Men's Basketball Hosts Belmont On Tuesday
12/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (10-2)
vs. Belmont (7-3)
December 19, 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 the Michigan State-Belmont contest. Tickets may be purchased by calling the athletic ticket office at 517-355-1610 or 1-800-GO-STATE or online at msuspartans.com. Tickets range in price from $30 to $13. Buy Tickets
The Opening Tip
Michigan State hosts Belmont in the first of two games for the Spartans this week. MSU is a perfect 8-0 at home this season, with an average margin of victory of +22.5. In their last game, the Spartans used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to beat Chicago State, 69-61. Belmont is playing its second-straight game against a Big Ten opponent. The Bruins lost at Illinois on Sunday night, 77-51, after trailing by just six at halftime. Last season, Belmont appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans Strong At Home - The Spartans are 8-0 at home this season, thanks in large part to outstanding defense, holding opponents to just 49.0 points per game, allowing them to shoot just 32.5 percent from the field, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, the Spartans are shooting 48.2 percent, including 47.0 percent from behind the arc, scoring 71.5 points per contest. MSU's rebounding margin is +13.0 at the Breslin Center.
2. Non-Conference Home Winning Streak - Michigan State has won 23-straight home games against non-conference opponents. MSU's last home loss outside of Big Ten competition was a 72-50 defeat against Duke on Dec. 3, 2003. The Spartans were 7-0 in 2004-05, 6-0 in 2005-06 and 8-0 this year against non-conference teams in the Breslin Center.
3. Spartan Defense Among Big Ten's Best - Michigan State ranks among the top defensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans currently lead the league in field-goal percentage defense (.357), while ranking second in scoring defense (53.4 ppg), third in blocked shots (6.00 bpg) and fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.314). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 12 opponents to shoot better than 42 percent from the field, as 10 opponents have shot below 40 percent. The Spartans have held four opponents (Brown, The Citadel, Bradley and IPFW) below 30 percent shooting. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking sixth in scoring defense (52.7 ppg), seventh in field-goal percentage defense (35.3%) and 17th in blocked shots (6.3 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Dec. 11).
4. Dahlman's Opportunity - With Maurice Joseph and Raymar Morgan both out of the Spartan lineup with injuries, freshman Isaiah Dahlman will see significantly increased playing time. In the three games without Morgan in the lineup, Dahlman has averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32.0 minutes, shooting 10-of-18 from the field. Dahlman made his first career start against Chicago State, playing 38 minutes and scoring a season-best 11 points, adding four rebounds and four assists. In the first nine games of the season, with Morgan in the lineup, Dahlman averaged just 11.1 minutes, 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
5. Gray Off The Bench - Marquise Gray has not started the last four games, but he has enjoyed the most consistent stretch of his Spartan career. Over the last four contests, Gray is averaging 11.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 22.8 minutes, shooting 64.5 percent (20-of-31) from the field.
MSU vs. Belmont Notes
Series History - This will be the first meeting between Michigan State and Belmont.
Coach Byrd - Rick Byrd (Tennessee, '76) is 500-287 in his 26th season as a collegiate head coach, including 408-232 in his 21st year at Belmont. Byrd joins Wisconsin's Bo Ryan and North Carolina's Roy Williams as coaches who have reached the 500 win plateau this season. He is one of just 15 active NCAA Division I head coaches with 500 career victories.
Bruin Notes - Belmont is the reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Champion, and returns six of its top seven scorers from last year's squad that made it to the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four participant UCLA ... Eight different players have attempted at least nine 3-pointers, as the team averages 23.7 attempts per contest ... A preseason All-Atlantic Sun selection, junior guard Justin Hare leads the Bruins in scoring at 15.5 points per game ... Located in Nashville, Tenn., notable Belmont alumni include Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and Stephen Curtis Chapman.
Game #12 Notes - Michigan State 69 - Chicago State 61
* Drew Neitzel scored a career-best 32 points, including 21 in the second half. He was a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line.
* Michigan State shot an impressive 55.6 percent from the field, but attempted just 36 shots, while Chicago State attempted 53 shots, but shot just 39.6 percent.
* Michigan State recorded 17 assists on 20 made field goals, led by Goran Suton with a career-high five assists.
* Isaiah Dahlman made his first career start and responded with a career-high 11 points in a career-best 38 minutes.
* Michigan State and Chicago State each grabbed 27 rebounds, marking just the second time this season that the Spartans did not out-rebound their opponent.
* The Spartans committed a season-high 21 turnovers.
* Chicago State held a 44-43 lead at the 9:27 mark, but MSU responded with nine straight points, including five from Neitzel and four from Suton, to take a 52-44 lead.
Michigan State Notes
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 18.6 points per game. In six of the last eight games, Neitzel has scored 20 or more, averaging 20.9 points over those eight contests. He is averaging 12.5 shots and 4.3 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 46.0 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.5 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week in on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. He ranks first in the Big Ten in 3-point field goals made (3.25 pg), second in free-throw percentage (.902), third in scoring (18.6 ppg), sixth in minutes played (33.33 mpg), eighth in assists (4.5 apg), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.74) and in 3-point field-goal percentage (.429).
