Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Aims For Third-Straight Final Four Appearance
3/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 24, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2001 NCAA TournamentMichigan State (27-4)vs. Temple (24-12)March 25, 20012:40 p.m.Georgia Dome (50,000)Atlanta, Ga.
Michigan State Elite Eight Game Notes
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Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - George Blaha (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color), Will Tieman (Broadcast Host). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM) - 35 affiliates.
TV: CBS - Verne Lundquist (Play by Play), Bill Raftery (Color), Armen Keteyian (Sidelines)
Note Of The Game
Very Elite Company - Michigan State is making its third-straight trip to the Elite Eight. MSU is the only school in this year's Elite Eight to be making its third-consecutive appearance. The last team to make three-straight appearances in the Elite Eight was Kentucky (1995-1999).
The Starting Five
1. MSU In The Regional Finals - This is Michigan State's seventh appearance in the Regional Finals. In its previous six occasions, MSU has a 4-2 record.
2. Final Four Dreams - With a win against Temple, Michigan State would advance to its fifth Final Four in school history and third in a row. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only Duke (1988-92) and Kentucky (1996-98) have advanced to three-straight Final Fours. Overall, only eight schools (Kentucky, Duke, Houston, UCLA, North Carolina, Ohio State, Cincinnati and San Francisco) have accomplished the feat.
3. Andre's Tournament - Andre Hutson is having a remarkable NCAA Tournament. Through the first three games, he is nearly averaging a double-double at 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. In addition, he is shooting 80% (20-25) from the field.
4. MSU In Exclusive Company - Michigan State ranks third among all schools in NCAA Tournament winning percentage for schools with at least 20 tournament games. MSU's .711 winning percentage (32-13) trails only Duke (.761, 70-22) and UCLA (.736, 78-28).
5. Better Than Wooden - Tom Izzo is the active coach with the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage for coaches with at least 10 games. In four tournaments, Izzo has an NCAA record of 15-2 for a winning percentage of .882. He is followed by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski at .791 (53-14). Overall, Izzo trails only Cincinnati's Ed Jucker (.917, 11-1) and LaSalle's Ken Loeffler (.900, 9-1). UCLA's legendary coach John Wooden is behind Izzo at .825 (47-10).
Coach Izzo - In his sixth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 147-52 (.739), 72-28 (.720) 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.
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 (.739) in winning percentage among active coaches with at least five full seasons of coaching experience. Fresno State's Jerry Tarkanian is first at .802. He is followed by John Kresse (College of Charleston, .801), Roy Williams (Kansas, .801), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, .743), Rick Majerus (Utah, .742) and Lute Olson (Arizona, .740). (Through games of March 23.)
Izzo Vs. Ranked Opponents - In his five-plus seasons of coaching, Tom Izzo has posted a 37-26 record against foes ranked in the AP Top 25. This includes wins in 25 of MSU's last 30 games against ranked opponents.
Izzo Perfect As Higher Seed - Tom Izzo has a perfect 15-0 record in NCAA Tournament games in which Michigan State is a higher seed than its opponent.
Izzo's 200th Game - The Temple game will mark the 200th game of Tom Izzo's head coaching career.
Temple Information
On To Atlanta - Temple (24-12 overall) brings a 10-game winning streak into the Regional Finals. The Owls beat No. 6 Texas, 79-65, in the first round, 2000 NCAA Runner-up Florida, 75-54, in the second round and Big Ten opponent Penn State, 84-72, in the Regional Semifinals.
