Spartans Look To Bounce Back Against Ohio State
1/24/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#7/7 Michigan State (15-3, 5-1)
vs. Ohio State (13-4, 3-3)
January 25, 2009
3:45 p.m. EST
Columbus, Ohio
Value City Arena
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: CBS - Verne Lundquist (Play by Play), Clark Kellogg (Color)
The Opening Tip
After having its 11-game winning streak snapped, Michigan State will look to bounce back against Ohio State. The Spartans are 3-0 on the road in league play for the first time since 1977-78, and are 8-2 on the season away from East Lansing. The game will likely feature six players from Ohio in the two starting lineups, including three from each team, as Travis Walton, Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe are all Ohio natives in the probable Spartan starting lineup.
The Starting Five
1. Spartan Success At VCA
Michigan State has won four of the last six games at Value City Arena. MSU defeated OSU, 62-59, in double overtime on Jan. 15, 2006, behind 20 points from Shannon Brown and double-doubles from Matt Trannon and Paul Davis. On Feb. 7, 2004, Michigan State shot 73.3 percent from the field, the second-best total in school history, to defeat Ohio State, 84-70. The Spartans defeated the Buckeyes, 72-58, on March 8, 2003. Michigan State shot 63.2 percent from the field in the victory and converted on all 12 free-throw attempts in the final five minutes. On Feb. 26, 2002, MSU defeated No. 18 OSU, 81-76, thanks in large part to 32 points from Marcus Taylor.
2. MSU's Ohio Connection
Michigan State's roster features three players from the Buckeye State: senior Travis Walton, junior Raymar Morgan and freshman Delvon Roe. Walton was the 2005 Northwest Ohio Player of the Year and a first-team all-state honoree at Lima Senior High School. Morgan earned The Associated Press Division I Player of the Year honors as a senior at Canton McKinley High School. He led McKinley to back-to-back Division I state championships, as his school became the first Division I team to accomplish that feat since 1974. Canton McKinley is the same school that produced former Spartan and All-Big Ten performer Eric Snow. Roe was a prep All-American at St. Edward High School as a junior before a knee injury forced the Euclid native to miss all but one game of his senior season. Other Spartans from Ohio under coach Tom Izzo include Andre Hutson (Trotwood), A.J. Granger (Findlay), Jamie Feick (Lexington), Quinton Brooks (Akron), Jason Andreas (Sugarcreek), Adam Wolfe (Westerville) and Doug Davis (Columbus). Next year, MSU will add Garrick Sherman (Kenton), a second-team all-state performer as a junior.
3. Glass Cleaners
Goran Suton leads the Big Ten in rebounding in conference games at 10.0 rpg. Overall, he averages 7.9 rpg, which would rank second in the league if he had played in 75 percent of MSU's games. In conference play, Suton has recorded double-figure boards against Minnesota (12), Penn State (14) and Northwestern (14). Raymar Morgan ranks tied for fourth in league games, averaging 7.8 rebounds per contest. Morgan has double-figure efforts against Minnesota (10), Northwestern (13) and Ohio State (10). Their efforts are a large reason MSU owns an impressive +15.7 rebounding margin in league games.
4. Beating The Best
According to the ESPN.com InsideRPI Daily (Jan. 23), Michigan State is tied with Duke for the nation's lead with seven victories against the RPI top 50. Oklahoma has six victories against the top 50, while Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Kansas have five.
5. 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 +10.6, and are 13-2 when out-rebounding their opponent. It's a group effort for MSU, as six different players have led the team or shared the team lead in rebounding in a single game. In Big Ten play, the Spartans own a +15.7 rebounding margin. MSU ranks second in the nation in rebound margin (as of Jan. 23).
MSU vs. Ohio State Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 62-50, although the Buckeyes own a 34-21 advantage in games played in Columbus. Overall, the Spartans have won 22 of the last 29 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 17-7 in his career against the Buckeyes.
Coach Matta
Thad Matta (Butler, `90) is 220-70 in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach, including 118-39 in his fifth season at Ohio State. Prior to his arrival in Columbus, he served as the head coach at Xavier for three seasons and at Butler for one year.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State used a 12-0 run late in the first half to take a 31-20 lead and cruise to a 67-58 victory in East Lansing on Jan. 6, 2009. Ohio State led 20-19 with 6:50 remaining, but six points each from Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan, including three 3-pointers allowed MSU to take control of the game. After that, the Buckeyes never crept closer than seven points. Lucas led MSU with 20 points and Morgan added 13 points and 10 rebounds. William Buford led the Buckeyes with 17 points, but the Spartan defense held Jon Diebler to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-6 from 3-point range.
