Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Open Big Ten Play Against Minnesota
1/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#6/6 Michigan State (12-1)
vs. Minnesota (10-2)
January 5, 2008
8 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: Big Ten Network - Roger Twibell (Play by Play), Tim McCormick (Color)
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
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The Opening Tip
Michigan State opens Big Ten play against Minnesota and first-year coach Tubby Smith. This will also be the Big Ten opener for Smith and the Gophers. The Spartans will be opening at home for the first time since 2003 and will start the league schedule with two home games for the first time since 1985. MSU is looking for a 10th-straight victory and to improve to 9-0 at home this season.
The Starting Five
Big Ten Openers - In its 57 seasons playing basketball in the Big Ten Conference, Michigan State has compiled a 24-33 record in Big Ten openers, including a 14-9 record away at home. Tom Izzo is 6-6 in Big Ten openers, including 4-0 at home.
Big Ten Home Openers - Over the past 57 seasons, Michigan State has posted a 38-19 mark in Big Ten home openers. Tom Izzo is 10-2 in Big Ten home openers, including winning the last five.
Spartans Streaking - Michigan State has won nine straight games, dating back to a Nov. 20 loss to then-No. 2 UCLA. A win over Minnesota would mark just the fifth single-season 10-game win streak of Tom Izzo's head coaching career. MSU won 22 straight games during the 1998-99 season. The Spartans won the final 11 games of 1999-2000 and the first 12 of 2000-01 to combine for a 23-game streak. Michigan State also win 11 straight non-conference games in 2005-06.
Opening With A Homestand - Michigan State will be opening the Big Ten season at home for the first time since the 2003 season, when MSU hosted Ohio State on Jan. 9. MSU's second conference game this season (vs. Purdue - Jan. 8) will also be at the Breslin Center, marking the first time the Spartans will open league play with two home games since 1985, when Michigan State opened with Ohio State and Indiana in Jenison Field House. Since then, MSU has opened with two road games on six occasions. As a point of reference, no current Spartan players were alive in January 1985.
MSU's Super Soph - After a solid freshman campaign, Raymar Morgan is having a breakout sophomore season. Morgan leads Michigan State in scoring (17.4 ppg), field goals made (79) and free throws made (64) and attempted (84), ranks second in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and field goal attempts (135), third in blocks (10) and tied for third in steals (11). The Canton, Ohio, native ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring, eighth in rebounding, fourth in field-goal percentage (.585) and sixth in free-throw percentage (.762), standing as the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 of all four categories. Morgan's play has been recognized nationally, as he was named a Midseason All-American by Rivals.com. He also made Jay Bilas' Honor Roll second team on Dec. 31, after his 24-point, eight-rebound effort vs. Green Bay.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History - Minnesota leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 56-52. MSU, however, owns a 34-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won six of the last seven and 11 of the last 14 meetings. Tom Izzo has a 14-7 all-time record against the Golden Gophers, including an 8-2 mark in East Lansing.
Coach Smith - Orlando "Tubby" Smith (High Point, '73) is 397-147 in his 17th season as a collegiate head coach, including 10-2 in his first season with Minnesota. Prior to his arrival in Minneapolis, he spent 10 seasons as head coach at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA Championship. His head coaching career also includes a two-year stint at Georgia and four seasons at Tulsa.
Smith Vs. MSU - While Tubby Smith was at Kentucky, he faced Michigan State six times, with the Spartans winning four games. Included in those six games were MSU victories in the 1999 and 2005 Elite Eights.
Gopher Notes - Minnesota is the league's third-highest scoring team, averaging 76.2 ppg and ranking only behind Indiana and Michigan State ... The Golden Gophers are second in the league with 5.33 blocks per game ... Minnesota leads the league with 10.83 steals per game, as seven different players have recorded 10 or more steals this season ... The Golden Gophers start three seniors, each of whom averages more than 10 points per game.
