Spartans Host Fighting Illini

Jan. 16, 2009

EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#7/10 Michigan State (14-2, 4-0)
vs. Illinois (15-2, 3-1)

January 17, 2009
4 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center

Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas and Matt Steigenga (Color), Adam Ruff (Host) Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: ESPN - Dave O'Brien (Play by Play), Doris Burke (Color)

Michigan State Game Notes

Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo | Goran Suton | Travis Walton

Morris Peterson Jersey Retirement

Morris Peterson's Jersey Retirement Ceremony will begin at approximately 3:40 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early.

The Opening Tip
Michigan State looks to extend its winning streak to 11 games on the same day that it retires the No. 42 jersey of Morris Peterson, one of the first great players to play for Coach Izzo. Off to their best league start since 1977-78, the Spartans currently lead the Big Ten, while Illinois sits just one game back in the loss column. The game features the top two field-goal percentage teams in the conference.

Peterson Joins Spartan Elite
Morris Peterson's number 42 jersey will be retired in a pre-game ceremony. Peterson helped lead MSU to the 2000 NCAA Championship, earning All-America and Big Ten Player of the Year honors from the league's coaches. He was a two-time Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional and was named to the 2000 NCAA All-Tournament Team and was Most Outstanding Player of the 2000 Big Ten Tournament. In 1999, he became the first non-starter in conference history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors. During the final four years of his career, the Spartans compiled a 104-32 record and captured three straight Big Ten championships (1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000), two Big Ten Tournament titles (1999, 2000) and two Final Four appearances (1999, 2000). He ranks 10th in MSU career scoring with 1,588 points, and ranks among the school's career leaders in 3-point field goals made (8th, 146) and attempted (8th, 387), and games started (4th, 137). He becomes just the ninth player in Spartan men's basketball history to have a jersey retired, joining Scott Skiles (No. 4), Mateen Cleaves (No. 12), Steve Smith (No. 21), Johnny Green (No. 24), Shawn Respert (No. 24), Jay Vincent (No. 31), Greg Kelser (No. 32) and Earvin "Magic" Johnson (No. 33). In addition to the retired jerseys, a banner also hangs in recognition of 19-year head coach Jud Heathcote.

Food Drive
The Rebounders Club will sponsor a food drive to benefit the Greater Lansing and MSU Student Food Banks. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items. Cash donations will also be accepted at all Breslin Center entrances.

The Starting Five
1. Streaking Spartans
Since losing to No. 1 North Carolina, Michigan State has won nine straight games, including wins against No. 5 Texas in Houston and at No. 21 Minnesota. MSU is 5-0 away from the Breslin Center during the streak. The Spartans are out-scoring opponents 78.8-63.0, while shooting .475 from the field, compared to .394 for opponents. Kalin Lucas is averaging a team-best 15.9 points to go with 5.3 assists, while Raymar Morgan is averaging 13.7 points and 8.5 boards. MSU also boasts a +13.7 rebounding margin during the streak.

2. Suton On The Glass
Goran Suton leads the Big Ten in rebounding in conference games, averaging 10.0 boards per contest, narrowly edging out teammate Raymar Morgan, who ranks second at 9.5 rpg. In conference play, Suton has recorded double-figure boards against Minnesota (12) and Penn State (14). His efforts are a large reason MSU owns an impressive +16.5 rebounding margin in league games.

3. Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.69 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 41.4 percent of their missed shots, collecting 235 offensive rebounds compared to 332 defensive boards for the opponent. In three games this season (Wichita State, Minnesota, Northwestern), MSU has grabbed more offensive boards than the opponent has grabbed defensive rebounds. In Big Ten play, MSU has totaled 73 offensive rebounds compared to 72 defensive boards for the opponents. The 23 offensive rebounds MSU collected against Minnesota were the most by a Spartan team against a Big Ten opponent since 1998.

4. MSU's Home-Court Advantage
Since the Breslin Center opened for the 1989-90 season, Michigan State has posted a 261-37 (.876) home record, including 164-13 (.927) in the last 12 seasons. Last year, the Spartans were 17-0 at Breslin, finishing the season as the only Big Ten squad with a perfect home mark. Michigan State has won 27 straight home games, dating back to Feb. 3, 2007, a loss to No. 4 Ohio State. The 27 straight home wins rank tied for the third longest streak in the nation with Utah State (1/17 vs. Boise State), trailing only Notre Dame (45; 1/24 vs. UConn) and Kansas (34; 1/19 vs. Texas A&M). The Spartans have also won 39 consecutive non-conference home games, good for the nation's fourth longest streak.

