Michigan State University Athletics
Men's Basketball To Host Vermont On Tuesday
11/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (4-1)
vs. Vermont (2-2)
November 21, 2006
7 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
TV: None
Michigan State Game Notes
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Tickets: A limited number of tickets are available for Tuesday's game vs. Vermont. In addition, with the students on Thanksgiving break on Saturday for MSU's game with Oakland, the seats normally used by the Izzone are available for Nov. 25, including lower-level bleacher seats.
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State returns home after a strong showing in the College Hoops Classic in New York late last week. The Spartans will face a Vermont team that upset Boston College in Boston last week, but most recently lost at home to Drexel. The last meeting between the Spartans and Catamounts came in the Second Round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Worcester, Mass. In that game, MSU defeated a Vermont squad that had upset #4-seed Syracuse.
The Starting Five
1. Nitro's New Role - Last season, Drew Neitzel ranked among the Big Ten leaders in assists, but averaged just 8.3 points per game and attempted just 7.1 shots per game as he distributed the ball to three future NBA players. This year, Neitzel is averaging a team-best 15.4 points per game, including 17.5 over the last four contests. He is averaging 10.8 shots and 3.8 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 44.4 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.2 assists per contest.
2. Walton's Improved Play - Sophomore co-captain has been asked to carry a lot of the point guard duties this season. He has responded by posting a 3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio, including a 5.3 ratio in the last four games. Most recently, he dished out a career-high eight assists against Maryland's pressure defense, committing just one turnover. He has also shown an improved offensive game, including a career-high 11-point game against Youngstown State. In addition, Walton usually draws the opponent's top perimeter player as a defensive assignment.
3. 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. He is also the only Spartan to score in double figures in every game this season. Previously, Sam Vincent (1981-82) was the only Spartan freshman to score 10 or more in his first three games.
4. A Stingy Defense - Through five games, Michigan State has been turning in some impressive defensive numbers, allowing opponents just 51.8 points per game and 36.5 percent shooting from the field, including just 30.2 percent from 3-point range.
5. 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 +12.6 rebounding margin through five games, out-rebounding each opponent. MSU's greatest margin came against Youngstown State (+21, 39-18), while its smallest margin was against Texas (+4, 41-37). MSU's rebound margin has been at least +15 in three games. In two games, the Spartans have grabbed more offensive rebounds, than their opponents totaled defensive boards. MSU accomplished this feat against both Youngstown State (MSU - 15 off. reb.; YSU - 9 def. reb.) and Maryland (MSU - 17 off. reb.; UMD - 16 def. reb.).
Game #5 Notes - Maryland 62 - Michigan State 60 * Drew Neitzel scored a career-best 21 points, including 17 in the second half, and recorded a career-best four steals, earning a spot on the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches Vs. Cancer All-Tournament Team.
* Travis Walton dished out a career-high eight assists, while committing just one turnover.
* Idong Ibok played a career-best 18 minutes, grabbing a career-high six rebounds.
* Michigan State trailed by as many as 11 points early in the second half, but cut the deficit to a single point late in the game.
* Michigan State recorded a season-best 10 steals.
* Michigan State out-rebounded Maryland, 36-21, after the Terrapins entered the game with a +10.5 rebound margin.
* Michigan State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, compared to just 16 defensive boards by Maryland.
MSU vs. Vermont Notes
Series History - This is the second meeting in history between Michigan State and Vermont. The Spartans hold a 1-0 advantage over the Catamounts, after knocking them out in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, 72-61.
Coach Lonergan - Mike Lonergan (Catholic U. '88) is 15-19 in his second season at the helm for Vermont, and 266-107 in his 13th year as a collegiate head coach. Prior to being named head of the Catamount program, Lonergan served as an assistant at Maryland for the 2004-05 season, after leading Catholic University for 12 years. During his tenure with the Cardinals, Lonergan compiled a 251-88 record, including nine NCAA Division III Championship appearances.
Catamount Notes - The Catamounts also appeared in the 2006 Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, going 1-1 in the College Park Regional ... Sophomore Mike Trimboli and true freshman Joe Trapani share the team lead in scoring, with both players averaging 12.5 points per game ... Vermont has struggled with turnovers, averaging 18.8 per contest, while recording just 11.3 assists per game.
