Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Basketball Takes On Illinois In Big Ten Showdown
2/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
MSU-Illinois Game Notes
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Michigan State (18-2)at Illinois (17-5)February 6, 20017:00 p.m. ESTAssembly HallChampaign, Ill.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Josh Lewin (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color), Scott Moore (Broadcast Host). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM) - 35 affiliates.
TV: ESPN - Brad Nessler (Play by Play), Dick Vitale (Color), Jay Bilas (Sidelines)
Note Of The Game
Spartan Runs Key Victories - Michigan State has used a 20+-point run in each of the last two games to propel the team to victory. Leading 26-18 at Michigan, MSU went on a 24-0 run over 6:43. Against Purdue, a 22-0 run took the Spartans from down one point at 14-15 to up 21 at 36-15 in 7:10.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans Rise To The Challenge - Illinois is the fifth ranked opponent Michigan State has faced this season, with the Spartans winning the previous four games. North Carolina (6), Florida (8), Seton Hall (8) and Wisconsin (17) were all ranked at the time they played MSU. Individually, MSU's stars raise their level of play against ranked opponents. Jason Richardson is averaging a team-best 17.5 points against the top 25, followed by Charlie Bell (15.5 ppg) and Zach Randolph (15.0). In addition, Andre Hutson is nearly averaging a double-double at 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.
2. Conference Leaders - The Big Ten Conference issues team rankings for 19 statistical categories in men's basketball. Michigan State currently ranks first in nine of those 19 categories (scoring offense, scoring margin, FG percentage, rebounding offense, rebounding defense, rebound margin, offensive rebounds, assists and assist/turnover ratio.) The Spartans place in the top three in 14 categories.
3. Dre's Shooting Touch - Andre Hutson leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in conference games, shooting 67.2%. Over the last six games, Hutson is shooting 73.3% (33-45). Following Hutson in Big Ten field-goal percentage are Zach Randolph at 61.5% and Jason Richardson in fourth at 57.3%.
4. A Familiar Face In The Starting Lineup - With a start against Illinois, Charlie Bell will become Michigan State's career leader in games started at 124. Bell enters the game tied with Matt Steigenga for most games started.
5. Team Effort - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in both scoring offense and rebounding in all games, but does not have an individual in the top five of either category. Jason Richardson is the top scorer, tied for sixth in the conference at 15.4 ppg. Andre Hutson's 7.4 rebounds per game rank sixth in the conference.
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 138-50 (.734), 66-27 (.710) 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. Illinois - Tom Izzo is 8-3 against Illinois.
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 eighth (.734) in winning percentage among active coaches with at least five full seasons of coaching experience. Kansas' Roy Williams is first at .805. He is followed by John Kresse (College of Charleston, .805), Jerry Tarkanian (Fresno State, .804), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, .746), Rick Majerus (Utah, .742), Lute Olson (Arizona, .737) and Bob Huggins (Cincinnati, .736). (Through games of Feb. 4.)
Izzo Vs. Ranked Opponents - In his five-plus seasons of coaching, Tom Izzo has posted a 35-25 record against foes ranked in the AP Top 25. This includes wins in 23 of MSU's last 27 games against ranked opponents.
Illinois Notes Noting The Fighting Illini - Illinois enters the Big Ten showdown with a 17-5 record and is currently tied with Michigan State for the Big Ten lead with a 7-2 record. The Fighting Illini own a perfect 9-0 home record, including 5-0 in the conference. Illinois prepared for the Big Ten season by facing a challenging non-conference slate including Maryland, Arizona (twice), Duke, Seton Hall, Missouri and Texas.
Probable Starting LineupsMichigan State Spartans (18-2, 7-2) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 240) 13.2 7.4 2.1F - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)15.5 6.2 2.4C - #50 Zach Randolph (Fr., 6-9, 270) 11.3 7.0 1.2G - #1 Marcus Taylor (Fr., 6-3, 190) 8.1 1.3 4.1G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 14.8 4.6 5.6
Illinois Fighting Illini (17-5, 7-2) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - # 34 Brian Cook (So., 6-10, 240) 11.2 6.4 1.2F - #40 Sergio McClain (Sr., 6-4, 230) 8.4 6.3 2.8C - #52 Marcus Griffin (Sr., 6-9, 235) 13.0 6.6 1.1G - #13 Cory Bradford (Jr., 6-3, 200) 9.9 3.0 1.9G - #30 Frank Williams (So., 6-3, 205) 15.2 3.9 4.4
TALE OF THE TAPE - MSU/ILLINOIS STAT BREAKDOWNSCategory MSU ILLINOISScoring Offense 80.4 79.0Scoring Defense 61.1 67.1Scoring Margin +19.3 +11.9Field Goal Pct. .497 .454Field Goal Pct. Defense .397 .3753Pt. FG Pct. .353 .368Free Throw Pct. .737 .674Rebound Margin +17.1 +6.6Turnovers per game 14.1 15.5
Coach Self - Bill Self (Oklahoma State, '85) is in his first season as head coach at Illinois with a 17-5 record. Overall, he is in his eighth season as a college head coach, having spent four seasons at Oral Roberts (1993-1997) and three years at Tulsa (1997-2000). He has a career record of 147-85.
Self Vs. Michigan State - Bill Self has a career record of 0-1 as head coach against Michigan State. The Spartans defeated Self's Tulsa squad, 68-58, on Dec. 22, 1998, in the semifinals of the 1998 Pearl Harbor Classic in Hawaii.
MSU Vs. Illinois - The all-time series between Michigan State and Illinois is tied at 45. The Fighting Illini hold a 29-14 advantage in games played in Champaign. The Spartans did win the last game at Illinois, a 51-49 decision on Jan. 16, 1999.