5. Spartans Off To Great Start
At 4-0 in league play, Michigan State is off to its best start to a Big Ten season since 1977-78, when the Spartans opened conference action with seven straight wins. That was also the last time MSU won its first three conference road games.

MSU vs. Illinois Notes
Series History
Illinois leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 53-51, although the Spartans own a 32-18 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Tom Izzo is 14-11 in his career against the Illini.

Coach Weber
Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 246-103 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, including 143-49 in six seasons at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.

The Last Meeting In East Lansing
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
Michigan State defeated Illinois, 59-51, on March 6, 2008, in Champaign. MSU trailed 21-11 with 10:46 left in the first half, but responded with a 20-8 run over the next 8:15. With the score tied 31-31 at the half, the Spartans opened the second stanza on a 7-0 run and never led by less than three after that. Goran Suton recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, adding a team-best four assists, and Drew Neitzel led all scorers with 17 points, while Drew Naymick scored a season-best 12 points. It was the only game all season that MSU won despite being out-rebounded (29-28). Illinois made nine of its first 12 shots, but just 11 of its next 33, and shot just 9-of-19 from the foul line.

Illini Notes
Illinois leads the nation in assist percentage, recording an assist on 71.3 percent of its baskets; the Illini also lead the nation with 19.4 assists per game ... With 15 victories, Illinois has already exceeded last year's total of 13 victories ... Illinois leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage at .483 ... Led by Demetri McCamey at 12.3 ppg, four different Illini average double-figures in scoring; the top three scorers are separated by a total of just seven points ... Seven different players have led Illinois in scoring in a single game this season.

Game 16 Notes - Michigan State 78 - Penn State 73
* Michigan State out-rebounded Penn State, 41-24. The Nittany Lions entered the game as the league's second-best rebounding team, out-boarding opponents by an average of 6.6 rebounds per contest.
* MSU grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, while PSU collected just 17 defensive boards.
* Goran Suton recorded his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds, the most for any Spartan this season.
* Michigan State scored its final field goal with 5:29 left in the game, then went without a point for 3:33 allowing Penn State to pull within one, but the Spartans made 9-of-12 free throws in the final 1:56.
* MSU's defense held Talor Battle without a field goal for 30:15, from the 13:57 mark of the first half, until the 3:45 mark of the second.
* MSU shot 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the first half, but 0-of-7 in the second.

MSU Basketball Notes
Lucas Earns Player of the Week Honors
Kalin Lucas was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 12 after averaging 21.0 points in a pair of Spartan victories over Ohio State and defending national champion Kansas. He scored 20 points against the Buckeyes and followed with 22 against the Jayhawks. For the week, he shot .579 (11-of-19) from the field, .714 (5-of-7) from 3-point range and .882 (15-of-17) from the foul line. It is the first weekly award of the his career and the second straight for a Spartan as Raymar Morgan was honored on Jan. 5. In addition, Lucas was named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com's Andy Katz.

Working On The Defense
In the first six games of the year, MSU's defense allowed opponents to score 72.5 points on 44.7 percent shooting. In the last 10 games, the Spartans are allowing just 63.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting, including just 30.5 percent from 3-point range. Penn State is the only team to score more than 66 points during the streak.

Lucas Dials Up His Scoring
Kalin Lucas has ranked among the league and national leaders in assists all season, but he's elevated his scoring as of late. Over the last five games, Lucas is averaging 19.6 points, leading the Big Ten in scoring in conference games at 19.0 ppg. He is shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 52.6 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the foul line, averaging 7.2 free-throw attempts per game.

Deadly From Distance
Over the last six games, Michigan State has been very efficient from 3-point range, shooting .434 percent (43-99). Kalin Lucas is shooting a very accurate .565 (13-23). Even Goran Suton has gotten into the action, making 5-of-9 from behind the arc. On the season, MSU ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.393), while ranking 11th in the nation (as of Jan. 12).

Suton Back In Action
After missing six straight games with a left knee injury, Goran Suton has appeared in the last eight games, averaging 10.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes. Suton injured his knee in the second game of the season against IPFW on Nov. 19. After his knee did not respond to rest, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on Dec. 4. His first full practice came on Monday, Dec. 15. He returned to action against The Citadel on Dec. 17, scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds in 17 minutes. In a win over No. 5 Texas, Suton played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring a team-best 18 points. Against Oakland, Suton led MSU in both scoring (16 points) and rebounding (9 rebounds). He posted a double-double against Minnesota (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Penn State (13 points, 14 rebounds). Michigan State is 10-0 with Goran Suton in the lineup.

