Spartans Face Maryland For Coaches Vs. Cancer Championship

Nov. 17, 2006

EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches Vs. Cancer

Michigan St. (4-0)
vs. Maryland (4-0)

November 17, 2006
9:30 p.m. EST
New York, N.Y.
Madison Square Garden

Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: ESPN2 - Dave Pasch (Play by Play), Len Elmore (Color), Heather Cox (Sidelines)

Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State advanced to the Championship Game of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic with a 63-61 upset victory over No. 19 Texas. Drew Neitzel scored the game-winning basket on a driving layup with 2.4 seconds remaining. The Spartans will face a Maryland team that cruised into the Championship Game with an easy 92-60 victory over St. John's.

The Starting Five
1. Off To A Good Start - Michigan State is 4-0 for just the second time in Tom Izzo's 12 seasons as head coach. In 2000-01, the Spartans opened with a 12-0 mark, climbing all the way to No. 1 in the polls. MSU would finish the 2001 season with a trip to the Final Four in Minneapolis. Prior to that, the last time MSU opened 4-0 was 1991-92, when the Spartans won their first 10 games en route to a 22-8 final record.

2. Morgan In Select Company - With his 18-point effort against Texas, Raymar Morgan became the first freshman in MSU history to score 10 points or more in each of his first four games. Previously, Sam Vincent (1981-82) was the only other Spartan freshman to score 10 or more in his first three games.

3. A Stingy Defense - Through four games, Michigan State ranks among the Big Ten leaders in scoring defense (3rd, 49.2 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (3rd, .329) and blocked shots (t-4th, 5.00 bpg).

4. Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07 and it has come to the forefront in the first few games of the regular season, as the Spartans boast a +12.0 rebounding margin through four games. MSU out-rebounded Brown, 36-20, in the season opener. The Spartans were even more impressive against Youngstown State, out-rebounding the Penguins, 39-18. In the game, MSU had 15 offensive rebounds, compared to just nine defensive boards for YSU.

5. East Lansing Regional Recap - Michigan State defeated Brown (45-34) and Youngstown State (86-61) to advance to the Championship Rounds of the College Hoops Classic. In the season opener, MSU managed to score just 45 points, but held Brown to 34, the lowest total by a Spartan opponent since Northwestern scored 29 on Jan. 27, 2000. The next day, the Spartan offense erupted for 86 points, with Drew Neitzel's four 3-pointers to open the game, serving as the catalyst. As a team, Michigan State shot 60.8 percent from the field, while holding YSU to 36.5 percent shooting. The Spartan offense scored more points in the second half (46) than it did in the entire game against Brown. Drew Neitzel was named East Lansing Regional MVP.

MSU vs. Maryland Notes
Series History - The Spartans hold a 2-0 advantage in all-time meetings against the Terrapins, with the most recent victory for MSU in the Sweet Sixteen on March 28, 2003. Michigan State narrowly defeated Maryland, 60-58, to advance to the Elite Eight.

Coach Williams - Gary Williams (Maryland, `68) is in his 29th season as a collegiate head coach, having amassed a record of 564-319. In his 18 seasons with the Terrapins, Williams has compiled a 357-191 mark, including winning the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

Terrapin Notes - The Maryland Terrapins are led in scoring by senior D.J. Strawberry (17.3 ppg) ... Maryland is averaging 9.5 steals, with Strawberry also leading the team with 14 steals this season ... Maryland is committing 17.3 turnovers per game, but its opponents are averaging 21.5 per contest ... The Terrapins hold a +10.5 rebound margin over opponents in their first four games ... Senior Ekene Ibekwe leads the team in rebounding at 8.3 rpg.

How They Got To New York - Maryland advanced to New York with a pair of victories in the College Park Regional. They opened with a 102-75 win over Hampton, followed by a 81-63 victory over Vermont.

The Last Time They Met - Michigan State defeated Maryland, 60-58, in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen on March 28, 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. The Spartans jumped out to an early lead and held a 52-39 advantage with 8:07 left in the game, only to watch the Terrapins answer with a 16-2 run to take a 55-54 lead. Down the stretch, Spartan freshman Paul Davis was the difference in the game, scoring MSU's final six points, including a dunk with 50 seconds left to tie the game, and a hanging bank shot that 4.7 seconds left in the game that gave MSU a two-point victory. The win allowed MSU to advance to a fourth Elite Eight in a five-year period. Drew Nicholas led all scorers with 18 points for Maryland, and Steve Blake added 11. For MSU, Davis led the way with 13 points, while Alan Anderson and Maurice Ager each scored 10.

Game #4 Notes - MSU 63 - Texas 61
* Drew Neitzel scored the game-winning basket by splitting the Longhorn defense and driving the lane for a layup with 2.4 seconds remaining.
* MSU trailed 47-42 early in the second half, but followed with a 12-0 run to take a 54-47 lead. After that, MSU did not trail for the rest of the game, although the game was tied at 59 and 61 in the final minutes.
* After allowing Texas to shoot 48.5 percent in the first half, the Spartan defense allowed the Longhorns to shoot just 20.0 percent in the second stanza.
* Raymar Morgan scored a season-best 18 points in just 21 minutes due to foul trouble.
* Morgan's 18 points were the most by a Spartan this season and the most ever by a Spartan against Texas, while A. J. Abrams' 22 points were the most ever by a Longhorn against MSU.
* Drew Naymick tied a career best with seven rebounds.
* Idong Ibok played just six minutes, but contributed a career-high tying three blocks.