Men's Basketball Back At Home Against Penn State
2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#19/17 Michigan State (20-5, 8-4)
vs. Penn State (12-12, 4-8)
February 20, 2008
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: Big Ten Network - Tom Hamilton (Play by Play), Tim McCormick (Color)
Coach Izzo Radio Show - Feb. 18
Coach Izzo Press Conference - Feb. 18 (All Access)
The Opening Tip
Entering the final three weeks of the regular season, Michigan State looks to bounce back from two straight road losses as it hosts Penn State. The Spartans are 14-0 at home this season, including 6-0 in Big Ten play. Earlier this season, Penn State defeated Michigan State, 85-76, in University Park. The Nittany Lions are coming off a 52-51 home win over Illinois on Saturday.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans Shooting Well - Michigan State is shooting a Big Ten-best 48.8 percent from the field this season, ranking 15th in the nation (as of Feb. 19), and having shot better than 50 percent in 11 games. MSU has shot better than its opponent in 22 of 25 games. The Spartans also are shooting a Big Ten-leading 47.2 percent in league contests, marking the fifth straight season that MSU is the best shooting team in the conference.
2. Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State is averaging 14.9 turnovers per game for the season, and 16.1 turnovers in conference play. Spartan opponents are averaging 17.2 points off turnovers in league games, compared to just 12.7 per game for the Spartans. In three of MSU's four Big Ten losses, the Spartans have recorded 18 or more turnovers, although they committed just 10 in a loss at Penn State.
3. Defense Remains Strong - Michigan State is holding its opponents to 39.6 percent shooting overall, and 32.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. The Spartans rank third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense and fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage defense. In conference games, Michigan State ranks third in field-goal percentage defense (.401) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.325). The Spartans have held 14 of 25 opponents below 40 percent shooting. Indiana shot a season-best 54.4 percent for a Spartan opponent. Last year, MSU allowed opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent, the lowest percentage since 1958-59, and MSU held 23 of 35 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field.
4. Kalin Raises His Play - Over the last 15 games, Kalin Lucas is averaging 12.3 points and 3.6 assists, scoring in double figures in 10 of the 15 contests. He has led MSU in scoring in six of the last 15 games. Lucas burst onto the national scene against Texas (Dec. 22) with an 18-point, six-rebound, six-assist effort, leading the team in points and assists, and establishing new career highs in points and rebounds. Basketball experts across the nation noticed the performance, as Lucas was named Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week, and earned a spot on Jay Bilas' Honor Roll first team on ESPN.com. In his last game, Lucas scored a season-high 20 points vs. Purdue. Recently, Lucas was recognized as one of the nation's top sixth men by ESPN.com (Jan. 24).
5. Lending A Helping Hand - MSU leads the Big Ten in assists, averaging 17.92 helpers per contest, ranking 10th in the nation (as of Feb. 19). The Spartans have recorded an assist on 67.3 percent of their baskets. Individually, Travis Walton (3rd, 4.40 apg), Drew Neitzel (4th, 4.36 apg), and Kalin Lucas (8th, 3.68 apg) rank in the top seven in the conference in assists. It is the first time since 2005 that three teammates ranked in the top 10 in assists, when Illinois' Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head all ranked in the top five.
MSU vs. Penn State Notes
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 24-4, including a 16-0 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions' four wins in the series have been by a combined 16 points. The Spartans have won eight of the last nine games in the series. Tom Izzo is 17-3 in his career against Penn State.
Coach DeChellis - Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 159-181 in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, including 54-88 in five seasons at Penn State. He served as head coach at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003.
Nittany Lions Notes - Penn State's leading scorer and rebounder, Geary Claxton, is out for the season with a knee injury ... Penn State leads the Big Ten with 13.42 offensive rebounds per game ... Nine different players have started a Big Ten game for PSU ... In conference games, 39 percent of Penn State's field-goal attempts are from 3-point range.
The Last Meeting - Penn State defeated Michigan State, 85-76, on Feb. 2, 2008 in University Park. The Nittany Lions attempted 51 free throws in the game, a record for a Spartan opponent, while MSU made just 21 trips to the foul line. Penn State also held an advantage from 3-point range, connecting on 9-of-22 attempts, compared to just 2-of-14 for Michigan State. Trailing 36-30 with 4:04 remaining in the first half, PSU went on a 23-7 run over the next 8:02 to take a 10-point lead. MSU responded with a 17-5 run to take a 60-58 lead. The Lions' last field goal came with 7:11 left in the contest, but PSU connected on 20-of-26 free-throw attempts in the final 5:27. Kalin Lucas led MSU with 18 points, and Stanley Pringle led all scorers with 19.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing - Michigan State defeated Penn State, 69-60, on Jan. 28, 2006 in East Lansing. Penn State held a 32-27 halftime lead as the Spartans shot just 34.4 percent in the first half, including just 18.8 percent from 3-point range (3-of-16).With Paul Davis out of action with a head injury and Maurice Ager struggling with a 3-of-19 effort from the field, the burden fell on the shoulders of Shannon Brown and Drew Neitzel. The duo responded, scoring 39 of MSU's 42 second-half points. Brown scored a game-high 29 points and Neitzel scored a season-best 19. As a team, MSU shot 60.9 percent in the second half, including 57.1 percent from 3-point range. Penn State still held a 58-57 lead with 5:31 left in the game, but Michigan State closed on a 12-2 run.
Game 25 Notes • Indiana 80 - Michigan State 61
* Drew Neitzel matched his season high with 21 points, marking his second 20-point game in the last three contests and third in the last seven.
* Indiana shot 55.4 percent from the field, becoming the first Spartan opponent to shoot better than 50 percent this season.
* Michigan State shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range after shooting 0-of-5 in the previous game against Purdue.
* Michigan State committed 19 turnovers, compared to just 10 for Indiana.
* After shooting 60.0 percent in the first half, Michigan State shot just 36.0 percent in the second half.
* The Spartans were out-rebounded (28-26) for just the second time all season.
* Michigan State grabbed a season-low five offensive rebounds.
MSU Basketball Notes
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has a Big Ten-best +8.0 rebound margin, ranking ninth in the nation (as of Feb. 19). MSU is 19-2 this season when out-rebounding its opponent, but just 1-3 when failing to do so. In MSU's 20 wins, the Spartans have a +10.2 rebound margin, but lost the only games in which they were outrebounded (UCLA 37-28; Indiana 28-26). Texas and Penn State tied the Spartans on the boards, as MSU is 1-1 in those games. In 2006-07, MSU posted a +7.0 rebounding margin, outrebounding 24 of 35 opponents while tying three other teams.
Assist-To-Turnover Ratio - For the most part, Michigan State's turnovers are not coming from the point guards, as Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton and Kalin Lucas combine to average just 5.6 turnovers per game. Neitzel leads the Big Ten with a 2.95-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Walton ranks third at 2.44-to-1, and Lucas is 10th at 1.59-to-1. In fact, Neitzel ranks sixth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, while Walton ranks 26th (as of Feb. 19). As a team, the Spartans rank second in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.20) despite ranking last in the league in turnovers.
MSU's Super Soph - After a solid freshman campaign, Raymar Morgan is having a breakout sophomore season. Morgan leads MSU in scoring (15.1 ppg), field goals made (136) and free throws made (101) and attempted (148), ranks second in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and field goals attempted (247), third in blocks (14) and fourth in steals (22). He is second on the team with three double-doubles. The Canton, Ohio, native ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring, eighth in rebounding, and fourth in field-goal percentage (.551). Morgan's play has been recognized nationally, as he was named a Midseason All-American by Rivals.com and a pre-conference All-American by Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com. He also made Jay Bilas' Honor Roll on Dec. 31 (second team) and Jan. 7 (first team). He was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 7, earning the honor for the second time this season.
Neitzel Key To Success - A productive Drew Neitzel is a key to Michigan State's success. In Spartan victories, Neitzel averages 14.7 points, shooting .458 from the field and .437 from 3-point range. In MSU's five losses, he is averaging 11.2 points, shooting .310 from the field and .258 from behind the arc. Michigan State is 11-1 when Neitzel scores 15 or more points this season.
Production Off The Bench - Because of its depth, Michigan State usually has a more productive bench than its opponent. The Spartan bench has outscored its opponent in 19 of 25 games. The MSU bench has also out-rebounded the opponent bench in 15 games.
Neitzel Finalist For Senior CLASS Award - Drew Neitzel is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The four primary areas of criteria include classroom, community, character and competition. Voting for the award runs through March 21. Spartan fans can vote for Neitzel at www.seniorclassaward.com. The fan balloting will be combined with votes from coaches, media and sponsors.
Neitzel Recognized For Academics - Drew Neitzel has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 4 team. Neitzel earned a spot on the team by posting a 3.27 grade-point average as an interdisciplinary humanities major.
Suton On The Glass - Goran Suton ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.0 boards per contest, and in offensive rebounds (2.88 orpg). In conference games, he ranks second in the league at 7.8 rpg. Earlier this season, Suton grabbed 20 caroms against Oakland, becoming the first Spartan since Kevin Willis in 1983 to record 20 boards in a game. Suton has led the team in rebounding in 15 games. He has eight games with double-figure rebounds and five more contests with nine boards. Suton leads the team with six double-doubles.
A Balanced Scoring Attack - Although just three Spartans are averaging double-figures in scoring (Raymar Morgan - 15.1; Drew Neitzel - 14.0; Kalin Lucas - 10.2), Michigan State can get scoring contributions from many different sources. Seven Spartans average at least 5.0 points per game, and nine Spartans have scored 10 or more points in a single game this season. Five different players have led MSU in scoring in a single game, including all three true freshmen. In conference play, three Spartans average double figures (Neitzel - 13.5; Morgan - 12.7; Lucas - 11.7). In 11 games, four or more Spartans have scored in double figures, as MSU is 11-0 in those contests.
Naymick Breaks Block Record - Drew Naymick owns the MSU career record with 118 blocked shots. He passed Matt Steigenga for the Michigan State career lead with a block at Iowa on Jan. 12. Last season, Naymick led the Spartans with 55 rejections, good for the second-best single-season total in MSU history. He ranks tied for third in the Big Ten this season with 1.76 blocks per contest. Naymick has blocked 27 shots in the 12 conference games (2.25 bpg), ranking second in the Big Ten in league play.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten with 4.52 blocks per contest (113 total blocks). Against San Jose State, the Spartans blocked a school-record 13 shots. In 2006-07, Michigan State blocked a school single-season record 162 shots.
Attacking The Offensive Glass - Michigan State has nearly as many offensive boards (318) as its opponents have defensive rebounds (457), as the Spartans grab 41.0 percent of their own missed shots. As a point of comparison, no other league team is at 40 percent. The best percentage in Tom Izzo's head coaching career was the 2000-01 squad, which grabbed 47.1 percent of its misses. In five games (Chicago State, ULM, Oakland, Bradley and BYU), the Spartans had more offensive rebounds than their opponent had defensive boards. MSU is averaging 13.0 offensive rebounds per game, and has recorded at least 10 offensive boards in 17 of the 25 contests, including four games with 20 or more offensive rebounds.
MSU's X-Factor - Marquise Gray is a real X-factor for the Spartans in the sense that when he is productive, Michigan State will most always win. Gray has scored in double figures 14 times in his career, and the Spartans are 13-1 in those games. The lone loss came against North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where Gray tallied 11 points. In addition, MSU is 4-0 when Gray grabs 10 or more rebounds and 3-0 when he posts a double-double.
Finding Success At The Foul Line - Michigan State is shooting .721 from the foul line, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans are averaging 20.5 attempts and 14.8 makes per contest. In the Spartans' five losses, they have totaled 74 free-throw attempts, including just four against Iowa. Last season, MSU averaged 19.2 attempts and 13.8 makes. Individually, Raymar Morgan has the most trips to the foul line (148), averaging 4.0 points per game at the stripe.
MSU's Difficult Schedule - Michigan State played four non-conference teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 at the time of the game (No. 2 UCLA, No. 24 NC State, No. 20 BYU and No. 4 Texas). The four games against ranked non-conference opponents are the most for any team currently ranked in the AP Top 25. The only other teams ranked in the Top 25 to play as many as three ranked non-conference opponents are Connecticut, Duke, Memphis, Texas and Wisconsin.
