Spartans Host Kansas In Non-Conference Showdown
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#8/12 Michigan State (12-2)
vs. Kansas (11-3)
January 10, 2009
1 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: CBS - Verne Lundquist (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Color)
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo | Kalin Lucas | Goran Suton
The Opening Tip
Michigan State takes a break from conference play to host defending national champion Kansas. The two teams are meeting for the third time in the Tom Izzo era and the first time since the 2003-04 season. The Spartans are playing just their sixth home game of the season, while the Jayhawks are playing just their second road game. MSU enters the game on an eight-game winning streak including two wins over ranked opponents, while KU has won three straight.
The Starting Five
1. Hosting The Champs
Defending national champion Kansas is making its first ever trip to the Breslin Center. It's no surprise that the Spartans are hosting another championship program as 13 of the last 14 teams to win an NCAA title have played a game at the Breslin Center in Tom Izzo's 14 seasons as head coach. In fact, the only championship squad not to play in East Lansing during the Izzo era is Maryland, a team which the Spartans have played three times since the Terrapins won the 2002 title. The last defending national champion to visit East Lansing was Connecticut on Feb. 5, 2000. The Spartans won that meeting, 85-66.
2. MSU's Home-Court Advantage
Since the Breslin Center opened for the 1989-90 season, Michigan State has posted a 260-37 (.875) home record, including 163-13 (.926) 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 26 straight home games, dating back to Feb. 3, 2007, a loss to No. 4 Ohio State. The 26 straight home wins tie Utah State as the third longest streak in the nation, trailing only Notre Dame (44) and Kansas (33). The Spartans have also won 38 consecutive non-conference home games, good for the nation's fourth longest streak.
3. Mr. Double-Double
Raymar Morgan has recorded a double-double in each of the last three games, averaging 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in that stretch. The streak opened with a 10-point, 10-rebound effort in a win at No. 21 Minnesota and was followed by a 22-point, 13-rebound game at Northwestern and a 13-point, 10-rebound game vs. Ohio State. He is the first Spartan to record a double-double in three straight games since Paul Davis did it in 2005-06. Davis was also the last Spartan to record four straight double-doubles, collecting seven straight over the course of two seasons (final four games of 2004-05 and first three of 2005-06). Morgan did open the 2007-08 season with back-to-back double-doubles and has seven for his career.
4. Lucas Dials Up His Scoring
Kalin Lucas has ranked among the league and nation leaders in assists all season, but he's elevated his scoring as of late. Over the last three games, Lucas is averaging 20.3 points, leading the Big Ten in scoring in conference games. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 60.0 percent from 3-point range and 93.8 percent from the foul line, averaging 5.3 free-throw attempts per game.
5. Streaking Spartans
Since losing to No. 1 North Carolina, Michigan State has won eight straight games, including wins against No. 5 Texas in Houston and at No. 21 Minnesota. The Spartans are out-scoring opponents 79.4-61.9, while shooting .483 from the field, compared to .388 for opponents. Kalin Lucas is averaging a team-best 15.3 points to go with 6.0 assists, while Raymar Morgan is averaging 13.4 points and 9.0 boards. MSU also boasts a +13.6 rebounding margin during the streak.
MSU vs. Kansas Notes
Series History
Kansas leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 4-3, although the Spartans hold a 2-0 advantage in games played in East Lansing. In the last meeting, KU won, 81-74, in Lawrence on Nov. 25, 2003. MSU's last victory was a 66-54 decision in the 1999 Great Eight at the United Center in Chicago. The two teams had a memorable meeting in the 1986 Sweet Sixteen when MSU lost in overtime, 96-86. KU tied the game in the final seconds of regulation, but it would have been after the buzzer had the clock not frozen for 15 seconds late in the second half. Michigan State collected home wins in 1962-63 and 1978-79. Tom Izzo is 1-1 in his career against Kansas.
Coach Self
Bill Self (Oklahoma State, '85) is 359-140 in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach, including 152-35 in his sixth season at Kansas. Prior to his arrival in Lawrence, he served as the head coach at Illinois for three seasons, at Tulsa for three seasons and at Oral Roberts for four years. Tom Izzo is 3-4 in his career against Bill Self, going 1-0 while Self was at Tulsa, 2-3 when he was at Illinois and 0-1 at Kansas. In 2001, Izzo and Self led their squads to 13-3 conference records, sharing the Big Ten regular-season championship.
The Last Meeting
Kansas defeated Michigan State, 81-74, on Nov. 25, 2003, in Lawrence. The Jayhawks turned 24 Michigan State turnovers into 34 points, and led by 17 points with 11:39 remaining before a late Spartan run cut the deficit to just four points. Maurice Ager led MSU with 17 points, while Alan Anderson added 16 and seven assists. Wayne Simien dominated the paint, scoring 28 points for KU.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
See page five (1979 Championship 30th Anniversary Moment) for more information.
MSU Vs. The Big 12
Michigan State is 2-0 against the Big 12 this season, defeating No. 5 Texas in Houston, 67-63, on Dec. 20 and beating Oklahoma State, 94-79, at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando on Nov. 28. All-time, MSU is 37-26 against current members of the Big 12 Conference, including 12-7 under Tom Izzo.
