Michigan State Takes Four-Game Winning Streak On The Road

Feb. 26, 2007

EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Michigan State (21-8, 8-6)
vs. Michigan (19-10, 7-7)

February 27, 2007
7 p.m. EST
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Crisler Arena

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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The Opening Tip
Michigan State opens the last week of the regular season at Michigan. The Spartans and Wolverines last met just two weeks ago, with MSU claiming a hard-fought 59-44 victory in East Lansing. Beginning with the UM game, the Spartans have won their last four games. The Wolverines are coming off a 62-51 win at Minnesota on Saturday. MSU has won five of the last seven games played in Ann Arbor.

The Starting Five
1. Trends From A Winning Streak - Michigan State is enjoying a four-game winning streak. During the stretch, the Spartans are holding opponents to 51.5 points per game and 35.2 percent shooting from the field, including 30.3 percent from 3-point range. Not surprisingly, Drew Neitzel is the leading scorer, averaging 20.8 points, shooting 50.9 percent, including 51.4 percent from 3-point range (19-of-37). Raymar Morgan is the team's second-leading scorer at 16.0 points, shooting 55.8 percent (24-of-43) from the field, adding 6.3 rebounds. Other players are playing their roles as Travis Walton is averaging 7.8 assists, including back-to-back 10-assist efforts, adding 9.3 points, shooting 61.1 percent. Drew Naymick is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As a team, MSU is shooting 50.8 percent, including 44.8 percent from 3-point range.

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 (.377) and scoring defense (56.0 ppg), while ranking second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.307) and fourth in blocked shots (5.00 bpg). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 29 opponents to shoot better than 47 percent from the field, as 21 opponents have shot below 40 percent and 23 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 29 opponents under 50 points. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking third in scoring defense (56.0 ppg), sixth in field-goal percentage defense (37.7%) and 30th in blocked shots (5.0 bpg), according to the most recent NCAA stats (Feb. 26).

3. Neitzel Earns Weekly Honors - Drew Neitzel was named the national Player of the Week by ESPN.com's Andy Katz and the co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 26. In two games, he averaged 22.5 points, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, including 52.9 percent from 3-point range. As a team, Michigan State also earned some national recognition, earning Team of the Week honors from Dick Vitale, Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News and Fox Sports.com's Jeff Goodman after wins over No. 1 Wisconsin and Indiana.

4. Crashing The Offensive Glass - Michigan State is averaging 11.93 offensive rebounds per game. In fact, MSU has grabbed the rebound on 41.1 percent of its missed shots. 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.).

5. Morgan Beginning To Excel - Raymar Morgan has started the last 10 games, averaging 12.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 31.0 minutes. During MSU's four-game winning streak, he is averaging 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. 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 11.4 ppg, and has scored in double figures in 17 of his 22 contests. He has scored 18 points in four games, including against Indiana, Michigan, Bradley and No. 19 Texas.

MSU vs. Michigan Notes
Series History - Michigan leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 90-70, including a 55-27 advantage in games played in Ann Arbor. MSU has won 14 of the last 16 games overall. Tom Izzo is 14-7 in his career against the Wolverines.

Coach Amaker - Tommy Amaker (Duke, `87) is 174-135 in 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including 106-80 in six seasons at Michigan. Prior to his arrival in Ann Arbor, he spent four years at Seton Hall where he went 68-55.

Wolverine Notes - Michigan leads the Big Ten with 6.17 blocks per contest ... Courtney Sims ranks third in the conference in field-goal percentage, shooting 59.9 percent from the field ... The Wolverines are shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range in league games.

The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Michigan, 59-44, on Feb. 13, 2007, in East Lansing. The Wolverines held a slim lead for most of the first half, but a Drew Neitzel 3-pointer in the final seconds of the period gave MSU a 24-23 halftime advantage. The game remained tight for most of the second half as MSU clung to a 38-36 lead with 6:43 left. The Spartans scored the next nine points and held the Wolverines without a point for four minutes to push their lead up to a comfortable margin at 11 points. Neitzel finished with a game-high 21 points, while Raymar Morgan scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Dion Harris was the only Wolverine to score in double figures, tallying 13 points.

The Last Meeting In Ann Arbor - Michigan defeated Michigan State, 72-67, on Jan. 25 in Ann Arbor. The Spartans sprinted out to 28-15 lead with 7:32 left in the first half. With 16:12 left in the game, MSU led 45-38, but Michigan used a 10-0 spurt to spark a 17-3 run that gave the Wolverines a 55-48 lead with 9:06 left. MSU cut the lead to two points in the final minute, but could not tie the game. Michigan State shot 59.5 percent in the first half, but just 40 percent in the second half, to finish at 50 percent overall, marking the only game all year in which MSU shot 50 percent or better and still lost. Michigan shot just 41.7 percent, but attempted 34 free throws, compared to 10 for the Spartans. Maurice Ager led MSU with 18 points, while Daniel Horton paced UM with 23.

Game #29 Notes - Michigan State 66 - Indiana 58
* Michigan State posted its 18th home victory of the season, marking the most ever by a Spartan team in a single season.
* Michigan State recorded its 13th straight victory over Indiana in the Breslin Center.
* Michigan State out-rebounded Indiana, 31-21. In the first meeting of the season, IU out-rebounded MSU, 30-26.
* Raymar Morgan tied his season high with 18 points, including hitting on 10-of-11 free-throw attempts.
* In the second half, Drew Neitzel scored 15 of his 17, Raymar Morgan scored 13 of 18 and Travis Walton scored 10 of his 13.
* MSU committed a season-high 23 turnovers, including 14 in the fist half. However, the Spartans committed just four in the final 16 minutes of the contest.
* The Spartans trailed 39-28 with 15:35 left, but responded with a 14-0 run over the next five minutes. This keyed a 28-7 run giving MSU a 56-46 advantage with 3:47 remaining.
* Michigan State tied a season high with 26 made free throws.

