Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts Michigan On Senior Day
3/2/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (23-3, 12-3)vs. Michigan (10-16, 4-11)March 3, 20014:37 p.m. ESTBreslin CenterEast Lansing, Mich.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - George Blaha (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color), Scott Moore (Broadcast Host). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM) - 35 affiliates.
TV: ESPN Plus Regional - Dick Bremer (Play by Play), Shon Morris (Color), Local - WILX (10)
Michigan State - Michigan Game Notes
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Note Of The Game
The Champs! Round Four - With a win today, Michigan State would clinch at least a share of its fourth-straight regular-season Big Ten Championship, joining Chicago (1907-10), Ohio State (1960-64) and Indiana (1973-76) as the only four teams to win four-straight Big Ten titles. MSU could win the title outright if Illinois loses on Sunday at Minnesota.
And The Rest Of The Starting Five
1. Senior Day - Today marks the final home game for the 2001 Spartan senior class, featuring Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, David Thomas and Brandon Smith. This group will go down as one of the best in Big Ten history, considering the following accomplishments: three-straight regular-season Big Ten Championships, two-straight Big Ten Tournament titles, two Final Four appearances, 2000 NCAA National Championship and a Big Ten record 110 wins.
2. Seniors Tough At Home - In addition to all the championships the Spartan seniors have won, they have also done an incredible job of defending their home turf. Entering their final game at the Breslin Center, the seniors have a home record of 55-3.
3. A Class Act - The senior class of Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, Brandon Smith and David Thomas has a record of 110-23 in the last three-plus seasons. With the win at Penn State, they set the Big Ten record for most wins by a senior class, surpassing the mark of 108 wins set by Indiana 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. Last year's Spartan seniors had a four-year mark of 104-32, the fifth-most number of wins by a Big Ten senior class.
4. Izzo Hits The Century Mark - Today's game is the 100th Big Ten regular-season game for Tom Izzo. Through 99 games, he is 71-28, fifth-best in the history of the Big Ten. Walter Meanwell (Wisconsin, 1912-17, 1921-34) had the best mark through 100 games at 83-17. He is followed by Bob Knight (Indiana, 1972-2000) at 80-20, Harry Combes (Illinois, 1948-67) at 76-24 and Fred Taylor (Ohio State, 1959-76) at 75-25.
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 143-51 (.737), 71-28 (.717) 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 him for 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. Michigan - Tom Izzo is 6-5 against Michigan.
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 seventh (.737) in winning percentage among active coaches with at least five full seasons of coaching experience. Fresno State's Jerry Tarkanian is first at .803. He is followed by Roy Williams (Kansas, .801), John Kresse (College of Charleston, .801), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, .743), Rick Majerus (Utah, .742) and Lute Olson (Arizona, .738). (Through games of March 1)
Michigan Notes
Noting The Wolverines - Michigan travels to East Lansing with a 10-16 record, 4-11 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have lost seven of their last eight contests. UM is led in scoring and rebounding by sophomore forward LaVell Blanchard, who averages 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest.
TALE OF THE TAPE - MSU/UM STAT BREAKDOWNSCategory MSU UMScoring Offense 79.0 71.0Scoring Defense 62.0 78.1Scoring Margin +17.0 -7.1Field Goal Pct. .495 .447Field Goal Pct. Defense .394 .4473Pt. FG Pct. .338 .323Free Throw Pct. .734 .710Rebound Margin +15.3 +3.3Turnovers per game 13.8 17.3
Probable Starting LineupsMichigan State Spartans (23-3, 12-3) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 240) 13.1 7.3 1.8F - #20 Mike Chappell (Sr., 6-9, 220) 5.0 1.8 0.7F - #11 David Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 210) 4.8 4.5 1.9G - #10 Brandon Smith (Sr., 5-11, 195) 0.5 0.6 1.1G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 14.5 4.3 5.3Coach Ellerbe - Brian Ellerbe (Rutgers, '85) is in his fourth season as head coach at Michigan with a 62-58 record. Overall, he is 96-105 in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach. Ellerbe served three years at Loyola (Md.) before his arrival in Ann Arbor.
