Men's Basketball Travels To Arizona
12/9/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#4/5 MICHIGAN STATE BASKETBALL (7-1)
at #2/2 Arizona (6-1)Dec. 11, 1999 - 2:00 p.m. EST - Tucson, Ariz.
Note Of The Night
Cutting Down The Tall Trees - Michigan State?s playing rotation does not feature a player taller than 6-foot-9, yet the Spartans have had some recent success against 7-footers. Consider the following performances by opponent centers: North Carolina?s Brendan Haywood (4 points, 1 rebound) and Kansas? Eric Chenowith (6 points, 10 rebounds). MSU?s Andre Hutson recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds against UNC and 10 points and six boards vs. KU.
Four More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Taming The Wildcats - Michigan State heads to Arizona in search of its first win against the Wildcats. Arizona leads the all-time series, 2-0. In the last meeting between the two schools, and the only one in Tucson, Arizona won 78-58 (Dec. 29, 1987). (For a complete list of UA-MSU scores, see page 125 of the MSU media guide.)
2. Not Just A Hockey School - For the second consecutive week, and only the second time in Spartan history, all three MSU revenue sports (football, hockey and men?s basketball) are ranked in the top 10. Spartan football is currently ranked ninth and hockey is number five.
3. Can Lightning Strike Twice? - For the second time in as many weeks, the Spartans will journey to the home court of the second-ranked team according to the AP poll. On Dec. 3, MSU defeated No. 2 North Carolina, 86-76, in Chapel Hill. The win marked the highest-ranked opponent Tom Izzo had defeated in his tenure as head coach.
4. Izzo vs. Ranked Opponents - Since 1995-96, Tom Izzo has posted a 24-22 record against foes ranked in the AP top 25. This includes wins in 13 of MSU?s last 15 games against ranked opponents.
Probable StartersMichigan State (7-1) Ppg. Rpg. Apg. F - #42 Morris Peterson (Sr., 6-7, 215) 17.8 5.6 1.5F - #43 A.J. Granger (Sr., 6-9, 230) 7.1 4.8 1.8 F - #34 Andre Hutson (Jr., 6-8, 240) 12.3 7.4 1.5G - #14 Charlie Bell (Jr., 6-3, 195) 12.6 4.5 3.8G - #11 David Thomas (Jr., 6-7, 205) 2.8 3.0 4.1Coach Izzo - In his fifth year, Tom Izzo is 95-42 (.693) 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 over the 97-98 and 98-99 seasons. 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.
Arizona (6-1) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #21 Michael Wright (So., 6-7, 238) 15.3 10.0 1.0F - #44 Richard Jefferson (So., 6-7, 222)13.0 5.3 3.1C - #3 Loren Woods (Jr., 7-1, 251) 12.3 6.4 1.4G - #0 Gilbert Arenas (Fr., 6-3, 191) 13.6 3.7 3.1G - #22 Jason Gardner (Fr., 5-10, 178) 11.7 2.6 4.9
Much To Young To Feel This Old - 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.
Getting Defensive - While the offense attracts a lot of attention, the secret to MSU?s success lies on the defensive end of the floor. Through eight games, Spartan opponents are averaging 57.5 ppg with a field-goal percentage of 39.0 (32.9% from three-point range).
Long Road Ahead - The trip to Arizona marks the end of a grueling, early non-conference schedule that saw the Spartans play nine games in the 20 days between Nov. 22 and Dec. 11. Additionally, six of the remaining 11 days were used traveling. And when the Spartans finally get a break, it?s finals week. Round trip distances to game locations include: 4,000 to Puerto Rico, 1,000 to North Carolina, 350 to Chicago and 3,200 to Arizona (Total travel - 8,550 miles).
It?s All About Boardwork - Through eight games, MSU has outrebounded its opponents by a 338-225 count. Entering the week, MSU?s rebounding margin of 14.4 ranked second in the nation, trailing only Kansas, who the Spartans outrebounded 47-35. In Tom Izzo?s tenure, MSU has outrebounded 111 of 137 opponents, posting an 85-26 record in those games.
You Again - Today?s game marks a reunion of sorts for MSU?s Mike Chappell and Arizona?s Loren Woods. Both juniors spent the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons in the ACC at Duke and Wake Forest, respectively, before transferring to their current institutions. The two teams met four times over the two years with Chappell?s Blue Devils winning three.
Block Party - Junior forward Andre Hutson currently ranks 10th on MSU?s career blocked shots list with 48 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.
A.J.?s Guarantee - He?s not arrogant, but forward A.J. Granger has his own way of ensuring a Spartan victory: scoring in double figures. He has reached the 10-point mark on 11 occasions, with the Spartans winning every game. In the most recent example, Granger scored 13 points in MSU?s 66-54 victory over Kansas.
