Road Warrior Spartans Travel To Iowa
1/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#9/9 Michigan State (16-3, 6-1)
vs. Iowa (12-8, 2-5)
January 29, 2009
7 p.m. EST
Iowa City, Iowa
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
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), Bill Raftery (Color)
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo Press Conference | Travis Walton | Goran Suton | Durrell Summers
Coach Izzo Radio Show - Jan. 26
The Opening Tip
Off to its best ever road start in conference play, Michigan State travels to Iowa City looking to build on Sunday's road win at Ohio State. The Hawkeyes are 10-1 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including 2-1 in Big Ten action. The Spartans have established themselves as one of the top road teams in the country, having won nine games away from the Breslin Center this season. The game also opens a stretch that will see MSU play five games in 13 days.
The Starting Five
1. Life Away From Home
Michigan State is 4-0 in league road games for the first time since joining the Big Ten in 1950-51. MSU is 5-0 in true road games, winning at No. 21 Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern, Ohio State 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 9-2 away from the Breslin Center. Through games of Jan. 25, only St. Mary's (10-0) had won more games away from its home court, while Connecticut (9-0), Xavier (9-1) and Niagara (9-4) also have nine victories away from home. Michigan State played nine of its first 13 games away from home.
2. Glass Cleaners
Goran Suton leads the Big Ten in rebounding in conference games at 9.9 rpg. Overall, he averages 8.0 rpg, which would rank tied for first in the league if he had played in 75 percent of MSU's games. In conference play, Suton has recorded double-figure boards against Minnesota (12), Penn State (14) and Northwestern (14). Raymar Morgan ranks fourth in league games, averaging 7.4 rebounds per contest. Morgan has double-figure efforts against Minnesota (10), Northwestern (13) and Ohio State (10). Their efforts are a large reason MSU owns an impressive +15.7 rebounding margin in league games.
3. The Turnover Story
Michigan State is 8-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, and 3-0 when turnovers are equal, but just 5-3 when committing more. The Spartans are 11-0 when committing fewer than 15 turnovers, but just 5-3 when committing 15 or more. In their wins, the Spartans average just 13.3 turnovers per game, compared to 18.3 turnovers in losses. 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 next nine games, MSU averaged 12.6 turnovers, while opponents averaged 12.8, giving the Spartans a 135-96 edge in points off turnovers. In the next two games against Illinois and Northwestern, MSU averaged 18.0 turnovers, leading to a 27-47 deficit in points off turnovers. In the most recent game, MSU committed 12 turnovers, including just three in the second half, and held a 23-11 advantage in points off turnovers. Last season, the Spartans averaged 13.6 turnovers, which was the lowest average of the Tom Izzo era.
4. Beating The Best
According to the ESPN.com InsideRPI Daily (Jan. 27), Michigan State and Oklahoma lead the nation with eight victories against the RPI top 50, while Duke has seven. Pittsburgh has six victories against the top 50, while Louisville, Kansas and Illinois have five.
5. It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State leads the nation in rebound margin at +10.8 (as of Jan. 26). MSU has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in nine of the last 11 years. This season, the Spartans are 14-2 when out-rebounding their opponent. MSU has out-rebounded nine straight opponents. 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 +15.7 rebounding margin.
MSU vs. Iowa Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 58-52. The Hawkeyes, however, own a 33-19 advantage in games played in Iowa City. The Spartans have won 15 of the last 22 meetings. Tom Izzo is 16-8 in his career against Iowa.
Coach Lickliter
Todd Lickliter (Butler, `79) is 156-88 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including 25-27 in his second season at Iowa. He led Butler to four post-season tournament berths, including trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2003 and 2007. Lickliter was named the 2006-07 Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
The Last Meeting
Michigan State opened the game on a 20-1 run and cruised to a 66-52 victory on Feb. 23, 2008, in East Lansing. Iowa did not make a field goal until the 9:38 mark of the first half. Tom Izzo recorded his 300th win, becoming the eighth Big Ten coach to win 300 games at one school. Raymar Morgan led MSU with 16 points, shooting 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line. Cyrus Tate led all scorers with 26 points, adding nine rebounds. MSU committed just five turnovers, its lowest total since the 2004 Big Ten Tournament.
The Last Meeting In Iowa City
Iowa defeated Michigan State, 43-36, on Jan. 12, 2008, in Iowa City. The Spartan defense held Iowa to 27.5 percent shooting and 11 field goals, but shot just 30.8 percent themselves. Iowa attempted 29 free throws compared to just four for MSU. Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan (10 points each) were the only Spartans in double figures, while Tony Freeman led Iowa with 22 points. MSU committed 18 turnovers, which turned into 15 Hawkeye points. The Spartans held an 18-9 lead with 8:08 left in the first half, but did not score another point in the period. Trailing by a single point with under four minutes to play, MSU had two opportunities to take the lead but was unable to convert.
Hawkeye Notes
Freshman guard Matt Gatens leads the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage at .515, while Iowa paces the league at .392 ... Gatens also leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.918) ... Cyrus Tate averages 2.38 offensive rebounds per contest, ranking third in the Big Ten, but has missed four straight games with a sprained ankle ... In conference games, David Palmer leads the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg, including 15.3 ppg in the last three, although he did not see action in the first three Big Ten games.
Game 19 Notes - Michigan State 78 - Ohio State 67
* Ohio State was the first Spartan opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor (.548) this season.
