Quick Turnaround Awaits Men's Basketball
12/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State BasketballMichigan State (8-2)vs. Toledo (6-4)December 30, 20027:00 P.M. ESTBreslin Center (14,759)East Lansing, Mich.
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: None
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Spartans Streaking - Since returning from Alaska with a 2-2 record, Michigan State has won six straight games. It is MSU's longest win streak since winning the final six games of the 2001 Big Ten season to record a fourth-straight Big Ten Championship. The Spartans have not won seven straight games since winning the first 12 games of the 2000-01 season. During the current six-game stretch, MSU is shooting 48.4 percent from the field (43.7 percent from three-point range), while holding opponents to 38.9 percent shooting (32.5 percent from behind the arc).
Game 10 Notes - Michigan State 76 - Jacksonville St. 52
* Michigan State outrebounded Jacksonville State, 42-23. The +19 rebound margin was the Spartans' largest of the season.
* Midway through the second half with MSU holding a 41-31 lead, the Spartans went on an 18-3 run over 6:50 to extend their lead to 59-34.
* Chris Hill's four steals tied his career high established earlier this season vs. Cleveland State, while he also recorded his 100th career three-pointer.
* Michigan State's defense held Jacksonville State to just 20.8 percent three-point shooting (5-of-24), the lowest percentage by a MSU opponent this year.
* Michigan State committed a season-high 21 turnovers.
* Michigan State was held without a field goal for the last 7:39 of the first half, but did score eight points from the foul line over that stretch.
Probable StartersMichigan State Spartans (8-2) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #25 Aloysius Anagonye (Sr., 6-8, 260)7.9 6.2 0.6F - #15 Alan Anderson (So., 6-6, 220) 9.6 3.4 3.1F - #55 Adam Ballinger (Sr., 6-9, 250) 7.6 3.8 1.3G - #5 Chris Hill (So., 6-3, 190) 16.1 3.0 4.6G - #23 Kelvin Torbert (So., 6-4, 215) 8.4 3.3 1.4
Toledo Rockets (6-4) Ppg. Rpg. Apg.F - #4 Milo Kirsh (Sr., 6-7, 215) 4.9 3.7 1.7 BlocksF - #44 Ricardo Thomas (Jr., 6-7, 217) 7.3 5.7 3.2G - #12 Nick Moore (Sr., 6-1, 185) 14.9 3.3 3.2G - #24 Sammy Villegas (Fr., 6-6, 195) 11.1 2.6 2.5G - #34 Keith Triplett (Jr., 6-3, 184) 16.3 5.1 2.0
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 175-67 (.723), 82-34 (.707) 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 167 wins in his first seven years give him the fifth most by a coach in his first seven seasons of coaching in college basketball history. In his seven seasons of coaching, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors three times, including NABC honors in 2001. 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.
Izzo's Two Decades - The 2002-03 season marks Tom Izzo's 20th with the Spartan basketball program. Now in his eighth year as a head coach, Izzo spent 12 years as an assistant under Jud Heathcote.
Toledo Notes
Coach Joplin - Stan Joplin (Toledo, '79) is in seventh season as head coach at Toledo with a record of 109-77. Under his guidance, the Rockets have made two NIT appearances in the last four seasons, the school's first post-season appearances since 1981.
Spartans Vs. Rockets - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Toldeo, 4-2, including a 2-1 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Prior to a meeting in the 1999-2000 season, the two teams had not met since the 1973-74 campaign.
Spartan Roots - Before becoming the head coach at Toledo, Stan Joplin served as a Spartan assistant for six seasons. From 1990-95, Joplin served under Jud Heathcote, before being a part of Tom Izzo's first MSU staff in 1995-96. Joplin is one of three former Izzo assistants now serving as Division I head coaches, including Marquette's Tom Crean and Arkansas' Stan Heath.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State and Toledo last met in the 1999-2000 season opener. The Spartans were without injured All-American Mateen Cleaves, but still cruised to a 78-33 victory on Nov. 22, 1999. Toledo's 33 points are still the second fewest allowed by a Tom Izzo coached squad, as the Rockets shot just 13-of-50 from the field. Morris Peterson (19 points and 10 rebounds) and Andre Hutson (15 pts., 10 reb.) each recorded double-doubles to lead the Spartans. Michigan State held Toledo without a point for the final 7:54 of the game and outrebounded the Rockets, 45-20.
