Spartans Host The Citadel On Wednesday
12/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#19/22 Michigan State (6-2)
vs. The Citadel (5-4)
December 17, 2008
8 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas and Matt Steigenga (Color), Adam Ruff (Host) Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM
TV: Big Ten Network - Dave Revsine (Play by Play), Steve Smith (Color)
The Opening Tip
Michigan State hosts The Citadel in the third of three straight home games for the Spartans. The Bulldogs dropped a game to UC Davis on Monday before traveling to Michigan. MSU is looking to build off the momentum established in an impressive 118-60 victory over Alcorn State. After the game against The Citadel, Michigan State will travel to Houston for a game against No. 5 Texas.
The Starting Five
1. Good To Be Home
Michigan State is playing just its fourth home game of the 2008-09 season. The Spartans have won 24 straight games at the Breslin Center, and have defeated 37 consecutive non-conference opponents at home. Chris Allen leads the Spartans in scoring at 20.0 points per home contest, including shooting 60.0 percent (12-of-20) from 3-point range, while Kalin Lucas averages 8.7 assists. MSU is shooting 53.6 percent at home, including 46.0 percent from 3-point range, averaging 97.7 points. The Spartans are holding opponents to 36.9 percent shooting, including 29.3 percent from behind the arc.
2. Working On The Defense
In the first six games of the year, Michigan State's defense allowed opponents to score 72.5 points on 44.7 percent shooting. In the last two games, the Spartans are allowing just 59.5 points on 34.1 percent shooting, including just 24.4 percent from 3-point range.
3. Juggling The Lineup
Due in large part to Goran Suton missing the last six games with a knee injury and Delvon Roe continuing to improve from two knee surgeries, the Spartan coaching staff has been forced to make continual adjustments in the rotation. This has led to Michigan State starting seven different starting lineups through the first eight games of the season. Nine different Spartans have started a game this season.
4. Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 65.8 percent of its baskets (152-of-231). The Spartans average 19.0 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. In the most recent game, MSU established a new school record with 35 assists. Individually, Kalin Lucas leads the conference with 6.63 assists per contest, while freshman Korie Lucious dished out 11 against Alcorn State, the most by any Spartan this season.
5. Allen From Distance
Sophomore guard Chris Allen is shooting 54.2 percent from 3-point range in the last three games, connecting on 13-of-24 attempts. In the first five games of the season, Allen shot just 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from behind the arc. On the season, Allen is shooting 43.9 percent. His teammate Durrell Summers ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 52.6 percent (10-of-19).
MSU vs. The Citadel Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with The Citadel, 1-0. The Spartans are 4-0 all-time against the Southern Conference, going 3-0 against Furman in addition to the lone win over The Citadel.
Coach Conroy
Ed Conroy (The Citadel, '89) is in his third season at his alma mater, posting an 18-52 record. His coaching career includes a three-year stint as head coach at Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C., where he posted a 41-40 overall record. He also served as an assistant at Coastal Carolina, following two years as an assistant at Tennessee.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated The Citadel, 73-41, on Nov. 12, 2006 in East Lansing. MSU led by just eight points at the half, but out-scored The Citadel, 44-20, in the second stanza. For the game, MSU's defense held the Bulldogs to just 29.4 percent shooting, including 13.6 percent from 3-point range. Drew Neitzel led the Spartans with 17 points, while Raymar Morgan and Isaiah Dahlman each added 10. Not a single player on The Citadel's squad scored in double figures.
Bulldog Notes
The Citadel is led in scoring (15.8 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg) by sophomore guard Cameron Wells ... The Bulldogs attempt 21.5 3-pointers per contest, with 42.1 percent of their shots coming from behind the arc ... Four different Bulldogs have made at least 10 3-pointers this season ... The Citadel does a good job taking care of the ball, averaging just 12.4 turnovers per game.
Game 8 Notes - Michigan State 118 - Alcorn State 60
* Michigan State established a school record with 35 assists, recording an assist on 35 of 44 baskets. The previous mark was 32 assists.
* Michigan State's 118 points tied for second most in school history. The Spartans last scored 118 against Oklahoma on Dec. 12, 1963.
* The 118 points were the most of the Tom Izzo era.
