Michigan State Hosts Northwestern
1/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#7/7 Michigan State (15-2, 5-0)
vs. Northwestern (9-6, 1-4)
January 21, 2009
6:30 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: Big Ten Network - Tom Hamilton (Play by Play), Steve Smith (Color)
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo | Chris Allen | Delvon Roe
Coach Izzo Radio Show - Jan. 19
The Opening Tip
Off to its best start in conference play since 1977-78, Michigan State brings a Big Ten-best 5-0 league record into Wednesday's game with Northwestern. The Spartans and Wildcats are meeting for the second time in less than three weeks, as MSU defeated NU, 77-66, in the first week of league action. This will be the 300th game in the history of the Breslin Center, as the Spartans boast an .876 winning percentage in the 20-year history of the arena.
The Starting Five
1. Streaking Spartans
Since losing to No. 1 North Carolina, Michigan State has won 11 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 77.4-62.5, while shooting .468 from the field, compared to .395 for opponents. Kalin Lucas is averaging a team-best 15.4 points to go with 5.1 assists, while Raymar Morgan is averaging 13.2 points and 8.5 boards. MSU also boasts a +13.5 rebounding margin during the streak.
2. Beating The Best
According to the ESPN.com InsideRPI Daily (Jan. 20), Michigan State leads the nation with seven victories against the RPI top 50. Oklahoma, Kansas and Duke each have five victories against the top 50, while Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and Connecticut have four.
3. Glass Cleaners
Goran Suton and Raymar Morgan are tied for the conference lead in rebounding in league games, each averaging 9.2 rebounds per game. In conference play, Suton has recorded double-figure boards against Minnesota (12) and Penn State (14), while Morgan has double-figure efforts against Minnesota (10), Northwestern (13) and Ohio State (10). Their efforts are a large reason MSU owns an impressive +15.6 rebounding margin in league games.
4. MSU's Home-Court Advantage
Since the Breslin Center opened for the 1989-90 season, Michigan State has posted a 262-37 (.876) home record, including 165-13 (.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 28 straight home games, dating back to Feb. 3, 2007, a loss to No. 4 Ohio State. The 28 straight home wins rank tied for the third longest streak in the nation with Utah State (1/29 vs. Nevada), 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 5-0 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. Northwestern Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 77-36, including a 44-7 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 12 straight games in the series, 19 of the last 20 and 39 of the last 41 contests. MSU has won 21 straight games against the Wildcats in East Lansing. Tom Izzo is 22-2 in his career against Northwestern.
Coach Carmody
Bill Carmody (Union College, '75) is 204-166 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach, including 112-141 in nine seasons at Northwestern. He served as head coach at Princeton from 1996-2000.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 70-55, on Feb. 9, 2008, in East Lansing. MSU held a 35-29 halftime lead thanks in large part to Drew Neitzel scoring 13 straight Spartan points over a span of 3:35 late in the half. Northwestern pulled within a single point at 47-46 with 11:56 left, but MSU responded with a 15-4 run over the next 6:21. The two teams combined for 18 first-half turnovers, but just five in the second half. Neitzel led MSU with 21 points, while Craig Moore paced the Wildcats with 21.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 77-66, on Jan. 3, 2009, in Evanston. The Wildcats held a 33-32 lead, but the Spartans opened the second half on a 12-0 run. NU cut the lead to five midway through the second half, but MSU held a double-digit lead for the final 7:20. Raymar Morgan led the Spartans with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen each added 17. Kevin Coble led NU with 17 points. The Spartans held a 47-28 advantage on the glass, and shot a blistering 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from 3-point range, while holding the Wildcats to 31.0 percent shooting from behind the arc.
Wildcat Notes
Senior guard Craig Moore leads the Big Ten with 3.33 3-pointers made per contest; Moore is the third-leading active scorer in the Big Ten behind just Jamelle Cornley (PSU) and Raymar Morgan ... Northwestern leads the league in turnover margin (+4.33); the Wildcats have forced league opponents to commit an average of 15.6 turnovers ... The Wildcats have used the same starting lineup in all 15 games.
Game 17 Notes - Michigan State 63 - Illinois 57
* Michigan State held Trent Meacham and Demetri McCamey to a combined six points on 1-16 shooting, including 1-of-14 from 3-point range. They entered the game averaging a combined 24.5 ppg.
* Michigan State committed 15 first-half turnovers, but just three in the second half, including just one in the final 14:51. Illinois committed just seven in the first half, but 11 in the second.
* MSU rallied from a nine-point deficit in the second half, holding an 11-2 advantage in points off turnovers, 11-5 edge in second-chance points and a 10-3 margin in fast-break points.
* MSU's defense held Illinois to 23 second-half points, the fewest by a Spartan opponent in the second half this season.
* Marquise Gray scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, as MSU improved to 16-1 all-time when he scores in double-figures.
* Former Spartan All-American Morris Peterson's No. 42 jersey was retired in a pre-game ceremony.