Common Opponent - Michigan State and Vermont have both lost to Maryland in the young season. Vermont fell, 81-63, in the second round of the College Hoops Classic, while MSU lost, 62-60, in the classic's Championship Game. Vermont's young season also includes a 77-63 victory at Boston College. The Spartans play at BC on Nov. 29.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Vermont, 72-61, in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Worcester, Mass. Trailing 28-27, MSU scored the final eight points of the first half, capped by a Shannon Brown slam dunk, to take a 35-28 lead. The Spartans then scored on their first eight possessions of the second half to take a 50-36 advantage, and Vermont never got closer than seven points after that. Catamount guard T.J. Sorrentine led all scorers with 26 points, but Taylor Coppenrath, who entered the game as the nation's second-leading scorer at 25.4 ppg, scored just 16 on 5-of-23 shooting. MSU used its speed to its advantage, out-scoring Vermont, 16-2, in fast-break points. Maurice Ager led four Spartans in double-figures with 19 points.
Who's Still Playing - Five current Spartans and Catamounts appeared in the 2005 meeting. Michigan State's Drew Neitzel and Drew Naymick each contributed to MSU's win. Neitzel scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting and tied a freshman season high with seven assists. Naymick played 15 minutes off the Spartan bench, scoring three points, including two on a put-back dunk, and grabbing two rebounds. For Vermont, Martin Klimes tallied 12 points and eight rebounds as the starting center. Kyle Cieplicki and Chad Powlovich each saw game action, but neither scored a point.
Michigan State Notes
College Hoops Classic Recap - Michigan State finished second in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches Vs. Cancer. MSU defeated Brown, 45-34, and Youngstown State, 86-61, to advance to the Championship Rounds in New York's Madison Square Garden. In the semifinals, MSU upset No. 19 Texas, 63-61, when Drew Neitzel made a driving layup with 2.4 seconds remaining. The next day, the Spartans lost a close 62-60 decision to Maryland. Neitzel was named the East Lansing Regional MVP and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team in New York.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers through the first five games, averaging 16.0 per game. The problem, however, is not due to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 3.6 per game.
What A Difference A Year Makes - After a quiet freshman season, MSU guard Maurice Joseph has opened his sophomore campaign with a bang. Through five games, he has scored 54 points (10.8 ppg) in 113 minutes (22.6 mpg), including a career-best 16 points vs. Youngstown State. In 2005-06, Joseph scored 16 points for the entire season, playing just 54 minutes. Joseph is just one example of a player having made giant strides for the Spartans since last year. Drew Naymick (14 vs. YSU), Drew Neitzel (21 vs. Maryland) and Travis Walton (11 vs. YSU) have also posted career highs in scoring this season. In fact, Naymick scored more points against Youngstown State (14), than he did in the seven games he played last season (8).
MSU In November - Michigan State has an all-time record of 69-21 in games played in the month of November. This includes a 49-3 record at home. This year, however, marks the earliest start ever to a regular season. Prior to this year, the earliest start was Nov. 12, 2001, against Detroit in the Preseason NIT. MSU will play eight games this November. The previous November high was six games, established just last season.
A Familiar Situation - While much is made of Michigan State losing three starters to the 2006 NBA Draft, it's encouraging to know that the Spartans are not in an unfamiliar setting. On the stat sheet, MSU returns just 22.4 percent of their points, 30.8 percent of their rebounds, and 40.5 percent of their minutes from last year's team. By comparison, the 2001-02 team returned just 19.0 percent of the points, 18.0 percent of the rebounds and 26.3 percent of the minutes from the 2001 team that won the Big Ten and advanced to the Final Four. In 2002, the Spartans finished just one game out of first place and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The key was that players stepped up their level of performance: Marcus Taylor went from averaging 7.4 points to being a first-team all-league selection, and Adam Ballinger increased his scoring average from 1.9 ppg to 11.2, securing third-team All-Big Ten accolades.
Looking For No. 10 - Last year, Michigan State made a ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (22), Kansas (17), Kentucky (15) and Duke (11) have longer current streaks.
Backcourt Leadership - Michigan State will be led in 2006-07 by the backcourt duo of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton, having been voted co-captains by their teammates. Neitzel is MSU's leading returning scorer, having averaged 8.3 points per game last season. He also led the Big Ten in assists in conference games, dishing out 5.56 helpers per contest. Although just a sophomore, Walton is an unquestioned leader on the Spartan squad. He averaged just 1.8 points and 2.4 assists last year, but in just under 20 minutes per game, he provided good defense and solid leadership. Walton becomes the third sophomore captain under head coach Tom Izzo, joining Antonio Smith in 1996-97 and Mateen Cleaves in 1997-98.
