Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Look To Maintain Winning Ways Against Wisconsin
2/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (19-8, 6-6)
vs. #1/2 Wisconsin (26-2, 12-1)
February 20, 2007
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: ESPN - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color), Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
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Wear White
With the Michigan State men's basketball team closing out its home schedule this week with games against Wisconsin (Feb. 20) and Indiana (Feb. 24), the MSU Athletics Department is asking Spartan fans to wear white as a show of uniform support for the MSU men's basketball team. Both games will be nationally televised on ESPN, as the MSU-UW game tips-off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a 9 p.m. game against Indiana on Saturday with ESPN College GameDay in attendance.
The Opening Tip
Michigan State plays its third-straight home game as the Spartans host Big Ten-leading Wisconsin. The Spartans are looking for their 20th win of the season and a win over a highly-ranked Badger squad to improve their NCAA Tournament resume. After recent stretches during which both MSU and UW dominated the rivalry, the home team has won the last four games.
The Starting Five
1. 20-Win Seasons - With one more victory, Michigan State will record its eighth 20-win season in the last 10 years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the previous 15 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 12 of them, seven as a head coach and five as an assistant.
2. Spartan Defense Is Big Ten's Best - Michigan State has established itself as the top defensive team in the Big Ten. The Spartans lead the league in field-goal percentage defense (.379) and scoring defense (56.0 ppg), while ranking second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.305) and fourth in blocked shots (5.04 bpg). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 27 opponents to shoot better than 47 percent from the field, as 19 opponents have shot below 40 percent and 21 below 42 percent. The Spartans have held four opponents (Brown, The Citadel, Bradley and IPFW) below 30 percent shooting. Michigan State has also held eight of its 27 opponents under 50 points. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking fourth in scoring defense (56.0 ppg), seventh in field-goal percentage defense (37.9%) and 28th in blocked shots (5.0 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Feb. 19).
3. Defense Among Best Ever - Not only is this year's Michigan State defense the best in the Big Ten, it ranks among the best in Spartan history. The Spartans allow opponents just 56.0 points per game, the lowest total since the 1951-52 squad also allowed 56.0 points. Opponents are also shooting just 37.9 percent, the lowest percentage since 1958-59 (.379).
4. Tops In Offense And Defense - Michigan State currently leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.471) and field-goal percentage defense (.396) in league games. This has happened just nine times since 1974, as the last team to accomplish this feat was Illinois in 2003 (FG% - .474; FG% Def. - .384).
5. A Special Freshman - Raymar Morgan is having one of the most productive freshman campaigns in the Big Ten. He ranks fifth among league freshmen in scoring (11.1 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.2 rpg). In conference games, his 10.5 ppg scoring average ranks fourth.
MSU vs. Wisconsin Notes
Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 65-54, including a 40-14 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Tom Izzo is 14-10 in his career against Wisconsin.
Coach Ryan - Bo Ryan (Wilkes, `69) is 521-154 in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach, including 138-51 in his sixth year at Wisconsin. Prior to his arrival in Madison, Ryan coached at UW-Milwaukee for two years (1999-2001) and at UW-Platteville for 15 seasons (1984-99), winning four Division III National Championships.
Badger Bits - Wisconsin has used the same starting lineup in all 28 games this season ... The Badgers rank second in the Big Ten in scoring offense (73.4), field-goal percentage (.477), rebound margin (+5.8) and turnover margin (+3.32) ... Alando Tucker ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (20.4 ppg), and has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games ... With 26 wins, Wisconsin has established a new single-season school record.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Wisconsin, 74-65, on March 2, 2006 in East Lansing. MSU trailed 23-13 with 10:21 left in the first half, but a 9-0 spurt sparked a 20-6 run, giving the Spartans a 33-29 advantage. Leading 59-55 entering the final five minutes, MSU went on a 14-4 run, including 12 points from Maurice Ager over the next 3:10. Wisconsin made six of its first nine shots in the second half, but just six of its final 20. Paul Davis led all scorers with 27 points and combined with Ager (19 points) and Shannon Brown (18 points) to total 64 for the Spartans. Alando Tucker scored 23, but was the only Badger to score in double figures.
Game #26 Notes - Michigan State 81 - Iowa 49
* Trailing 4-3, Michigan State went on an 18-0 run and never led by less than 15 after that.
* Michigan State's defense limited Iowa's Adam Haluska to just 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, including 0-of-6 from 3-point range, holding the Big Ten's leading scorer 10 points below his average and to a season low in conference play.
* In the first half, MSU shot 65.4 percent from the field (17-of-26), compared to just 25.0 percent for Iowa (6-of-24). The Spartans hit more 3-pointers (7) than the Hawkeyes made field goals (6).
* One game after holding Michigan to 44 points, MSU's defense held Iowa to 49 points, marking the first time MSU held back-to-back opponents below 50 points since January 2000 - a span of 243 games.
* Michigan State blocked seven shots to establish a single-season school record of 136, passing the 133 rejections set by the 2000-01 Spartans.
* Travis Walton posted double-digit assists for the second time in his career, dishing out 10.