Rocket Notes - Toledo has a record of 2-4 away from its homecourt this season, including 1-2 on an opponent's court ... the Rockets are attempting 21.8 three-point field goals per game ... Toledo is committing 18.2 turnovers per game, compared to just 13.2 assists ... Keith Triplett is averaging 23.0 points per game and shooting 68.4 percent (39-of-57) from the field over the last five games.
MSU Basketball Notes
A Confusing Coaching Tree - When Stan Joplin left MSU to become head coach at Toledo, he took Brian Gregory with him as an assistant coach. Joplin's and Gregory's departures left vacancies on the MSU staff which were filled by Stan Heath and current Spartan assistant Mike Garland. Gregory would leave Toledo after one season to become an assistant at Northwestern, before returning to MSU for the 1999-2000 season, a year in which the season-opening game was against Toledo.
Defensive Pressure - Michigan State's defense over the last three games has been especially strong, holding opponents to 35.4 percent shooting, including 24.6 percent from three-point range, and just 54.0 points per game. During the stretch, Jacksonville State's 36.2 percent shooting was the best by an opponent, while Loyola's 28.0 percent shooting from behind the arc was the top three-point percentage. The Spartans are also outrebounding their last three opponents by a +12.0 margin. Loyola, who scored 25 first-half points, is the only opponent to score more than 20 points in the first period, as South Florida managed just 17 and Jacksonville State scored 19.
Wolfe's Return - Adam Wolfe appeared in the season opener vs. UNC Asheville in his first action since a Jan. 19 hamstring injury that left doubt as to whether he would ever play again. Due to inconsistency in his ability to practice in the days following the game, Wolfe underwent further rehabilitation, missing eight straight games. He returned to practice following the holiday break and played 12 minutes vs. Jacksonville State, scoring four points. Last season, Wolfe averaged 20.9 minutes, 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 17 contests.
Sledding Through December - After a rocky 2-2 record in November, the Spartans have proven to be a force in December, posting a 6-0 record this month with one game remaining in the 2002 calendar year. Should Michigan State beat Toledo, the Spartans would post their first perfect month since December 2000.
Ager's Impact - Freshman Maurice Ager missed the first six games of the year with a stress fracture in his right foot. He made his regular-season debut in front of 23,145 people against Kentucky in Lexington. He played 14 minutes off the bench and hit his first shot, a floating jumper in the lane after dribble penetration. He also added a three-pointer in the second half. That performance was followed by a six-point, five-rebound effort vs. Loyola, including a spectacular dunk in transition that showed just a glimpse of his athleticism that had Coach Izzo singing his praises during the first weeks of practice. Ager also adds a perimeter threat as he has already attempted eight three-pointers in three games, ranking tied for third on the team. During practice on Christmas Day, Ager fainted and was taken to the hospital for two days of tests. He missed the Jacksonville State contest and is not expected to play vs. Toledo, but should return to practice this week.
Too Many Turnovers - Turnovers continue to be a problem for Michigan State. After averaging 17.2 per game through the first six games, the Spartans averaged just 13.3 turnovers over the next three. The Jacksonville State contest, however, brought a return of the old ways as MSU committed a season-high 21 turnovers.
Fast Starts - Michigan State has made a habit of jumping out to early leads over its opponents. Consider these game opening runs by the Spartans this season: 11-0 vs. UNC Asheville, 16-3 vs. Montana, 12-3 vs. Oklahoma State, 12-4 vs. Kentucky, 22-4 vs. South Florida, 12-3 vs. Jacksonville State.
Balanced Scoring - Chris Hill is leading Michigan State in scoring at 16.1 points per game. No other Spartans, however, are averaging double-figures. Although it's too early to expect this trend to continue, Michigan State has not had just one player average in double figures since the 1955-56 season when Julius McCoy averaged 27.2 points. While Hill is currently the only Spartan in double-figures, several players are contributing to the offensive attack as MSU has seven players averaging six points per game or more this season.
Alan Of All Trades - Since returning from Alaska, Alan Anderson has been a steady contributor, while being asked to do a little bit of everything. The natural wing is usually asked to guard one of the opponents' top offensive perimeter players, and has also moved into duty as MSU's reserve point guard. In the last six games, Anderson is averaging 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. As a sign of consistency, he has scored in double-figures in each of his last six contests.