* Durrell Summers scored a career-high 26 points, including knocking down a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.
* Kalin Lucas was scoreless in the first half, attempting just two 3-pointers, but scored 20 second-half points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field. Goran Suton also scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.
* Michigan State out-scored Ohio State, 19-4, in second-chance points.
* MSU scored twice as many points in the second half (56) as it did in the first (26).
* MSU trailed by as many as 13 points (24-11) in the first half, marking the largest deficit it has overcome in a game this season.
* After averaging 18 turnovers in the last two games, MSU committed 12 against the Buckeyes, including just three in the second half.
MSU Basketball Notes
Big Ten Road Wins
Michigan State has won its first four league road games for the first time in school history. In four Big Ten road wins, the Spartans are averaging 75.8 points, led by Kalin Lucas at 19.0 ppg, while Raymar Morgan (13.3 ppg), Durrell Summers (11.5 ppg) and Goran Suton (10.8 ppg) average double figures as well. MSU is dominating the glass, out-rebounding opponents by a +18.5 margin. The Spartans are also taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.5 turnovers per game.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.79 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 42.4 percent of their missed shots, collecting 281 offensive rebounds compared to 382 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 119 offensive rebounds compared to 122 defensive boards for the opponents, averaging 17.00 offensive rebounds per game. The 23 offensive rebounds MSU collected against Minnesota were the most by a Spartan team against a Big Ten opponent since 1998.
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 eight games, Lucas is averaging 18.5 points, leading the Big Ten in scoring in conference games at 18.0 ppg. During the last eight games, he is shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from 3-point range and 88.5 percent from the foul line, averaging 6.5 free-throw attempts per game.
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; Craig Moore (Northwestern) 11 points, 3-11 FG, 2-10 3FG. Against the Illini, Walton added three steals, including two big strips in the second half.
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 13 games, the Spartans are allowing just 63.4 points on 40.7 percent shooting, including just 31.3 percent from 3-point range.
Suton's Presence
After missing six straight games with a left knee injury, Goran Suton has appeared in the last 11 games, averaging 11.2 points and 8.4 boards in 26.0 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), Penn State (13 points, 14 rebounds) and Northwestern (15 points, 14 rebounds). Michigan State is 12-1 with Goran Suton in the lineup.
Michigan State's Balanced Attack
Through the first 19 games, Michigan State has proven to have great depth. Eight Spartans average 12.6 minutes or more, while 11 average 7.3 minutes or more, although Kalin Lucas is the only player to average more than 29. Three players average double figures in scoring, while two more Spartans average 8.9 points or better for the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. On the boards, three Spartans average 4.9 boards per contest, as MSU paces the league in rebounding margin.
The Free Throw Story
Traditionally a strong free-throw shooting team, Michigan State is shooting just .678 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 24.1 free-throw attempts per game, compared to just 18.4 attempts for Spartan opponents.
Morgan On The Glass
Raymar Morgan is averaging 7.6 rebounds in his last 13 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 13 games and grabbed 10 boards against Bradley, The Citadel, Minnesota and Ohio State, and 13 at Northwestern. On the season, he ranks ninth in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.6). He is averaging 7.4 boards per conference game, ranking fourth in the Big Ten.
Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 63.7 percent of its baskets (327-of-513). The Spartans average 17.21 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten, and 13th in the nation. Against Alcorn State, MSU established a new school record with 35 assists. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks fourth in the conference with 5.11 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 1,088 points for his career, he ranks 34th on the MSU all-time scoring chart. He needs 12 points to pass Bill Kilgore for 33rd place (1,099 points) and 22 points to pass Al Ferrari for 32nd place.
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 in four of the last six games (Suton, Roe, Lucas, Walton, Morgan), a lineup which has been used in five different games. In total MSU has used 11 different starting lineups. Ten different Spartans have started a game this season.
Walton Moves Up Career Assists Chart
With 487 career assists, Travis Walton ranks seventh in Michigan State history. He needs five assists to pass Earvin Johnson (491 assists) for sixth place.
Bench Scoring
Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench in 15 of 19 games this season, including 12 of the last 14 contests. The Spartan reserves have out-scored the opponent subs, 537-339, an average of 28.3-17.8.
Lucas Dishes It Out
Kalin Lucas paces the Big Ten with a 3.34-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while ranking fourth in the conference at 5.11 helpers per contest. As of Jan. 26, he ranks fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lucas has recorded one or no turnovers in 14 of 19 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.
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 (.467). Individually, Raymar Morgan ranks second in the conference, connecting on 58.5 percent of his shots.
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 15 games, he is averaging 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 points and 16.7 minutes per contest.
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 .451, averaging 6.2 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.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 9 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 (#11/12), Purdue (#16/17), Illinois (#19/20) and Minnesota (#-/24). MSU is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Spartans On The Run
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 76.1 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.
70 Is The Magic Number
The 70-point mark is an important number for Michigan State's success, both offensively and defensively. The Spartans are 12-0 when scoring 70 or more points, but just 4-3 when scoring fewer than 70. Defensively, MSU is 14-0 when allowing fewer than 70 points, but 2-3 when allowing more than 70.
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.
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 321-133 (.707), and 151-70 (.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 151 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 188-23 (.891) at home, including 165-14 (.922) 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.
