Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans And Hoosiers Battle For Conference Crown
1/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#11/11 MICHIGAN STATE (11-4, 2-0 BIG TEN)
vs. #9/10 Indiana (12-1, 2-0 BIG TEN)Jan. 11, 2000 - 7:00 p.m. EST - East Lansing, Mich.
Note Of The Night
The Century Club - Tom Izzo is only one win away from reaching the 100-win plateau for his career. Izzo will become only the fourth Spartan coach to reach the century mark, joining Jud Heathcote (340 wins), Benjamin Van Alstyne (232) and Forrest Anderson (125).
Three More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without 1. Lending A Helping Hand - With three assists against Iowa, Mateen Cleaves (645 career assists) tied Scott Skiles for the all-time MSU assist lead. With his first assist against Indiana, Cleaves will pass Skiles and move into fourth place on the Big Ten Career Assists chart. Last year, Cleaves tied his career high with 13 assists against Indiana. (See page 4 of the MSU Basketball Notes.)
Big Ten Career AssistsNo. Player Assists1. Bruce Douglas (ILL) 7652. Gary Grant (MICH) 7313. Bruce Parkinson (PUR) 690T4. Scott Skiles (MSU) 645T4. Mateen Cleaves (MSU) 645
MSU Career AssistsNo. Player AssistsT1. Scott Skiles 645T1. Mateen Cleaves 6453. Eric Snow 5994. Mark Montgomery 5615. Earvin Johnson 491
2. Hoosiers-Spartans Battle For Conference Lead - Just one week into the Big Ten season, Michigan State and Indiana are the only undefeated teams in the conference. Indiana leads the all-time series 56-34, although MSU owns a 24-23 advantage in East Lansing. The Spartans have won the last three games in the series and four in a row at the Breslin Center.
3. Fast Starts - Michigan State has outscored its opponents 567-388 in the first half this season, for an average halftime score of 37.8-25.8. By comparison, the Spartans are outscoring opponents in the second half by a total of only 41 points, an average of 35.7-32.9.
Probable Michigan State Starters Ppg. Rpg. Apg. F - #42 Morris Peterson (Sr., 6-7, 215) 16.5 5.6 1.6 F - #43 A.J. Granger (Sr., 6-9, 230) 8.2 4.2 1.6 F - #34 Andre Hutson (Jr., 6-8, 240) 11.1 5.9 1.6G - #14 Charlie Bell (Jr., 6-3, 195) 12.1 4.5 4.1G - #12 Mateen Cleaves (Sr., 6-2, 205) 5.5 1.5 4.0
MSU - Indiana Stat ComparisonsCategory MSU IndianaScoring Offense 73.5 80.7Scoring Defense 58.8 64.5Scoring Margin +14.7 +16.2Field Goal Pct. .470 .487Field Goal Pct. Defense .397 .3643Pt. FG Pct. .394 .369Free Throw Pct. .705 .696Rebound Margin +12.4 +4.7Turnovers per game 16.7 14.9
Coach Izzo - In his fifth year, Tom Izzo is 99-45 (.688), 48-22 (.686) in the Big Ten, 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. Izzo is 4-2 in his career against Indiana.
Much Too 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.
Izzo vs. Ranked Opponents - Since 1995-96, Tom Izzo has posted a 24-23 record against foes ranked in the AP top 25. This includes wins in 13 of MSU?s last 16 games against ranked opponents.
20 And Counting - Michigan State has won 20 consecutive games over Big Ten opponents including the regular season and conference tournament. The streak is the longest in school history and the longest since Indiana?s 37-game streak over the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons. In fact, the streak is tied for fourth best in conference history.
Big Ten Win Streaks1. Indiana (1975-76) 372. Ohio State (1960-62) 273. Wisconsin (1912-13) 23T4. MSU (1999-2000) 20T4. Indiana (1952-53) 20
It?s All About Boardwork - In the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 4), MSU?s rebounding margin of 12.5 ranked first in the nation. Michigan State has outrebounded 13 opponents and is yet to be outrebounded. Through 15 games, MSU has a rebound advantage of 593-406.
In Fact It?s So Much About Boardwork That We Provide More Stats - *In the Spartans? 11 victories, MSU is outrebounding opponents 456-271, an average of 41.4-24.6. *In the four losses the count is 137-125, an average of 34.3-31.3. *MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 42.5-21.7 at home. *In Tom Izzo?s tenure, MSU has outrebounded 118 of 144 opponents, posting an 89-29 record in those games.
Flashback To Bloomington - The last time these two teams met was in their only regular season matchup last year in Bloomington (Jan. 24, 1999). The Spartans jumped out to a 30-14 edge before Indiana cut the lead to 38-34 at the half. In the second half, the Spartan defense held Indiana without a field goal on 15 straight possessions en route to a 73-59 victory.
Hoosier - Spartan Connections - The Indiana and Michigan State lineups each feature one player from the other state. Hoosier sophomore guard Dane Fife hails from Clarkston, Mich., while Spartan freshman Adam Ballinger calls Bluffton, Ind. home. In addition, Michigan State Assistant to the Head Coach Dave Owens served as the head manager at Indiana from 1993-97, while earning a master?s degree in school administration. 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 15 games, Spartan opponents are averaging 58.8 ppg with a field-goal percentage of 39.7 (31.8% from three-point range).