Michigan Wolverines (10-16, 4-11) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #25 Josh Asselin (Sr., 6-11, 250) 9.4 6.3 1.0F - #30 LaVell Blanchard (So., 6-7, 205)18.2 8.2 1.7C - #45 Chris Young (Jr., 6-9, 220) 8.6 5.0 0.3G - #1 Avery Queen (Fr., 5-7, 150) 5.5 2.3 4.0G - #21 Bernard Robinson Jr. (Fr., 6-6, 185) 13.9 5.0 2.1
MSU Vs. Michigan - This will be the 151st meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. UM leads the all-time series, 88-62. The Spartans, however, hold a 37-35 advantage in games played in East Lansing. MSU has won the last six games in the series and three straight in the Breslin Center.
Looking Ahead - Big Ten Tournament
Third Time's A Charm - Michigan State will next travel to Chicago for the Big Ten Tournament. Winners of two-straight Big Ten Tournaments, the Spartans will either hold the No. 1 or No. 2 seed depending on the outcome of this weekend's games. The Spartans would need to finish ahead of Illinois in the conference standings to hold the top spot. If MSU and Illinois are tied, Illinois gets the No. 1 seed based on the Illini's victory in the only head to head meeting.
More On MSU Basketball
Home Cooking - Michigan State owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 43 games. Over the 43-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 21.7 points. Six of the 43 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Home Winning Streak Among Big Ten's Best - MSU's 43-game home winning streak has a long way 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.
The Biggest Show In Town (Any Town) - Michigan State has sold out 49 consecutive home games, including 15 in 2000-01. But the Spartans also are proving to be a big draw on the road. The Seton Hall contest at Continental Airlines Arena at the Meadowlands and the games at Northwestern and Minnesota are the only games 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.
A Familiar Face In The Starting Lineup - Charlie Bell has started 129 games in his Michigan State career, the most ever by a Spartan. Bell currently ranks tied for third in the Big Ten in career starts along with Michigan's Louis Bullock (129). Iowa's Roy Marble is the Big Ten career leader with 131 starts, followed by Indiana's Calbert Cheaney (130).
Winning With Defense - Throughout the season, Tom Izzo has preached to his team that championships are won with defense. Over the last three games, the Spartans have played some of their best defense of the season, holding their opponents to an average of 53.7 points per game.
Defending The Three - In the five games before the Penn State contest, Michigan State opponents were shooting 42.5% (51-120) from three-point range. The Spartans have done a much better job in the last two games, holding Penn State and Wisconsin to a combined 30.0% (12-40).
Top 10 Streaks - Michigan State has been ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for 25 consecutive weeks. Only Stanford (35) and Duke (29) have longer active streaks.
The Original Mr. Basketball - Three members of the Michigan State basketball program are up for Naismith Awards. Charlie Bell and Jason Richardson are two of 15 finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year Award. Tom Izzo is one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award.
Balanced Scoring Keys Victories - Michigan State is most successful when multiple players shoulder the offensive load. The Spartans are 16-0 when four or more players score in double figures. When three Spartans reach 10 points, they are 7-2. When only two players score 10, MSU is 0-1.
20 Win Seasons - Michigan State has won 20 games for a fourth-consecutive season. The Spartans had never before collected four-straight 20-win seasons. This is the 11th 20-win season in Michigan State history.
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 four of either category. Jason Richardson is the top scorer, ranking fifth in the conference at 15.4 ppg. Andre Hutson's 7.3 rebounds per game rank sixth in the conference.
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.
Dre's Shooting Touch - Andre Hutson leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in conference games, shooting 62.8%. Over the last 12 games, Hutson is shooting 64.6% (64-99). Following Hutson in Big Ten field-goal percentage is Zach Randolph in second at 58.4%.
You'll Miss More Than You Make - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense at 39.4 percent. The Spartans, however, are the only Big Ten school to not allow an opponent to shoot over 50% from the field in a game this season. Bowling Green came the closest, shooting 48.1% (26-54). 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 11 games this year.
