Michigan State Travels To Illinois For Tuesday Night Contest
2/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State BasketballMichigan State (14-9, 6-5)vs. Illinois (16-5, 6-4)
February 18, 20037:00 P.M. ESTAssembly Hall (16,500)Champaign, Ill.
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN - Dave Barnett (Play by Play), Tim McCormick (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Spartans Travel To Illinois - Michigan State travels to Illinois for the second meeting between the two teams in just over two weeks. The Fighting Illini are a perfect 11-0 at Assembly Hall this season, including 4-0 in the Big Ten. The Spartans, however, have shown the ability to win in hostile arenas, as they are the only visiting team to win at either Indiana or Kentucky this year. Following the Illinois contest, MSU will close the season with four of its last five games at home in the Breslin Center.
Game 23 Notes - Michigan State 64 - Northwestern 51
* Kelvin Torbert scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line.
* Michigan State forced 20 Northwestern turnovers, the highest total by any of MSU's Big Ten opponents this year.
* Aloysius Anagonye was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 1-of-1 from the free throw line en route to his 13 points.
* Michigan State gathered 15 offensive rebounds, including 11 in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats, 12-2, in second chance points in the second half. Anagonye led the way with six offensive boards.
* The Spartans committed seven turnovers in the first nine minutes of the game, but just five more in the final 31 minutes.
Dominating The Big Ten - Since the 1997-98 season, Michigan State and Illinois have been the two most successful programs in the Big Ten. MSU has posted a 70-21 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .769. Illinois has the second-best record over that same time period, posting a 57-33 mark. Over that stretch, the Spartans won four straight Big Ten Championships, while the Illini won three titles. Michigan State and Illinois shared conference titles in 1998 and 2001.
Who's Next - Three different Spartans have recorded career highs in Michigan State's last three games. The streak started with Paul Davis scoring a career-best 21 points in a 67-62 overtime victory at Indiana. Erazem Lorbek was next on the list, scoring all 19 of his career-high total in the second half of the Wisconsin contest. Most recently, Kelvin Torbert scored 22 points vs. Northwestern, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line.
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 181-74 (.710), 88-39 (.693) 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.
Illinois Notes
Coach Self - Bill Self (Oklahoma State, '85) is in third season as head coach at Illinois with a record of 69-22. Overall, he is in his 10th season as a college head coach with a record of 198-103, with stops at Oral Roberts (1993-97) and Tulsa (1997-2000).
Spartans Vs. Illini - The all-time series between Michigan State and Illinois is tied at 47. The Illini own a 30-15 advantage in games played in Champaign. Michigan State has won seven of the last nine games in the series. Tom Izzo is 10-5 vs. Illinois, including 3-3 in Champaign.
Illini Notes - Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the nation in assists per game (18.1 apg) ... Illini opponents are shooting .373 from the field, which ranks second in the nation ... Illinois is 36-1 at Assembly Hall under Bill Self, with the only loss coming to Michigan State (67-61) on Feb. 3, 2002 ... Brian Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring at 20.9 ppg and has scored 20 or more points in 10 of his last 13 games.
MSU Basketball Notes
Victorious In Assembly Hall - The last time Michigan State traveled to Illinois' Assembly Hall, the Spartans left with a rare win by an Illini opponent, taking a 67-61 victory. The Spartans led 36-33 at the half thanks to 12 points from Marcus Taylor. In the opening minutes of the second half, however, Taylor suffered a concussion and missed the rest of the game. Adam Ballinger led the Spartans down the stretch, scoring seven of his team-high 18 points in the final four minutes. Chris Hill scored 13 points off the bench and Alan Anderson added 11. For Illinois, Brian Cook scored 22 points, but just two after halftime. The Illini shot just 39 percent from the field and missed their final eight shots of the contest.