Getting To The Charity Stripe - Last season, Michigan State shot 77.1 percent (442-of-573) from the free throw line, ranking fifth in the nation. The problem was that MSU attempted just 18.5 free throws per game, finishing the year with just 12 more attempts than its opponents. This season, the Spartans are shooting 73.3 percent (184-of-251). The difference is that the Spartans are averaging 25.1 attempts per game. This means the Spartans are scoring over four points a game more from the foul line this year. That is significant in that MSU lost five games last season by four points or less, including four in the Big Ten season.
Getting To The Charity Stripe, Part II - In a true sign of an aggressive offensive nature, the Spartans have made more free throws (184) than their opponents have attempted (183).
It's All About Boardwork - Through 10 games, the Spartans have a +8.2 rebounding margin to lead the Big Ten, outrebounding nine of their 10 opponents. Against Jacksonville State, Michigan State recorded a season-best +19 rebound margin. The 2001-02 season marked the fifth-straight year in which Michigan State led the Big Ten in rebound margin, outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.9 boards per game. In Tom Izzo's seven years as head coach, Michigan State has never ranked worse than second in the Big Ten in rebound margin.
Anagonye's Emergence - As one of Michigan State's two scholarship seniors, Aloysius Anagonye is counted on for solid contributions in the post. He leads the Spartans with 6.2 rebounds per game, including averaging 6.9 boards in the last seven contests. Just as important, Anagonye is staying out of foul trouble. With the exception of the Villanova contest, where he fouled out in just 10 minutes, Anagonye has not picked up more than three fouls in any contest.
From Way Downtown - In just a little over one year, Chris Hill has established himself as one of the finest shooters in Michigan State history. He currently ranks eighth on the MSU career list with 101 made three-pointers. His career three-point field-goal percentage of .451 ranks third in MSU history. This season, Hill is 35-of-76 (.461) from three-point range.
The Soft Touch - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .561 for his career (213-of-380), which ranks sixth in MSU history. Ballinger is shooting .543 (197-of-363), which ranks 10th.
One For The Thumb - Last season, Michigan State missed becoming just the second team in Big Ten history to win five straight conference championships, finishing just one game out of first place. This season, however, the Spartans still have a chance to reach elite status by winning a fifth Big Ten crown in a span of six years. Only the Ohio State squads of 1960-64 that captured five championships in a row can claim such an honor. Block Party - Senior Aloysius Anagonye ranks fourth on the MSU career blocked shots list with 73 rejections. With two blocks, he will tie Andre Hutson at 75 for third place. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, is 10th on the career blocks chart with 60, just one short of Anthony Miller's 61 in ninth place.
The Breslin Experience - Although MSU's 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped in 2002, the Breslin Center continues to be one of college basketball's great homecourt advantages. Over the past four years, Michigan State has won 65 of its last 67 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .970. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 73 consecutive regular-season games. MSU has also won 36 consecutive non-conference home games.
Preseason Favorites - Michigan State was selected as the preseason favorite for the Big Ten Championship by both the league's media and coaches. Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans welcome the expectations as it signifies a sign of respect for the program. It is also a sign that the Spartans are a true team that relies on many different players as no individual was selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team. Michigan State was last tabbed as the preseason favorite in 2001, when it finished in a tie for first place.
Significant Depth - After playing the 2001-02 season with just eight recruited scholarship players (before injuries), the Spartans feature great depth in 2002-03. Depth, a common factor on Michigan State's Final Four squads, leads to more competitive practices, while also allowing Coach Izzo to play the aggressive defense and up-tempo game he prefers.
Young At Heart - Depth does not always equal experience. Although Michigan State has eight players returning who averaged more than 10 minutes per game in 2001-02, just four players (Aloysius Anagonye, Jason Andreas, Adam Ballinger and Adam Wolfe) have more than one year of playing experience with the Spartans. MSU does not have a backcourt player with more than one year of experience.
Dominating The Big Ten - Over the past five seasons, Michigan State has posted a 64-16 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .800. Illinois is the only other team to have as many as 50 conference wins over that same time period, posting a 51-29 mark.