There's Always A First Time - For the first time all season, Michigan State was outrebounded by Iowa. The Spartans, however, still lead the nation in rebounding margin at +15.3 rebounds per game through 26 games. During the 1999-2000 season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +11.7 rebounds per game. The last school to lead the nation in rebounding by a margin of 15 or more was the 1980 Alcorn State squad at +15.4.
In Fact, It's So Much About Boardwork That We Provide More Stats - * In the Spartans 23 victories, MSU is outrebounding opponents 988-614, an average of 43.0-26.7 (+16.3).
* In the three losses, the count is 108-85, an average of 36.0-28.3 (+7.7).
* The Spartans have a rebound advantage of 39.9-26.7 (+13.2) in the Big Ten.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 42.9-26.9 (+16.0) at home.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 41.2-26.9 (+14.3) on the road.
* In Tom Izzo's tenure, MSU has outrebounded 165 of 194 opponents, posting a 130-35 record in those games.
Second Chances - Through 26 games, Michigan State owns an impressive 402-252 advantage on the offensive glass. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (402) as its opponents have defensive boards (447). This means that the Spartans get the rebound after 47.3% of their own missed shots. In seven games, MSU has posted more offensive rebounds than its opponent had defensive boards.
Conference Leaders - The Big Ten Conference issues team rankings for 19 statistical categories in men's basketball. Michigan State currently ranks first in 10 of those 19 categories (scoring offense, scoring margin, FG percentage, rebounding offense, rebounding defense, rebound margin, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists and assist/turnover ratio). The Spartans place in the top three in 13 categories.
The 700 Club - With nine rebounds against Wisconsin, Andre Hutson topped 700 for his career. Currently standing at 773 career boards, Hutson is in seventh place on the MSU career rebounding list. He needs 31 rebounds to pass Lindsay Hairston (803 rebounds) for sixth place on the MSU career list.
CB Climbing The Assist Ladder - With 341 career assists, Charlie Bell is among the career leaders in Michigan State history. Bell is currently in eighth place on the MSU career assists list. Bell needs nine more assists to pass Kevin Smith (349 assists) for seventh place on the all-time list.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,398 points, 582 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,280 points, 773 rebounds) reached the milestone against North Carolina when he topped the 1,000-point mark.
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 1,398 points, 582 rebounds and 341 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 27 dunks, but there is much more to his game. He leads the team with a 15.4 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 53.4% from the field, including 40.9% from three-point range.
JR Earns Player Of The Week Honors Again - Jason Richardson was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 19 after recording 21 points and a career high seven steals against Iowa. Richardson shared the honors with Illinois' Frank Williams. This is the second time Richardson has been honored as he was also rewarded on Jan. 15 for averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
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.).
Mr. Double-Double (Almost) - Andre Hutson has posted four double-doubles this season with 11 points, 12 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago, 20 points, 13 rebounds vs. Penn State, 15 points, 10 rebounds vs. Michigan and 11 points, 16 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.
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.
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 assists (1st, 5.34 apg), scoring (13th, 14.5 ppg), free throw percentage (10th, .790) and assists-to-turnover ratio (4th, 2.04). 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.
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 26 games, Michigan State has scored more than 70 points in every game but seven, while holding its opponents to fewer than 70 points in all but six games. MSU is 19-0 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.
Poll Cats - Michigan State has spent the last 60 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 53-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-three ranking in the current AP poll.
Reaching A Milestone - Andre Hutson (1,280 career points) needs 17 points to pass Matt Steigenga (1,296) and become MSU's 15th-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,398, good for 11th place. With 144 more points, Bell can become MSU's 10th-leading all-time scorer, passing Mateen Cleaves (1,541).
Offensive Explosions - Michigan State has topped the 90-point mark eight times this season, the highest season total for a Tom Izzo-coached squad. The last MSU team to score at least 90 points eight times in a season was the '85-86 unit that topped 90 points in eight games. The last squad to score 90 points or more nine times was the 1964-65 unit.
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 - 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 six. They include North Carolina (4), Illinois (5), Florida (6), Kentucky (15) and Wisconsin (24).
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.