A Spartan Comeback - Michigan State and Illinois met earlier this season on Feb. 2, 2003, with the Spartans claiming a 68-65 victory. The Spartans got off to a slow start and trailed by 14 points (38-24) with two minutes remaining in the half, before closing the half on a 10-2 run capped off by an Alan Anderson three-pointer at the buzzer. MSU continued its comeback by scoring eight of the first 10 points in the second half to tie the game at 42. A Maurice Ager three-pointer at 14:28 gave MSU its first lead of the game at 45-44. After that, neither team led by more than four points for the rest of the game. With 1:03 left in the game and MSU leading 65-64, the Spartans called a timeout. It didn't take long for MSU to capitalize as Chris Hill nailed a three-pointer with 59 seconds remaining to give the Spartans a 68-64 advantage that would hold up for a victory. Anderson and Paul Davis led the way for the Spartans with 15 points each. For Anderson, 11 of his points came as the MSU offense struggled in the first half. For Davis, the 15 points were a career high at the time of the game as the freshman managed to get to the free throw line 14 times, converting on nine attempts. Davis also grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds. Defensively, MSU got Illinois senior Brian Cook in foul trouble and held the Big Ten's leading scorer to just 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Strength Of Schedule - According to Collegerpi.com, Michigan State boasts the 18th-toughest schedule in the nation and the second best in the Big Ten. The Spartans also have an RPI ranking of No. 37. MSU opponents ranked in the RPI top 50 include No. 2 Kentucky, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Syracuse, No. 16 Purdue, No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 28 Illinois, No. 34 Indiana, No. 41 Villanova, No. 45 Minnesota and No. 50 Virginia. (Rankings updated as of Feb. 16.)
Shooting On The Rise - Michigan State opened the Big Ten shooting 36.5 percent (80-of-219) from the field in its first four conference games. Since then, the Spartans have shown improvement, shooting 47.6 percent (167-of-351) in the last seven games. Over the last five games, MSU is shooting 49.8 percent (118-of-237). In the non-conference schedule, the Spartans shot 48.5 percent (293-of-604).
Solid Defense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense in conference games, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.3 percent (211-of-537) from the field. In their four conference home games, the Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot just 37.3 percent from the field (88-of-236).
Second Half Defense - Despite allowing Wisconsin to shoot 45.5 percent in the second half, Michigan State's defense after halftime has been outstanding in Big Ten play. Spartan opponents are shooting 36.2 percent (89-of-246) after the break. Consider the following defensive performances: Ohio State - 32.1% (9-of-28), Iowa - 34.8% (8-of-23), Purdue - 26.3% (5-of-19), Minnesota - 40.9% (9-of-22), Penn State - 28.6% (6-of-21), Michigan 36.8% (7-of-19), Indiana - 36.8% (7-of-19), Illinois - 33.3% (7-of-21), Indiana - 40.0% (12-of-30, overtime included), Wisconsin - 45.5% (10-of-22) and Northwestern - 40.9% (9-of-22).
Learning To Win The Close Ones - In each of Michigan State's nine losses, the Spartans were within at least four points with three minutes or less remaining. Prior to January 28, a 71-67 victory at Kentucky was the only contest in which Michigan State won a game down the stretch. In MSU's last three victories, however, the Spartans have come up with big plays in the clutch. Leading 56-54 against Indiana, Adam Ballinger knocked down a three-pointer with 39 seconds remaining. Against Illinois, the Spartans held a one-point lead with one minute remaining until Chris Hill hit a three-pointer to give MSU a 68-64 lead with 59 seconds remaining. Most recently, the Spartans defeated Indiana in overtime, holding the Hoosiers to 1-of-9 shooting from the field in the extra period.
An Impressive Non-Conference Slate - Now that college basketball is in the third week of February, it is becoming apparent that the Spartans had a difficult non-conference schedule with several talented opponents. Kentucky is 20-3 overall, 10-0 in the SEC. Villanova is 14-9 overall, but 7-3 and leading in the East Division of the Big East Conference ahead of Connecticut. Oklahoma State is 19-4 and second in the Big 12 with an 8-2 mark. Oklahoma is one game back in the Big 12 standings with an 8-2 mark, 17-4 overall. Virginia is 5-6 in the ACC, including an impressive road win at Maryland to stand at 14-9 overall. (Records through Feb. 16.)
Defensive Stoppers - Recently, the Spartans have made a habit of holding the opponent's top scorer in check. Michigan's LaVell Blanchard entered the MSU game averaging 17.8 points. He was held to two points on 0-of-5 shooting, with both points coming at the free throw line in the final minute when the Spartans were forced to foul. Indiana's Bracey Wright entered the first Indiana game averaging 19.1 points, but managed to score just four against MSU on 1-of-6 shooting in 29 minutes of action. Against Illinois, the Spartans got Brian Cook in foul trouble, limiting the Big Ten's leading scorer to 13 points, eight below his 21.1 scoring average. In MSU's overtime win at Indiana, although Bracey Wright scored 20, the Spartans held Tom Coverdale and Kyle Hornsby to a combined 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Wisconsin's Kirk Penney scored 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, slightly below his 16.6 scoring average. Most recently, Northwestern's Jitim Young scored just 10 points after averaging 15.0 ppg in Big Ten contests.
