Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Opens Season With Toledo
11/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#2/2 Michigan State (0-0) vs. Toledo (1-0)
East Lansing, Mich.
Nov. 22, 1999 -- 7:30 p.m.
Note of the Week
For Openers ? A victory against Toledo would mark the 23rd-consecutive season that Michigan State has opened the season with a 1-0 record. The last time the Spartans opened the season with a loss was the 1976-77 season (Jud Heathcote?s first year) when Central Michigan defeated MSU, 81-76. In fact, in the 100 seasons of Michigan State basketball, the Green and White have suffered season-opening losses just 21 times (79-21). During his coaching tenure, Tom Izzo has won his four season openers by an average of 23.75 points.
Four More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. - Coaching Reunion - When Tom Izzo looks down the sideline to the opponent?s bench Monday night, he will see a familiar face looking right back at him. Prior to taking the head job at Toledo, Rocket head coach Stan Joplin spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan State (1990-96). During Izzo?s first year as head coach in 1995-96, his coaching staff was comprised of Joplin, Tom Crean and Brian Gregory.
When Joplin left MSU for Toledo, he took Gregory with him as an assistant coach. After one season at Toledo, Gregory took a job at Northwestern under head coach Kevin O?Neill. Monday?s game marks Gregory?s first regular-season game since rejoining the Spartan basketball program after the conclusion of last season, when Crean left MSU to take the head job at Marquette.
2. - Rocket Men - Entering Monday?s game, Michigan State leads the all-time series with Toledo by a 3-2 margin. The last meeting between the two teams was Dec. 18, 1973, with the Rockets claiming a 79-51 victory in Toledo. The series is tied at one game apiece for games played in East Lansing, with MSU winning the most recent game, 98-96, on Nov. 28, 1972. That game also marks the only time that Michigan State has opened the season against Toledo.
3. - Last Man Standing - The Spartans will attempt to change a very disturbing trend for last year?s Final Four participants. The other three teams that journeyed to St. Petersburg, Fla., last March all opened this year with a 0-1 record. (Duke lost to Stanford 80-79 (OT), UConn lost to Iowa 70-68, Ohio State lost to Notre Dame, 59-57).
4. - AP All-Americans - Mateen Cleaves was recently named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team. Cleaves, a repeat preseason All-America selection, is the only returning member from last year?s postseason All-America team. He is joined on the preseason squad by Auburn?s Chris Porter, DePaul?s Quentin Richardson, Ohio State?s Scoonie Penn and Maryland?s Terence Morris.
Overall, 17 players were listed on the All-America ballots. Among those receiving votes was senior forward Morris Peterson. Michigan State was one of only three teams to have two players recognized. Ohio State and Cincinnati also had two honorees.
Coach Izzo ? Entering his fifth year, Tom Izzo is 88-41 (.682) as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. Izzo has collected national coach of the year honors in each of the past two seasons while guiding the Spartans to a two-year mark of 55-13, 28-4 in the Big Ten. In 1999 Izzo was named national coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in ?98.
Prematurely Grey? - Although just in his fifth year, Tom Izzo is currently tied for the third-longest coaching tenure in the Big Ten, trailing only Indiana?s Bob Knight (entering his 29th season) and Purdue?s Gene Keady (20th). Penn State?s Jerry Dunn and Wisconsin?s Dick Bennett are also in their fifth year.
Izzo vs. the MAC - Although this is Izzo?s first matchup with Toledo, he has compiled a 3-1 record against the MAC (1-1 vs. Central Michigan, 1-0 vs. Eastern Michigan, 1-0 vs. Western Michigan).
Getting Defensive - While the offense attracts a lot of attention, the secret to MSU?s success lies on the defensive end of the floor. Last year, the Spartans ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and first in scoring margin (+12.2). In addition, they set a school record and led the Big Ten with 297 steals.
Block Party - Junior forward Andre Hutson currently ranks 11th on MSU?s career blocked shots list with 46 rejections. In 1998-99, Hutson shared the team lead of 22 blocks with Morris Peterson. If Hutson continues on his current pace, he will threaten Matt Steigenga?s record of 97 rejections.
Blocked Shots No. Years 1. Matt Steigenga 97 1981-85 2. Ken Johnson 96 1983-85 3. Kevin Willis 71 1981-84 4. DuJuan Wiley 69 1996-98 Quinton Brooks 69 1992-96 6. Mike Peplowski 68 1989-93 7. Anthony Miller 61 1991-94 8. Ron Charles 51 1976-80 Richard Mudd 51 1981-85 10. George Papadakos47 1986-88 11. Andre Hutson 46 1997-SA
Where?s Mo? - Senior co-captain and All-American Mateen Cleaves underwent surgery on October 25 to repair a stress fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Cleaves is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.
