Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Appears In Fifth Elite Eight In Seven Years
3/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 26, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
No. 5 Michigan State (25-6)vs. No. 2 Kentucky (28-5)
March 27, 20055:05 p.m. ESTAustin, TexasFrank Erwin Center (16,383)
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM/1240 AM)
TV: CBS - Jim Nantz (Play by Play), Billy Packer (Color), Bonnie Bernstein (Sidelines)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State is making its fifth Elite Eight appearance in the last seven years. The Spartans are the only team to appear in more than three Elite Eights during that stretch. Kentucky is a familiar foe for the Spartans in NCAA Tournament history. The two teams have met three previous times, with each meeting coming in the regional final. Michigan State is 2-1 in those games. A win over Kentucky would give the Spartans their sixth Final Four appearance in school history and the fourth under Tom Izzo.
MSU Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Few Reserves)
MSU's Regional Final History - Michigan State is making its ninth appearance in a regional final (1957, 1959, 1978, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005). The Spartans are 5-3 in their previous eight appearances, including 2-1 against Kentucky. Tom Izzo is 3-1 in regional finals.
Elite Spartans - Michigan State is appearing in its fifth Elite Eight in the last seven years, the most by any team during that stretch. Arizona, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky have each appeared in three Elite Eights in the last seven seasons. Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Duke and Kentucky are the only other teams to appear in five Elite Eights in any seven-year period.
The Elite Big Ten - The Big Ten Conference leads all conferences with three teams in the Elite Eight (Illinos, Michigan State and Wisconsin), while no other conference can boast of more than one. The last time the Big Ten had three teams in the Elite Eight was 2000, when MSU, Purdue and Wisconsin made appearances.
No. 5 Seeds In Tournament History - Michigan State is just the fifth No. 5 seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the regional finals since 1985, joining Virginia (1989), Mississippi State (1996), Florida (2000), Indiana (2002). The last three No. 5 seeds to appear in the Elite Eight have all advanced to the Final Four.
Exclusive Company - Michigan State ranks sixth among all schools in NCAA Tournament winning percentage for teams with at least 20 tournament games. MSU's .696 winning percentage (39-17) trails only Duke (.761, 83-26), UCLA (.727, 80-30), Kentucky (.706, 96-40), North Carolina (.702, 85-36) and UNLV (.698, 30-13).
At His Best When It Counts - With Michigan State's win over Duke, head coach Tom Izzo tied Mike Krzyzewski for the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage among active coaches at .786. Kentucky's Tubby Smith ranks fourth (.730). (See page 5 for a list of the top five active coaches.)
MSU In March - Michigan State is 35-11 in March since the 1998-99 season. For his career, Tom Izzo is 42-18 in March.
Notes From The NCAA Tournament
* MSU is outscoring its opponents in fast-break points by a combined 50-12 margin.
* MSU is shooting 48.3 percent from the field, holding opponents to just 38.5 percent, including 33.3 percent in the second half.
* Michigan State is averaging 79.7 points per game.
* Paul Davis averages a double-double with 15.0 points and 10.7 rebounds.
* Kelvin Torbert ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game. He entered the tournament averaging 7.0 points in the previous nine games.
* Michigan State is shooting 25.0 percent from 3-point range, but did make 5-of-8 3-pointers in the second half against Duke.
* The Spartans have a combined rebound margin of +1.0.
* Nine different Spartans average at least 11.7 minutes per game.
* Five Spartans average in double figures, while six average 6.7 points or more.
* The Spartans are a combined 19-of-20 from the free-throw line in the final 1:05 of each game.
Sweet 16 - No. 5 MSU 78 - No. 1 Duke - March 25, 2005
* Michigan State improved to 5-1 in Sweet 16 games under Tom Izzo.
* Tom Izzo recorded his 232nd career win, passing Benjamin VanAlstyne for second most in Michigan State history.
* The win was Michigan State's third against a No. 1 seed and its first since 1979.
* Michigan State's defense held J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing to 31 points on 11-of-30 shooting. In the first meeting of the season, the duo combined for 58 points on 19-of-32 shooting.
* Paul Davis recorded his second straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, grabbing a career-high seven offensive rebounds.
* Michigan State outscored Duke, 40-22, in points in the paint.