Limiting Turnovers In The Big Ten - After averaging 16.3 turnovers in the non-conference, Michigan State has done a much better job of taking care of the ball in the conference, committing 13.6 turnovers per game. MSU is averaging just 12.6 turnovers over the last seven games. Overall, the Spartans are averaging 15.0 turnovers on the season, with a -0.7 turnover margin.
Little Things Make A Difference - The reason that turnovers and missed free throws are such a cause for concern is that Michigan State has had a legitimate chance of winning every game this year. The Spartans' nine losses have been by a combined 55 points, an average of 6.1 points per loss. But the games have been even closer than that stat indicates. In each loss, MSU has either been ahead or trailed by four points or less with three minutes or less remaining. Against Villanova, the Spartans trailed by one point with three minutes remaining. In the Oklahoma State game, MSU led by six points with 4:47 left and by one point with 1:43 left. Against Toledo, the game was tied in the final minute, while MSU trailed by just one point with less than 20 seconds remaining vs. Oklahoma. Against Iowa, the Spartans had a one-point lead with under two minutes left and had the ball in a tie game with one minute remaining. In the Purdue contest, MSU was down by just three points with 1:13 remaining. Michigan State trailed Minnesota, 69-65, with 1:48 remaining and possession of the ball. MSU and Michigan were tied with under two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Most recently vs. Wisconsin, the score was tied at 48 with less than five minutes and the Spartans trailed by four points with less than a minute remaining.
Ager's Impact - Over his last 12 games since returning to the Spartan lineup, freshman Maurice Ager is averaging 7.3 points, ranking fourth on the team. In Big Ten games, he is MSU's fourth-leading scorer at 6.9 points per contest. Ager missed the first six games of the year with a stress fracture in his right foot and made his regular-season debut in front of 23,145 people against Kentucky in Lexington. He played 14 minutes off the bench and scored five points. Ager adds a perimeter threat as he has attempted 38 three-pointers in 15 games, ranking second on the team. During a Dec. 25 practice, Ager fainted and underwent two days of tests forcing him to miss the Jacksonville State and Toledo contests. This season, Ager has participated in less than half of MSU's practices.
Ager Influences Bench Attack - When Maurice Ager is healthy and in the lineup, the Spartans have a much more potent bench. In the 15 games in which Ager has played, MSU's bench is outscoring the opponents' benches by a combined 169 points, an average of +11.3 per game. By comparison, MSU's bench was outscored by 34 points in the eight games that Ager missed, an average of -4.25 per contest.
Rebounding And Defense Key In Victories - Michigan State's defense and rebounding are two keys to its performance. In MSU's 14 wins, the Spartans are holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting and own a rebound margin of +7.4. In the nine losses, MSU opponents are shooting 43.1 percent, including 36.8 percent from long range. On the boards, the Spartans own a +5.1 advantage in the defeats.
Turnover Margin Critical - With Michigan State committing a large number of turnovers, turnover margin is a key indicator of MSU's chances of victory. The Spartans are 9-1 when committing the same number or fewer turnovers than their opponents. However, they are just 5-8 when committing more turnovers.
It's All About Boardwork - Through 23 games, the Spartans have a +6.5 rebounding margin to lead the Big Ten, outrebounding 18 of their 23 opponents and tying three others. 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 tenure as head coach, Michigan State has never ranked worse than second in the Big Ten in rebound margin.
Shooting For Seventy - The 70-point barrier seems to be an important one for Michigan State's offense. The Spartans are 7-2 when scoring 70 points or more, but just 7-7 when failing to reach 70 points. The Spartans have scored 70 points just once in the Big Ten.
Torbert's Breakout - Since recovering from ankle surgery that forced him to miss most of MSU's preseason practices, Kelvin Torbert has shown flashes of the skills that made him the national high school player of the year coming out of Flint Northwestern High School. Over the last 15 games, he is MSU's second-leading scorer at 10.4 points per game, while averaging 4.9 rebounds per contest, which also ranks second on the squad.