Looking Ahead - Minnesota
Another Road Game - Michigan State will travel to Minnesota on Saturday for what will be the fifth road game in six contests. The Spartans have not visited Minneapolis since February 13, 1999, when MSU used a late flurry to claim an 84-82 victory. The Golden Gophers enter the week with a 15-7 record, 3-6 in the Big Ten. Minnesota plays at Northwestern on Tuesday night before hosting MSU.
More On MSU Basketball
Road Warriors - MSU 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 52-19 away from the Breslin Center.
The Biggest Show In Town (Any Town) - Michigan State has sold out 47 consecutive home games, including 13 in 2000-01. The Spartans are also proving to be a big draw on the road. The Seton Hall contest at Continental Airlines Arena at the Meadowlands is the only game MSU has played in front of a less than capacity crowd. MSU has provided Loyola, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan with their first sell-outs of the year. In addition, the Spartans filled the Palace of Auburn Hills for a neutral-site game against Bowling Green.
You'll Miss More Than You Make - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense at 39.7 percent. The Spartans, however, have not allowed an opponent to shoot over 50% from the field in a game this season. Bowling Green came the closest, shooting 48.1% (26-54). Illinois is the only other team in the Big Ten to not allow an opponent to shoot 50% in a game.The last Spartan opponent to shoot better than 50% was Utah in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament when the Utes shot 52.1% (24-46). By contrast, MSU has shot over 50% in nine games this year.
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 (8th, 15.6 ppg), rebounding (10th, 6.9 rpg), field-goal percentage (4th, .573), three-point field-goal percentage (t-1st, .500) and blocks (t-12th, 1.00 bpg).
The 700 Club - With nine rebounds against Wisconsin, Andre Hutson topped 700 for his career. Currently standing at 732 career boards, Hutson is in eighth place on the MSU career rebounding list. He needs nine rebounds to pass Steve Smith (740 rebounds) for seventh place on the MSU career list.
CB Climbing The Assist Ladder - With 313 career assists, Charlie Bell is among the career leaders in Michigan State history. Bell is currently in 10th place on the MSU career assists list with Sam Vincent. Bell needs one more assist to pass Ken Redfield (314 assists) for ninth place on the all-time list.
1,000, 500, 300 - With six assists against Northwestern, Charlie Bell became 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 1,317 points, 561 rebounds and 313 assists.
A Class Act - The senior class of Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, Brandon Smith and David Thomas has a record of 105-22 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 20 games, Michigan State owns an impressive 323-180 advantage on the offensive glass. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (323) as its opponents have defensive boards (339). This means that the Spartans get the rebound after 48.8% of their own missed shots. In seven games, MSU has posted more offensive rebounds than its opponent had defensive boards.
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 7.8 points and have been outscored in just four games.
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.
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 +17.1 through 20 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.).
In Fact, It's So Much About Boardwork That We Provide More Stats -
* In the Spartans 18 victories, MSU is outrebounding opponents 788-463, an average of 43.7-25.7 (+18.0).
* In the two losses, the count is 73-56, an average of 36.5-28.0 (+8.5).
* The Spartans have a rebound advantage of 40.3-24.6 (+15.7) in conference games.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 43.3-25.5 (+17.8) at home.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 42.6-26.7 (+15.9) away from East Lansing.
* In Tom Izzo's tenure, MSU has outrebounded 160 of 188 opponents, posting a 126-34 record in those games.
Mr. Double-Double (Almost) - Andre Hutson has posted three double-doubles this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago, 20 points, 13 rebounds vs. Penn State and 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Michigan. 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.
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. 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 marked 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.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,317 points, 561 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,202 points, 732 rebounds) reached the milestone against North Carolina when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
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 21 dunks, but there is much more to his game. He leads the team with a 15.5 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 56.0% from the field, including 45.7% from three-point range, third-best in the Big Ten.
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 (12th, 14.8 ppg), assists (1st, 5.55 apg), three-point field-goal percentage (14th, .387), free throw percentage (5th, .838) and assists-to-turnover ratio (3rd, 2.31). 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.
Perfect At The Charity Stripe - Michigan State was a perfect 18-of-18 from the foul line against Michigan, tying the school record for free-throw percentage. MSU also shot 18-of-18 from the foul line against Illinois on Jan. 12, 1986.
Freshmen Starters - Spartan freshmen Zach Randolph and Marcus Taylor were inserted into the starting lineup seven games ago and have been solid contributors. As a starter, Randolph is averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and shooting 64.7 percent (33-51) from the field. Taylor has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.8 (29 to 16) and is averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 assists. MSU is 6-1 with Taylor and Randolph in the starting lineup.
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.
Home Cooking - Michigan State owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 41 games. Over the 41-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 22.0 points. Five of the 41 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Home Winning Streak Among Big Ten's Best - MSU's 41-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.
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.
The 70-Point Barrier - Through 20 games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game but four, while holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points in all but two games. MSU is 16-0 when scoring 70 points or more. 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 (1,202 career points) needs 11 points to pass Kirk Manns and Ken Redfield (1,212) and become MSU's 18th-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,317, good for 14th place. With 61 more points, Bell can become MSU's 13th-leading all-time scorer, passing Julius McCoy (1,377).
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 57 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 50-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-four ranking in the current AP poll.
Offensive Explosions - Michigan State has topped the 90-point mark six times this season, the highest season total for a Tom Izzo-coached squad. The last MSU team to score at least 90 points six 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.
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.
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. Five of MSU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, including three in the top 11. They include North Carolina (1), Illinois (6), Florida (11), Iowa (16) and Wisconsin (18).
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.
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.
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.
