Michigan State Opens Final Week Of Regular Season At Illinois
3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#17/18 Michigan State (23-6, 11-5)
vs. Illinois (12-17, 4-12)
March 6, 2008
9 p.m. EST
Champaign, Ill.
Assembly Hall
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: ESPN2 - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
Coach Izzo Press Conference - March 4 (All-Access)
Coach Izzo Radio Show - March 3
The Opening Tip
Coming off a very impressive victory over Indiana in the home finale, Michigan State will play two road games in the final week of the regular season. The Spartans will play at Illinois on Thursday, facing an Illini squad coming off a road win at Iowa on Saturday. The game will feature two of the Big Ten's best defensive teams, as both squads rank in the top four in the league in field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense.
The Starting Five
1. The Turnover Story - Michigan State has totaled just 27 turnovers (6.75 pg) in the last four games (7 vs. Penn State, 5 vs. Iowa, 6 vs. Penn State, 9 vs. Indiana). In the previous two games, MSU had committed 19 turnovers against both Purdue and Indiana. For the year, MSU is 11-1 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent. Michigan State is averaging 13.8 turnovers per game for the season, and 13.8 turnovers in conference play. In three of MSU's five Big Ten losses, the Spartans have recorded 18 or more turnovers, although they committed just 10 in a loss at Penn State and six versus Wisconsin.
2. Neitzel Among Career Leaders - Drew Neitzel currently ranks fifth in career assists at Michigan State with 560. With one more assist, he will tie current MSU assistant Mark Montgomery for fourth place on the MSU career chart. He ranks second in MSU career free-throw percentage (.857), and ranks third in 3-point field goals made (250) and 3-point field goals attempted (626).
3. Spartans Shooting Well - Michigan State is shooting a Big Ten-best 48.7 percent from the field this season, ranking 12th in the nation (as of March 3), and having shot better than 50 percent in 13 games. MSU has shot better than its opponent in 24 of 29 games. The Spartans also are shooting a Big Ten-leading 47.5 percent in league contests, marking the fifth straight season that MSU is the best shooting team in the conference.
4. Lending A Helping Hand - MSU leads the Big Ten in assists, averaging 18.34 helpers per contest, ranking fifth in the nation (as of March 3). The Spartans have recorded an assist on 68.0 percent of their baskets. Individually, Travis Walton (2nd, 4.55 apg), Drew Neitzel (4th, 4.24 apg) and Kalin Lucas (5th, 3.90 apg) rank in the top five 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.
5. Suton Named Player Of The Week - Goran Suton was named the Big Ten Men's Basketball Player of the Week on March 3, after averaging 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in a pair of games against ranked opponents. The 15 rebounds against No. 10 Wisconsin and 17 points against No. 12 Indiana marked personal bests against Big Ten opponents. It is the first weekly league honor of Suton's career. In the previous five games, Suton had averaged just 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. For the year, Suton averages 8.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, ranking second in the Big Ten in rebounding.
MSU vs. Illinois Notes
Series History - Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 53-50, including a 34-15 advantage in games played in Champaign. Tom Izzo is 13-11 in his career against the Illini.
Coach Weber - Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 227-99 in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach, including 124-45 in five seasons at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.
Illini Notes - Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.394) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.318) and second in offensive rebounds (12.79) ... Senior Shaun Pruitt ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.567). He leads the conference with 3.18 offensive rebounds per contest.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Illinois, 51-41, on Jan. 31, in East Lansing. The Spartans jumped out to a 14-5 lead, but the Illini responded with a 15-0 run and held a 24-20 lead at halftime. Drew Neitzel scored nine straight points over a span of 2:06 in the second half, turning a 26-22 deficit into a 31-26 advantage. Illinois held a 32-31 lead with 12:19 left, but MSU went on a 13-3 run over the next 7:30. The Fighting Illini were just 2-of-10 from the foul line in the final 2:44. Neitzel led all scorers with 15 points, while not one Illinois player scored in double figures. Michigan State committed 20 turnovers and did not make a 3-pointer in nine attempts, but held a 40-31 advantage on the glass.
The Last Meeting In Champaign - Illinois defeated Michigan State, 57-50, on Jan. 30, 2007, in Champaign. The Spartans committed 15 first-half turnovers as the Illini jumped out to a 28-17 halftime lead. The deficit grew to 15 points early in the second half, but MSU fought back to pull within three at 49-46 with 3:10 remaining, but could not pull even. Led by Chester Frazier's 17 points, Illinois' bench out-scored MSU's, 21-7. Travis Walton led the Spartans in points (13) and assists (5) and tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
Game 29 Notes • Michigan State 103 - Indiana 74
* Michigan State's 103 points marked the first 100-point Big Ten game for the Spartans since scoring 114 against Michigan on March 4, 2000.