Probable Starting Lineups#1 Michigan State Spartans (27-4) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #34 Andre Hutson (Sr., 6-8, 240) 13.7 7.6 1.9F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (So., 6-8, 255)5.0 3.2 0.7F - #11 David Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 210) 4.8 4.6 1.9G - #23 Jason Richardson (So., 6-6, 220)15.1 6.0 2.2G - #14 Charlie Bell (Sr., 6-3, 200) 13.8 4.5 5.3
#11 Temple Owls (24-12) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #23 Alex Wesby (Jr., 6-6, 190) 10.1 5.4 1.0F - #34 David Hawkins (Fr., 6-4, 215) 10.6 4.4 1.2C - #42 Kevin Lyde (Jr., 6-9, 260) 12.6 8.9 1.3G - #33 Quincy Wadley (Sr., 6-4, 200) 15.4 4.6 2.3G - #14 Lynn Greer (Jr., 6-1, 170) 18.1 3.7 5.5
MSU-Temple Stat BreakdownsCategory MSU TEMScoring Offense 78.2 70.6Scoring Defense 61.2 63.8Scoring Margin +17.0 +6.8Field Goal Pct. .492 .430Field Goal Pct. Defense .389 .3983Pt. FG Pct. .330 .350Free Throw Pct. .725 .698Rebound Margin +15.7 +0.5Turnovers per game 13.7 8.4
In The NCAA Tournament - This is Temple's 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and the team's 11th-straight year in the Big Dance. The Owls have a 31-24 all-time mark in tournament play.
All-Time Series - Temple leads the all-time series 6-4, and has won four-straight meetings. Temple defeated MSU 60-59 in Philadelphia on Nov. 20, 1998, in the last meeting.
Coach Chaney - John Chaney (Bethune-Cookman, `55) is in his 19th year at Temple and 29th year overall as a head coach. He has compiled a 431-178 mark at TU and a 656-237 overall record. He has led Temple to the NCAA Tournament in 17 of his 19 seasons, including four trips to the regional finals (1988, 1991, 1993, 1999).
Chaney vs. Michigan State - John Chaney is 2-0 all-time vs. MSU.
Common Opponents - Temple and Michigan State have four common opponents from 2000-01. Temple is 3-2 against Indiana (W, 69-61), Penn State (L, 66-60, W, 84-72), Wisconsin (L, 58-66) and Florida (W, 75-54). MSU finished 6-2 against the field.
Valuing Each Possession - Temple does a remarkable job of not being careless with the basketball. On the season, the Owls are averaging just 8.4 turnovers per contest.
NCAA Tournament Notes
MSU As A No. 1 Seed - Since the 1979 NCAA Tournament, when the teams were first given seeds, Michigan State has held a No. 1 seed on four occasions (1990, 1999, 2000 and 2001). In 1990, the Spartans escaped a first-round upset with a 75-71 victory over No. 16-seed Murray State. They would go on to lose to Georgia Tech, 81-80, in an overtime game in the Sweet 16. In 1999, the Spartans made their way to the Final Four as a No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. Last year, MSU took its No. 1 seed in the Midwest to a National Championship.
Double Digit Victories Are Tourney Record - Michigan State has won nine-straight NCAA Tournament games by double-figures. This nine-game stretch of double-digit victories is the longest in NCAA Tournament history.
MSU In The NCAA Tourney - The No. 1 seed in the South Region, Michigan State is making its 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with an overall record of 32-13. MSU has made four trips to the Final Four (1957, 1979, 1999 and 2000) and captured the National Championship in 1979 and 2000.
Two Titles Not Too Shabby - Michigan State is one of just 12 schools to have won two or more NCAA Championships. Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco join MSU with two titles. Only North Carolina (3), Indiana (5), Kentucky (7) and UCLA (11) have won more titles than MSU.
Banner Seasons - Not only did MSU win its fourth-straight regular-season Big Ten Championship this season, but the MSU hockey team won its seventh CCHA regular-season championship in school history. Head coach Ron Mason's icers will battle in the NCAA Tournament this weekend as the No. 1 seed in the West Region in an attempt to earn a trip to the Frozen Four with a Sunday afternoon game against Saturday's winner of the Providence/Wisconsin game. The hockey team has a record of 32-4-4 and has been the number-one ranked team in the nation for 17-straight weeks. Earlier this season, MSU became the first school to ever have both its hockey and basketball teams ranked No. 1 at the same point of the regular season. The two programs have a combined record of 59-8-4 (.859). Providence and Boston College are the only other schools in Division I to have men's basketball and hockey programs with 20 or more wins.