* MSU's 60 first-half points marked the first time since Nov. 19, 2004 vs. Florida A&M that the Spartans scored at least 60 in a half.
* Freshmen Draymond Green (10 points) and Delvon Roe (13 points) both recorded season-high point totals.
* Freshman Korie Lucious dished out a season-best 11 assists in just 13 minutes.
* Led by 20 points from Chris Allen, MSU's bench out-scored ASU's, 66-16.
* Michigan State dominated all specialty stats, including points in the paint (52-18), points off turnovers (27-5), second-chance points (23-8) and fast break points (27-5).
MSU Basketball Notes
It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in nine of the last 11 years. This season, the Spartans lead the Big Ten at +8.1, and are 5-1 when out-rebounding their opponent, despite missing Goran Suton, the Big Ten's leading returning rebounder, for six games. It's a group effort for Michigan State, as not a single Spartan averages more than six rebounds per game, and five different players have led the team in rebounding in a single game, including freshmen Draymond Green and Delvon Roe. Michigan State has a +20.0 rebounding margin in the last two games.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 13.75 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 37.7 percent of their missed shots, collecting 110 offensive rebounds compared to 182 defensive boards for the opponent. Against Wichita State, MSU grabbed 19 offensive boards, while the Shockers collected just 16 defensive boards.
Roe On The Glass
Despite undergoing two knee surgeries in the last 12 months, including microfracture surgery last December, Delvon Roe is showing flashes of the skills that had him ranked among the elite high school players in his class nationally. In the first four games of the season, he averaged 15.0 minutes and 3.5 rebounds. In the last four games, he is averaging 7.3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest.
Lucas Lends A Helping Hand
Kalin Lucas paces the Big Ten with a 6.63-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the nation, while leading the conference at 6.63 helpers per contest. Against Oklahoma State, Lucas recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-best 10 assists. As a freshman, Lucas ranked fifth in the Big Ten in assists (3.81 apg) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88), while his 137 assists were the fourth most ever by a Spartan freshman.
MSU's Home-Court Advantage
Michigan State has won 37 straight non-conference home games at the Breslin Center, good for the second-longest active streak in the nation. Only Duke (64; Dec. 17 vs. UNC Asheville) has a longer active streak. Since the Breslin Center opened for the 1989-90 season, Michigan State has posted a 258-37 (.875) home record, including 161-13 (.925) in the last 12 seasons. Last year, the Spartans were 17-0 at Breslin, finishing the season as the only Big Ten squad with a perfect home mark. Michigan State has won 24 straight home games, dating back to Feb. 3, 2007, a loss to No. 4 Ohio State.
The Free Throw Story
Michigan State has done a good job getting to the foul line, making nearly as many free throws (139) as its opponents have attempted (151). The comparison, however, could be even more impressive as the Spartans are shooting just .653 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 26.6 free throw attempts per game.
Finding A Shooting Touch
Travis Walton worked hard in the offseason to improve his offensive game, but was unable to find the range during the first two games of the season, making just one of his first six shots. He quickly found the shooting touch in the first two games of the Old Spice Classic, scoring a career-high 16 points in each contest, while shooting a combined 15-of-20 (.750) from the field. On the season, Walton is shooting .520, averaging a career-best 7.6 points per game.
The Turnover Story
In the first two games of the season, Michigan State averaged 9.5 turnovers and held a combined 47-17 edge in points off turnovers. In the five games that followed, the Spartans averaged 17.6 turnovers, resulting in a 93-57 deficit in points off turnovers. In the last game, MSU committed just 10 turnovers, while forcing 17 by Alcorn State, resulting in a 27-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Last season, the Spartans averaged 13.6 turnovers, which was the lowest average of the Tom Izzo era. This year, MSU is 4-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, but just 2-2 when committing more.
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 16 times in his career, and the Spartans are 15-1 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.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 19 in The Associated Press poll and No. 22 in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll. Five Spartan opponents are also ranked, including North Carolina (#1 AP/#1 USA Today/ESPN), Texas (#5/5), Purdue (#13/18) and Ohio State (#17/16).