The Last Meeting In Columbus
Ohio State rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 12 minutes to defeat Michigan State, 63-54, on March 9. The Spartans committed 21 turnovers which led to 28 Buckeye points. In the second half, MSU's 11 turnovers turned into 20 OSU points. Trailing 52-50, Ohio State closed the game on a 13-2 run over the final 5:11. Four Buckeyes scored in double figures, led by Jamar Butler with 20. Ohio native Raymar Morgan scored 19 points, but was the only Spartan to score in double-figures.
Buckeye Notes
The Buckeyes are led by sophomore Evan Turner, who paces the squad in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.2 rpg), and ranks second in assists (3.0 apg), while ranking third in the conference in steals (2.06 spg) ... Sophomore Dallas Lauderdale leads the Big Ten with 2.59 blocks per game ... In conference games, freshman William Buford leads the Buckeyes in scoring (14.3 ppg) ... Freshman B.J. Mullens is shooting .721 from the field in league games ... Ohio State's top four scorers in league play consist of two sophomores and two freshmen.
Game 18 Notes - Northwestern 70 - Michigan St. 63
* Northwestern held a 27-7 advantage in points off turnovers as Michigan State committed 18 turnovers, compared to just seven for the Wildcats.
* After recording 22 points and 13 rebounds in the first game of the season against the Wildcats, Raymar Morgan scored just one point and grabbed one rebound while playing with an illness.
* Kalin Lucas recorded a season-high six turnovers, and Chris Allen tallied seven.
* Goran Suton recorded his second double-double in his last three games with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
* Kevin Coble became the first Spartan opponent to score 30 or more points (31) since Tyler Hansbrough scored 33 in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
* Northwestern made four of its final five 3-point field-goal attempts in the final 7:09.
MSU Basketball Notes
Life Away From Home
Michigan State played nine of its first 13 games away from home. MSU is 4-0 in true road games, winning at No. 21 Minnesota, Penn State, Northwestern and IPFW. The Spartans have also played six neutral site games, the most by a MSU squad in the regular season since the 2005-06 season. MSU is 8-2 away from the Breslin Center.
MSU's Defensive Stopper
Travis Walton is asserting himself as the best defender in the Big Ten. A two-time All-Big Ten Defensive Team member, he plays a solid defense that, while occasionally resulting in a steal, will hardly ever allow a perimeter player an open look. Consider some of the following games by the players he has guarded: A.J. Abrams (Texas) 8 points - 3-10 FG, 0-4 3FG; Jon Diebler (Ohio State) 7 points - 2-8 FG, 1-6 3FG; Sherron Collins (Kansas) 6-14 FG, 2-8 3FG, 8 turnovers; Trent Meacham and Demetri McCamey (Illinois) 6 combined points, 1-16 FG, 1-14 3FG; Craig Moore (Northwestern) 11 points, 3-11 FG, 2-10 3FG. Against the Illini, Walton added three steals, including two big strips in the second half.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, grabbing 14.72 per game. The Spartans are grabbing 42.0 percent of their missed shots, collecting 265 offensive rebounds compared to 366 defensive boards for the opponent. In three games this season (Wichita State, Minnesota, Northwestern), MSU has grabbed more offensive boards than the opponent has grabbed defensive rebounds. In Big Ten play, MSU has totaled 103 offensive rebounds compared to 106 defensive boards for the opponents. The 23 offensive rebounds MSU collected against Minnesota were the most by a Spartan team against a Big Ten opponent since 1998.
Lucas Earns Player of the Week Honors
Kalin Lucas was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 12 after averaging 21.0 points in a pair of Spartan victories over Ohio State and defending national champion Kansas. He scored 20 points against the Buckeyes and followed with 22 against the Jayhawks. For the week, he shot .579 (11-of-19) from the field, .714 (5-of-7) from 3-point range and .882 (15-of-17) from the foul line. It is the first weekly award of the his career and the second straight for a Spartan as Raymar Morgan was honored on Jan. 5. In addition, Lucas was named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com's Andy Katz.
Lucas Dials Up His Scoring
Kalin Lucas has ranked among the league and national leaders in assists all season, but he's elevated his scoring as of late. Over the last seven games, Lucas is averaging 18.3 points, leading the Big Ten in scoring in conference games at 17.7 ppg. During the last seven games, he is shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 46.4 percent from 3-point range and 90.7 percent from the foul line, averaging 6.1 free-throw attempts per game.