High-Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 72.5 points per game. The Spartan offense has scored more than 80 points in seven games this season, surpassing last year's number of 80-point games. Last season, MSU scored 80 or more points in just five of 35 contests. Michigan State has scored 75 or more points in 15 games.
Spartan Depth - Nine different Spartans are averaging 11.6 minutes or more. Drew Neitzel leads the Spartans at 31.7 minutes per game, four fewer than he averaged last season (35.7 mpg), when he played more minutes than any Spartan since 1991.
Freshmen Contributions - Michigan State has played three true scholarship freshmen (Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers) this season. The trio is averaging 21.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 48.9 minutes.
Neitzel Among Career Leaders - Drew Neitzel currently ranks fifth in career assists at Michigan State with 546. He ranks second in MSU career free-throw percentage (.856), and ranks third in 3-point field goals made (239) and 3-point field goals attempted (597).
Neitzel Moving Up Scoring List - Drew Neitzel is tied with Darryl Johnson for 16th in Michigan State career scoring with 1,383 points. He needs 11 points to pass Andre Hutson (1,393 points). Neitzel scored his 1,000th-career point against Marquette in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Dickie V's Coach Of The Week - After leading Michigan State to back-to-back victories away from East Lansing against Bradley and BYU, Tom Izzo was named Coach of the Week by Dick Vitale on his web site on Dec. 10. Vitale wrote "It is never easy to win on the road in college basketball and Izzo led the Spartans to victories at two difficult places."
Spartans Play For Record Crowds - In addition to playing in front of sellout crowds at home, Michigan State is a top draw on the road, as the Spartans played in front of two record crowds during the first week of December. On Dec. 4, MSU played in front of 11,597, the largest crowd ever to witness a Bradley home game. In Dec. 8's win over BYU, the Spartans played in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a college basketball game in Salt Lake City (16,412).
Morgan Is Two-Time Big Ten POW - Raymar Morgan was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 19, sharing the honor with Indiana freshman Eric Gordon. The Spartan sophomore averaged 19.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in the East Lansing Regional of the CBE Classic, earning Regional MVP honors. On Jan. 7, Morgan shared the honors with Penn State's Geary Claxton after the Spartan sophomore scored a career-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds against Minnesota.
Home Sweet Home - During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 178-22 (.890) at home, including 155-13 (.923) over the last 11 years.
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.
Playing With Team USA - Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel had the opportunity to play for Team USA over the summer. Morgan made the 2007 USA U19 World Championship Team, winning a silver medal at the FIBA U19 World Championships. He started six of the nine contests, averaging 9.2 points (sixth most on the team) and 4.3 rebounds (fourth most). Neitzel made the 2007 USA Pan American Games Team, helping the team to a 3-2 mark. He led Team USA in minutes (29.6 mpg) and assists (2.2 apg), while ranking fifth in scoring (8.2 ppg).
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.
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.
Morgan On Wooden List - Raymar Morgan is one of 30 players on the midseason list for the John R. Wooden Award. Morgan joins Indiana's D.J. White and Eric Gordon as the only Big Ten players on the list. The John R. Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, has been presented annually since 1976.
Neitzel Up For Naismith Award - Drew Neitzel is one of 30 players on the midseason list for the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T. Neitzel joins Indiana's D.J. White and Eric Gordon as the only Big Ten players on the list. The Top 30 men's list was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
Spartan Opponents In The Polls - Five Michigan State opponents are ranked in the latest The Associated Press Top 25, including No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Texas, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 14 Purdue and No. 15 Indiana. (Based on Feb. 18 rankings.)
Spartans In The NBA - Eight former Spartans were on opening day 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 298-126 (.703), and 141-67 (.678) 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 .678 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 (.703). With 141 conference victories, Izzo ranks 12th all-time, three behind Ohio State's Harold "Bud" Foster.
Izzo Against Ranked Opponents - In his 13 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 64-61 against ranked opponents.
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.