The Last Meeting - Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 70-46, on Jan. 24, 2007 in East Lansing. The Golden Gophers scored seven points in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the first half, but just 13 for the rest of the period. Leading 24-17 with 8:20 left in the first half, Michigan State closed the period on a 16-3 run. The Spartans then opened the second half on a 19-9 spurt, extending their lead to 30 points. Raymar Morgan led MSU with 14 points and Travis Walton dished out a career-best 11 assists. Lawrence McKenzie and Dan Coleman both scored 13 points to pace the Golden Gophers. MSU out-scored UM, 32-4, in the paint.
Game 13 Notes • Michigan State 93 - Green Bay 75
* Michigan State recorded a season-high 31 assists on 37 baskets.
* Michigan State scored a season-high 93 points, the most since scoring 98 at Green Bay on Dec. 21, 2005.
* The Spartans allowed Green Bay to shoot 49.2 percent from the field, a season-high for an MSU opponent.
* Travis Walton tied his career high with 11 assists and Kalin Lucas dished out a career-best nine assists, as the two combined for 20 assists and no turnovers.
* Michigan State held an 18-4 advantage in fast break points.
* Goran Suton blocked a career-high four shots, as the Spartans blocked nine as a team.
* Chris Allen saw six minutes of action after missing the previous three games with a bone bruise in his left foot.
MSU Basketball Notes
Lending A Helping Hand - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten, averaging 18.92 helpers per contest. The Spartans have recorded an assist on 65.2 percent of their baskets. Most recently, MSU recorded 31 assists on 37 baskets against Green Bay. The Spartans are averaging 25.0 assists in their last three games. Individually, Travis Walton (3rd, 4.77 apg), Drew Neitzel (4th, 4.62 apg) and Kalin Lucas (6th, 4.38 apg) rank in the top six in the conference in assists.
Kalin's Coming Out Party - Before the Texas game, MSU coach Tom Izzo told Kalin Lucas this was his opportunity to burst onto the national scene. Lucas responded with an 18-point, six-rebound, six-assist effort, leading the team in points and assists, and establishing new career highs in points and rebounds. Basketball experts across the nation noticed the performance, as Lucas was named Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week, and earned a spot on Jay Bilas' Honor Roll first team on ESPN.com. He followed that game with a 17-point, nine-assist, zero-turnover performance against Green Bay. Over the last two games, Lucas is averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 assists, shooting 45.2 percent from the field, including 55.6 percent from 3-point range.
MSU's Difficult Schedule - Michigan State has played four teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 at the time of the game (No. 2 UCLA, No. 24 NC State, No. 20 BYU and No. 4 Texas). The four games against ranked opponents are the most for any team currently ranked in the AP Top 25. The only other teams ranked in the Top 25 to play as many as three ranked opponents are Arizona, Duke, Memphis, Texas, USC and Wisconsin. North Carolina is yet to play a ranked opponent in 2007-08.
Quick Start - Michigan State's 12-1 record is its best 13-game start to the season since the 2000-01 squad opened the year with a 12-1 mark en route to a 16-1 start.
Production Off The Bench - Because of its depth, Michigan State usually has a more productive bench than its opponent. The Spartan bench has outscored its opponent in 11 of 13 games, by an average of +12.3 points. The MSU bench has also out-rebounded the opponent bench in 11 games, by an average of +4.8 boards per game.
Attacking The Offensive Glass - Michigan State has nearly as many offensive boards (191) as its opponents have defensive rebounds (226), as the Spartans grab 45.8 percent of their own missed shots. As a point of comparison, a total of just four other league teams are above 40 percent, led by Wisconsin (42.1 percent). The best percentage in Tom Izzo's head coaching career was the 2000-01 squad, which grabbed 47.1 percent of its misses. In five games (Chicago State, ULM, Oakland, Bradley and BYU), the Spartans had more offensive rebounds than their opponent had defensive boards. MSU is averaging 14.7 offensive rebounds per game, and has recorded at least 10 offensive boards in 11 of the 13 contests, including three games with 20 or more offensive rebounds.