We're Number One - For a third-straight season, Michigan State has earned a No. 1 seed. In 1999 and 2000, MSU was No. 1 in the Midwest. MSU is just the sixth school to earn three-straight No. 1 seeds since the NCAA Tournament began using seeds in 1979. Duke has a current stretch of four-straight No. 1 seeds (1998-2001). Depaul (1980-82), Virginia (1981-83), Oklahoma (1988-90) and Kentucky (1995-97) have three-consecutive No. 1 seeds.
2000 National Champions - Everyone remembers that Michigan State won the 2000 NCAA Championship, but here are a few tidbits about the Spartans' magical run through the NCAA Tournament.
* MSU was the first team in tournament history to defeat all six of its opponents by double figures since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
* MSU trailed both Utah and Syracuse at the half before rallying for the victory. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, the 2000 Spartans had not won a game in which they trailed at the half.
* 2000 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Mateen Cleaves was joined by teammates Charlie Bell, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson on the All-Final Four team.
* Andre Hutson outscored and outrebounded 2000 NBA Draft Lottery Selections Etan Thomas and Marcus Fizer in back-to-back games in the Midwest Regional.
* In a tournament featuring many upsets, the Spartans faced the highest possible seed in each game leading up to the Final Four (#16 Valparaiso, #8 Utah, #4 Syracuse and #2 Iowa State).
Big Ten Is The Power Conference - In the first three rounds of this year's tourney, the Big Ten posted a 9-5 record, with Michigan State and Illinois each advancing to the Elite Eight. The Big Ten led all conferences with seven selections in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten also has two No. 1 seeds with Michigan State in the South and Illinois in the Midwest. This is the second time in Big Ten history that two schools have earned No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. In 1993, Michigan and Indiana were both No. 1 seeds.
More On MSU Basketball
MSU Rebounds vs. Opponent Points - Against Alabama State, the Spartans had more rebounds (48) than the Hornets had points (35). Michigan State accomplished the same feat vs. Seton Hall (60 pts., 57 reb.) and Illinois-Chicago (54 reb., 53 pts.). 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.).
An All-Around Athletic Department - The Sporting News recently released its rankings for 115 college athletic departments. Michigan State finished second overall, trailing only Stanford. TSN based its rankings on the won-loss records of the men's basketball and football programs, the graduation rates of football and men's basketball student-athletes, the support each school's football and men's basketball teams get from the administration and how well each school complies with the letter and spirit of NCAA rules. North Carolina, Notre Dame and Purdue rounded out the top five.
Another Record For Bell - With an appearance against Gonzaga, Charlie Bell played in his 138th game, surpassing Morris Peterson for the career lead in games played at MSU.
MSU In Dome Arenas - Michigan State has never played in the Georgia Dome, but they do have experience in dome arenas. MSU has won five of its last six games in domes. In addition to Friday's win over Gonzaga, the Spartans have two wins at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis in the 2000 Final Four and two wins in the Trans World Dome in St. Louis in the 1999 Midwest Regional. The Spartans lost to Duke in the 1999 Final Four in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
CB Busting Out - In the last two games, Charlie Bell has returned to his All-America form. Against Fresno State and Gonzaga, Bell is averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists. In addition, Gonzaga's Dan Dickau called him the best defender he's faced all year after shooting just 6-of-17 from the field against MSU.
Coaches Honor Spartans - Charlie Bell, Andre Hutson, Jason Richardson and Tom Izzo were recently honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Bell was named second-team All-America while Richardson earned third-team honors. Izzo was named NABC District 11 Coach of the Year. This is the third-straight season Izzo has received the honor. Hutson was named second-team All-District 11.
AP All-Americans - Jason Richardson and Charlie Bell were named Associated Press All-Americans this past week. Richardson earned a spot on the second team, while Bell was a third-team All-American. This is the second-straight season that two Spartans were honored as Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson were both second-team honorees in 2000.
The Champs! Round Four - Michigan State is just the fourth team in history to win four-straight regular-season Big Ten Championships, joining Chicago (1907-10), Ohio State (1960-64) and Indiana (1973-76).
