Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Takes To The Road Again
1/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (15-1)at Northwestern (7-11)January 24, 20018:00 p.m. ESTWelsh-Ryan ArenaEvanston, Ill.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Josh Lewin (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color), Will Tieman (Broadcast Host). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM) - 35 affiliates.
TV: ESPN Plus Local - Wayne Larrivee (Play by Play), Shon Morris (Color) - WLAJ (Channel 53) in Lansing, WADL (38) in Detroit, WLLA in Grand Rapids, WFUM (28) in Flint and WCIU in Chicago.
MSU-Northwestern Game Notes
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Note Of The Game
On The Road Again - MSU enters a stretch where five of its next six games are on the road, including three in a row. The first game comes at Northwestern, two weeks after MSU's 84-53 victory over the Wildcats. MSU will also travel to Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota, with a home game against Purdue sandwiched in the middle.
The Starting Five
1. 1,000, 500, 300 - With six more assists Charlie Bell will become just the third Spartan to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists for his career. Steve Smith and Ken Redfield are the two other players to reach the mark. For his career, Bell has 1,280 points, 544 rebounds and 294 assists.
2. JR Loves The Big Ten - Jason Richardson has been a major contributor for MSU all season, but even more so in Big Ten action. In conference games, he ranks among the league leaders in scoring (4th, 17.4 ppg), rebounding (7th, 7.4 rpg), field-goal percentage (4th, .582), three-point field-goal percentage (2nd, .542) and blocks (t-6th, 1.40 bpg).
3. Road Warriors - Michigan State has received a lot of publicity for its home winning streak, but the Spartans are almost as impressive on the road. Since the beginning of the 1997-98 season, MSU is 50-18 away from the Breslin Center.
4. AB Earns First Start - With Andre Hutson sitting out the Ohio State game with pneumonia, Adam Ballinger started the first game of his career. He made the most of his opportunity, posting a career-high 10 points in 16 minutes. In the second half of the contest, Ballinger was three-of-four from the field in scoring eight points.
5. Success In The Windy City - Michigan State has won its last nine games in the Greater Chicago area. This includes six wins en route to two Big Ten Tournament championships in the last two years as well as a Jan. 27, 2000, win at Northwestern, a victory over Kansas in the 1999 Great Eight and a win earlier this season at Loyola. MSU's last loss in Chicago was to Duke in the 1998 Great Eight.
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 135-49 (.734), 63-26 (.708) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. He is the third winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) and Benjamin VanAlstyne (232) in total wins. Izzo's 120 wins in his first five years tied for him seventh most by a coach in his first five seasons of coaching. 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. With MSU's 77-71 overtime win over Indiana on Jan. 11, 2000, Izzo became just the fourth Spartan coach to reach the 100-win mark.
Izzo Vs. Northwestern - Tom Izzo is 9-1 against Northwestern.
Much Too Young To Feel This Old - Although just in his sixth year, Tom Izzo is currently tied for the second-longest coaching tenure in the Big Ten, trailing only Purdue's Gene Keady (21st year). Penn State's Jerry Dunn is also in his sixth year.
Izzo Ranks Among Best Active Coaches - Tom Izzo ranks 8th (.734) in winning percentage among active coaches with at least five full seasons of coaching experience. Kansas' Roy Williams is first at .806. He is followed by John Kresse (College of Charleston, .805), Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State, .805), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, .746), Rick Majerus (Utah, .742), Lute Olson (Arizona, .737) and Bob Huggins (Cincinnati, .737). (Through games of Jan. 21)
Northwestern Notes
Noting The Wildcats - Northwestern will welcome Michigan State to Evanston with a 7-11 record, 0-6 in the Big Ten. Most recently, the Wildcats lost to Purdue, 78-59, in West Lafayette. Northwestern has lost 28-consecutive regular-season Big Ten contests.