* Maurice Joseph scored all 12 of his points in the first half, knocking down four 3-pointers.
* Michigan State knocked down a season-high 10 3-pointers.
* Raymar Morgan recorded four steals as MSU posted a season-high 11 thefts.
* For the fifth time all season, MSU grabbed more offensive rebounds (15) than its opponent grabbed defensive boards (10).
* MSU held a 25-8 advantage in points off turnovers, including 19-4 in the first half.
Michigan State Notes
Nitro Leads Spartan Attack - 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 18.1 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points 13 times, and 17 or more points in 19 games. On the season, he is averaging 13.1 shots and 4.2 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 42.7 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.4 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.
An Increase In Scoring - Drew Neitzel is averaging 18.1 points this season after averaging 8.3 points in 2005-06, while starting every contest. His increase of +9.8 points per game ranks as the third-largest increase from one season to the next by a Spartan starter. In 1956-57, Julius McCoy averaged 27.3 points, after averaging 16.7 the year before, an increase of +10.6. Greg Kelser raised his scoring average from 11.7 as a freshman (1975-76) to 21.7 as a sophomore (1976-77), an increase of +10.0.
Neitzel For Three - Drew Neitzel is shooting 84-of-208 from 3-point range (40.4%). The 84 made 3-pointers rank tied for fifth with Chris Hill (84 - 2004) on the MSU single-season chart, one behind Morris Peterson (85 - 1999-2000) in fourth place and eight behind Shawn Respert (92 - 1993-94) in third place. The 208 attempts rank fourth on the single-season list, 13 behind Maurice Ager (221 - 2005-06) in third place.
A Lot Of Minutes - Drew Neitzel ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in minutes played, both overall (35.58 mpg) and in league games (37.36 mpg). These are the highest averages by a Spartan since 1990-91 when Steve Smith averaged 37.8 mpg overall and 38.4 mpg in conference action. However, Neitzel was able to get a break against Iowa, playing just 24 minutes due to foul trouble in the first half and a comfortable lead in the second half. It was the fewest minutes he has played in a game since playing 24 vs. Florida International on Dec. 18, 2005. In the five previous games, Neitzel was averaging 39.2 minutes.
Neitzel In Big Ten Statistics - Drew Neitzel leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.904) and 3-point field goals made (3.11 pg), ranks second in minutes played (35.15 mpg), fourth in scoring (18.1 ppg), fifth in assists (4.37 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.00) and 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.404). Nationally, Neitzel ranks ninth in free-throw percentage (as of Feb. 19).
Spartans Strong At Home - The Spartans are 16-1 at home this season, thanks in large part to outstanding defense, holding opponents to just 51.7 points per game, allowing them to shoot just 34.9 percent from the field, including 30.7 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, the Spartans are shooting 48.0 percent, including 41.4 percent from behind the arc, scoring 69.5 points per contest. MSU's rebounding margin is +10.2 at the Breslin Center.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 136 shots through the first 27 games, establishing a single-season school record. The Spartans average of 5.04 blocks per contest, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. Blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78, with the previous record being set in 2001 (133 blocks). According to the most recent NCAA stats (Feb. 19), MSU ranks 28th in the nation (5.0 bpg). The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 42, followed by Idong Ibok with 31 and Goran Suton with 22. Naymick's 42 blocks rank him fourth in the Spartan single-season record book. He needs eight more to tie DuJuan Wiley (50 - 1997-98) for third place.
Spartan Injuries - Entering the season with five recruited scholarship players on the perimeter, the Spartans knew they could not afford many injuries. Yet, three players have been forced to miss significant stretches. Raymar Morgan missed seven games, as did Isaiah Dahlman, while Maurice Joseph missed four contests.
Morgan Feeling Better - Raymar Morgan has started the last eight games, averaging 12.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 30.3 minutes. This past week, he averaged 17.0 points in games vs. Michigan and Iowa. He missed seven games in December and January with a stress reaction in his right shin. He came off the bench in the first three games back from injury, before returning to the starting lineup against Penn State. There were 35 days between games for Morgan. He opened his freshman season with six straight 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 11.1 ppg, and has scored in double figures in 15 of his 20 contests. He has scored 18 points in three games, including against Michigan, Bradley and No. 19 Texas.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +8.4 rebounding margin, out-rebounding 20 of their 27 opponents, while tying three other teams. MSU is 16-4 when out-rebounding its opponent, but 3-4 when failing to do so. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 19), the Spartans rank fifth in the nation (+8.4). MSU's greatest margin came against Northwestern (+24, 37-13), while only four teams have been able to out-rebound the Spartans. MSU's rebound margin has been at least +13 in 10 games. In five games, the Spartans have grabbed more offensive rebounds than their opponents totaled defensive boards. MSU accomplished this feat against Youngstown State (MSU - 15 off. reb.; YSU - 9 def. reb.), Maryland (MSU - 17 off. reb.; UMD - 16 def. reb.), Northwestern (MSU - 16 off. reb.; NU - 7 def. reb.), Penn State (MSU - 10 off. reb.; PSU - 7 def. reb.) and Iowa (MSU - 15 off. reb.; UI - 10 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 & Loyola), Drew Naymick (10 vs. Bradley) and Goran Suton (15 vs. UW-Green Bay, 12 vs. Youngstown State, 11 vs. BYU & 10 vs. Ohio State).