* Alan Anderson established a MSU NCAA Tournament record with a career-best five steals.
* Michigan State turned 16 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points.
* Michigan State's defense forced 22 turnovers, the second-most committed by Duke this year, while allowing just 22 field goals. The Spartans converted the 22 turnovers into 29 points.
* The Spartans shot 0-of-6 from 3-point range in the first half, but 5-of-8 in the second half.
* Michigan State recorded its first victory over Duke since Dec. 29, 1958.
Second Round - No. 5 MSU 72 - No. 13 Vermont 61 - March 20, 2005
* Michigan State's defense held Vermont to 31.4 percent shooting, the second-lowest percentage by a Spartan opponent this season.
* Michigan State held Taylor Coppenrath to 16 points on 5-of-23 shooting. He entered the game as the nation's second-leading scorer at 25.4 ppg. * Paul Davis grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.
* Michigan State was out-rebounded for just the fifth time this season, and won for just the second time this season when being out-rebounded.
* Drew Neitzel tied his season high with seven assists.
* Michigan State committed nine turnovers, its second-lowest total of the season.
* Michigan State outscored Vermont, 16-2, in fast-break points.
* After shooting just 41.2 percent in the first half, the Spartans shot 59.1 percent in the second half.
First Round - No. 5 MSU 89 - No. 12 Old Dominion 81 - March 18, 2005
* Michigan State's 89 points were the fourth most by a Spartan team in NCAA Tournament history.
* Michigan State outscored Old Dominion, 20-4, in fast-break points.
* The Spartans shot over 50 percent from the field in both halves, but Old Dominion shot just 32.3 percent in the second half after shooting 57.1 percent in the first half.
* The Monarchs shot 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range in the first half, but just 11.1 percent (1-of-9) in the second half.
* Tom Izzo improved to 6-2 in NCAA Tournament First-Round games.
* The Spartans committed just four of their 13 turnovers in the second half.
* Shannon Brown scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.
MSU NCAA Tournament Notes
MSU In The NCAA Tournament - Michigan State is making its 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 39-17. MSU has made five trips to the Final Four (1957, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2001) and captured the NCAA Championship in 1979 and 2000.
Spartan Opponents In NCAA Tournament - Ten of Michigan State's opponents, including six non-conference teams, from the 2004-05 season qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The list includes Delaware State, Duke, George Washington, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Oakland, Stanford, UCLA and Wisconsin. The Spartans were a combined 8-5 against the field of 65 during the regular season.
Two Titles Not Too Shabby - Michigan State is one of just 13 schools to have won two or more NCAA Championships. Cincinnati, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco join MSU with two titles. Only Duke (3), North Carolina (3), Indiana (5), Kentucky (7) and UCLA (11) have won more titles.
Eight Straight NCAA Appearances - Michigan State is making its school-record eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and tied for seventh longest in the nation. Only Arizona (21), Kansas (16), Cincinnati (14), Kentucky (14), Stanford (11) and Duke (10) have longer current streaks. Oklahoma State is also making its eighth consecutive trip.
MSU As A No. 5 Seed - This is the fourth time in school history that Michigan State has been the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In 1986, MSU defeated No. 12 Washington (72-70) and No. 4 Georgetown before falling to No. 1 Kansas (96-86, OT). The Spartans were the No. 5 seed in back-to-back seasons in 1991 and 1992. In 1991, MSU defeated No. 12 UW-Green Bay (60-58), but lost to No. 4 Utah in double overtime (85-84). One year later, MSU defeated No. 12 Southwest Missouri State (61-54) before falling to No. 4 Cincinnati (72-65).
Kentucky Notes
Coach Smith - Tubby Smith (High Point, '73) boasts a 219-57 record in his eight-year tenure as head coach at Kentucky and 343-119 overall mark in 14 years as a collegiate head coach. Smith led the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship in 1999 and currently ranks seventh among active coaches in career winning percentage (.742).
Spartans Vs. Wildcats - Kentucky leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 12-9. The Spartans, however, own a 2-1 advantage in NCAA Tournament games (all were regional finals), including an 80-68 victory over the Wildcats in the 1957 regional final at Lexington, and a 73-66 win in the 1999 regional final in St. Louis. In 1978, UK defeated MSU, 52-49, in the regional final. In the last meeting, Michigan State and Kentucky played in front of a world-record crowd of 78,129 at Detroit's Ford Field on Dec. 13, 2003.