Winning Freshmen - If there is one common trait for freshmen Isaiah Dahlman, Tom Herzog and Raymar Morgan, it is that they are all winners. Over the last two years, the trio posted a combined mark of 152-8 with their high school teams, winning a combined four state championships. Dahlman was 95-4 over the last three years, including winning 65-straight games at one point, while Braham Area won three-consecutive Minnesota 2A state championships. Morgan led Canton McKinley to back-to-back Ohio Division 1 state championships, becoming the first school to win two straight crowns in Ohio's largest division since 1974. Herzog was 37-3 over the last two seasons, winning a district championship in 2005.
Neitzel On Cousy List - Junior point guard Drew Neitzel is one of 36 Division I candidates for the 2007 Bob Cousy Award. Presented annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the award recognizes the top collegiate point guard participating in NCAA Divisions I, II and III. As a sophomore, Neitzel ranked third in the Big Ten in overall assists (5.56 apg) and tied for the conference lead in league games (5.56 apg). Additionally, he led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.78). The selection committee is comprised of college basketball experts including media members, former coaches and players. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to maximize their team's collective potential, their leadership, their core basketball skills and overall team acheivement. Wisconsin's Kammron Taylor is the only other Big Ten player on the list, which also includes two Division II and one Division III candidates.
Spartans In The NBA - Nine former Spartans were on NBA rosters on opening day of the 2006-07 season. They include Maurice Ager (Dallas Mavericks), Alan Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (Toronto Raptors), Zach Randolph (Portland Trail Blazers), Jason Richardson (Golden State Warriors) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers). The nine active players gives MSU the most of any Big Ten school and ranks tied for fifth in the nation behind UConn (14), Duke (13), North Carolina (12) and Arizona (10). UCLA also has nine active players.
Tough Competition - Michigan State will play nine teams that appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, including five league foes (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin) and four non-conference teams (Belmont, Boston College, Bradley and Texas). In addition, five other opponents appeared in the 2006 NIT (BYU, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State), making it likely that 20 of the Spartans' 31 regular-season games will be against team that played in the 2006 postseason. For comparison, Michigan State played eight 2005 NCAA Tournament teams last season, six 2004 NCAA Tournament teams in 2004-05 and 10 2003 NCAA Tournament teams in 2003-04, a year which featured one of the most difficult schedules in recent college basketball history.
Spartans On TV - Michigan State will have a minimum of 26 games televised in 2006-07, including at least 14 on national television networks (ESPN - 6, ESPN2 - 4, CBS - 3, ESPNU - 1). In addition, the final two regular-season games could be picked up by national networks. From 1997-98 to 2005-06, MSU averaged 29 televised games per year, including 18 per season on national television networks. This includes 71 appearances on CBS and 91 on ESPN and ESPN2.
Experience In The Front Court - While Drew Neitzel is the only full-time returning starter for Michigan State, there are three Spartans in the frontcourt that gained starting experience in 2005-06, combining for 22 starts. Red-shirt junior Drew Naymick started the first seven games of the season before a shoulder injury forced him to miss the rest of the year. Red-shirt sophomore Marquise Gray started nine contests as an athletic power forward, while classmate Goran Suton used his wide array of skills to earn the starting job in six games, including all four postseason contests.
Spartans In The NBA Draft - With three Spartans selected in the 2006 NBA Draft, Michigan State has had 10 players drafted in the last seven drafts, ranking behind only Connecticut (11) and Duke (11). With Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown being selected in the first round, the Spartans have produced six first rounders in the last seven years, ranking behind only Connecticut (8) and Duke (7) and tied with North Carolina.
Winning The Right Way - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 259-110 (.702), and 125-55 (.694) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. With last year's win over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, he passed Benjamin Van Alstyne to become the second-winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) in total wins. In his 10 seasons as a head coach, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors four times, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and 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.
Among The Big Ten's Best - Tom Izzo's .694 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Purdue's Ward Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.702). With 125 conference victories, Izzo is currently tied for 13th all-time with former Iowa head coach Tom Davis.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 11 seasons, Tom Izzo won 255 games, ranking ninth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 11 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (Arkansas), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his fourth year as head coach, after leaving MSU in the spring of 2003. Crean directed Marquette to the 2003 Final Four, while Heath directed Kent State to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Wojcik is in his second season at Tulsa. Former assistant Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is currently an assistant coach at SMU.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 60-54 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-43 record since 1997-98.