In The Polls - Michigan State is ranked 15th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Dec. 23. Four Spartan opponents are ranked, including No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 7 Illinois, No. 11 Indiana and No. 14 Kentucky. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Dec. 23, MSU is also ranked 15th, while four opponents (No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 7 Illinois, No. 10 Indiana and No. 14 Kentucky) are ranked.
Coaching Consistency - One of the keys to MSU's success is continuity on the coaching staff. The four member coaching staff have been at MSU for a combined 43 years. Tom Izzo is in his 20th season as a Spartan, having spent the first 12 as an assistant. Associate head coach Brian Gregory is in his 10th year at MSU and fourth year in his current stint. Mike Garland is a college teammate of Izzo's and has been an assistant for seven of Izzo's eight years as head coach. Mark Montgomery is in his second season as an assistant, after four years (1988-92) as MSU's point guard.
Hill Is Most Recent Wooden Nominee - Chris Hill is one of this year's 50 John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-Americans. He is just the latest Spartan to be nominated for the prestigious award. Last season, Marcus Taylor was a preseason honoree. In 2000-01, both Charlie Bell and Andre Hutson were preseason nominees while Bell and Jason Richardson were among the 20 finalists. At season's end, Bell was named a Wooden All-American. During the 1999-2000 season, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson were both recognized as Wooden All-Americans, an honor that Cleaves also received in 1999.
Air Time - Over the last four years, Michigan State has averaged over 29 television broadcasts per year, including more than 21 per year on national television networks. In 2002-03, MSU will have 24 regular-season games televised (not including postseason). Of those 24, 16 could be broadcast by national networks, including eight on ESPN, three on ESPN2 and five more on CBS.
Home To Mr. Basketball - The last four recipients of Michigan's Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have all gone on to wear a Spartan jersey. Jason Richardson (Saginaw Arthur Hill HS) won the award in 1999, followed by Marcus Taylor (Lansing Waverly HS) in 2000, Kelvin Torbert (Flint Northwestern HS) in 2001 and Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002.
Tough Opponents - Michigan State's 2002-03 schedule features 14 teams that appeared in postseason play in 2002. NCAA Tournament teams include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. Iowa, Minnesota, South Florida, Syracuse, Villanova and Virginia all appeared in the National Invitation Tournament.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past four seasons, five McDonald's All-Americans have joined the Spartan squad, including Jason Richardson in 1999, Marcus Taylor and McDonald's All-American All-Star game MVP Zach Randolph in 2000, Kelvin Torbert in 2001 and Paul Davis in 2002.
Spartans In The NBA - Michigan State led the Big Ten with eight players on opening day rosters in the NBA. Listed below is an update on eight former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Dec. 29.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 2 GP, 2.0 mpg, 0.5 ppg, 0.5 apg, currently on injured list Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 30 GP, 38.0 mpg, 15.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 26 GP, 13.3 mpg, 7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 29 GP, 34.5 mpg, 15.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 22 GP, 26.1 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.9 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 29 GP, 38.5 mpg, 10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 7.4 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 26 GP, 11.8 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Spartans Keep Reloading - Michigan State signed three players to National Letters of Intent in the early signing period. The class is a consensus top-five class, including a No. 4 ranking from recruiting analyst Dave Telep.
Shannon Brown (G, 6-3, 190, Maywood, Ill./Proviso East) is the consensus pick as the No. 1 shooting guard in the nation. As a junior, he averaged 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals en route to earning first-team all-state honors. Overall, Dave Telep and Bob Gibbons have him ranked as the No. 9 player in the nation.
Brandon Cotton (G, 6-0, 170, Detroit/DePorres) averaged 28.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior. He earned Class C All-State and All-Detroit honors from both the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. Cotton is ranked the No. 17 player in the nation and No. 3 point guard in the country by PrepStars.com. Cotton led DePorres to a 17-4 record and a Catholic AA Division title.
Drew Naymick (C, 6-10, 235, Muskegon/North Muskegon) averaged 21.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.4 blocks as a junior, earning Class C All-State honors. He also shot a remarkable 70.6 percent from the field. Over the summer, he gained significant national experience while playing at the 2002 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival (with Brown and Cotton) and participating at the Nike Camp where he was named to Dave Telep's All-Nike Camp team.