Scouting The Wildcats - The Wildcat roster features players from nine different states and three different countries ... Kentucky is the all-time winningest team in NCAA history with 1,904 victories ... Chuck Hayes was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Tubby Smith was named the SEC Coach of the Year.
Kentucky Vs. The Field - Seven of Kentucky's regular-season opponents qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State and North Carolina. The Wildcats were 6-4 against the field of 65 in the regular season.
Common Opponents - The Spartans and Wildcats shared just one opponent throughout 2004-05. MSU fell to Indiana in a 78-74 overtime heartbreaker on Feb. 27, 2005, while Kentucky defeated the Hoosiers, 73-53, on Nov. 23, 2004.
The Last Meeting - Kentucky 79 - MSU 74 - Dec. 13, 2003 - Detroit, Mich. - In front of a world-record crowd of 78,129 at Detroit's Ford Field, Kentucky defeated Michigan State, 79-74. The Wildcats held a 34-19 lead late in the first half. MSU's offense came alive to score 24 points in the final six minutes of the first half to trail by just six points at halftime. At the 10:02 mark of the second half, an Alan Anderson layup narrowed the UK lead to just two points. The Wildcats hit a 3-pointer, but four straight free throws from Paul Davis pulled MSU within a single point. Gerald Fitch scored five straight points to give UK a 67-61 lead. The Spartans pulled within two points three different times in the final few minutes, but the Wildcats responded to every charge. Davis led MSU with 24 points, while shooting 14-of-14 from the foul line. Shannon Brown added 14. Fitch led the Wildcats with 25 points, while Chuck Hayes added 17 points and 12 rebounds. For the game, Kentucky shot 60.4 percent from the field.
The Last NCAA Tournament Meeting - MSU 73 - Kentucky 66 - March 21, 1999 - St. Louis, Mo. - Michigan State defeated Kentucky in the Midwest Regional Final of the 1999 NCAA Tournament to advance to the first Final Four of Tom Izzo's career. In front of a decidedly pro-Kentucky crowd at the Trans World Dome, the Wildcats jumped out to a 17-4 lead. Trailing 26-14 with 8:49 left in the first half, MSU went on a 9-0 run to pull within three points. At the half, UK's lead was a single point at 36-35. At the 15:47 mark of the second half, Mateen Cleaves put the Spartans ahead 43-42 with a jumper. It was MSU's first lead of the game. The Wildcats, however, refused to go away and held a 54-53 with 8:03 left. MSU took control with a 7-0 run to take a 60-54 lead. UK never got closer than three points after that as MSU went 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final 29 seconds. Morris Peterson earned Most Outstanding Players in the Midwest Regional, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds. A.J. Granger and Andre Hutson each added 14 points. Tayshaun Prince and Heshimu Evans led Kentucky with 12 points.
MSU Basketball Notes
Anderson In Exclusive Club - With seven rebounds against Vermont, Alan Anderson became just the fourth player in Michigan State history to record 1,000 career points, 500 career rebounds and 300 career assists. Anderson (1,182 points, 511 rebounds, 306 assists) joins Steve Smith (2,263 pts., 740 reb., 453 ast.), Charlie Bell (1,468 pts., 624 reb., 371 ast.) and Ken Redfield (1,212 pts., 625 reb., 314 ast.).
Spartans Off To Strong Start - Michigan State's 25-6 record is its best 31-game mark since the 2000-01 squad posted a 27-4 record in its first 31 contests and is tied for fourth best in school history. MSU also opened in 1998-99 with a 27-4 mark. In 1989-90, the Spartans stood at 26-5. The 1978-79 team also opened at 25-6.
Hill Recognized As Top Student-Athlete - On March 2, Chris Hill was named the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year, while repeating as a First-Team Academic All-American. Hill owns a 3.75 grade-point average in finance and is a member of MSU's Honors College. He was a first-team honoree in 2004 after earning third-team honors in 2003. He is the only three-time honoree in MSU history. At the beginning of the season, he was named the 2004 Playboy Magazine Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In recognition of this honor, Michigan State University received 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.
