Men's Basketball Looks To Keep Rolling Against Iowa
2/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (18-8, 5-6)
vs. Iowa (15-11, 7-5)
February 17, 2007
2:30 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 - Larry Morgan (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color)
Local Television Clearances: Detroit - WXYZ; Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek - WXSP; Flint/Saginaw/Bay City - WSMH; Lansing - WLNS; Traverse City/Cadillac - WFQX
Michigan State Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Final Four White-Out
With the Michigan State men's basketball team in the middle of its first ever four-game Big Ten homestand, the MSU Athletics Department is holding a "Final Four White-Out." All fans attending MSU's remaining home games (Feb. 17 vs. Iowa, Feb. 20 vs. Wisconsin, Feb. 24 vs. Indiana) are asked to wear white as a show of uniform support for the Spartan basketball team.
The Opening Tip
Michigan State hosts Iowa in the second of four-straight home games for the Spartans. The last time out, MSU snapped a four-game winning streak with a 59-44 win over Michigan. Iowa beat Northwestern at home on Thursday, and has won four of its last five games. These two teams met in the Big Ten opener, with the Hawkeyes claiming a 62-60 victory. MSU is 15-1 at home this season and has won 11-straight games against Iowa in the Breslin Center.
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
1. Honoring The Past - At halftime of Saturday's game, Michigan State will honor the 1957 and 1959 Spartan teams. The 1956-57 Spartans won MSU's first Big Ten Championship and advanced to the first of six Final Fours in school history. The 1958-59 squad captured the school's second Big Ten Championship and finished just one game short of another Final Four appearance. Approximately 15 members of these two squads have traveled from across the country to be in attendance today, including three-time All-American Johnny Green.
2. Spartan Defense Is Big Ten's Best - Michigan State has established itself as the top defensive team in the Big Ten. The Spartans lead the league in field-goal percentage defense (.380) and scoring defense (56.3 ppg), while ranking second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.308) and fourth in blocked shots (4.96 bpg). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 26 opponents to shoot better than 47 percent from the field, as 18 opponents have shot below 40 percent and 20 below 42 percent. The Spartans have held four opponents (Brown, The Citadel, Bradley and IPFW) below 30 percent shooting. Michigan State has also held seven of its 26 opponents under 50 points. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking fifth in scoring defense (56.3 ppg), seventh in field-goal percentage defense (38.0%) and 30th in blocked shots (5.0 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Feb. 16).
3. MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 129 shots through the first 26 games, an average of 4.96 blocks per contest, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. The Spartans need just four blocks against Iowa to tie the school record of 133, established in 2001. Blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78. According to the most recent NCAA stats (Feb. 16), MSU ranks 30th in the nation (5.0 bpg). The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 39, followed by Idong Ibok with 30 and Goran Suton with 21. Naymick's 39 blocks rank him fourth in the Spartan single-season record book. He needs 11 more to tie DuJuan Wiley (50 - 1997-98) for third place.
4. An Increase In Scoring - Drew Neitzel is averaging 18.2 points this season after averaging 8.3 points in 2005-06, while starting every contest. His increase of +9.9 points per game ranks as the third-largest increase from one season to the next by a Spartan starter. In 1956-57, Julius McCoy averaged 27.3 points, after averaging 16.7 the year before, an increase of +10.6. Greg Kelser raised his scoring average from 11.7 as a freshman (1975-76) to 21.7 as a sophomore (1976-77), an increase of +10.0.
5. Neitzel For Three - Drew Neitzel is shooting 79-of-198 from 3-point range (39.9%). The 79 made 3-pointers rank eighth on the single-season chart, two behind Kirk Manns (81 - 1989-90) in seventh place and four behind Maurice Ager (83 - 2005-06) in sixth place. The 198 attempts rank sixth on the single-season list, two behind Morris Peterson (200 - 1999-2000) in fifth place and seven behind Shawn Respert (205 - 1993-94) in fourth place.