Mo Pete On The Charts - Morris Peterson?s currently stands in 24th place on the MSU career scoring charts with 1,073 points. With 16 points against Eastern Michigan, Peterson passed Marcus Sanders (1,054), Earvin Johnson (1,059) and Johnny Green (1,062). Peterson topped the 1,000 point mark with 14 against Texas (11/27). (See page 4 of the MSU Basketball Notes for a complete list.)
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 Hairston1,15521. Pete Gent 1,14622. Al Ferrari 1,10923. Bill Kilgore 1,09924. Morris Peterson 1,07325. John Green 1,06226. Earvin Johnson 1,05927. Marcus Sanders 1,05428. Kevin Smith 1,02829. Bob Anderegg 99230. Rudy Benjamin 938
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. A 10-week recovery period would have Cleaves back with the Spartans on Jan. 3, in time for the Jan. 5, Big Ten opener against Penn State.
In Good Hands - With Mateen Cleaves expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season, a majority of the point guard responsibilities have fallen on the shoulders of juniors Charlie Bell and David Thomas. This includes limiting turnovers. Over the past three seasons MSU has a 37-5 record when turning the ball over fewer times than its opponent.
Turkey Tourneys - While Michigan State claimed a second-place finish at the Puerto Rico Shootout over Thanksgiving, three of its non-conference opponents were collecting championship trophies across the country. Kansas won the Great Alaska Shootout, Arizona won the Preseason NIT and North Carolina grabbed the title at the Maui Invitational.
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.
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. Through eight games this season, nine players are averaging 13.6 minutes or more.
The Breslin Advantage - MSU has won 17 consecutive games in the Breslin Center. Under Coach Izzo, the Spartans have amassed a 52-12 home record. Since the facility opened in 1989, MSU has posted a record of 127-27 (.825) (58-7 vs. non-conference opponents and 68-20 vs. conference foes). The current 17-game winning streak is the longest since MSU?s 23-game streak in the mid 1960?s (Dec. 20, 1965 - Jan. 20, 1968).
Battle Of The Benches - Much of Michigan State?s success can be attributed to its outstanding bench production. Through eight games, Spartan reserves are outscoring their counterparts by a 174-95 margin.
To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best ? Take a brief look at the top 25 and you might think you?re looking at the MSU schedule. 10 of Michigan State?s 1999-2000 opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll, including Arizona (2), Kansas (4), Connecticut (6), North Carolina (7), Texas (12), Indiana (14), Ohio State (16), Kentucky (22), Purdue (23) and Illinois (24).
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. The trend appears to be continuing this year as four different Spartans (Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell, Jason Richardson and Andre Hutson) have led the team through the first eight games.
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.
Seventeen 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).
Spartans On TV ? Michigan State will appear on television 25 times during the regular season. At least 16 of the 25 games will be nationally televised, with nine on ESPN, four on CBS and three on ESPN2.
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.
Future Spartans - Michigan State announced the signing of two members of the class of 2004 on November 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.
MSU?S RECORD WHEN:At home: 3-0On road: 1-0 Neutral: 3-1Leading at the half: 7-1Trailing at the half: 0-0Tied at halftime: 0-0
Shoot 50% or above from field: 2-0Shoot less than 50% from field: 5-1Opp. shoots 50% or above: 0-1 Opp. shoots less than 50%: 7-0MSU outshoots opp.: 6-0Opp. outshoots MSU: 1-1Both teams shoot same from floor: 0-0
MSU outrebounds opp.: 6-0Opp. outrebounds MSU: 0-0 Rebounds are equal: 1-1
MSU has more turnovers: 2-0Opp. has more turnovers: 2-0Turnovers are equal: 3-1
Game decided by 1-5 pts: 1-0Game decided by 6-10 pts: 1-1Game decided by 11-15 pts: 1-0Game decided by 16+ pts: 4-0
MSU scores less than 60 pts: 1-0MSU scores 60-69 pts: 1-0MSU scores 70-79 pts: 3-1MSU scores 80+ pts: 2-0
MSU allows less than 60 pts: 6-0MSU allows 60-69 pts: 0-0 MSU allows 70-79 pts: 1-0MSU allows 80+ pts: 0-1
MSU in overtime: 0-0
EVEN MORE STATSLargest halftime lead: 23 vs. Toledo Largest halftime deficit: --MSU FG% at home: 46.9%MSU FT% at home: 67.2%MSU 3PT% at home: 35.6%MSU FG% on the road/neutral: 46.3%MSU FT% on the road/neutral: 40.5%MSU 3PT% on the road/neutral:65.7%MSU point avg. at home: 76.5MSU point avg. on road/neutral: -- 73.4
Largest deficit overcome to win: -- 2vs. North Carolina & Eastern MichiganLargest lead surrendered in a loss: --15vs. Texas (38-23)