Jayhawk Notes
Junior guard Sherron Collins leads Kansas in scoring at 17.6 points per game, and has led the Jayhawks in scoring in 10 of 14 games ... Kansas has out-shot 10 of 14 opponents and out-rebounded 11 of 14 ... Four different Jayhawks have scored 20 or more points in a game this season, including Collins, Cole Aldrich, Brady Morningstar and Tyshawn Taylor ... Kansas has held 124 of its last 127 opponents below 50 percent shooting, including all 14 opponents this season ... Ten of Kansas' top 11 scorers are freshmen or sophomores.
Game 14 Notes - Michigan State 67 - Ohio State 58
* Raymar Morgan recorded his third straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
* Michigan State improved to 40-12 in Big Ten home openers, including 12-2 under Tom Izzo.
* The Spartan defense held Jon Diebler to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting; he entered the game averaging a Big Ten-best 21.0 points per game in conference action.
* In the first half, Michigan State shot just 6-of-19 from 2-point range, but connected on 5-of-9 3-point attempts, all of which came in less than three minutes late in the first half.
* Michigan State opened Big Ten play with a 3-0 record for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
MSU Basketball Notes
Suton Back In Action
After missing six straight games with a left knee injury, Goran Suton has appeared in the last six games, averaging 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 24.0 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). Michigan State is 8-0 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 +9.6, and are 10-1 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 +16.3 rebounding margin.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.64 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 41.3 percent of their missed shots, collecting 205 offensive rebounds compared to 291 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 56 offensive rebounds compared to 55 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.
Michigan State's Balanced Attack
Through the first 14 games, Michigan State has proven to have great depth. Eleven Spartans average 8.1 minutes or more, although Kalin Lucas is the only player to average more than 30. Three players average double figures in scoring, while two more Spartans average 8.4 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.
Good To Be Home
Michigan State is playing just its sixth home game of the 2008-09 season. The Spartans have won 26 straight games at the Breslin Center. Raymar Morgan leads the Spartans in scoring at 16.0 points per home contest, while Kalin Lucas averages 7.2 assists. MSU is shooting 51.4 percent at home, including 43.8 percent from 3-point range, averaging 87.8 points. The Spartans are holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from behind the arc.
Deadly From Distance
Over the last four games, Michigan State has been very efficient from 3-point range, shooting .479 percent (34-71). Kalin Lucas is shooting a very accurate .643 (9-14). Chris Allen has also made nine threes. Even Goran Suton has gotten into the action, making 4-of-6 from behind the arc. On the season, MSU leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.403).
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 eight games, the Spartans are allowing just 61.9 points on 38.8 percent shooting, including just 30.8 percent from 3-point range.
Morgan On The Glass
Raymar Morgan is averaging a team-best 9.0 rebounds in his last eight 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 six of the last eight games and grabbed 10 boards against Bradley, The Citadel, Minnesota and Ohio State, and 13 at Northwestern. On the season, he ranks tied for seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.0). He is averaging a league-best 11.0 boards per conference game.
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 and the first for any Spartan this season.
Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 64.7 percent of its baskets (255-of-394). The Spartans average 18.21 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 6.31 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 1,045 points for his career, he ranks 37th on the MSU all-time scoring chart. He needs 10 points to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 points) for 36th place and 15 to pass Earvin Johnson for 35th place (1,059 points).
The Free Throw Story
Traditionally a strong free-throw shooting team, Michigan State is shooting just .657 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 23.5 free-throw attempts per game, compared to just 17.6 attempts for Spartan opponents.
Morgan Among Big Ten Leaders
Raymar Morgan currently leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.602), and ranks fifth in scoring (15.2 ppg), tied for seventh in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and 11th in free-throw percentage (.710). Michigan's DeShawn Sims is the only other player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 15 all four categories.
Bench Scoring
Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench in 11 of 14 games this season, including eight of the last nine contests. The Spartan reserves have out-scored the opponent subs, 429-261, an average of 30.6-18.6.
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 through the first 14 games of the season. Nine different Spartans have started a game this season. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are the only Spartans to start all 14 games.
Walton Moves Up Career Assists Chart
With 472 career assists, Travis Walton ranks seventh in Michigan State history. He needs 20 assists to pass Earvin Johnson (491 assists) for sixth place.
Allen From Distance
Sophomore guard Chris Allen is shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range in the last nine games, connecting on 23-of-55 attempts, while averaging 11.8 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 38.9 percent from distance. His teammate Durrell Summers ranks fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 47.2 percent (17-of-36).
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 (.477). Individually, Raymar Morgan leads the conference, connecting on 60.2 percent of his shots.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 8 in The Associated Press poll and No. 12 in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll. Four Spartan opponents are also ranked, including North Carolina (#3 AP/#3 USA Today/ESPN), Texas (#7/7), Purdue (#14/14) and Minnesota (#22/19). 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 nine games, he is averaging 6.1 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 4.94-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while ranking second in the conference at 6.00 helpers per contest. In the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 5), he ranked first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and 18th in assists. Lucas has recorded one or no turnovers in 11 of 14 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 .429, averaging 6.1 points per game.
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 seven games, MSU is averaging 12.9 turnovers, while opponents are averaging 13.3, resulting in a combined 110-73 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 6-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, and 2-0 when turnovers are equal, but just 4-2 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 77.8 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 3-0 in true road games, winning at No. 21 Minnesota, 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 6-2 away from the Breslin Center. Gonzaga is the only other team ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 to have played just four home games this season.
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 317-132 (.706), and 148-69 (.682) 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 .682 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 (.706). 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 186-22 (.894) at home, including 163-13 (.926) 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.