* Michigan State scored 59 first-half points, the most points in a half since scoring 60 in the first half against Florida A&M on Nov. 19, 2004, and the most points in a Big Ten half since scoring 61 in the second half vs. Penn State on Jan. 3, 2001.
* Michigan State shot 77.8 percent in the first half (21-of-27), marking the highest shooting percentage in a half since shooting 80.8 percent in the first half at Ohio State on Feb. 7, 2004.
* The 29-point victory margin was Michigan State's largest margin in 107 meetings with the Hoosiers.
* Michigan State finished the season with a 17-0 record at the Breslin Center, good for the Spartans' first perfect home season since the 2000-01 campaign.
* Michigan State's point-guard duo of Travis Walton and Kalin Lucas combined for 18 assists and no turnovers.
* Goran Suton recorded his first career 3-pointer.
* Leading 30-19 with 10:13 left in the first half, Michigan State used a 16-0 run over the next five minutes to put the game away. Indiana never got closer than 17 after that.
MSU Basketball Notes
National Statistics - Michigan State ranks among the nation's statistical leaders in assists (5th, 18.3 pg), rebound margin (8th, +7.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (12th, 1.33), field-goal percentage (12th, .487) and field-goal percentage defense (26th, .397).
Kalin Raises His Play - Over the last 19 games, Kalin Lucas is averaging 11.9 points and 3.9 assists, scoring in double figures in 12 of the 19 contests. He has led MSU in scoring in six of the last 19 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. 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. Recently, Lucas was recognized as one of the nation's top sixth men by ESPN.com (Jan. 24). In conference games, Lucas averages 11.3 points, shooting .459 from the field and .393 from 3-point range. With 113 assists, Lucas ranks fourth all-time among Spartan freshmen, 33 behind Mateen Cleaves and Scott Skiles in second place. Over the last four games, Lucas has 21 assists and two 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 (159) and free throws made (112) and attempted (162), ranks second in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and field goals attempted (277), third in blocks (14) and fourth in steals (27). He is second on the team with three double-doubles. The Canton, Ohio, native ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring, ninth in rebounding, and third in field-goal percentage (.574). 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.
20-Win Seasons - With 23 wins, Michigan State has notched its 17th 20-win season in school history. The 23 victories are tied for the eighth most in school history with the 1986 and 2007 squads. With two more wins, MSU will tie the 1978 team for seventh most. Of the 17 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 14 of them, nine as a head coach and five as an assistant.
Neitzel Key To Success - A productive Drew Neitzel is a key to Michigan State's success. In Spartan victories, Neitzel averages 14.5 points, shooting .448 from the field and .430 from 3-point range. In MSU's six losses, he is averaging 9.8 points, shooting .279 from the field and .257 from behind the arc. Michigan State is 12-1 when Neitzel scores 15 or more points this season.
Neitzel Recognized For Academics - Drew Neitzel has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team. Neitzel earned a spot on the team by posting a 3.27 grade-point average as an interdisciplinary humanities major. He is the fifth player in Spartan history to earn Academic All-America honors, joining Ralph Simpson (1970), Greg Kelser (1979), Matt Steigenga (1990) and Chris Hill (2003-05).
The 300 Club - Tom Izzo recorded his 300th career victory with Michigan State's 66-52 win over Iowa. He became just the eighth coach in Big Ten history to win 300 games at the same school, joining his mentor Jud Heathcote (340), Illinois' Harry Combes (316) and Lou Henson (423), Indiana's Branch McCracken (364) and Bob Knight (661), and Purdue's Ward Lambert (371) and Gene Keady (512).
Naymick Breaks Block Record - Drew Naymick owns the MSU career record with 128 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 third in the Big Ten this season with 1.86 blocks per contest. His 54 blocks rank third on the MSU single-season list. Naymick has blocked 37 shots in the 16 conference games (2.31 bpg), ranking second in the Big Ten in league play. Naymick has blocked a shot in 24 straight games, including five straight with two or more blocks.