MSU Basketball Notes
MSU's Defensive Stopper
Travis Walton is asserting himself as the best defender in the Big Ten. A two-time All-Big Ten Defensive Team member, he plays a solid defense that, while occasionally resulting in a steal, will hardly ever allow a perimeter player an open look. Consider some of the following games by the players he has guarded: A.J. Abrams (Texas) 8 points - 3-10 FG, 0-4 3FG; Jon Diebler (Ohio State) 7 points - 2-8 FG, 1-6 3FG; Sherron Collins (Kansas) 6-14 FG, 2-8 3FG, 8 turnovers; Trent Meacham and Demetri McCamey (Illinois) 6 combined points, 1-16 FG, 1-14 3FG. Against the Illini, Walton added three steals, including two big strips in the second half.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.88 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 42.0 percent of their missed shots, collecting 253 offensive rebounds compared to 350 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 91 offensive rebounds compared to 90 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.
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 11 games, the Spartans are allowing just 62.5 points on 39.5 percent shooting, including just 29.7 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 six games, Lucas is averaging 18.0 points, ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring in conference games at 17.2 ppg. During the last six games, he is shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from 3-point range and 90.0 percent from the foul line, averaging 6.7 free-throw attempts per game.
Deadly From Distance
Over the last seven games, Michigan State has been very efficient from 3-point range, shooting .407 percent (43-99). Kalin Lucas is shooting .500 (13-26). Even Goran Suton has gotten into the action, making 7-of-11 from behind the arc. On the season, MSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.383), while ranking 21st in the nation (as of Jan. 16).
Suton's Presence
After missing six straight games with a left knee injury, Goran Suton has appeared in the last nine games, averaging 10.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in 25.0 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 11-0 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 +10.2, and are 13-1 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 +15.6 rebounding margin. MSU ranks third in the nation in rebound margin (as of Jan. 16).
Michigan State's Balanced Attack
Through the first 17 games, Michigan State has proven to have great depth. Eight Spartans average 13.0 minutes or more, while 11 average 7.6 minutes or more, although Kalin Lucas is the only player to average more than 28. Two players average double figures in scoring, while three more Spartans average 7.8 points or better for the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. On the boards, three Spartans average 5.4 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 11 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 eight of the last 11 games and grabbed 10 boards against Bradley, The Citadel, Minnesota and Ohio State, and 13 at Northwestern. On the season, he ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.0). He is averaging 9.2 boards per conference game, tied with teammate Goran Suton for the Big Ten lead.
Morgan Among Big Ten Leaders
Raymar Morgan currently ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.600), fifth in scoring (14.8 ppg), tied for sixth in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and 13th in free-throw percentage (.708). 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 .667 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 24.4 free-throw attempts per game, compared to just 18.5 attempts for Spartan opponents.
Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 64.4 percent of its baskets (300-of-466). The Spartans average 17.65 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten, and ninth in the nation. Against Alcorn State, MSU established a new school record with 35 assists. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks second in the conference with 5.41 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 1,083 points for his career, he ranks 34th on the MSU all-time scoring chart. He needs 17 points to pass Bill Kilgore for 33rd place (1,099 points) and 27 points to pass Al Ferrari for 32nd place.
Bench Scoring
Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench in 13 of 17 games this season, including 10 of the last 12 contests. The Spartan reserves have out-scored the opponent subs, 490-318, an average of 28.8-18.7.
Juggling The Lineup
Due to injuries to Goran Suton and Delvon Roe early in the year, Michigan State used nine different starting lineups in the first 12 games. Since then, MSU has used the same lineup for the last four games (Suton, Roe, Lucas, Walton, Morgan), a lineup which has been used in five different games. Nine different Spartans have started a game this season, and Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are the only players to start all 17 contests.
Walton Moves Up Career Assists Chart
With 483 career assists, Travis Walton ranks seventh in Michigan State history. He needs nine assists to pass Earvin Johnson (491 assists) for sixth place.
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 third in the league in field-goal percentage (.468). Individually, Raymar Morgan ranks second in the conference, connecting on 59.4 percent of his shots.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press poll and in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll. Five Spartan opponents are also ranked, including North Carolina (#5 AP/#6 USA Today/ESPN), Texas (#14/15), Purdue (#18/18), Minnesota (#21/20), and Illinois (#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 13 games, he is averaging 5.9 rebounds, 5.2 points and 17.2 minutes per contest.
Lucas Dishes It Out
Kalin Lucas paces the Big Ten with a 4.18-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while ranking second in the conference at 5.41 helpers per contest. As of Jan. 16, he ranks second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lucas has recorded one or no turnovers in 13 of 17 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 .452, averaging 6.4 points per game, scoring in double figures in four games.
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 17 times in his career, and the Spartans are 16-1 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.
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 10 games, MSU is averaging 13.1 turnovers, while opponents are averaging 13.3, resulting in a combined 155-116 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 3-0 when turnovers are equal, but just 5-2 when committing more.
Spartans On The Run
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 76.8 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 8-2 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 320-132 (.708), and 150-69 (.685) 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 .685 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and just percentage points ahead of Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.708). With 150 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 188-22 (.895) at home, including 165-13 (.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.