Block Party - Junior forward Andre Hutson currently ranks eighth on MSU?s career blocked shots list with 53 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. Years1. Matt Steigenga 97 1991-952. Ken Johnson 96 1983-853. Kevin Willis 71 1981-844. DuJuan Wiley 69 1996-98 Quinton Brooks 69 1992-966. Mike Peplowski 68 1989-937. Anthony Miller 61 1991-948. Andre Hutson 53 1997-SA9. Ron Charles 51 1976-80 Richard Mudd 51 1981-85
The Breslin Advantage - MSU has won 20 consecutive games in the Breslin Center, a record at the 10-year facility. Under Coach Izzo, the Spartans have amassed a 54-12 home record. Since the facility opened in 1989, MSU has posted a record of 129-27 (.827) (60-7 vs. non-conference opponents and 68-20 vs. conference foes). The current 20-game winning streak is the longest in East Lansing since MSU?s 23-game streak in the mid 1960?s (Dec. 20, 1965 - Jan. 20, 1968). The streak is also the ninth-longest current streak in Division I.
Moving On Up - Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson are currently ranked among the top-21 scorers in MSU history. Cleaves (1,237 points), ranked 15th, could move past Stan Washington into 14th place with six points. Peterson (1,179), ranked 19th, will move past Lindsay Hairston into 18th position with seven points. (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 1,237T16. Kirk Manns 1,212T16. Ken Redfield 1,21218. Mike Peplowski 1,18519. Morris Peterson 1,17920. Lee Lafayette 1,176
Battle Of The Benches - Much of Michigan State?s success can be attributed to its outstanding bench production. Through 15 games, Spartan reserves are outscoring their counterparts by a 326-211 margin.
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 - This week marks the beginning of the Big Ten season and with it, the chance for Michigan State to make history. 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.
To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best ? Nine of Michigan State?s 1999-2000 opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today poll, including Arizona (2), Connecticut (4), Kansas (8), Indiana (10), North Carolina (14), Texas (15), Ohio State (18), Illinois (21) and Kentucky (23).
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.
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 led the team in scoring at least once during the season. The trend appears to be continuing this year as five different Spartans (Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell, Jason Richardson, Andre Hutson and A.J. Granger) have led the team through the first 13 games.
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 15 games this season, ten players are averaging 11.9 minutes or more.
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 - On Dec. 30, 1999, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson were named to the Mid-Season Top 30 candidates for the All-American Team and John Wooden Award. The list actually includes 33 names as Cleaves, Utah?s Hanno Mattola and Stanford?s Mark Madsen, who because of injury missed the minimum game requirements, were added to the list of 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./Waverly) 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.
Izzo On The Radio - The Tom Izzo Show can be heard Monday nights from 7-8 p.m. The show is broadcast from Trippers (354 Frandor) in Lansing and is broadcast by the Spartan Radio Network. Locally, the Tom Izzo Show can be heard on flagship WJIM (AM 1240).
MSU Career 3-Pt. Field GoalsNo. Player 3FGs1. Shawn Respert 3312. Kirk Manns 2123. Jason Klein 1524. Steve Smith 1475. Mateen Cleaves 1126. Ray Weathers 997. Kris Weshinskey 978. Morris Peterson 94
MSU Career StealsNo. Player Steals1. Scott Skiles 1752. Mark Montgomery 1683. Mateen Cleaves 160
MSU?S RECORD WHEN:At home: 6-0On road: 2-3Neutral: 3-1Leading at the half: 11-3Trailing at the half: 0-1Tied at halftime: 0-0
Shoot 50% or above from field: 4-0Shoot less than 50% from field: 7-4Opp. shoots 50% or above: 0-2 Opp. shoots less than 50%: 11-2MSU outshoots opp.: 9-1Opp. outshoots MSU: 2-3Both teams shoot same from floor: 0-0
MSU outrebounds opp.: 10-3Opp. outrebounds MSU: 0-0 Rebounds are equal: 1-1
MSU has more turnovers: 5-1Opp. has more turnovers: 3-2Turnovers are equal: 3-1
Game decided by 1-5 pts: 1-2Game decided by 6-10 pts: 1-1Game decided by 11-15 pts: 2-1Game decided by 16+ pts: 7-0
MSU scores less than 60 pts: 1-2MSU scores 60-69 pts: 2-1MSU scores 70-79 pts: 4-1MSU scores 80+ pts: 4-0
MSU allows less than 60 pts: 8-1MSU allows 60-69 pts: 2-1 MSU allows 70-79 pts: 1-1MSU allows 80+ pts: 0-1
MSU in overtime: 0-0
EVEN MORE STATSLargest halftime lead: 30 vs. MVSU Largest halftime deficit: 5 vs. ArizonaMSU FG% at home: 51.3%MSU FT% at home: 74.5%MSU 3PT% at home: 40.0%MSU FG% on the road/neutral: 44.1%MSU FT% on the road/neutral: 67.4%MSU 3PT% on the road/neutral: 39.0%MSU point avg. at home: 80.1MSU point avg. on road/neutral: -- 68.6
Largest deficit overcome to win: -- 2three timesLargest lead surrendered in a loss: --15vs. Texas (38-23) and Kentucky (26-11)