The Soft Touch - Senior Aloysius Anagonye is among the top field-goal shooters in Michigan State history. Anagonye is shooting .564 for his career (250-of-443), which ranks sixth in MSU history.
Block Party - Senior Aloysius Anagonye ranks third on the MSU career blocked shots list with 81 rejections. Anagonye's teammate, Adam Ballinger, ranks ninth on the career blocks chart with 63.
From Way Downtown - In a year-and-a-half, 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 129 made three-pointers. His career three-point field-goal percentage of .426 ranks sixth in MSU history. This season, Hill is 63-of-155 (.406) from three-point range and 39-of-81 (.481) from inside the arc.
Spartans Hit Hard By Injuries - Injuries are a part of sports, but they usually don't hit a squad as hard they have attacked the Spartans this season. In fact, Michigan State's Jan. 16 practice marked the first time this season that all 13 scholarship players participated in the same practice, only to see Paul Davis injured in that practice. The Jan. 18 Minnesota game was the first contest in which all 12 non-redshirting scholarship players participated, although Davis' ankle injury limited him to four minutes. Alan Anderson (3), Maurice Ager (8), Rashi Johnson (9) and Adam Wolfe (8) have combined to miss 28 games due to injury, while several other Spartans have missed multiple practices throughout the year. While people understand the effect that missing games has on the team, the effect of missed practices is not as easy to comprehend. With a young Spartan team, practices are essential to developing continuity among teammates.
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 72.6 percent (374-of-515) and are averaging 22.4 attempts per game.
Not Always Free - Although the Spartans are getting to the free throw line more this year, they are struggling to take advantage of the opportunities. Through the first seven games of the year, Michigan State shot 77.7 percent (122-of-157) to lead the Big Ten Conference. In the last 16 games, MSU has shot 70.4 percent (252-of-358). This includes a 29-of-30 effort vs. Ohio State. If the OSU contest is not included, MSU is shooting 68.0 percent (223-of-328) over 15 of the last 16 games. In the Spartans' nine defeats, they are shooting 69.6 percent (133-of-191) from the line, compared to 74.4 percent (241-of-324) in the 13 victories.
The Breslin Experience - Although MSU's Big Ten-record 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped in 2002, the Breslin Center continues to be one of college basketball's great homecourt advantages. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 70 of its last 73 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .959. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 79 consecutive regular-season games.
Looking For A Second Option - Chris Hill is leading Michigan State in scoring at 13.8 points per game. No other Spartans, however, are averaging double-figures. 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 eight players averaging at least 6.0 points per game or more this season and five averaging at least 7.2 or more.
Hill Ranks Among Big Ten Leaders - Chris Hill ranks in the top 10 in of five Big Ten statistical categories (all games), including eighth in assists (4.00 apg), tied for second in steals (1.74 spg), fourth in three-point field-goal percentage (.406), second in three-point field goals made (2.74) and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.53). In conference games, he ranks eighth in assists (3.73 apg), tied for sixth in steals (1.45 spg), eighth in three-point field-goal percentage (.353), fourth in three-point field goals made (2.18) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95).
Coaching Consistency - One of the keys to MSU's success is continuity on the coaching staff. The four members of the 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.
Ranked Opponents - Six Spartan opponents are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Feb. 10, including No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 13 Illinois, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Syracuse and No. 25 Purdue. In The Associated Press Top 25 released on Feb. 10, five opponents including No. 3 Kentucky, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Illinois and No. 17 Syracuse.
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.
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 Feb. 17.)
Mateen Cleaves (Sacramento): 12 GP, 4.6 mpg, 1.3 ppg, 0.8 apg, Jamie Feick (New Jersey): 0 GP, currently on injured list Morris Peterson (Toronto): 51 GP, 36.7 mpg, 14.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 49 GP, 14.9 mpg, 7.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 52 GP, 33.1 mpg, 15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg Steve Smith (San Antonio): 35 GP, 22.9 mpg, 7.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.5 apg Eric Snow (Philadelphia): 52 GP, 39.0 mpg, 12.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.8 apg Kevin Willis (San Antonio): 44 GP, 12.0 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 3.4 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.