It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in nine of the last 11 years. This season, the Spartans lead the Big Ten at +10.1, and are 12-1 when out-rebounding their opponent. It's a group effort for MSU, as six different players have led the team or shared the team lead in rebounding in a single game. In Big Ten play, the Spartans own a +16.5 rebounding margin. MSU ranks fourth in the nation in rebound margin (as of Jan. 12).

Michigan State's Balanced Attack
Through the first 16 games, Michigan State has proven to have great depth. Eight Spartans average 12.9 minutes or more, while 11 average 7.9 minutes or more, although Kalin Lucas is the only player to average more than 28. Three players average double figures in scoring, while two more Spartans average 8.3 points or better for the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. On the boards, three Spartans average 5.3 boards per contest, as MSU paces the league in rebounding margin.

Morgan On The Glass
Raymar Morgan is averaging a team-best 8.5 rebounds in his last 10 games, after averaging just 4.3 boards in the first six games of the season. Morgan has led the team or tied for the team lead in rebounding in seven of the last 10 games and grabbed 10 boards against Bradley, The Citadel, Minnesota and Ohio State, and 13 at Northwestern. On the season, he ranks sixth in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.9). He is averaging a 9.5 boards per conference game, ranking second in the Big Ten.

Morgan Among Big Ten Leaders
Raymar Morgan currently leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.600), and ranks fifth in scoring (15.2 ppg), sixth in rebounding (6.9 rpg) and 13th in free-throw percentage (.702). Michigan's DeShawn Sims and Ohio State's Evan Turner are the only other players in the Big Ten to rank in the top 15 all four categories.

The Free Throw Story
Traditionally a strong free-throw shooting team, Michigan State is shooting just .665 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 24.4 free-throw attempts per game, compared to just 18.8 attempts for Spartan opponents.

Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 64.4 percent of its baskets (286-of-444). The Spartans average 17.88 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. Against Alcorn State, MSU established a new school record with 35 assists. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks second in the conference with 5.56 assists per contest, while freshman Korie Lucious dished out 11 against Alcorn State, the most by any Spartan this season.

Morgan Reaches 1,000
With eight points against Oakland, Raymar Morgan became the 38th player in MSU history to score 1,000 career points. Now at 1,075 points for his career, he ranks 34th on the MSU all-time scoring chart. He needs 25 points to pass Bill Kilgore for 33rd place (1,099 points) and 35 points to pass Al Ferrari for 32nd place.

Bench Scoring
Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench in 13 of 16 games this season, including 10 of the last 11 contests. The Spartan reserves have out-scored the opponent subs, 469-286, an average of 29.3-17.9.

Juggling The Lineup
Due in large part to Goran Suton missing six games with a knee injury and Delvon Roe continuing to improve from two knee surgeries, the Spartan coaching staff has been forced to make continual adjustments in the rotation. This has led to Michigan State starting nine different starting lineups this season. Nine different Spartans have started a game this season. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are the only Spartans to start all 16 games. MSU is starting to develop a little consistency as the same lineup has started the last three games (Suton, Roe, Lucas, Walton, Raymar Morgan).

Walton Moves Up Career Assists Chart
With 479 career assists, Travis Walton ranks seventh in Michigan State history. He needs 13 assists to pass Earvin Johnson (491 assists) for sixth place.

Allen From Distance
Sophomore guard Chris Allen is shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range in the last 11 games, connecting on 25-of-63 attempts, while averaging 10.8 points per game. In the first five games of the season, Allen shot just 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from behind the arc. On the season, Allen is shooting 37.5 percent from distance. His teammate Durrell Summers ranks fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 45.0 percent (17-of-36), while Kalin Lucas ranks eighth at 42.9 percent (17-of-37).

Spartans Hit The Mark
After leading the Big Ten in field-goal percentage for the last five seasons, the Spartans are taking aim at a sixth straight statistical crown. Michigan State currently ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage (.472). Individually, Raymar Morgan leads the conference, connecting on 60.0 percent of his shots.

In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll. Four Spartan opponents are also ranked, including North Carolina (#5 AP/#6 USA Today/ESPN), Texas (#11/11), Minnesota (#18/17), Purdue (#19/19) and Michigan (#25/24). MSU is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season.

Roe's Recovery
Despite undergoing two knee surgeries in the last 12 months, including microfracture surgery last December, Delvon Roe is showing flashes of the skills that had him ranked among the elite high school players in his class nationally. In the first four games of the season, he averaged 15.0 minutes and 3.5 rebounds. In the next 12 games, he is averaging 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 points and 17.3 minutes per contest, despite being limited to just five minutes against Minnesota due to a sprained left ankle.