Probable StartersMichigan State Spartans (15-1, 4-1) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #55 Adam Ballinger (So., 6-9, 250) 2.0 1.6 0.3F - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)16.0 6.1 2.6C - #50 Zach Randolph (Fr., 6-9, 270) 11.4 7.3 1.1G - #1 Marcus Taylor (Fr., 6-3, 190) 8.3 1.4 4.4G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 16.1 4.7 5.8
Northwestern Wildcats (7-11, 0-6) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #3 Winston Blake (So., 6-5, 190) 12.6 3.1 2.0F - #33 Tavaras Hardy (Jr., 6-8, 226) 9.5 5.9 1.8G - #5 Ben Johnson (So., 6-2, 180) 10.1 3.9 2.2G - #25 Jitim Young (Fr., 6-2, 185) 8.1 3.9 2.0G - #32 Collier Drayton (Jr., 6-2, 185) 5.5 3.6 3.4
MSU-Northwestern Stat ComparisonsCategory MSU NWScoring Offense 82.3 59.6Scoring Defense 61.3 61.5Scoring Margin +21.0 -1.9Field Goal Pct. .494 .410Field Goal Pct. Defense .406 .4243Pt. FG Pct. .374 .330Free Throw Pct. .728 .679Rebound Margin +17.9 -3.5Turnovers per game 13.9 14.1
Coach Carmody - Bill Carmody (Union College, '75) is 7-11 in his first season at Northwestern, 99-36 in four-plus seasons of coaching. Prior to his arrival in Evanston, Carmody posted a 92-25 record in four years at Princeton. Carmody is 0-2 in his career against MSU as his 1998 Princeton squad lost to MSU, 63-56, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
MSU Vs. Northwestern - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 64-36, but trails 28-24 in Evanston. The Spartans have won the last six games in the series and 26 of the last 27. Northwestern's last victory was a 72-66 overtime win on Jan. 31, 1998. MSU has won the last two games in Evanston and 11 of 12 at Northwestern.
You Again - It's just the sixth game of the conference season for MSU, but already the second time the Spartans have played the Wildcats. MSU defeated Northwestern, 84-53 on Jan. 10. Playing the Wildcats twice in a short span is becoming a trend for Michigan State. Last season, the two teams met twice in a six-day period.
Where Are The Seniors? - Northwestern's 13-man roster does not feature any seniors. The Wildcats have two juniors, five sophomores and six freshmen. Last year, freshmen and sophomores combined to play 99.97 percent of Northwestern's minutes. By contrast, Michigan State's lineup five seniors that have compiled 102 career wins.
Looking Ahead - Ohio State
Big Ten Scheduling Quirks - After playing Northwestern for the second time in two weeks, MSU will travel to Columbus, Ohio for the second game between the two teams in seven days. Last year, Ohio State defeated Michigan State, 78-67, at Columbus. The Spartans will complete their season series with the Wildcats and Buckeyes before playing one game against Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa.
More On MSU Basketball
Taking Care Of The Ball - Marcus Taylor was inserted into the starting lineup three games ago and has responded admirably. In his three starts, Taylor has recorded 16 assists and just four turnovers, an assist to turnover ratio of 4-to-1. On the season, his assist to turnover ratio of 2.04 ranks fifth in the Big Ten. In the six games before suffering a broken finger against Kentucky, Taylor had 27 assists and just 7 turnovers. Taylor's presence in the starting lineup has also benefited the team as the Spartans tallied just 10 turnovers vs. Northwestern, eight vs. Wisconsin's pressure defense and 10 vs. Ohio State, three of their four lowest totals of the season.
A Class Act - The senior class of Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, Brandon Smith and David Thomas has a record of 102-21 in the last three-plus seasons. Last year's Spartan seniors had a four-year mark of 104-32, the fourth-most number of wins by a Big Ten senior class. Indiana owns the most wins over a four-year period with a record of 108 from 1972-73 to 1975-76 and from 1990-91 to 1993-94. Indiana also posted 105 wins from 1989-90 to 1992-93, 102 from 1973-74 to 1976-77 and 100 from 1974-75 to 1977-78. (Note: David Thomas is a fifth-year senior, while Brandon Smith and Mike Chappell transferred into MSU.)
Second Chances - Through 16 games, Michigan State owns an impressive 270-135 advantage on the offensive glass. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (270) as its opponents have defensive boards (281). In five games this season, MSU has posted more offensive rebounds than its opponent had defensive boards.
JR Earns Player Of The Week Honors - Jason Richardson was named the Big Ten co-Player of the Week on Jan. 15 for his efforts against Northwestern and Wisconsin last week. For the week, he averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. In MSU's overtime victory over Wisconsin, Richardson tied his career high with 25 points and set a new personal-best with four three-pointers. Richardson shared the honors with Iowa's Dean Oliver.
C-Bell Earns Big Ten Honors - Charlie Bell earned Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors on Dec. 31, 2000. In games against Bowling Green and Wright State, Bell averaged 22.0 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds. He shared the honor with Northwestern's Tavaras Hardy. This marks the second time Bell was named player of the week, as he also earned the honor after a triple-double against Oakland in the first game of the season.
Mr. Double-Double (Almost) - Andre Hutson has posted two double-doubles this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago and 20 points, 13 rebounds vs. Penn State. In five other games, Hutson was just a single point or rebound shy of a double double, including contests against Eastern Washington (11 pts., 9 reb.), North Carolina (14 pts., 9 reb.), Seton Hall (9 pts., 13 reb.), Northwestern (19 pts., 9 reb.) and Wisconsin (10 pts., 9 reb.) For his career he has 12 double-doubles.
The 700 Club - With nine rebounds against Wisconsin Andre Hutson topped 700 for his career. Currently standing at 707 career boards, Hutson needs 7 rebounds to pass Lee Lafayette (713 rebounds) for 10th place on the MSU career list.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,280 points, 544 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,150 points, 707 rebounds) reached the milestone against North Carolina when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
Charlie Bell Getting Defensive - Look for Charlie Bell to regularly defend the opponent's top scorer. Also look for Bell to regularly hold the opposition's leading scorer under his normal scoring average. The chart below demonstrates Bell's defensive prowess, showing the opponent's points in the game before playing Bell, points in the game being guarded by Bell and points the game after playing Bell. It's important to note that MSU's defensive system employs a lot of switching.
Stat Sheet Stuffer - Charlie Bell continues to contribute to the team's success in a variety of ways. He ranks among the leaders in the Big Ten in scoring (6th, 16.1 ppg), assists (1st, 5.75 apg), three-point field-goal percentage (8th, .425), free throw percentage (8th, .828), steals (11th, 1.38) and assists-to-turnover ratio (4th, 2.14). In the season opener against Oakland, Bell joined Earvin Johnson as the only two Spartans to record a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. (Big Ten statistics through games of Jan. 19.)
The Champs! Round Four - Michigan State was tabbed as the preseason favorite by the league's coaches at Big Ten Basketball Media Day. Should the Spartans capture the conference crown, they will become just the fourth team to win four-consecutive Big Ten titles, joining Chicago (1907-10), Ohio State (1960-64) and Indiana (1973-76). The league's media selected Illinois to win the league with MSU picked to finish second.
A Floor Fit For A Champion - The Spartans' current basketball court is the floor used at the 2000 Final Four. As the NCAA Champion, Michigan State purchased the floor for $75,000. It was placed in Breslin with the Final Four paint job on Sept. 23 for a National Championship celebration. It was then shipped to Dollar Bay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the same place it was built, for a new paint job. It was reinstalled in Breslin in time for the Coca-Cola Classic.
High Flying J-Rich - Everyone has heard the stories of Jason Richardson's dunks. He's on Dick Vitale's All-Dipsy-doo Dunk-a-roos Team and leads MSU with 19 dunks, but there is much more to his game. He is second on the team with a 16.0 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 56.0% from the field, including 46.4% from three-point range, second-best in the Big Ten.
Production Off The Pine - With nine players averaging at least eight minutes per game, Michigan State is one of the deepest teams in the nation. Not only are the Spartan subs logging minutes, they are also very productive. They are outscoring the opponents' bench by an average of 9.6 points and have been outscored in just two games.
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 55 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 48-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-three ranking in the current AP poll.
