Men's Basketball Hosts Delaware State On Saturday
12/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#18/21 Michigan State (5-2)vs. Delaware State (2-5)
Dec. 18, 20042 p.m. ESTEast Lansing, Mich.Breslin Center (14,759)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: ESPN Plus Local - Mike Gleason (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (color)
Local Clearances: Lansing - WLAJ; Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek - WXSP; Flint/Saginaw/Bay City - WFUM; Traverse City/Cadillac - WFQX
Tickets: A limited number of tickets are available for Saturday's game. Tickets may be purchased online at www.msuspartans.com, in person at the athletic ticket office in Jenison Field House or by phone at 517-355-1610 or 1-800-GO-STATE.
Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
After a week of taking academic finals, Michigan State hosts Delaware State on Dec. 18 in the Spartans' first home game since Nov. 27, and the Hornets' final contest in an eight-game stretch to open the season. MSU's next three games will be at the Breslin Center, where the Spartans opened the season with three straight 100-point performances.
The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)
Good To Be Back Home - Michigan State has been extremely productive offensively in its three home games. The Spartans are averaging 103.3 points, shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from 3-point range at the Breslin Center.
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in six out of seven games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 91 more points (13 per game). In four of the seven games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including three of 19 or more.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State is doing a much better job rebounding the basketball this season than it did last year. The Spartans are out-rebounding their opponents by a +9.1 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 14.1 offensive boards per game. MSU leads the conference in both rebounding margin and offensive rebounds. Rebounding is also a good indicator of the team's success. MSU is 5-0 when it outrebounds its opponent, 0-2 when it is outrebounded.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State's impressive offensive performance has been the result of a team effort. Six Spartans are averaging in double figures, led by Maurice Ager at 15.9 ppg. By comparison, just three Spartans averaged in double figures last year, after Chris Hill was the only player to do so in 2002-03.
Davis Earns Big Ten POW Honors - After scoring a season-best 20 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds vs. Stanford, Paul Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 13. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in recording the 10th 20-point game of his career.
Getting To The Charity Stripe - Michigan State has done a good job getting to the foul line this season, averaging 23.7 attempts per game. For the season, the Spartans have made more free throws (132) than their opponents have attempted (130). As a team, MSU is shooting 79.5 percent from the foul line, including six Spartans who are shooting better than 80 percent. Among players with at least 10 attempts, Shannon Brown paces the way, connecting on 90.3 percent of his attempts (28-of-31).
Game 7 Notes - MSU 78 - Stanford 53 - Dec. 11, 2004
* Paul Davis scored a season-high 20 points. It was the 10th 20-point game of his career. MSU is 7-3 when he scores 20 or more points.
* Michigan State shot 65.2 percent in the second half, including 57.1 percent from 3-point range, after shooting 37.0 percent in the first half, including 12.5 percent from behind the arc.
* The Spartans committed five turnovers in the first 8:22 of the game, and just six more in the final 31:38. The 11 turnovers were the second-lowest total of the season.
* MSU held Stanford's Dan Grunfeld to just six points. He entered the game averaging a team-best 19.4 points per game.
* Chris Hill recorded a season-best eight assists against just two turnovers.
* Drew Naymick blocked a career-best three shots and scored a career-high five points.
* Michigan State improved to 5-2 all-time at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Delaware State Notes
Coach Jackson - Greg Jackson (St. Paul's, '80) is 59-60 in his fifth year at Delaware State. Overall, he is 222-137 in 14 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
Hornet Notes - Delaware State was picked to finish fifth in the MEAC in a preseason poll ... Forward Terrance Hunter was a second-team all-league pick last year and has earned preseason All-MEAC first-team honors ... The Hornets are allowing opponents to shoot 55.2 percent from the field ... This will be the final game in an eight-game road trip to open the season for the Hornets ... Delaware State opened the season with an 87-67 loss at Illinois. The Hornets shot 57.1 percent from the field in that game, but allowed the Fighting Illini to connect on 63.6 percent.
Series History - This is the first meeting between Michigan State and Delaware State. The Spartans are 3-0 all-time against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, including a 104-72 win over Florida A&M earlier this season.
MSU Basketball Notes
Hitting The Mark - Last season, Michigan State was the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (5th, .492), free-throw percentage (4th, .771) and 3-point field-goal percentage (8th, .401). Through seven games this year, the Spartans are even better, shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from 3-point range and 79.5 percent from the free-throw line. MSU's shooting should come as no surprise considering the team returns its top six scorers from a 2003-04 squad that became the first team ever to lead the Big Ten in league games in field-goal percentage (.522), 3-point field-goal percentage (.434), free-throw percentage (.777) and scoring offense (71.3 ppg) (conference games only).
MSU In Big Ten Rankings - Michigan State currently leads the Big Ten in six statistical categories, including scoring offense (87.3 ppg), scoring margin (+21.6), free throw percentage (.795), rebounding offense (39.6 rpg), rebounding margin (+9.1) and offensive rebounds (14.14 orpg). The Spartans also rank second in assists (18.57 apg) and defensive rebounds (25.43 drpg). (Stats through games of Dec. 11.)
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through seven games, MSU is averaging 18.6 assists per game. The Spartans have recorded assists on 130 of their 210 baskets (61.9 percent).