Lucas Dishes It Out
Kalin Lucas paces the Big Ten with a 4.68-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while ranking second in the conference at 5.56 helpers per contest. As of Jan. 12, he led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lucas has recorded one or no turnovers in 13 of 16 games. Against Oklahoma State, Lucas recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-best 10 assists. As a freshman, Lucas ranked fifth in the Big Ten in assists (3.81 apg) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88), while his 137 assists were the fourth most ever by a Spartan freshman.

Finding A Shooting Touch
Travis Walton worked hard in the offseason to improve his offensive game, but was unable to find the range during the first two games of the season, making just one of his first six shots. He quickly found the shooting touch in the first two games of the Old Spice Classic, scoring a career-high 16 points in each contest, while shooting a combined 15-of-20 (.750) from the field. On the season, Walton is shooting .444, averaging 6.4 points per game, scoring in double figures in four games.

The Turnover Story
In the first two games of the season, Michigan State averaged 9.5 turnovers and held a combined 47-17 edge in points off turnovers. In the five games that followed, the Spartans averaged 17.6 turnovers, resulting in a 93-57 deficit in points off turnovers. In the last nine games, MSU is averaging 12.6 turnovers, while opponents are averaging 12.8, resulting in a combined 135-96 advantage in points off turnovers. Last season, the Spartans averaged 13.6 turnovers, which was the lowest average of the Tom Izzo era. This year, MSU is 7-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, and 2-0 when turnovers are equal, but just 5-2 when committing more.

MSU's X-Factor
Marquise Gray is a real X-factor for the Spartans in the sense that when he is productive, Michigan State almost always wins. Gray has scored in double figures 16 times in his career, and the Spartans are 15-1 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.

Spartans On The Run
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 77.6 points per game, a sign of the up-tempo pace the Spartans are playing in 2008-09. This year's edition of the Spartans could challenge the 2004-05 squad for the highest-scoring team of the Tom Izzo era. In '04-05, MSU averaged 78.5 points en route to a Final Four appearance.

Life Away From Home
Michigan State played nine of its first 13 games away from home. MSU is 4-0 in true road games, winning at No. 21 Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern and IPFW. The Spartans have also played six neutral site games, the most by a MSU squad in the regular season since the 2005-06 season. MSU is 7-2 away from the Breslin Center.

Morgan Earns Big Ten Player of the Week Honor
Raymar Morgan was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 5 after averaging 16.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in a pair of Spartan road victories. In a win at No. 21 Minnesota, Morgan scored 10 points and collected 10 rebounds. He posted another double-double at Northwestern, leading the squad with 22 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 from the field. For the week, he shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 from the foul line. It is the third weekly award of Morgan's career.

An Impressive Streak
Michigan State made its 11th straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (24), Kansas (19), Kentucky (17) and Duke (13) 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.

Spartans In The NBA
Seven former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Maurice Ager (New Jersey Nets), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Charlotte Bobcats), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (Los Angeles Clippers), Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 319-132 (.707), and 149-69 (.683) 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 14 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 .683 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 (.707). With 148 conference victories, Izzo ranks 11th all-time.

Izzo Against Ranked Opponents
In his 14 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 67-65 against ranked opponents.

Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 13 seasons, Tom Izzo won 305 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 13 years.

Graduating Student-Athletes
In Tom Izzo's 13 full years directing the Spartan program, 83 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last nine years, 29 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001, 2003 and 2007.

Izzo's Coaching Tree
Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Jim Boylen (Utah), Tom Crean (Indiana), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (South Florida) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his sixth 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 fourth 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 second season with Utah. Stan Joplin, an assistant during Izzo's first season, spent 12 seasons as head coach at Toledo.

Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 187-22 (.895) at home, including 164-13 (.927) since the start of the 1997-98 season.

Coaches Vs. Cancer
During the 2007-08 season, Tom and Lupe Izzo launched the Michigan State chapter of the Coaches Vs. Cancer program. Now in its second season, the Izzos are looking for an even better year. Signature events for 2009 include the Suits and Sneakers Fundraising Challenge, where employees donate funds for the right to wear sneakers in the work place, an NCAA Final Four Reception (April 3, 2009), and Izzo Goes To Broadway (May 6, 2009), a cabaret style show featuring special guests and professional talent, directed by Broadway director and East Lansing native Greg Ganakas at the Wharton Center on the MSU campus. For more information on any of these initiatives contact Kate Follett from the American Cancer Society at 517-664-1370.