Big Ten Stat Champions - With the conclusion of Big Ten Conference games, Michigan State led the conference in three major statistical categories, including field-goal percentage (.498), free-throw percentage (.792) and rebound margin (+9.1). This is the second straight year that MSU has led in field-goal and free-throw shooting, marking the first school to go back-to-back in both categories since the 1981-83 Indiana teams did it three straight years. The Spartans' .792 free-throw percentage is fifth best in league history. This is the seventh time in the last eight years and the eighth time in Tom Izzo's 10 seasons as head coach that the Spartans have led the Big Ten in rebounding margin.
All-Big Ten Spartans - Five different Spartans earned some type of All-Big Ten recognition when the teams were announced on Tuesday, March 8. Maurice Ager earned second-team honors from the coaches and third-team accolades from the media. Alan Anderson was just the opposite, finding a spot on the media's second team and the coaches' third team. Paul Davis was a third-team selection by both groups. Drew Neitzel was named to the All-Freshman Team and Shannon Brown was an honorable mention all-league selection by the coaches.
The Free-Throw Story - According to the most recent NCAA statistics, Michigan State ranks fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage (77.5 pct. through March 21). The Spartans are currently shooting 77.6 percent from the foul line, including four players who are shooting at least 80.3 percent. Among players with at least 30 attempts, Alan Anderson paces the way, connecting on 87.1 percent of his attempts (106-of-122). In fact, Anderson, Shannon Brown (85.2 percent), Kelvin Torbert (82.7 percent) and Maurice Ager (80.3 percent) rank first, second, third and fifth in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage. In conference games, Michigan State's 79.2 percent is the fifth-best percentage in Big Ten history. MSU is shooting 79.9 percent in games which it won and 67.7 percent in games which it lost.
Anderson Down The Stretch - In the last weeks of his Spartan career, Alan Anderson is playing his best basketball. After not scoring more than 18 points in his first 116 games, he has scored more than 20 points in three of the last eight contests. Since the loss to Illinois, Anderson is averaging 16.2 points and 6.3 rebounds over the last 13 games. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 7 after averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, while shooting 61.5 percent in wins over Northwestern and Penn State.
Second-Half Shooting - Michigan State has shot 50 percent or better in the second half in 10 of the last 12 games, and in 16 of the last 22.
Big Ten Road Warriors - Michigan State finished with a 6-2 record on the road in Big Ten play this season. The secret to its success was its defense, as the Spartans held opponents to 39.2 percent shooting and just 60.1 points per game. No team scored more than 64 points in regulation (Indiana finished with 78 points in overtime). All six Spartan victories were by double figures, marking the first time a MSU squad has recorded six double-digit road victories in a Big Ten season.
Spartan Depth - Through 31 games, 10 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 9.2 minutes of action, including six players playing more than 22 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 26.4 minutes per contest. Michigan State is the only school in the Big Ten that does not have a single player averaging 30 minutes per game.
A Switch At The Point - After coming off the bench for the first 18 games of the season, freshman Drew Neitzel has started 12 of the last 13 at point guard, with the lone exception coming on Senior Night. As a starter, Neitzel is averaging 4.9 points, 2.9 assists and 1.4 turnovers, compared to just 2.6 points as a reserve. The Spartans are 10-2 with Neitzel in the starting lineup.
Balanced Scoring - Michigan State features four players averaging double figures in scoring, and two others averaging at least 9.1 points, led by Alan Anderson at 13.8 points per game. Until recently, MSU had been the only team in the nation with six players scoring in double-figures. By comparison, just three Spartans averaged in double figures last year, after Chris Hill was the only player to do so in 2002-03.
Winning Comfortably - According to the most recent NCAA Stats (through games of March 21), Michigan State ranks fifth in the nation in scoring margin (+14.4). MSU's current margin of victory is +14.2. The Spartans have won 22 of their 31 games this season by double figures.
The 1,000 Club - Michigan State's roster features four players with 1,000-career points, including seniors Chris Hill (1,530), Alan Anderson (1,182), Kelvin Torbert (1,179) and junior Paul Davis (1,111). This is the first time that a single MSU senior class has produced three 1,000-point scorers and the first time in school history that a single Spartan squad has had four 1,000-point scorers. MSU is just the seventh team in Big Ten history and the 46th team in NCAA history with four 1,000-point scorers on the same team. For just five of the seven Big Ten teams, did all four players score all 1,000 points at that school. Since MSU reached this milestone, North Carolina and Illinois have also accomplished the feat, making for eight teams in Big Ten history and 48 in NCAA history.