The 70-Point Barrier - Through 16 games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game but three, while holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points in all but two games. Last season, MSU posted a 22-2 record when scoring more than 70 points. This has also led to some happy Spartan fans who receive a free crunchy taco if MSU scores 75 points or more, courtesy of a promotion on the ticket stubs.
Reaching A Milestone - Andre Hutson became the 30th player in Michigan State history to reach the 1,000-point plateau for his career with 14 points against North Carolina. Hutson (1,150 career points) needs six points to pass Lindsay Hairston (1,155 points) and become MSU's 22nd-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,280, good for 15th place. With 17 more points, Bell can become MSU's 14th-leading all-time scorer, passing Matt Steigenga (1,296).
It's All About Boardwork - In the 1999-2000 season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +11.7 rebounds per game. The Spartans are at it again in 2000-01, posting a rebound margin of +17.9 through 16 contests.
Home Cooking - Michigan State owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 40 games. Over the 40-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 22.1 points. Five of the 40 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Home Winning Streak Among Big Ten's Best - MSU's 40-game home winning streak has a ways to go before it reaches the NCAA record of 129 set by Kentucky (1943-55). It ranks fifth by a school currently in the Big Ten and third by a school competing in the Big Ten at the time of the streak. Minnesota holds the record among Big Ten schools at 53-straight home wins from 1899-1905. Indiana (50, 1991-95), Ohio State (50 games, 1959-63) and Penn State (45, 1951-55) also own streaks longer than MSU's current streak.
Taking Boardwork To New Levels - Michigan State outrebounded Seton Hall by an impressive 60-39 margin, setting a few records in the process. The 60 rebounds were the most in the Tom Izzo era. The previous high was 56 against Oakland on Nov. 19, 2000. The last time MSU grabbed 60 rebounds was Dec. 1, 1992 vs. Morehead State. The 27 offensive rebounds are also the most recorded in school history.
MSU Rebounds vs. Opponent Points - Against Seton Hall, the Spartans had more rebounds (60) than the Pirates had points (57). Michigan State accomplished the same feat vs. Illinois-Chicago, with 54 boards compared to 53 points for the Flames. Last year, Michigan State posted similar efforts on seven occasions, including games against Wisconsin (4/1 - 42 reb., 41 pts.), Valparaiso (3/16 - 39 reb., 38 pts.), Minnesota (3/2 - 45 reb., 43 pts.), Wisconsin (2/12 - 50 reb., 44 pts.), Northwestern (1/27 - 42 reb., 29 pts.), Howard (12/3 - 54 reb., 45 pts.) and Toledo (11/22 - 45 reb., 33 pts.).
Offensive Explosions - In just 16 games, Michigan State has topped the 90-point mark five times this season, the highest season total for a Tom Izzo-coached squad. The last MSU team to score at least 90 points five times in a season was the '94-95 unit that topped 90 points in six games.
2000 Was A Good Year - The 2000 calendar year was very good to Michigan State. In 2000, the Spartans won the NCAA Championship, a third-straight Big Ten Championship and a second-consecutive Big Ten Tournament. Overall, MSU posted a 34-3 record during the year, including a perfect 17-0 at home.
Thirty-Something x 2 - Michigan State is the only school in the nation to record 30 or more victories in each of the past two seasons, posting a 33-5 mark in 1998-99 and 32-7 record in 1999-2000.
Thirty Something x 2 (Take Two) - MSU is just the second school in Big Ten history to record 30 or more wins in consecutive seasons. Indiana did it in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The 65 Spartan wins over the past two years are the most ever by a Big Ten school in a two-year period.
Missing Parts - Michigan State is without three starters from the 2000 NCAA Championship team. The trio of Mateen Cleaves, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson accounted for 46 percent (1342) of the points, 32 percent (486) of the rebounds and 46 percent (276) of the assists in 1999-2000.
Proving The Old Saying True - Rebounding and defense really do win championships. Just ask the Spartans. During Coach Izzo's tenure, they have regularly been ranked among the nation's leaders in both categories, including the 1999-2000 season when they led the country in rebounding margin at +11.7, two full rebounds ahead of second-place Stanford, and ranked eighth in scoring defense at 58.9 ppg.