6. A Lot Of Minutes - Drew Neitzel ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in minutes played, both overall (35.58 mpg) and in league games (37.36 mpg). These are the highest averages by a Spartan since 1990-91 when Steve Smith averaged 37.8 mpg overall and 38.4 mpg in conference action. Over the last five games, Neitzel is averaging 39.2 minutes.
MSU vs. Iowa Notes
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 56-51, including a 36-17 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 13 of the last 19 meetings. Tom Izzo is 14-7 in his career against Iowa.
Coach Alford - Steve Alford (Indiana, '87) is 306-180 in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach, including a 150-103 mark in eight seasons at Iowa. Prior to his arrival in Iowa City, he served as the head coach at Southwest Missouri State for four seasons and at Division III Manchester College for four years.
Hawkeye Notes - Senior guard Adam Haluska leads the Big Ten in scoring both overall (21.2 ppg) and in conference action (22.3 ppg) ... Haluska also leads the conference in 3-point field goals made (3.08 pg) ... Iowa leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.761) ... Tyler Smith leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game.
The Last Meeting - Iowa defeated a short-handed Michigan State squad, 62-60, in the Big Ten opener on Jan. 4, 2007. The Hawkeyes led by 13 points in the first half, but a 12-3 run cut the Spartan deficit to just four points at halftime. In the second half, Iowa led by 13 with 11:50 remaining, but MSU pulled within two points with 40 seconds left. Despite scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half, Drew Neitzel missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left that would have tied the game. MSU was without the services of Raymar Morgan, while Maurice Joseph played 16 minutes despite not having practiced or played in a game since Dec. 9. Adam Haluska led Iowa with 16 points, while Cyrus Tate added 14 and nine rebounds.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - Michigan State defeated Iowa, 85-55, on Jan. 21, 2006. The Spartans recorded 26 assists on 30 field goals, including all 17 second-half field goals. MSU led 37-28 at the half, and opened the second half on a 21-5 run to take a 58-33 lead. Maurice Ager led all scorers with 25 points, shooting 5-of-5 in the second half, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range. The Spartans outscored Iowa, 20-2, in points off turnovers, committing just 10 compared to 18 for the Hawkeyes. Paul Davis recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Iowa's Greg Brunner also posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Adam Haluska led Iowa with 19 points.
Game #26 Notes - Michigan State 59 - Michigan 44
* Michigan State's defense held Michigan to just 44 points, almost 23 points below its season scoring average (66.8 ppg). It marked the Wolverines' lowest point total since a 71-44 loss at Michigan State on Jan. 30, 2002.
* MSU harassed the Wolverines into 20 turnovers, matching the single-game high by a Spartan opponent this season. MSU improved to 8-0 in games where the opponent has more turnovers.
* The Spartans tied a season high with 10 steals.
* Drew Neitzel scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half, while Raymar Morgan scored 14 of his 18 in the second half. Morgan's 18 points matched a season high.
* Michigan out-rebounded MSU, 32-30, marking the first game all year which the Spartans won despite being out-rebounded.
* Leading 38-36 with 6:43 left in the contest, Michigan State went on a 12-2 run to push the lead up to 12 points with 1:43 remaining.
* In 18 second-half minutes, Drew Naymick grabbed seven rebounds, blocked two shots, made a steal and scored three points.
Michigan State Notes
Nitro Leads Spartan Attack - 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 18.2 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points 13 times, and 17 or more points in 18 games. On the season, he is averaging 13.2 shots and 4.4 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 42.3 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.4 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.
Neitzel In Big Ten Statistics - Drew Neitzel leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.904), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made (3.04 pg) and minutes played (35.58 mpg), fourth in scoring (18.2 ppg), fifth in assists (4.42 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95) and 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.399).
Morgan Feeling Better - Raymar Morgan has started the last seven games, averaging 11.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 31.0 minutes. In his most recent game, he scored a season-high tying 18 points, including 14 in the second half, against Michigan. 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. 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 10.8 ppg, and has scored in double figures in 14 of his 19 contests. In addition to the 18 points he scored against Michigan, he also scored 18 in a win over then-No. 19 Texas and against Bradley.