MSU's Prolific Offense - Michigan State's offense is averaging 78.2 points per game, leading the Big Ten and ranking 15th in the nation (through games of March 21). It is MSU's highest-scoring offense since the 1994-95 Spartans averaged 78.4 points, led by Shawn Respert's 25.6 points per game, and the highest of Tom Izzo's head coaching career.
Playing Like A Senior Should - 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 career highs with a team-best 13.8 points and second-best 5.5 rebounds, shooting a career-best 56.8 percent from the field. In Big Ten games, he led the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (6.1 rpg). He has scored in double figures in 17 straight games, averaging 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in that stretch, including double-doubles vs. Iowa (2/5 - 11 pts., 11 reb.) and Penn State (3/5 - 22 pts., 10 reb.).
Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 31 games, MSU is averaging 17.25 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation (through games of March 21). The Spartans have recorded assists on 535 of their 859 baskets (62.3 percent).
Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands in 11th place on the MSU all-time scoring list at 1,530 points. With 12 points, he will move into the top 10, passing Mateen Cleaves (1,541).
Second Half Spurts - In 11 of the last 17 games, Michigan State has opened the second half with a run. Consider the following runs that MSU has used to open the second half (Duke (3/25) - 10-4 over 4:54; Penn State (3/5) - 16-2 over 5:47; Wisconsin (2/24) - 8-2 over 2:05; Minnesota (2/16) - 6-0 over 2:55; Michigan (2/12) - 20-12 over 8:50; Ohio State (2/9) - 9-2 over 3:43; Iowa (2/5) - 14-4 over 4:21; Illinois (2/1) - 7-2 over 1:07; Oakland (1/29) - 12-2 over 3:55; Michigan (1/27) - 8-0 over 2:10; Minnesota (1/22) - 7-2 over 1:56).
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 +7.5 margin. According to the most recent NCAA statistics, they rank ninth in the nation (+7.5 as of March 21). They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 11.87 offensive boards per game. MSU leads the conference in rebounding margin and ranks third in offensive rebounds. Rebounding is also a good indicator of the team's success. MSU is 22-3 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 2-3 when it is out-rebounded and 1-0 when the rebounds are equal. In Big Ten games, MSU's margin was +9.1. In NCAA Tournament games, MSU has a +1.0 margin.
20-Win Seasons - With a 77-64 victory over Wisconsin on Feb. 24, Michigan State recorded its 20th win of the season. It is the sixth 20-win season in the last eight years for the Spartans and the 14th in school history. In fact, of the 14 20-win seasons in Michigan State history, Tom Izzo has been involved with 11 of them, six as a head coach and five as an assistant to Jud Heathcote.
One For The Record Books - Alan Anderson turned in one of the best shooting performances in school history against Wisconsin (Feb. 24). He shot 10-of-10 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line en route to a career-high 28 points. Anderson joins Ron Charles (12-of-12; Jan. 24, 1980), Carlton Valentine (11-of-11; Dec. 2, 1986) and Bob Chapman (11-of-11; Dec. 2, 1977) as the only players in MSU history to shoot 100 percent from the field, taking at least 10 shots. Of those players, Anderson is the only one to also shoot 100 percent at the foul line. He is also the first player to shoot at least 10-of-10 in Breslin Center history.
Talking Defense - Michigan State's defense has been much improved this season. Spartan opponents are shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing just 64.0 points per game. In Big Ten games, the Spartans ranked second in the league in scoring defense (62.2 ppg) and fifth in field-goal percentage defense (.434).
Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in 26 out of 31 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 296 more points (9.5 per game). In 14 of the 31 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including seven of 18 or more. One reason for MSU's advantage is the experienced talent it brings off the bench with two All-Big Ten performers. Kelvin Torbert, a third-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2004, has been MSU's sixth man all season. Chris Hill, a second-team all-league performer in 2003 and 2004, has come off the bench in 12 of the last 13 games.
