Exhibition Game Notes
* Michigan State was led in scoring by freshman Kalin Lucas, who averaged 14.0 points, shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Lucas also got to the free throw line 17 times in the two games.
* As a team, Michigan State shot just 39.1 percent from the field and 16.1 percent from behind the arc.
* Drew Neitzel shot just 26.7 percent (8-of-30) in the two contests, including 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from 3-point range.
* The Spartans averaged 9.0 steals, but they also averaged 17.0 turnovers.
* Goran Suton led MSU with 12 rebounds, while freshman Durrell Summers was second with 11 boards.
* MSU averaged 6.0 blocks in the two games.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State 69 - Chicago State 61 - Dec. 16, 2006 Drew Neitzel scored a career-high 32 points, including 21 in the second half, as a thin Spartan squad held off Chicago State, 69-61. Michigan State shot an impressive 55.6 percent from the field, but attempted just 36 shots, while Chicago State attempted 53 shots, but shot just 39.6 percent. With Raymar Morgan and Maurice Joseph out with injury, Isaiah Dahlman made his first career start, logging 38 minutes and scoring a career-high 11 points. MSU held a 31-23 lead at the half, but CSU pulled ahead, 44-43, with 9:27 remaining. The Spartans responded with nine straight points, including five from Neitzel and four from Goran Suton, to take a 52-44 lead.
MSU vs. Chicago State Notes
Series History - This is the second meeting between Michigan State and Chicago State. Last year, MSU defeated CSU, 69-61, on Dec. 16.
Coach Taylor - Benjy Taylor (Richmond '89) is in his first year as collegiate head coach. Previously, Taylor was an assistant coach at Tulane.
Cougar Notes - Chicago State posted a 9-20 record last season ... The Cougars return just four letterwinners from last year ... CSU opened the regular season on Saturday at Cal-State Northridge, falling 96-85 ... The Cougars averaged 8.4 steals per game last season, and recorded 10 against Cal-State Northridge.
Michigan Connection - Chicago State's roster features two Michigan natives, senior David Holston and junior John Cantrell, both from Pontiac. Holston attended Avondale High School and was the Cougars' leading scorer last season at 15.6 ppg. Of the 366 shots he attempted, 234 were from three-point range (63.9 percent). He converted on 94 3-pointers and averaged 3.1 rebounds despite standing just 5-foot-8. In the season opener, Holston scored 29 points in 19 minutes, connecting on 6-of-11 3-pointers. Cantrell, a Pontiac Northern High School graduate, was third on CSU's squad in scoring in 2006-07 (12.6 ppg).
MSU Basketball Notes
Big Ten Favorites - Michigan State was selected the preseason Big Ten favorite by a 22-member media panel at Big Ten Media Day on Oct. 28 in Chicago. MSU was followed in the polls by Indiana and Ohio State. At the event, Drew Neitzel was also selected Preseason Big Ten Player of The Year, becoming the first Spartan to earn the preseason nod since Mateen Cleaves was the coaches' pick in 1999. Indiana's D.J. White, Ohio State Jamar Butler, Penn State's Geary Claxton and Illinois' Shaun Pruitt joined Neitzel on the all-league team.
MSU Among Decade's Best - In early May 2007, ESPN.com released a ranking of the top 10 programs of the last 10 years. Michigan State was tied for second in the consensus ranking of five college basketball experts. One of the five voters, Andy Katz, ranked MSU as the top program over the last 10 seasons. In ranking the Spartans at the top of the list, Katz used several supporting arguments including: appearing in a nation's best four Final Fours; winning four Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament Titles and the 2000 NCAA Championship; 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances; 10 players selected in the NBA Draft; playing 32 ranked regular-season non-conference opponents; 30 graduates; 145 consecutive home sellouts and a .916 winning percentage at Breslin over the last 10 years.
Finding Room For Freshmen - Although Michigan State returns five starters from last year's team, they are also trying to incorporate several new freshmen into the lineup. The class of Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers was ranked a top-five class according to some recruiting experts. In addition, seven-foot center Tom Herzog redshirted last season and is ready to aid the Spartan front court. Austin Thornton decided to walk-on to this year's squad as a freshman, and was awarded a scholarship when Maurice Joseph transferred in the spring.