Spartans Strong At Home - The Spartans are 15-1 at home this season, thanks in large part to outstanding defense, holding opponents to just 51.9 points per game, allowing them to shoot just 35.0 percent from the field, including 31.2 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, the Spartans are shooting 47.3 percent, including 41.0 percent from behind the arc, scoring 68.8 points per contest. MSU's rebounding margin is +10.0 at the Breslin Center.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +8.2 rebounding margin, out-rebounding 19 of their 26 opponents, while tying three other teams. MSU is 15-4 when out-rebounding its opponent, but 3-4 when failing to do so. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 16), the Spartans rank sixth in the nation (+8.2). MSU's greatest margin came against Northwestern (+24, 37-13), while only four teams have been able 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 & 10 vs. Ohio State).
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists with 16.15 per contest. In fact, MSU has recorded an assist on 420 of its 600 baskets (70.0%). That percentage ranks third in the nation, behind Sam Houston State (74.9%) and Northwestern (72.1%). Individually, Travis Walton (2nd, 5.12 apg) and Drew Neitzel (5th, 4.42 apg) rank among the league leaders in assists.
Close Losses - Of Michigan State's eight losses, five 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 and at Illinois.
Suton Looking To Score - Goran Suton was tentative offensively in the first three games of the Big Ten season, averaging just 4.3 points and shooting 27.8 percent. Over the last eight games, however, he has been more offensive-minded, averaging 10.4 points, while shooting 57.8 percent (37-of-64) from the field.
From Way Downtown - Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 37.1 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 (79-198, .399) and Maurice Joseph (32-82, .390) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters.
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 2.29 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the Big Ten, while also ranking second in the league in assists (5.12 apg). He has nine games with seven or more assists and six 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.
On Target - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.465). In conference games, the Spartans are shooting 45.9 percent from the field, ranking second in the league.
Neitzel On Wooden List - Drew Neitzel is one of 30 players named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason All-American Team. Neitzel is one of 10 players named to the midseason team after not appearing on the preseason list. He joins Ohio State's Greg Oden and Wisconsin's Alando Tucker as the three Big Ten players on the list. In March, a group of approximately 20 players will be selected for the national ballot, which will determine the 10-member All-America Team and the Wooden Award winner.
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 18 occassions, followed by Raymar Morgan (3), Maurice Joseph (2 games), Goran Suton (2), Travis Walton (2) and Marquise Gray (1).
Neitzel's Second Halves - As a general rule, Drew Neitzel has been a more explosive scorer in the second half. Through 26 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.1 points in the first half and 11.0 after halftime. His most dramatic performance came at 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). In the second game vs. OSU, he scored 21 of his 24 points after the break. He scored 17 of his 20 points vs. Iowa in the second half. In seven 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 Michigan, Youngstown State and Vermont and three in the first against IPFW, Chicago State and Minnesota.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers this season, averaging 15.2 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 4.5 per game, while both rank in the top five in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio. MSU is 8-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent.
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks eighth in MSU history with 401 career assists. Next on the list is Chris Hill, who recorded 452 assists.
Dahlman On The Shelf - Isaiah Dahlman has missed seven straight games with an injury in his right foot. He suffered the injury during practice on Jan. 16, and has been 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 before his injury, 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 scored 52 points in the last 17 contests after scoring just seven points through the first nine games. During the last 17 games, Ibok is shooting 22-of-25 from the field.
What A Difference A Year Makes - Maurice Joseph is averaging 6.5 points and 16.7 minutes. He missed the last four games of December with a stress reaction in his right foot. Joseph returned to action against Iowa, and has averaged 4.8 points and 14.5 minutes over the last 11 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 nine different starting lineups this season. The lineup of Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton, Raymar Morgan, Idong Ibok and Goran Suton is the most frequently used lineup, starting six games.
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 joining 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.
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 161-22 (.880) at home, including 138-13 (.914) over the last 10 years.
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.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 273-117 (.700), and 130-61 (.681) 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 .681 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 (.699). With 130 conference victories, Izzo currently ranks 13th all-time.
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 60-56 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-45 record since 1997-98.