Mr. Double-Double - Paul Davis has recorded a double-double in six of his last 13 games. The trend started with a 10-point, 12-rebound game at Iowa. In the next game, he scored 10 points and grabbed a career-best tying 12 rebounds vs. Ohio State, marking the first time in his career that he had recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games. He scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds again against Minnesota. He recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. Wisconsin. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament vs. Vermont, he scored 11 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds. Most recently, he scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds vs. Duke. He has recorded eight double-doubles this season and 11 in his career. Over the last 13 games, Davis is averaging 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds.
Hill In Elite Company - Chris Hill (1,530 points, 446 assists) is just the fourth player in Michigan State history to record 1,400 points and 400 assists in his career. Mateen Cleaves (1,541 points, 816 assists), Scott Skiles (2,145 points, 645 assists) and Steve Smith (2,263 points, 453 assists) are the other three Spartans to accomplish this feat. Hill is also just the 24th player in Big Ten history to reach the milestone.
Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 53.4 percent in his last two years. This season, he ranks third in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.827). In 2003-04, he was the only Big Ten player to rank in the top 10 in all three shooting categories, ranking 8th in field-goal percentage (.534), 1st in 3-point field-goal percentage (.484) and 6th in free-throw percentage (.800). His .588 3-point percentage in conference games in 2003-04 is the second highest mark in conference history.
Ager's Explosion - Maurice Ager is currently playing the best basketball of his Spartan career. Finally healthy for the first time in three seasons, Ager is having a very good junior campaign. He ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game, and third in rebounding with 3.8 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 48.6 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.
MSU In NCAA Stats - According to the most recent NCAA statistics (through games of March 21), MSU ranks in the top 10 in five categories nationally and in the top 15 in six categories. The Spartans rank fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage (.774), fifth in scoring margin (+14.4). seventh in assists per game (17.4) and field-goal percentage (.498), ninth in rebound margin (+7.5) and 15th in scoring offense (78.2).
Taking Turns - Through 31 games, six different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Alan Anderson has done it 12 times, while Maurice Ager has done it nine times. Paul Davis has done it seven times. Kelvin Torbert and Chris Hill have led the team in three games and Shannon Brown has done it once.
The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 15-1 this season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents, but just 9-5 when committing an equal number or more than the opposition. On the season, MSU is averaging 13.7 turnovers per game. MSU ranks third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.81) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.26).
Spartan Point Guards Value The Ball - Michigan State's two point guards, Chris Hill and Drew Neitzel, have done a remarkable job taking care of the basketball over the last 26 games. In that stretch, the two have combined for 187 assists and just 68 turnovers (Hill - 114 assists, 38 turnovers; Neitzel - 73 assists, 30 turnovers). In the last 22 games, Hill has recorded 97 assists and 30 turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 69 assists and 28 turnovers in his last 23 games.
Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.07-to-1. That number ranks first among Spartan point guards of the last 20 years, ahead of solid point guards like Mateen Cleaves (1.9 in his last three years); Mark Montgomery (2.3 as a junior), Scott Skiles (2.0 as a senior) and Eric Snow (2.5 as a junior and senior).
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 10.4 points and 3.2 boards in 24.6 minutes.
Big Ten Leaders - The Spartans lead the conference in five statistical categories, including scoring offense (78.2), field-goal percentage (.495), free-throw percentage (.776), rebounding defense (28.5) and rebounding margin (+7.5). MSU ranks in the top three in 12 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.07-to-1, while Alan Anderson paces the league in free-throw percentage (.871).
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 (304) and career attempts (726) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.419). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 116 of 127 games in his career. His 304 career 3-point field goals rank fifth in Big Ten history, 28 behind Big Ten career leader Pete Lisicky of Penn State, and four behind Penn State's Joe Crispin (308) in fourth place.
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 in seventh place in MSU history with 446 career assists. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.
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.
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.
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 March 5)
Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 10 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.3 apg Morris Peterson (Toronto): 58 GP, 28.4 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg Zach Randolph (Portland): 46 GP, 34.8 mpg, 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.9 apg Jason Richardson (Golden State): 49 GP, 38.4 mpg, 23.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.8 apg Steve Smith (Miami): 37 GP, 17.2 mpg, 7.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.5 apg Eric Snow (Cleveland): 56 GP, 21.8 mpg, 4.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.6 apg Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 28 GP, 11.3 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg
