Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels To Indiana
1/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (12-0)vs. Indiana (9-6)January 7, 20014:00 p.m. ESTAssembly HallBloomington, Ind.
MSU-Indiana Game Notes
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Note Of The Game
A Class Act - With a win against Indiana, the senior class of Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, Brandon Smith and David Thomas would record its 100th win over the last four years. In the last three-plus seasons, MSU has a record of 99-20. Last year's Spartan seniors had a four-year mark of 104-32, the third-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.)
Three More Notes No Media Person Should Be Without
1. Bell In Exclusive Company - Charlie Bell is one of just four players in Division I basketball to average 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Bell currently averages 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Penn State's Titus Ivory is one of the other members, averaging 16.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Cincinnati's Kenny Satterfield (16.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.2 apg) and Monmouth's Rahsaan Johnson (18.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.6 apg) are the other two players.
2. Spartans Establish School Record Winning Streak - Michigan State owns the nation's longest winning streak at 23 games. With the win against Penn State, the Spartans established the longest winning streak in school history, breaking the old 22-game record set during the 1998-99 season. MSU's last loss came Feb. 26, 2000, at Indiana, with the Spartans falling to the Hoosiers, 81-79, in overtime.
3. Winning Streak Among Best In Big Ten History - MSU's current 23-game winning streak is among the longest in Big Ten history, ranking eighth. Indiana holds two of the top three spots with streaks of 34 (3 wins in 1973-74, 31 in '74-75) and 33 (32 in 1975-76, 1 in '76-77). Minnesota also has a 34-game streak (5 in 1900-01, 15 in '01-02, 13 in '02-03, 1 in '03-04). Ohio State is next at 32 (5 in 1959-60, 27 in '60-61), followed by Wisconsin at 29 (15 in 1911-12, 14 in '12-13), Illinois at 25 (1 in 1913-14, 16 in '14-15, 8 in '15-16) and Wisconsin again at 24 (15 in 1911-12, 14 in '12-13).
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 132-48 (.733), 60-25 (.706) 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. Indiana - Tom Izzo is 5-3 against Indiana, and has won four of the last five.
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.
MSU vs. Unranked Opponents - Michigan State has won 19-straight games against unranked opponents with the last loss coming at Purdue, 70-67, on Feb. 8, 2000. The Spartans have not lost a home game to an unranked opponent since Dec. 13, 1997, when they fell to Detroit, 68-65, a span of 32-straight wins.
Indiana Notes
Briefly On Indiana - Indiana welcomes Michigan State to Bloomington, Ind., having posted a 9-6 record through the first game of the Big Ten season. Most recently, the Hoosiers lost to Wisconsin, 49-46, at Madison in the Big Ten opener. Indiana is led by preseason All-Big Ten selection Kirk Haston at 16.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Probable StartersMichigan State Spartans (12-0) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 245) 13.3 7.8 1.9F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (So., 6-8, 255)6.1 3.8 0.8F - #11 David Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 210) 4.8 4.8 2.5G - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)14.9 5.6 2.6G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 17.8 5.3 6.5
Indiana Hoosiers (9-6) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #1 Jared Jeffries (Fr., 6-9, 220) 13.1 5.3 2.1C - #35 Kirk Haston (Jr., 6-10, 230) 16.6 8.5 1.2G - #3 Tom Coverdale (So., 6-2, 200) 10.1 2.7 5.2G - #11 Dane Fife (Jr., 6-4, 200) 4.5 3.1 3.3G - #32 Kyle Hornsby (So., 6-5, 205) 8.4 2.2 0.8
TALE OF THE TAPE - MSU/INDIANA STAT BREAKDOWNSCategory MSU INDIANAScoring Offense 86.2 71.7Scoring Defense 62.8 65.3Scoring Margin +23.4 +6.4Field Goal Pct. .505 .459Field Goal Pct. Defense .399 .4053Pt. FG Pct. .368 .412Free Throw Pct. .724 .602Rebound Margin +18.2 +1.3Turnovers per game 14.6 15.5
Coach Davis - Indiana is led by first-year head coach Mike Davis (Thomas Edison, '95). Prior to becoming the 25th head coach in Indiana history last September, Davis served for the last three seasons as an assistant coach on the Hoosier bench.
MSU Vs. Indiana - Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan State by a 57-35 margin, although MSU has won four of the last five. The Hoosiers hold a 34-9 advantage in Bloomington. Michigan State's last win at Indiana was a 73-59 victory on Jan. 24, 1999.
The State Champ And Mr. Basketball - Indiana and Michigan State feature the top two freshmen in the nation from Indiana. Michigan State's Zach Randolph earned first-team All-America honors while leading Marion High School to an Indiana State Championship in class 4A. Indiana's Jared Jeffries was Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2000. Randolph scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Marion defeated Jeffries' Bloomington North squad, 62-56, in the 4A title game.
Looking Ahead - Northwestern
Carmody's New Crew - Former Princeton head coach Bill Carmody is in his first year with Northwestern. The Wildcats enter the weekend 7-6, 0-1 in the Big Ten. On Dec. 27, 2000, NU defeated #16 USC, 63-61, marking the first win for Northwestern against a ranked opponent since Jan. 27, 1999.
More On MSU Basketball
MSU At No. 1 - Michigan State has been ranked number one by both major polls the last two weeks, marking the first time MSU has reached the top spot in a regular-season poll since the 1979 season. The first time that MSU held the top position in the Associated Press poll was Jan. 3, 1979. The Spartans were also the number one team on Jan. 10, 1979. Last year, Michigan State was No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll released after the NCAA Tournament. MSU has an all-time record of 5-2 when ranked No. 1. Michigan State is also the number-one ranked team in college hockey, marking the first time a school has held the number-one ranking during the regular season in both sports at the same time.
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 50-17 away from the Breslin Center. The last loss outside of East Lansing was an 81-79 overtime loss at Indiana on Feb. 26, 2000.
A Tale Of Two Halves - Michigan State used an amazing second half to overcome a lackluster first half and rally to defeat Penn State in the Big Ten opener. After shooting just 41.4% (12-29) in the first half, MSU shot 78.6% (22-28) from the field in the second. Conversely, the Nittany Lions followed a 55.2% (16-29) first half with a 21.4% (6-28) second half. The Spartans also dominated the boards in the second half, 22-8, after taking just a 20-16 advantage into the half. Michigan State committed just six second-half turnovers, compared to PSU's 11. The Spartans outscored the Lions 61-25 in the second half.
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.
Spartans Off To Best Start Ever - Michigan State's 12-0 record marks the best start to a season in school history. The previous best was the 1991-92 squad that opened with a 10-0 mark.
Bell Earns Player Of The Week 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.
Phase One Perfection - Coach Izzo views the season in four phases: 1)non-conference 2)Big Ten regular season 3)Big Ten Tournament 4)NCAA Tournament. The Spartans finished the non-conference season 11-0, marking just the second time in school history that MSU enters Big Ten action without a loss. In 1991-92, Michigan State won all 10 non-conference games.
Home Cooking - Michigan State owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 37 games. Over the 37-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 22.4 points. Five of the 37 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Don't Be Surprised If They Don't Remember - It's been nearly 22 years since Michigan State last held the number one spot in the Associated Press poll. Not surprisingly, there have been a few changes since then. Thirty different schools, not including MSU, have held the top spot in the poll between Jan. 10, 1979 and Dec. 25, 2000. Mike Chappell, David Thomas and Brandon Smith were the only current Spartans alive on Jan. 10, 1979. Andre Hutson was born Jan. 12, 1979.
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.
Second Chances - Through 12 games, Michigan State owns an impressive 203-106 advantage on the offensive glass. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (203) as its opponents have defensive boards (216). Against Bowling Green, Michigan State had more offensive boards (23) than the Falcons had total rebounds (22).
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 (3rd, 17.8 ppg), assists (1st, 6.50 apg), three-point field-goal percentage (5th, .466), free throw percentage (7th, .816), steals (5th, 1.67) and assists-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 2.36). 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. 4.)
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.
Offensive Explosions - In just 12 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.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,235 points, 533 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,112 points, 685 rebounds) reached the milestone against North Carolina when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
1,000, 500, 200 - Charlie Bell is also a member of a more exclusive club. He became just the fourth Spartan to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists for his career. Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga and Ken Redfield are the three previous players to reach the mark. For his career, Bell has 1,235 points, 533 rebounds and 280 assists.
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 14 dunks, but there is much more to his game. He is second on the team with a 15.4 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 55.0% from the field, including 40.6% from three-point range.
Production Off The Pine - With nine players averaging at least nine 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. Through 12 contests, players off the bench are averaging 33.5 points and 16.4 rebounds per game.
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 52 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 45-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-one ranking in the current AP poll.
The 70-Point Barrier - Through 12 games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game but one, 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 (1,112 career points) needs 35 points to pass Pete Gent (1,146 points) and become MSU's 23rd-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,235, good for 17th place. With eight more points, Bell can become MSU's 17th-leading all-time scorer, passing Stan Washington (1,242).
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 +18.2 through 12 contests.
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.).
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.
Scoring Well At The Bres - Michigan State's offense is usually hitting on all cylinders when playing in front of the home crowd. In the last 10 games at the Breslin Center, including the 1999-2000 home finale, the Spartans have turned in five of their top-six offensive efforts under Tom Izzo (114 vs. Michigan 3/4/00, 99 vs. Florida 12/6/00, 98 vs. Penn State 1/4/01, 97 vs. UIC 12/2/00, 97 vs. Oakland 11/19/00). In those 10 games the Spartans are averaging 88.8 points.
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.
In Case You Missed The Trip To Indy Last March - MSU plays host to the other three teams from the 2000 Final Four (Florida, North Carolina and Wisconsin) in East Lansing this season. 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. The always tough schedule also includes non-conference contests at home against Kentucky and in East Rutherford, N.J., against Seton Hall. Nine of the Spartans' 2000-01 opponents made an appearance in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. In the 1989-90 season, Michigan played the other three teams from the 1989 Final Four but did not play each team in Ann Arbor.
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 14. They include Florida (6), Illinois (8), Seton Hall (11), Wisconsin (12), North Carolina (14) and Iowa (23).
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.
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.
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.