A Class Act - The senior class of Charlie Bell, Mike Chappell, Andre Hutson, Brandon Smith and David Thomas has a record of 114-24 in the last three-plus seasons. With the win at Penn State on Feb. 24, 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.
A Class Act, Part Two - In addition to the Big Ten-record 113 wins, consider the other following accomplishments of the 2001 Spartan senior class: four-straight regular-season Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, back-to-back Final Four appearances, 2000 NCAA National Championship, four-straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history, 56-3 home record at the Breslin Center and a fourth-straight trip to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time in school history. On top of all that, all five seniors are on schedule to receive their undergraduate degree this May.
Halftime Leads Safe - Michigan State has a record of 25-0 when leading at the half this season. By comparison, the Spartans are just 2-4 when trailing after one half.
A Nice Trio - Charlie Bell, Andre Hutson and Jason Richardson all earned All-Big Ten Honors this season. Richardson earned first-team honors from both the coaches and media. Bell was a first-team selection by the media and a second-team honoree by the coaches. Hutson was selected to both second teams. MSU was the only school to have two members on either first team and the only one to have three players on the top two squads.
Big Ten Tourney Loss Doesn't Erase Hope - Losing in the Big Ten Tournament does not mean the Spartans can't repeat as NCAA Champions. Over the last 10 years, only four NCAA Champions had also won their conference tournament (Michigan State, 2000, Connecticut, 1999, Kentucky, 1998 and Duke, 1992). Four more lost in the conference tournament (Kentucky, 1996, Arkansas, 1994, North Carolina, 1993 and Duke, 1991) and two did not have a conference tournament in which to participate (Arizona, 1997 and UCLA, 1995). By contrast, winning the regular-season championship seems to be a prerequisite for a national championship as only one team over the last 10 years has won a national title without winning at least a share of its conference (Arizona, 1997).
Andre's Best Ball - Since Michigan State lost at Illinois on Feb. 6, Andre Hutson has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. Over the last 10 games, including the stretch run to win a fourth-straight regular-season Big Ten Championship, Hutson has averaged 15.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest.
Championships Are Won On The Road - MSU has received a lot of publicity for its 44-game home winning streak, but the Spartans are almost as impressive on the road. Since the beginning of the 1997-98 season, MSU is 58-21 away from the Breslin Center, 23-9 in the Big Ten.
Spartans In March - Michigan State has won 13 of its last 14 games in March and 20 of its last 22 in the month of March. Prior to losing to Penn Sate in the 2001 Big Ten Tourmament, MSU's last defeat in March was a 68-62 defeat to Duke in the 1999 Final Four (March 27, 1999).
MSU In Exclusive Company - Michigan State is one of just three teams in college basketball to have a current streak of four or more regular-season conference championships. Duke has won five-straight ACC Championships and Cincinnati has won six-straight Conference USA Championships.
No Shame In Sharing - For anyone who would discount MSU's four-straight conference championships because the titles were not won outright, consider the following fact. The three other teams to win four-straight Big Ten Championships also shared at least one of the championships. Ohio State (1960-64) shared two of the five (1963 and '64), Chicago (1907-10) shared two of four (1907 and '08) and Indiana (1973-76) shared one of four (1974).
A Familiar Face In The Starting Lineup - Charlie Bell has started 134 games in his Michigan State career, the most ever by a Spartan or any player in Big Ten history.
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.
Top 10 Streaks - Michigan State has been ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for 27 consecutive weeks. Only Stanford (37) and Duke (31) have longer active streaks.
Balanced Scoring Keys Victories - Michigan State is most successful when multiple players shoulder the offensive load. The Spartans are 18-0 when four or more players score in double figures. When three Spartans reach 10 points, they are 9-3. When only two players score 10, MSU is 0-1.
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, ranking sixth in the conference at 15.1 ppg. Andre Hutson's 7.6 rebounds per game rank sixth in the conference.
Dre's Shooting Touch - Andre Hutson leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in conference games, shooting 62.4%. Over the last 17 games, Hutson is shooting 66.7% (96-144). Following Hutson in Big Ten field-goal percentage is Zach Randolph in third at 58.5%.