Streak Busters - With a 72-68 win over the Harlem Globetrotters on Nov. 13, the Spartans snapped the Globetrotters' 1,270-game winning streak. The Trotters had not lost since 1995 and had not dropped a game to a college squad since 1962 when they lost 101-89 to a group of college all-stars.
For Openers - Michigan State opened its 102nd season of basketball with a 97-61 win over Oakland, marking the 24th-straight season in which MSU has opened with a win. MSU is 81-21 all-time in openers. Tom Izzo has won his six season openers by an average of 29.3 points. The win also marked the 24th-straight home opener for the Spartans, who improved to 84-18 in home openers and 70-11 in season openers at home.
In Order To Be The Best, You Have To Play The Best - Once again, the Spartans boast one of the nation's most difficult schedules. Six of MSU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, including five in the top 17. They include North Carolina (6), Illinois (7), Florida (14), Wisconsin (16), Iowa (17) and Seton Hall (19).
In Case You Missed The Trip To Indy Last March - Wisconsin was the fourth and final member of the 2000 Final Four to play in the Breslin Center this season. MSU defeated North Carolina, 77-64, on Nov. 29, and defeated Florida, 99-83, on Dec. 6. This is the first time in history that a defending NCAA Champion has played the other three Final Four participants at home the following year.
Carrying On With The Flintstone Tradition - Charlie Bell was named Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten by both the league's media and coaches. Should he finish the season with first-team all-conference honors it will mark the fourth consecutive season in which a Spartan has been named first-team all-league, joining former MSU stars and Flint natives Mateen Cleaves (1998-2000) and Morris Peterson (1999-2000).
Wizards Of Westwood - Senior Charlie Bell and sophomore Jason Richardson are among the 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award and All-America Team. Andre Hutson was named to the John Wooden Award Preseason All-American Team, but did not make the midseason list. Last year, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson earned spots on the 10-man Wooden All-American Team. Bell is also one of 30 Preseason Candidates for the Naismith Award.
U-S-A, U-S-A - Three members of the MSU squad gained experience playing for Team USA over the summer. Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor were on the 2000 USA Hoop Summit Team that defeated an International Select squad, 98-97. Randolph earned MVP honors at the Hoop Summit. Randolph and Jason Richardson were members of the silver-medal winning World Championship for Young Men Qualifying Team, where Richardson ranked second on the team in points and third in rebounds, while Randolph ranked third in points and second in rebounds. Richardson also earned a spot on the Men's Select Team that competed against the 2000 US Olympic Dream Team, scoring a team-high 20 points along with a team-best five rebounds and four assists.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State boasts one of the top freshman classes in the nation with McDonald's All-Americans Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor. Randolph earned MVP honors at the 2000 McDonald's All-American game. Randolph and Taylor join sophomore Jason Richardson as McDonald's All-Americans on the Spartan roster.
Spartans Sign Another Strong Recruiting Class - While Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor teamed last year to give MSU one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, the Spartans have once again landed a strong group of high school athletes. On Nov. 8, 2000, Tom Izzo announced three players signed their National Letters of Intent to play for Michigan State. In keeping with a tradition of tough players at MSU, all three recruits played football in high school.
Alan Anderson is a 6-5, 218-pound G/F from Minneapolis (De LaSalle HS). He averaged 21.3 points as a junior and is ranked by many to be among the top 25 seniors in the country after being named by The Sporting News as the number one surprise player of the summer.
Chris Hill is a 6-3, 175-pound combo guard from Indianapolis (Lawrence North HS). He averaged 17 points and four assists as a junior in helping his team to an 18-4 mark. He was selected to the 2000 All-Tournament Team at the AAU adidas Big Time Tournament.
Kelvin Torbert is a 6-4, 200-pound shooting guard from Flint, MI (Northwestern HS). He ranks among the top players in the nation including No. 2 by The Sporting News and Bob Gibbons. He averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4 assists as a junior in helping his team to a 20-3 record, while also earning Parade Magazine third-team All-America honors.