Spartans On The Run - After Michigan State's season-ending loss to North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Tom Izzo promised that the Spartans would return to the up-tempo style of basketball that he prefers to play. Look for the Spartans to significantly improve on the 65.0 points they averaged last season. Instead, expect something similar to the 2004-05 squad that averaged 78.5 points per contest, the most by any Izzo-coached team.
The Other Foundations - While an up-tempo offense is Tom Izzo's preferred style, his best teams are also built around exceptional rebounding and strong defense. In fact, MSU led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 2006-07 for the eighth time in the last 10 years. Defensively, the Spartans allowed opponents just 57.2 points per game, the lowest total since 1951-52. While that number might increase due to a faster pace of game, the field-goal percentage defense need not increase. Last year, MSU allowed opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent, the lowest since 1958-59.
Neitzel On Cousy List - Senior 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. 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. Neitzel is the only Big Ten player on the list, which also includes two Division II and Division III candidates.
Spartans Make Wooden And Naismith Lists - Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel are two of 50 players nationwide to earn a spot on the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T preseason candidate watch list. The Naismith watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2007-08 season. Morgan and Neitzel are two of just four Big Ten players on the Naismith watch list, where they are joined by Penn State's Geary Claxton and Indiana's D.J. White. Neitzel was also selected one of the top 50 preseason candidates for the 2007-08 John R. Wooden Award. The John R. Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, has been presented annually since 1976. Neitzel and White are the only Big Ten players on the preseason list for the Wooden Award. Last season, Neitzel was one of 22 players to appear on the final ballot for the Wooden Award.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State posted a +7.0 rebounding margin in 2006-07, outrebounding 24 of 35 opponents while tying three other teams. Last season, three different Spartans (Marquise Gray, Drew Naymick and Goran Suton) grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a single game. MSU's Block Party - In 2006-07, Michigan State blocked a school single-season record 162 shots. Drew Naymick led the Spartans with 55 rejections, good for the second-best single-season total in MSU history. Idong Ibok had 33 blocks, the seventh-best single-season total at MSU.
A Perfect 10 - Michigan State made its 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (23), Kansas (18), Kentucky (16) and Duke (12) have longer current streaks. It is also the second longest streak in Big Ten history. Indiana appeared in 18 consecutive tournaments between 1986 and 2003.
Preseason All-American - A second-team All-American as selected by Dick Vitale and CBS Sports.com in 2006-07, Drew Neitzel opens the 2007-08 season as a popular pick for first-team All-America honors. In fact, Neitzel is a preseason first-team All-American according to The Associated Press, Athlon Sports College Basketball, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Dick Vitale. Teammate Raymar Morgan made Vitale's fourth team.
Spartans Ranked In Coaches' Poll - Michigan State is ranked No. 8 in the first ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll of the 2007-08 season. The Spartans are the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the poll, followed closely by No. 9 Indiana. Other ranked MSU opponents include No. 2 UCLA (possible opponent in CBE Classic), No. 16 Texas (Dec. 22 at Auburn Hills, Mich.) and No. 24 North Carolina State (Nov. 28 in East Lansing). Big Ten foes Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois also received votes, as did non-conference opponents BYU, Bradley and Maryland.
Spartans In The NBA - Eight former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Maurice Ager (Dallas Mavericks), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (New York Knicks), Jason Richardson (Charlotte Bobcats) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers).
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 13th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 278-121 (.697), and 133-63 (.679) 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 12 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 The Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98.
Among The Big Ten's Best - Tom Izzo's .679 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks third all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.697). With 133 conference victories, Izzo ranks 13th all-time, five behind Northwestern's Arthur Lonborg.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 12 seasons, Tom Izzo won 278 games, ranking ninth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 12 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 12 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last eight years, 27 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001, 2003 and 2007.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Six current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Jim Boylen (Utah), Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (South Florida), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his fifth 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 third season at Tulsa. Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is now back as an assistant coach at MSU. Most recently, Jim Boylen left MSU following the 2007 season, and is in his first season with Utah.