Spartans Among Big Ten's Leading Returners
Goran Suton is the Big Ten's leading returning rebounder, having averaged 8.2 boards per game in 2007-08, trailing only Indiana's D.J. White. At 14.0 points per game, Raymar Morgan ranked sixth in the conference in scoring last season, but is the second-leading returning scorer. Travis Walton (4.33 apg) and Kalin Lucas (3.81 apg) rank first and third, respectively, among all returning Big Ten players in assists.
Individual Accolades
Sophomore guard Kalin Lucas has been tabbed a preseason second-team All-American by The Sporting News. Lucas was also chosen as a second-team All-Big Ten selection by Lindy's College Basketball and Athlon Sports College Basketball. Junior forward Raymar Morgan was a first-team all-conference selection as chosen by Lindy's and Athlon. Athlon also selected senior center Goran Suton as a third-team all-league player.
Keys To Success
If recent trends continue, look for Michigan State to pace the conference in rebounding and shooting. Last season, MSU led the league in field-goal percentage (.480) for a fifth-straight season, and in rebound margin (+6.8) for the ninth time in 11 years.
Hitting The Century Mark
Michigan State has scored 100 or more points in two games this season, including a 118-60 win over Alcorn State and a 100-62 win over Idaho in the season opener. The Spartans have scored at least 100 points 41 times in school history, including eight times under Tom Izzo. The 118 points against Alcorn State tied the second-highest total in school history, while the 100 points against Idaho marked just the second time in school history that MSU has scored exactly 100 points.
Spartans On The Run
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 80.9 points per game, a sign of the up-tempo pace the Spartans hope to play in 2008-09. This year's edition of the Spartans could challenge the 2004-05 squad for the highest-scoring team of the Tom Izzo era. In '04-05, MSU averaged 78.5 points en route to a Final Four appearance.
Morgan Makes Wooden Award List
Raymar Morgan was selected one of the top 50 preseason candidates for the 2008-09 John R. Wooden Award. The John R. Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, has been presented annually since 1976. Neitzel and Purdue's Robbie Hummel are the only Big Ten players on the preseason list for the Wooden Award.
An Impressive Streak
Michigan State made its 11th straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (24), Kansas (19), Kentucky (17) and Duke (13) 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 In The NBA
Eight former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Maurice Ager (New Jersey Nets), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Charlotte Bobcats), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (Los Angeles Clippers), Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers).
Big Ten Favorites
Michigan State men's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Big Ten in a vote by a 22-member media panel. Purdue was named the preseason conference favorite at Big Ten Basketball Media Day in Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 26. Spartan junior Raymar Morgan was named preseason All-Big Ten. Purdue swingman Robbie Hummel was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. In addition to Morgan, he was joined on the all-league team by teammate E'Twaun Moore, Michigan's Manny Harris and Wisconsin's Marcus Landry. The Badgers round out the top three in the preseason team rankings.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 311-132 (.702), and 145-69 (.678) 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 14 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 .678 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 (.702). With 145 conference victories, Izzo ranks 11th all-time.
Izzo Against Ranked Opponents
In his 14 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 65-65 against ranked opponents.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 13 seasons, Tom Izzo won 305 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 13 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes
In Tom Izzo's 13 full years directing the Spartan program, 83 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last nine years, 29 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001, 2003 and 2007.
Izzo's Coaching Tree
Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Jim Boylen (Utah), Tom Crean (Indiana), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (South Florida) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his sixth 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 fourth 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 second season with Utah. Stan Joplin, an assistant during Izzo's first season, spent 12 seasons as head coach at Toledo.
Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 183-22 (.893) at home, including 160-13 (.925) since the start of the 1997-98 season.
Coaches Vs. Cancer
During the 2007-08 season, Tom and Lupe Izzo launched the Michigan State chapter of the Coaches Vs. Cancer program. Now in its second season, the Izzos are looking for an even better year. Signature events for 2009 include the Suits and Sneakers Fundraising Challenge, where employees donate funds for the right to wear sneakers in the work place, an NCAA Final Four Reception (April 3, 2009), and Izzo Goes To Broadway (May 6, 2009), a cabaret style show featuring special guests and professional talent, directed by Broadway director and East Lansing native Greg Ganakas at the Wharton Center on the MSU campus. For more information on any of these initiatives contact Kate Follett from the American Cancer Society at 517-664-1370.