Michigan State Notes
Holding Down The Big Ten's Best - In each of MSU's last three wins, the Spartans have held one of the opposing team's leading scorers below his scoring average. Against Iowa, MSU's perimeter defense, led largely by Travis Walton, held Adam Haluska to 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting (0-of-6 from 3-point range), nearly 10 points below his 20.4 scoring average. One game later, MSU held Wisconsin's Alando Tucker to 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting (4-of-8 from 3-point range), but did not attempt a free throw. Tucker entered the game averaging 20.4 points, including scoring 20 or more in seven-straight games, and 7.2 free-throw attempts. Raymar Morgan started the game on Tucker, but when Morgan picked up his second foul, Walton was asked to be the primary defender. Most recently, Walton and the Spartans held Roderick Wilmont scoreless. Wilmont entered the game averaging 12.3 points. On the inside, Drew Naymick and the Spartan big men held D.J. White to nine points on 1-of-7 shooting, after he entered the contest averaging 14.0 points.

Balanced Scoring Is Key - Michigan State is 15-2 when three or more Spartans score in double figures, but just 6-6 when two or fewer players score 10 or more points.

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 37.7 percent, the lowest percentage since 1958-59 (.343).

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 18.4 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points 14 times, and 17 or more points in 21 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 43.6 percent from the field. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.2 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel has been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times (Nov. 20, Nov. 27 and Feb. 26).

An Increase In Scoring - Drew Neitzel is averaging 18.4 points this season after averaging 8.3 points in 2005-06, while starting every contest. His increase of +10.1 points per game ranks as the second-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.

Naymick In The Starting Lineup - After coming off the bench for the season's first 24 games, Drew Naymick has started the last five games. He is averaging 26.4 minutes per game, recording a team-best 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest.

Neitzel For Three - Over the last four games, Drew Neitzel is shooting 51.4 percent (19-of-37) from 3-point range. On the season, Neitzel is shooting 93-of-225 (41.3%) from behind the arc. The 93 made 3-pointers rank third on the MSU single-season chart, two behind Chris Hill (95 - 2002-03) in second place. The 225 attempts rank third on the single-season list, nine behind Chris Hill (234 - 2002-03) in second place.

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 (11.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.4 rpg). In conference games, his 11.2 ppg scoring average ranks fourth.

A Lot Of Minutes - Drew Neitzel ranks second in the Big Ten Conference in minutes played overall (35.31 mpg) and third in league games (36.43 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.

20-Win Seasons - With its victory over Wisconsin, Michigan State recorded its eighth 20-win season in the last 10 years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the 16 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 13 of them, eight as a head coach and five as an assistant.

Tops In Offense And Defense - Michigan State currently leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.470) and field-goal percentage defense (.393) 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).

Neitzel In Big Ten Statistics - Drew Neitzel leads the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.901) and 3-point field goals made (3.21 pg), ranks second in minutes played (35.31 mpg), fourth in scoring (18.4 ppg), fifth in assists (4.21 apg), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69) and ninth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.413). Nationally, Neitzel ranks 10th in free-throw percentage (as of Feb. 26).

MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 145 shots through 29 games, establishing a single-season school record. The Spartans average 5.00 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. 26), MSU ranks 30th in the nation (5.0 bpg). The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 47, followed by Idong Ibok with 33 and Goran Suton with 22. Naymick's 47 blocks rank him fourth in the Spartan single-season record book. He needs three more to tie DuJuan Wiley (50 - 1997-98) for third place. Naymick ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocked shots (1.62 bpg) and has blocked at least one shot in 24 of 29 games this season and has seven games with three or more blocks.

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.

Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +8.6 rebounding margin, out-rebounding 22 of their 29 opponents, while tying three other teams. MSU is 18-4 when out-rebounding its opponent, but 3-4 when failing to do so. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Feb. 26), the Spartans rank fourth in the nation (+8.6). 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 11 games. 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 16.03 per contest. In fact, MSU has recorded an assist on 465 of its 673 baskets (69.1%). That percentage ranks fourth in the nation, behind Sam Houston State (74.8%), Northwestern (71.9%) and Lamar (70.0%). Individually, Travis Walton (2nd, 5.48 apg) and Drew Neitzel (5th, 4.21 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.

From Way Downtown - Michigan State leads the Big Ten Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 38.0 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 (93-225, .413) and Maurice Joseph (36-93, .387) are MSU's two most prolific long-range shooters.

On Target - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.471). In conference games, the Spartans are shooting a league-best 47.4 percent from the field.

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 2.30 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the Big Ten, while also ranking second in the league in assists (5.48 apg). He has 11 games with seven or more assists, including three of 10 or more, and eight 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.

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 20 occassions, followed by Raymar Morgan (4 games), Maurice Joseph (2), Goran Suton (2), Travis Walton (2) and Marquise Gray (1).

Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks eighth in MSU history with 408 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 29 games, Neitzel is averaging 7.2 points in the first half and 11.2 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. In eight 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, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers this season, averaging 15.3 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 4.9 per game, while both rank in the top eight 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 58 points in the last 20 contests after scoring just seven points through the first nine games. During the last 20 games, Ibok is shooting 23-of-28 from the field.

What A Difference A Year Makes - Maurice Joseph is averaging 6.4 points and 16.6 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 4.9 points and 14.7 minutes over the last 14 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.

Home Sweet Home - Michigan State played 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 164-22 (.882) at home, including 141-13 (.916) over the last 10 years.

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.

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 276-117 (.702), and 133-61 (.686) 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 .686 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), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.702). With 133 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 61-56 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 54-45 record since 1997-98.