Spartan Depth - Through seven games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 10 minutes of action, with six players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 26.1 minutes per contest.
Ager's Explosion - Several Spartans are putting up good numbers in the early going, but Maurice Ager has been arguably the most productive player. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game, and ranks second in rebounding with 5.0 boards per contest. He entered the season averaging 7.5 points for his career, shooting 39.2 percent, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range. His accuracy has improved greatly this season, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 53.1 percent from 3-point range.
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands at 1,321 points, in 16th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. He needs 57 points to pass Julius McCoy (1,377 points) and move into 15th place. With 220 points, he will move into the top 10.
Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best 3-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career 3-point field goals made (264) and career attempts (608) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.434). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 99 of 103 games in his career. His 264 career 3-point field goals rank sixth in Big Ten history, 68 behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 89.5 3-pointers.
He Can Pass, Too - In addition to all of his scoring and long-range shooting, Chris Hill is positioned to finish his career among the school's all-time leaders in assists. He currently stands ninth in MSU history with 342 career assists, eight behind 8th-place Kevin Smith. Hill dished out a season-best eight assists against Stanford.
Chris Hill Off The Court - Chris Hill has been named the 2004 Playboy Magazine Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In recognition of this honor, Michigan State University will receive a $5,000 check for its general scholarship fund in Hill's name. Now in its 17th year, the purpose of the award is to call attention to the importance of scholarship combined with excellence in collegiate athletics and to honor an individual who personifies the best qualities of both. In 2003-04, Hill earned first-team Academic All-America honors, becoming the first Spartan to accomplish that feat since Greg Kelser in 1979.
Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.3 percent in his last two years. In 2003-04, Torbert was the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (8th, .534), 3-point field-goal percentage (1st, .484) and free-throw percentage (6th, .800). His .588 3-point percentage in conference games is the second highest mark in conference history. He is off to an equally impressive start this season, shooting 54.9 percent from the floor, 42.1 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Anderson Feeling Comfortable - With the addition of Drew Neitzel to help handle the point guard duties, Alan Anderson has been able to return to his natural forward position. The change has led to increased production, as he is currently averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 57.1 percent from the field. Prior to this season, he had never averaged 10 points in any season or shot better than 50.3 percent.
No Sophomore Slump - In 2003-04, Shannon Brown earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team, averaging 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game. This season, he is averaging 12.3 points and 3.4 boards in 24.3 minutes per contest.
Breslin Success - Michigan State has sold out 100 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 88 of its last 94 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .936.
The Century Mark - Michigan State opened the season with three consecutive 100-point games for just the second time in school history (1963-64). Prior to this season, Tom Izzo's Spartans had topped 100 points just twice in his nine full seasons.
Davis Earns Preseason Honor - Junior center Paul Davis was selected to the Big Ten preseason all-conference team. As a sophomore, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor. Last year, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. This season, he has been named a John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-American and a preseason candidate for the Naismith Award.
Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Fourteen Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last five years, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 347 starts in their careers, including 249 career starts for Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert. Entering the season, MSU's returning players had 312 career starts (most in the Big Ten) and 601 career appearances (second most in the Big Ten). The trio of Anderson, Hill and Torbert had 235 career starts, making them the most experienced trio in the Big Ten. The Spartans also return 93.7 percent of their scoring, 85.6 percent of their rebounding and 88.3 percent of their minutes from last year.
Another Difficult Slate - Michigan State has put together another challenging schedule in 2004-05. It includes five teams that appeared in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (Duke, Illinois, Florida A&M, Stanford and Wisconsin) and five that appeared in the NIT (George Mason, George Washington, Iowa, Michigan and Purdue).
New Faces - Michigan State's 2004-05 roster features five new names, including freshmen Marquise Gray, Idong Ibok, Drew Neitzel, Goran Suton and junior Jason Aerts. Neitzel is an ambidextrous point guard who won the 2004 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award. Gray is a 6-8 athletic power forward who was named The Associated Press Class C Player of the Year. Ibok is a Nigerian native who attended school in Florida last season. He features a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is a dangerous shot blocker. Suton is a 6-10 post player with solid ball skills who can score in the post or on the perimeter. He moved to Lansing from Bosnia-Herzegovina prior to high school. Aerts is a walk-on who played two seasons at Aquinas College.
Spartans On TV - This season, 26 of Michigan State's 27 regular-season games will be televised, including seven on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and three on CBS. In addition, MSU could have one more game on either ESPN or ESPN2.
The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past six seasons, seven 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, Paul Davis in 2002 and Shannon Brown and Brandon Cotton in 2003.
Home To Mr. Basketball - Five of the last six recipients of Michigan's Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have 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, Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002 and Drew Neitzel (Wyoming Park HS) in 2004. While the 2003 winner did not attend MSU, Shannon Brown (Proviso East HS) captured Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award that same year.
Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on seven former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Dec. 11.)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 8 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 22 GP, 20.9 mpg, 7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.9 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 18 GP, 38.0 mpg, 21.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.2 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 19 GP, 36.5 mpg, 19.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.5 apg Steve Smith (Charlotte): 16 GP, 21.6 mpg, 10.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.3 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 20 GP, 22.4 mpg, 4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.9 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 13 GP, 14.6 mpg, 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.3 apg