Defense Remains Strong - Michigan State is holding its opponents to 39.7 percent shooting overall, and 32.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. The Spartans rank fourth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field-goal percentage defense. In conference games, Michigan State ranks third in field-goal percentage defense (.403) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.326). The Spartans have held 16 of 28 opponents below 40 percent shooting. In Bloomington, 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.
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 22 of 29 games. The MSU bench has also out-rebounded the opponent bench in 19 games.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has a Big Ten-best +7.7 rebound margin, ranking eighth in the nation (as of March 3). MSU is 22-3 this season when out-rebounding its opponent, but just 1-3 when failing to do so. In MSU's 23 wins, the Spartans have a +9.7 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 5.1 turnovers per game. Neitzel leads the Big Ten with a 3.15-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Walton ranks second at 2.75-to-1, and Lucas is fifth at 1.88-to-1. In fact, Neitzel ranks third in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, while Walton ranks 11th (as of March 3). As a team, the Spartans rank second in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33) despite ranking eighth in the league in turnovers.
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 Moving Up Scoring List - Drew Neitzel ranks 15th in Michigan State career scoring with 1,425 points. He needs 44 points to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points). Neitzel scored his 1,000th-career point against Marquette in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Suton On The Glass - Goran Suton ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.1 boards per contest, and tied for third in offensive rebounds (2.83 orpg). In conference games, he ranks second in the league at 8.0 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 17 games. He has nine games with double-figure rebounds and six more contests with nine boards. Suton leads the team with seven double-doubles.
A Balanced Scoring Attack - Although just three Spartans are averaging double-figures in scoring (Raymar Morgan - 15.1; Drew Neitzel - 13.5; Kalin Lucas - 10.2), Michigan State can get scoring contributions from many different sources. Seven Spartans average at least 5.1 points per game, and nine Spartans have scored 10 or more points in a single game this season. Six different players have led MSU in scoring in a single game, including all three true freshmen. In conference play, three Spartans average double figures (Morgan - 13.2; Neitzel - 12.8; Lucas - 11.3). In 12 games, four or more Spartans have scored in double figures, as MSU is 12-0 in those contests.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten with 4.48 blocks per contest (130 total blocks). Against San Jose State, the Spartans blocked a single-game school-record 13 shots. In 2006-07, Michigan State blocked a school single-season record 162 shots. The 130 blocks rank third in the MSU single-season record books, three behind the 2000-01 squad.
Attacking The Offensive Glass - Michigan State grabs 40.6 percent of its 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 12.6 offensive rebounds per game, and has recorded at least 10 offensive boards in 19 of the 29 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.
Spartan Depth - Nine different Spartans are averaging 11.7 minutes or more. Drew Neitzel leads the Spartans at 31.1 minutes per game, four fewer than he averaged last season (35.7 mpg), when he played more minutes than any Spartan since 1991.
Finding Success At The Foul Line - Michigan State is shooting .726 from the foul line, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans are averaging 19.3 attempts and 14.0 makes per contest. In the Spartans' six losses, they have totaled 79 free-throw attempts (13.2 pg), 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 (162), averaging 3.9 points per game at the stripe.
High-Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 72.8 points per game. The Spartan offense has scored more than 80 points in nine 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 17 games.
Freshmen Contributions - Michigan State has played three true scholarship freshmen (Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers) this season. The trio is averaging 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 49.6 minutes.
MSU's Homecourt Win Streak - Michigan State has won 21 straight home games at the Breslin Center, dating back to a Feb. 3, 2007, loss to No. 4 Ohio State. This season, the Spartans were a perfect 17-0 at home, averaging 77.9 points and 50.4 percent shooting. The 21-game home win streak is MSU's longest since it won 53 straight between November 1998 and January 2002. During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 181-22 (.892) at home, including 158-13 (.924) over the last 11 years.
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 181-22 (.892) at home, including 158-13 (.924) over the last 11 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.
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).
Spartan Opponents In The Polls - Five Michigan State opponents are ranked in the latest The Associated Press Top 25, including No. 3 UCLA, No. 9 Texas, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 15 Purdue and No. 18 Indiana. (Based on March 3 rankings.) In addition, BYU is ranked No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
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.
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.
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). Since opening day, Ager has been traded to the New Jersey Nets and Brown has been traded to the Chicago Bulls.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo -In his 13th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 301-127 (.703), and 144-68 (.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 (.703). With 144 conference victories, Izzo ranks 11th all-time, tied with Ohio State's Harold "Bud" Foster.
Izzo Against Ranked Opponents - In his 13 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 65-62 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.