High Octane Offense - Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 78.7 points per game. That average is the highest during Tom Izzo's coaching career. The 2004-05 Spartan squad averaged 78.5 points. The only other team to average more than 75 points was the 2000-01 team at 77.4 points per contest.
MSU's X-Factor - Marquise Gray is a real X-factor for the Spartans in the sense that when he is productive, Michigan State will most always win. Gray has scored in double figures 14 times in his career, and the Spartans are 13-1 in those games. The lone loss came against North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where Gray tallied 11 points. In addition, MSU is 4-0 when Gray grabs 10 or more rebounds and 3-0 when he posts a double-double.
A Balanced Scoring Attack - Although just two Spartans are averaging double-figures in scoring, Michigan State can get scoring contributions from many different sources. Seven Spartans average more than six points per game, and eight Spartans have scored 10 or more points in a single game this season. Five different players have led MSU in scoring in a single game, including all three freshmen. In nine games, four or more Spartans have scored in double figures, as MSU is 9-0 in those contests.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has a +9.8 rebound margin, ranking third in the Big Ten. Goran Suton paces the Spartans at 8.6 boards per contest, having grabbed 20 caroms against Oakland, becoming the first Spartan since Kevin Willis in 1983 to record 20 boards in a game. In MSU's 12 wins, the Spartans have a +11.4 rebound margin, but lost the only game in which they were outrebounded (UCLA; 37-28). MSU and Texas tied on the boards in their Top-10 meeting. In 2006-07, MSU posted a +7.0 rebounding margin, outrebounding 24 of 35 opponents while tying three other teams.
I Love The 80's - The Spartan offense has scored more than 80 points in seven of 13 games this season, surpassing last year's number of 80-point games. Last season, MSU scored 80 or more points in just five of 35 contests.
Finding Success At The Foul Line - Michigan State is shooting .742 from the foul line, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Spartans are averaging 21.8 attempts and 16.2 makes per contest. In fact, MSU has made more free throws (210) than its opponents have attempted (209). In the Spartans' lone loss to UCLA, they made 93.3 percent of their attempts, but attempted just 15 free throws. Last season, MSU averaged 19.2 attempts and 13.8 makes. Individually, Raymar Morgan has the most trips to the foul line (84), averaging 4.9 points per game at the stripe.
Maintaining The Defense - Michigan State is holding its opponents to 39.1 percent shooting overall, and 31.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. Last year, MSU allowed opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent, the lowest percentage since 1958-59. The Spartans have held eight of 13 opponents below 40 percent shooting. Green Bay shot a season-best 49.2 percent for a Spartan opponent. Last year, MSU held 23 of 35 opponents below 40 percent shooting from the field.
Value The Basketball - Michigan State is averaging 13.8 turnovers per game. The turnovers are not coming from the point guards, as Drew Neitzel, Travis Walton and Kalin Lucas combine to average just 4.5 turnovers per game. Neitzel leads the Big Ten with a 4.29-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Walton ranks third at 3.10-to-1, and Lucas is tied for sixth at 2.38-to-1. Michigan State committed a season-low seven turnovers against Texas, and is averaging just 11.9 turnovers over the last eight games. In the last two games, Lucas, Neitzel and Walton have combined for 34 assists and just four turnovers.
First-Half Shooting - Michigan State has led at halftime in 11 of 13 games. In nine of the 11 games the Spartans led at the half, they shot better than 50 percent in the first period. MSU shot a season-best 61.5 percent in the first stanza against ULM. In the two games in which MSU trailed at the half (Bradley and BYU), the Spartans failed to shoot 50 percent. The IPFW and San Jose State contests are the only games where MSU led at half after not shooting 50 percent.
Spartans Shooting Well - Michigan State is shooting a Big Ten-best 50.0 percent from the field this season, having shot better than 50 percent in six games. Last season, MSU shot 46.9 percent.