You'll Miss More Than You Make - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense at 38.9 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 12 games this year.
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 two in 13 categories.
Monsters On The Boards - Michigan State leads the nation in rebounding margin at +15.7 rebounds per game through 31 games. During the 1999-2000 season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +11.7 rebounds per game. Since the NCAA began keeping rebounding margin as an official stat in 1973, only Manhattan has posted a more impressive margin at 18.5 in 1973. Only Iowa has outrebounded MSU this season.
In Fact, It's So Much About Boardwork That We Provide More Stats - * In the Spartans 27 victories, MSU is outrebounding opponents 1174-724, an average of 43.5-26.8 (+16.7).
* In the four losses, the count is 147-111, an average of 36.8-27.8 (+9.0).
* The Spartans have a rebound advantage of 39.9-26.5 (+13.4) in the Big Ten.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 42.8-26.6 (+16.2) at home.
* MSU owns a rebounding advantage of 42.5-27.3 (+15.2) on the road.
* In Tom Izzo's tenure, MSU has outrebounded 170 of 199 opponents, posting a 134-36 record in those games.
Second Chances - Through 31 games, Michigan State owns an impressive 485-297 advantage on the offensive glass. In fact, MSU has almost as many offensive rebounds (485) as its opponents have defensive boards (538). This means that the Spartans get the rebound after 47.4% of their own missed shots. In nine games, MSU has posted more offensive rebounds than its opponent had defensive boards.
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.
The 800 Club - Currently standing at 820 career boards, Andre Hutson is in fifth place on the MSU career rebounding list. That is where he will finish his career as he currently needs 86 more rebounds to tie Mike Peplowski for fourth place.
CB Climbing The Assist Ladder - With 365 career assists, Charlie Bell is among the career leaders in Michigan State history. Bell is currently in seventh place on the MSU career assists list. Bell needs 89 more assists to pass Steve Smith (453 assists) for seventh place on the all-time list.
1,000 - 500 Club - With six rebounds against Florida, Charlie Bell (1,451 points, 610 rebounds) became the 17th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career. Teammate Andre Hutson (1,362 points, 820 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 1,451 points, 610 rebounds and 365 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 32 dunks, but there is much more to his game. He leads the team with a 15.1 points-per-game scoring average. He is shooting 51.8% from the field, including a team-best 40.9% from three-point range. His defense is also impressive as he held Michigan's LaVell Blanchard to five points, 13 below his season average, in the regular-season finale.
Home Cooking - Michigan State owns the longest home winning streak in Division I basketball at 44 games. Over the 44-game stretch the Spartans have won by an average of 21.7 points. Six of the 44 games have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
Home Winning Streak Among Big Ten's Best - MSU's 44-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, 1959-63) and Penn State (45, 1951-55) also own streaks longer than MSU's current streak.
Mr. Double-Double (Almost) - Andre Hutson has posted six 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, 11 points, 16 rebounds vs. Penn State, 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. Alabama State and 19 points and 10 rebounds vs. Gonzaga. In seven 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.), Wisconsin (10 pts., 9 reb.), Michigan (19 pts., 9 reb.) and Penn State (17 pts., 9 reb.). For his career he has 15 double-doubles.
JR Earns Player Of The Week Honors - 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 was 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.
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.
Poll Regulars - Michigan State has spent the last 62 weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including 55-straight weeks in the top 15. This includes the Spartans' number-three ranking in the final AP poll.
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 31 games, MSU is 21-0 when scoring 70 points or more. When the Spartans fail to reach 70 points, their record falls to 6-4. Last season, MSU posted a 22-2 record when scoring more than 70 points.
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.
Reaching A Milestone - Andre Hutson (1,362 career points) needs 16 points to pass Julius McCoy (1,377) and become MSU's 14th-leading scorer. Teammate Charlie Bell has also reached 1,000 career points, with a current total of 1,451, good for 11th place. With 91 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. Seven of MSU's opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, including four in the top 10. They include North Carolina (5), Illinois (6), Florida (8), Kentucky (10), Indiana (21), Wisconsin (24) and Iowa (25).
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.