Lending A Helping Hand - Mateen Cleaves, currently recovering from foot surgery, is only eight assists behind Scott Skiles on the MSU all-time assist chart. Judging from the two exhibition games, however, his replacements will provide teammates with the same quality scoring opportunities. David Thomas, Charlie Bell, Brandon Smith and Mat Ishbia all saw action at the point in the preseason, combining for 27 assists and 15 turnovers. Overall, Michigan State had 58 assists and 34 turnovers.
In Good Hands - With Mateen Cleaves expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season, a majority of the point guard responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of junior David Thomas. This includes limiting turnovers. Over the past three seasons MSU has a 35-5 record when turning the ball over fewer times than its opponent.
Big Ten Favorites - The Big Ten Conference preseason picks were announced on Sunday, Oct. 31 at the Big Ten Basketball Media Day in Chicago. Michigan State will enter the upcoming season with a target on its back, having been selected by both the conference coaches and media as the favorite to win the school?s third-consecutive Big Ten Title. The Spartans received seven of 11 first-place votes from the coaches and 79 of 93 from the media. Ohio State and Illinois are second and third, respectively in both polls.
It?s All About Boardwork - MSU dominated its two exhibition opponents by a 100-47 rebounding edge. Last year, the Spartans outrebounded their opponent in 35 of 38 games. In Tom Izzo?s tenure, MSU has outrebounded 105 of 129 opponents, posting a 79-26 record in those games.
Drive For Three, Part One - If the Spartans live up to the preseason expectations, they will capture their third-consecutive conference crown for the first time in school history. Only six schools in Big Ten history have won three consecutive regular season championships (Chicago - 1907-10, Wisconsin - 1912-14, Purdue - 1934-36 & 1994-96, Ohio State 1960-64, Michigan - 1964-66, Indiana 1973-76).
Role Reversal - The Big Ten Preseason Players of the Year were also announced at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Mateen Cleaves was selected by the media as their preseason choice for Player of the Year. Ohio State point guard Scoonie Penn was awarded similar accolades from the conference coaches. Ironically, Cleaves was awarded Player of the Year honors by the coaches last year, while Penn was the media?s selection.
Drive For Three, Part Two - Should Mateen Cleaves garner his third-consecutive player of the year honors, he will become only the second player in Big Ten history to earn player of the year honors three years in a row. Since the Big Ten Chicago Tribune Most Valuable Player Award was first given out in 1946, only Ohio State?s Jerry Lucas (1960-62) has taken home the hardware three straight years. In fact, Cleaves is only the seventh player to win the award twice.
Mo Pete, Mo Accolades - In 1998-99 Morris Peterson earned first-team All-Big Ten honors despite starting only four games all season. Although no official records are kept, he is believed to be the first player in a major conference to accomplish such a feat. As he now enters his senior campaign, the expectations are higher for the Spartan co-captain as he has been named Preseason All-Big Ten by both the conference?s coaches and media.
No Slivers Here - Last year, eight Spartans averaged over fifteen minutes per game with only Mateen Cleaves seeing more than 30 minutes of action. In the two exhibition games, 11 players saw action, with nine averaging 11 minutes or more.
To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best ? Michigan State?s 1999-2000 schedule includes 11 teams that advanced to last year?s NCAA Tournament and two more that went to the NIT. (These totals could increase depending on MSU?s second- and third-round opponents in the Puerto Rico Shootout.) Eight of Michigan State?s 1999-2000 opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press polls, including Connecticut (1/8), Ohio State (6/4), North Carolina (5/5), Arizona (9/10), Kansas (11/11), Kentucky (12/14), Illinois (18/17) and Purdue (21/24). In addition, MSU could face either DePaul (20/20) or Texas (22/21) in the Puerto Rico Shootout.
The Breslin Advantage ? The 1998-99 season saw the Spartans post a perfect 14-0 record in the Breslin Center (26-3 over the past two seasons, 49-12 under Izzo). Since the facility opened in 1989, MSU has posted a record of 123-27 (.820) (55-7 vs. non-conference opponents and 68-20 vs. conference foes).
Spartans On TV ? Michigan State will appear on television at least 23 times during the regular season. Should the Spartans win their games in the Puerto Rico Shootout, they could make two more appearances on ESPN2. At least 14 of the 23 games will be nationally televised, with nine on ESPN, four on CBS and one on ESPN2. The last two regular-season games could also be picked up by national television audiences. (See schedule for details.)
Wizards Of Westwood - Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson are among the Top-50 candidates for the John Wooden Award. On Dec. 30, 1999, the list will be trimmed to Mid-Season Top 30 candidates.