Spartan Depth - Nine different Spartans are averaging 13.8 minutes or more. Drew Neitzel leads the Spartans at 30.0 minutes per game, six fewer than he averaged last season (35.7 mpg), when he played more minutes than any Spartan since 1991.
Freshmen Contributions - Michigan State has played three true scholarship freshmen (Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers) this season. The trio is averaging 22.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 51.8 minutes.
Neitzel Among Career Leaders - Drew Neitzel currently ranks fifth in career assists at Michigan State with 497. He stands second in MSU career free throw percentage (.853), fourth in 3-point field goals attempted (515) and 3-point field goals made (210). He is currently two threes behind Kirk Manns (212).
Neitzel Moving Up Scoring List - Drew Neitzel ranks 22nd in Michigan State career scoring with 1,221 points. He needs 22 points to pass Stan Washington (1,242 points). Neitzel scored his 1,000th-career point against Marquette in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Naymick Approaches Block Record - Drew Naymick currently stands third on the MSU career blocked shots chart with 91 rejections. He is six blocks shy of Matt Steigenga in first place. Last season, Naymick led the Spartans with 55 rejections, good for the second-best single-season total in MSU history. He ranks 10th in the Big Ten this season with 1.31 blocks per contest.
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten with 5.31 blocks per contest (69 total blocks). Over the last three games, the Spartans have blocked 27 shots (9.0 bpg), including a school single-game record 13 against San Jose State. In 2006-07, Michigan State blocked a school single-season record 162 shots.
Dickie V's Coach Of The Week - After leading Michigan State to back-to-back victories away from East Lansing against Bradley and BYU, Tom Izzo was named Coach of the Week by Dick Vitale on his web site on Dec. 10. Vitale wrote "It is never easy to win on the road in college basketball and Izzo led the Spartans to victories at two difficult places."
Spartans Play For Record Crowds - In addition to playing in front of sellout crowds at home, Michigan State is a top draw on the road, as the Spartans played in front of two record crowds during the first week of December. On Dec. 4, MSU played in front of 11,597, the largest crowd ever to witness a Bradley home game. In Dec. 8's win over BYU, the Spartans played in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a college basketball game in Salt Lake City (16,412).
Morgan Named Big Ten POW - Raymar Morgan was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 19, sharing the honor with Indiana freshman Eric Gordon. The Spartan sophomore averaged 19.0 points and 14.5 rebounds in the East Lansing Regional of the CBE Classic, earning Regional MVP honors.
Home Sweet Home - During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 172-22 (.887) at home, including 149-13 (.920) over the last 11 years.
Returning Talent - The Spartans return 89.8 percent of their scoring (2,043 points), 92.6 percent of their rebounding (1,021 rebounds), 93.2 percent of their assists (522 assists) and 89.4 percent of their minutes (6,256 minutes) from the 2006-07 squad.
Playing With Team USA - Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel had the opportunity to play for Team USA over the summer. Morgan made the 2007 USA U19 World Championship Team, winning a silver medal at the FIBA U19 World Championships. He started six of the nine contests, averaging 9.2 points (sixth most on the team) and 4.3 rebounds (fourth most). Neitzel made the 2007 USA Pan American Games Team, helping the team to a 3-2 mark. He led Team USA in minutes (29.6 mpg) and assists (2.2 apg), while ranking fifth in scoring (8.2 ppg).
Big Ten Favorites - Michigan State was selected the preseason Big Ten favorite by a 22-member media panel at Big Ten Media Day on Oct. 28 in Chicago. MSU was followed in the polls by Indiana and Ohio State. At the event, Drew Neitzel was also selected Preseason Big Ten Player of The Year, becoming the first Spartan to earn the preseason nod since Mateen Cleaves was the coaches' pick in 1999. Indiana's D.J. White, Ohio State Jamar Butler, Penn State's Geary Claxton and Illinois' Shaun Pruitt joined Neitzel on the all-league team.