Neitzel's Second Halves - As a general rule, Drew Neitzel has been a more explosive scorer in the second half. Through 12 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.5 points in the first half and 11.1 after halftime. Most recently, he scored 11 points in the first half against Chicago State and 21 after the break. Earlier this season, he followed a four-point first half vs. Maryland with 17 points in the second. On the flip side, however, he has also shown a knack for some quick starts. He knocked down four first-half 3-pointers against Youngstown State and Vermont and three in the first against IPFW and Chicago State.
From Way Downtown - Michigan State leads the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 42.5 percent of its attempts from behind the arc. Coach Tom Izzo credits the success in large part to the right players attempting the shots, as just five Spartans have made more than one. Drew Neitzel (39-91, .429) and Maurice Joseph (22-49, . 449) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters, although Isaiah Dahlman has the best percentage at .556 (5-9).
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 72 shots through the first 12 games, an average of 6.0 blocks per contest, ranking third in the Big Ten. By comparison, MSU blocked just 101 shots last season in 34 games, an average of 3.0 per game. As recently as 2004, MSU blocked just 54 shots for the entire season. MSU has recorded eight blocks in four of the last seven contests. The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 22, followed by Idong Ibok with 17 and Marquise Gray with 14. Since blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78, MSU's greatest single-season total was 133 in 2001.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +10.8 rebounding margin through 12 games, out-rebounding 10 of their 12 opponents, while tying one other team. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Dec. 11), the Spartans rank sixth in the nation (+11.8). MSU's greatest margin came against Youngstown State (+21, 39-18), while Boston College is the only team to out-rebound the Spartans (37-36). MSU's rebound margin has been at least +15 in six 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.). Three different Spartans have grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a game, including Marquise Gray (12 vs. Oakland & BYU, 11 Vs. Chicago State), Drew Naymick (10 vs. Bradley) and Goran Suton (12 vs. Youngstown State & 11 vs. BYU).
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks 10th in MSU history with 340 career assists. With his four assists against Boston College, he moved past Terry Donnelly (321). Neitzel needs 10 assists to pass Kevin Smith (349) for ninth place all-time at MSU.
Ducre Steps In - With Raymar Morgan and Maurice Joseph out of action with injuries, DeMarcus Ducre is MSU's first perimeter sub off the bench. Ducre saw a career-high 18 minutes of action against Chicago State. He owns career highs of three points (vs. Purdue, 2/8/06) and four rebounds (vs. Coppin State, 12/31/05).
Morgan Out Of Action - Raymar Morgan is currently out of action with a stress reaction in his right shin. He opened his freshman season with six double-figure efforts, becoming the first Spartan freshman to open his career with six games scoring in double figures. In fact, no other Spartan freshman had scored double figures in more than their first three games. Previously, Sam Vincent (1981-82) was the only Spartan freshman to score 10 or more in his first three games. Morgan is currently the team's second-leading scorer at 11.7 ppg, and has scored in double-figures in eight of his nine contests. He scored a game-high 18 points in MSU's win over No. 19 Texas, and also scored 18 against Bradley.
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 12 games, averaging 15.8 per game. The problem, however, is not due entirely to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 4.9 per game.
Walton's Improved Play - Sophomore co-captain Travis Walton has been asked to carry a lot of the point guard duties this season. He has responded by posting a 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking sixth in the Big Ten, while ranking tied for fourth in the league in assists (5.25 apg). Recently, he dished out a career-high nine assists against Bradley, while also scoring a career-best 15 points. He has five games with seven or more assists and three games scoring in double-figures, after not scoring more than seven in a game last season. In addition, Walton usually draws the opponent's top perimeter player as a defensive assignment.
Looking For No. 10 - Last year, Michigan State made its 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.
What A Difference A Year Makes - Prior to his injury, MSU guard Maurice Joseph had opened his sophomore campaign on a strong note. Through 11 games, he scored 91 points (8.3 ppg) in 208 minutes (18.9 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 (32 vs. Chicago State), Travis Walton (15 vs. Bradley), Marquise Gray (15 vs. BYU), Goran Suton (18 vs. Boston College) and Idong Ibok (6 vs. BYU) are returning players who have also posted career highs in scoring this 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 its points, 30.8 percent of its rebounds, and 40.5 percent of its 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.
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.
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 players on opening day rosters gives MSU the most of any Big Ten school and ranks sixth in the nation behind UConn (14), Duke (13), North Carolina (12), Arizona (10) and UCLA (10).
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 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.
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.
Home Sweet Home - Michigan State will play a record 19 regular-season home games at the Breslin Center this season, surpassing the previous mark of 17 established in 1996-97 and equaled in 2001-02. During Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 154-21 (.880) at home, including 131-12 (.916) over the last 10 years.
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.
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.
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. MSU will also have one game (vs. IPFW) carried on ESPN360, ESPN's internet broadcast. 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.
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.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 265-111 (.705), 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 (.705). 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.