Share The Wealth - Last season, five Spartans averaged at least 7.8 points per game, led by Morris Peterson?s 13.6 average. In fact, seven different players (Mateen Cleaves, A.J. Granger, Andre Hutson, Thomas Kelley, Jason Klein, Morris Peterson and Antonio Smith) led the team in scoring at least once during the season.
Coming Out Party - With the opening of the 1999-2000 season, comes the regular season debut of three Spartans expected to be major contributors throughout the season. Junior forward Mike Chappell will see action after redshirting during the 1998-99 season after transferring from Duke University. Chappell will be joined by two freshmen expected to see significant minutes. Guard/Forward Jason Richardson was Michigan?s Mr. Basketball in 1999 and could provide the Spartans with an explosive scoring punch. Forward Aloysius Anagonye will give MSU a physical presence in the post.
Long Road Ahead - Approximately 12 hours after the conclusion of the Toledo game, the Spartans will board a bus to the Detroit airport and their trip to Puerto Rico. Including the Toledo game the Spartans will play nine games in the 20 days between Nov. 22 and Dec. 11. Additionally, six of the remaining 11 days will be used traveling. And when the Spartans finally get a break, it?s finals week.
Future Spartans - Michigan State announced the signing of two members of the class of 2004 on November on Nov. 10. Marcus Taylor (G, 6-3, 190, Lansing, Mich./Everett) is ranked as the number three player overall and number one point guard by Bob Gibbons. Zach Randolph (F, 6-9, 260, Marion, Ind./Marion) is the fifth ranked senior in the nation according to Gibbons.
ESPN/USA TodayCoaches Top 25 (Nov. 4)Team (1998-99 Record) Pts1. Connecticut (9) (34-2) 7122. MICHIGAN STATE (8) (33-5) 6883. Cincinnati (8) (27-6) 6844. Auburn (29-4) 6165. North Carolina (2) (24-10) 5946. Ohio State (2) (27-9) 5797. Temple (24-11) 5748. Florida (22-9) 5709. Arizona (22-7) 49210. Duke (37-2) 46611. Kansas (23-10) 38112. Kentucky (28-9) 36113. Stanford (26-7) 34914. UCLA (22-9) 34515. Utah (28-5) 28316. Tennessee (21-9) 27717. Syracuse (21-12) 27618. Illinois (14-18) 27519. St. John?s (28-9) 25620. DePaul (18-13) 17721. Purdue (21-13) 17122. Texas (19-13) 15723. Maryland (28-6) 14024. Miami (Fla.) (23-7) 11825. Oklahoma State (23-11) 102
Associated PressTop 25 (Nov. 15)Team (1999-2000 Record) Pts1. Cincinnati (25) (0-0) 1,6052. MICHIGAN STATE (24) (0-0) 1,5733. Auburn (8) (0-0) 1,5514. Ohio State (7) (0-0) 1,4175. North Carolina (1) (0-0) 1,3836. Temple (2) (0-0) 1,3277. Florida (1) (0-0) 1,3158. Connecticut (1-1) 1,2779. Stanford (1) (2-0) 1,19710. Arizona (0-0) 1,17011. Kansas (0-0) 1,01212. UCLA (0-0) 89013. Syracuse (2-0) 80114. Kentucky (0-0) 76615. St. John?s (0-0) 63116. Utah (0-0) 60517. Illinois (0-0) 58318. Duke (0-2) 55819. Tennessee (0-0) 49620. DePaul (0-0) 42821. Texas (0-0) 31622. Iowa (1-1) 26123. Oklahoma State (0-0) 23024. Purdue (0-0) 19925. Gonzaga (0-0) 190
MSU Career ScoringNo. Player Points1. Shawn Respert 2,5312. Steve Smith 2,2633. Scott Skiles 2,1454. Greg Kelser 2,0145. Jay Vincent 1,9146. Sam Vincent 1,8517. Terry Furlow 1,7778. Mike Robinson 1,7179. Darryl Johnson 1,38310. Bob Chapman 1,38211. Julius McCoy 1,37712. Matt Steigenga 1,29613. Quinton Brooks 1,27514. Stan Washington 1,24215. Mateen Cleaves 1,226T16. Kirk Manns 1,212T16. Ken Redfield 1,21218. Mike Peplowski 1,18519. Lee Lafayette 1,17620. Lindsay Hairston 1,15521. Pete Gent 1,14622. Al Ferrari 1,10923. Bill Kilgore 1,09924. John Green 1,06225. Earvin Johnson 1,05926. Marcus Sanders 1,05427. Kevin Smith 1,02828. Bob Anderegg 99229. Rudy Benjamin 93830. Morris Peterson 931