MSU Among Decade's Best - In early May 2007, ESPN.com released a ranking of the top 10 programs of the last 10 years. Michigan State was tied for second in the consensus ranking of five college basketball experts. One of the five voters, Andy Katz, ranked MSU as the top program over the last 10 seasons. In ranking the Spartans at the top of the list, Katz used several supporting arguments including: appearing in a nation's best four Final Fours; winning four Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament Titles and the 2000 NCAA Championship; 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances; 10 players selected in the NBA Draft; playing 32 ranked regular-season non-conference opponents; 30 graduates; 145 consecutive home sellouts and a .916 winning percentage at Breslin over the last 10 years.
A Perfect 10 - Michigan State made its 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (23), Kansas (18), Kentucky (16) and Duke (12) have longer current streaks. It is also the second longest streak in Big Ten history. Indiana appeared in 18 consecutive tournaments between 1986 and 2003.
Spartans On The Run - After Michigan State's season-ending loss to North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Tom Izzo promised that the Spartans would return to the up-tempo style of basketball that he prefers to play. Look for the Spartans to significantly improve on the 65.0 points they averaged last season. Instead, expect something similar to the 2004-05 squad that averaged 78.5 points per contest, the most by any Izzo-coached team.
The Other Foundations - While an up-tempo offense is Tom Izzo's preferred style, his best teams are also built around exceptional rebounding and strong defense. In fact, MSU led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 2006-07 for the eighth time in the last 10 years. Defensively, the Spartans allowed opponents just 57.2 points per game, the lowest total since 1951-52. While that number might increase due to a faster pace of game, the field-goal percentage defense need not increase. Last year, MSU allowed opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent, the lowest since 1958-59.
Preseason All-American - A second-team All-American as selected by Dick Vitale and CBS Sports.com in 2006-07, Drew Neitzel opens the 2007-08 season as a popular pick for first-team All-America honors. In fact, Neitzel is a preseason first-team All-American according to The Associated Press, Athlon Sports College Basketball, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and Dick Vitale. Teammate Raymar Morgan made Vitale's fourth team.
Neitzel On Cousy List - Senior 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. 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. Neitzel is the only Big Ten player on the list, which also includes two Division II and Division III candidates.
Spartans Make Wooden And Naismith Lists - Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel are two of 50 players nationwide to earn a spot on the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T preseason candidate watch list. The Naismith watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2007-08 season. Morgan and Neitzel are two of just four Big Ten players on the Naismith watch list, where they are joined by Penn State's Geary Claxton and Indiana's D.J. White. Neitzel was also selected one of the top 50 preseason candidates for the 2007-08 John R. Wooden Award. The John R. Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, has been presented annually since 1976. Neitzel and White are the only Big Ten players on the preseason list for the Wooden Award. Last season, Neitzel was one of 22 players to appear on the final ballot for the Wooden Award.
Spartan Opponents In The Polls - Four Michigan State opponents are ranked in the latest The Associated Press Top 25, including No. 5 UCLA, No. 11 Indiana, No. 14 Texas and No. 25 Wisconsin. (Based on Dec. 31 rankings.)
Spartans In The NBA - Seven former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (New York Knicks), Jason Richardson (Charlotte Bobcats) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers).
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 13th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 290-122 (.704), and 133-63 (.679) 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 12 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 The Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98.
Among The Big Ten's Best - Tom Izzo's .679 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 (.704). With 133 conference victories, Izzo ranks 13th all-time, five behind Northwestern's Arthur Lonborg.
Izzo Against Ranked Opponents - In his 13 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 64-59 against ranked opponents.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 12 seasons, Tom Izzo won 278 games, ranking ninth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 12 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 12 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last eight years, 27 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001, 2003 and 2007.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Six current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Jim Boylen (Utah), Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (South Florida), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his fifth 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 third season at Tulsa. Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is now back as an assistant coach at MSU. Most recently, Jim Boylen left MSU following the 2007 season, and is in his first season with Utah.