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State leads the Big Ten in assists with 16.22 per contest. In fact, MSU has recorded an assist on 438 of its 633 baskets (69.1%). That percentage ranks fourth in the nation, behind Sam Houston State (74.9%), Northwestern (71.2%) and Lamar (69.8%). Individually, Travis Walton (2nd, 5.30 apg) and Drew Neitzel (5th, 4.37 apg) rank among the league leaders in assists.
Close Losses - Of Michigan State's eight losses, five have been by seven points or fewer, including three by just a single basket. The Spartans lost by two points each to Maryland, Iowa and Ohio State, and fell by seven at Boston College and at Illinois.
Suton Looking To Score - Goran Suton was tentative offensively in the first three games of the Big Ten season, averaging just 4.3 points and shooting 27.8 percent. Over the last nine games, however, he has been more offensive-minded, averaging 10.3 points, while shooting 58.3 percent (42-of-72) from the field.
From Way Downtown - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 37.6 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 (84-208, .404) and Maurice Joseph (36-89, .404) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters.
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 2.34 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the Big Ten, while also ranking second in the league in assists (5.30 apg). He has 10 games with seven or more assists and six 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.
On Target - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.470). In conference games, the Spartans are shooting a league-best 47.1 percent from the field.
Neitzel On Wooden List - Drew Neitzel is one of 30 players named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason All-American Team. Neitzel is one of 10 players named to the midseason team after not appearing on the preseason list. He joins Ohio State's Greg Oden and Wisconsin's Alando Tucker as the three Big Ten players on the list. In March, a group of approximately 20 players will be selected for the national ballot, which will determine the 10-member All-America Team and the Wooden Award winner.
Leading Scorers - Although Drew Neitzel is unquestionably Michigan State's number one scoring threat, his teammates have also contributed to the attack as six different Spartans have led MSU in scoring in a game this season. Neitzel has been the leading scorer on 19 occassions, followed by Raymar Morgan (3), Maurice Joseph (2 games), Goran Suton (2), Travis Walton (2) and Marquise Gray (1).
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks eighth in MSU history with 404 career assists. Next on the list is Chris Hill, who recorded 452 assists.
Neitzel's Second Halves - As a general rule, Drew Neitzel has been a more explosive scorer in the second half. Through 27 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.1 points in the first half and 11.0 after halftime. His most dramatic performance came at Ohio State where he scored 24 second-half points after five in the first half, nearly leading MSU back from a 20-point halftime deficit. In fact, he scored one more point in the second half (24) than did the Buckeyes (23). In the second game vs. OSU, he scored 21 of his 24 points after the break. He scored 17 of his 20 points at Iowa in the second half. In seven games this season, Neitzel has scored at least 10 more points in the second half than he did in the first. On the flip side, however, he has also shown a knack for some quick starts. He knocked down four first-half 3-pointers against Michigan, Youngstown State and Vermont and three in the first against IPFW, Chicago State and Minnesota.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers this season, averaging 15.1 per game. For the most part, the turnover problem has not been due to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 4.4 per game, while both rank in the top five in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio. MSU is 9-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent.
Dahlman Back To Action - Isaiah Dahlman played 13 minutes against Iowa after missing seven straight games with an injury in his right foot. He started the last eight games before his injury, averaging 6.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 25.6 minutes. He played an important role during that stretch as Raymar Morgan was out with an injury for all but one of those eight games and Maurice Joseph missed four of the games with an injury.
Ibok On Offense - Idong Ibok has scored 54 points in the last 18 contests after scoring just seven points through the first nine games. During the last 18 games, Ibok is shooting 22-of-27 from the field.
What A Difference A Year Makes - Maurice Joseph is averaging 6.8 points and 16.9 minutes. He missed the last four games of December with a stress reaction in his right foot. Joseph returned to action in the Big Ten opener, and has averaged 5.4 points and 15.0 minutes over the last 12 games. 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 (19 vs. Loyola), Goran Suton (27 vs. Loyola) and Idong Ibok (7 vs. Belmont & Indiana) are returning players who have also posted career highs in scoring this season.
For Starters - Due to a variety of factors, including injuries, Michigan State has used nine different starting lineups this season. The lineup of Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton, Raymar Morgan, Idong Ibok and Goran Suton is the most frequently used lineup, starting six games.
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.
Non-Conference Victories - Michigan State won 13 non-conference games, establishing a school record for regular-season non-conference victories since joining the Big Ten in 1950-51. Last year's squad won 12 non-conference games. The 1989-90, 1998-99 and 2000-01 squads won 11 non-conference games during the regular season.
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 162-22 (.880) at home, including 139-13 (.914) over the last 10 years.
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.
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).
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. Walton is 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 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.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 274-117 (.701), and 131-61 (.682) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. In 2005, 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 .682 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks third all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.701). With 131 conference victories, Izzo currently ranks 13th all-time.
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 60-56 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-45 record since 1997-98.