Working On The Defense
In the first six games of the year, MSU's defense allowed opponents to score 72.5 points on 44.7 percent shooting. In the last 12 games, the Spartans are allowing just 63.1 points on 39.8 percent shooting, including just 29.9 percent from 3-point range.
Suton's Presence
After missing six straight games with a left knee injury, Goran Suton has appeared in the last 10 games, averaging 11.0 points and 8.3 boards in 25.4 minutes. Suton injured his knee in the second game of the season against IPFW on Nov. 19. After his knee did not respond to rest, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on Dec. 4. His first full practice came on Monday, Dec. 15. He returned to action against The Citadel on Dec. 17, scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds in 17 minutes. In a win over No. 5 Texas, Suton played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring a team-best 18 points. Against Oakland, Suton led MSU in both scoring (16 points) and rebounding (9 rebounds). He posted a double-double against Minnesota (11 points, 12 rebounds), Penn State (13 points, 14 rebounds) and Northwestern (15 points, 14 rebounds). Michigan State is 11-1 with Goran Suton in the lineup.
Michigan State's Balanced Attack
Through the first 18 games, Michigan State has proven to have great depth. Eight Spartans average 12.7 minutes or more, while 11 average 7.6 minutes or more, although Kalin Lucas is the only player to average more than 29. Three players average double figures in scoring, while two more Spartans average 8.0 points or better for the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. On the boards, three Spartans average 5.2 boards per contest, as MSU paces the league in rebounding margin.
Morgan On The Glass
Raymar Morgan is averaging 7.8 rebounds in his last 12 games, after averaging just 4.3 boards in the first six games of the season. Morgan has led the team or tied for the team lead in rebounding in eight of the last 12 games and grabbed 10 boards against Bradley, The Citadel, Minnesota and Ohio State, and 13 at Northwestern. On the season, he ranks eighth in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.7). He is averaging 7.8 boards per conference game, ranking tied for fourth in the Big Ten.
The Free Throw Story
Traditionally a strong free-throw shooting team, Michigan State is shooting just .676 from the charity stripe. MSU is averaging 24.3 free-throw attempts per game, compared to just 18.5 attempts for Spartan opponents.
Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State is recording an assist on 64.3 percent of its baskets (312-of-485). The Spartans average 17.33 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten, and 12th in the nation. Against Alcorn State, MSU established a new school record with 35 assists. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks third in the conference with 5.22 assists per contest, while freshman Korie Lucious dished out 11 against Alcorn State, the most by any Spartan this season.
Morgan Reaches 1,000
With eight points against Oakland, Raymar Morgan became the 38th player in MSU history to score 1,000 career points. Now at 1,084 points for his career, he ranks 34th on the MSU all-time scoring chart. He needs 16 points to pass Bill Kilgore for 33rd place (1,099 points) and 26 points to pass Al Ferrari for 32nd place.
Juggling The Lineup
Due to injuries to Goran Suton and Delvon Roe early in the year, Michigan State used nine different starting lineups in the first 12 games. Since then, MSU has used the same lineup in four of the last five games (Suton, Roe, Lucas, Walton, Morgan), a lineup which has been used in five different games. In total MSU has used 10 different starting lineups. Nine different Spartans have started a game this season, and Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are the only players to start all 18 contests.
Walton Moves Up Career Assists Chart
With 485 career assists, Travis Walton ranks seventh in Michigan State history. He needs seven assists to pass Earvin Johnson (491 assists) for sixth place.
Bench Scoring
Michigan State's bench has out-scored the opponent's bench in 14 of 18 games this season, including 11 of the last 13 contests. The Spartan reserves have out-scored the opponent subs, 506-324, an average of 28.1-18.0.
Lucas Dishes It Out
Kalin Lucas paces the Big Ten with a 3.36-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, while ranking third in the conference at 5.22 helpers per contest. As of Jan. 23, he ranks fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. Lucas has recorded one or no turnovers in 13 of 18 games. 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.
Spartans Hit The Mark
After leading the Big Ten in field-goal percentage for the last five seasons, the Spartans are taking aim at a sixth straight statistical crown. Michigan State currently ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage (.465). Individually, Raymar Morgan ranks second in the conference, connecting on 59.4 percent of his shots.
Roe's Recovery
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 next 14 games, he is averaging 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 points and 16.8 minutes per contest.
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 .449, averaging 6.2 points per game, scoring in double figures in four games.
MSU's X-Factor
Marquise Gray is a real X-factor for the Spartans in the sense that when he is productive, Michigan State almost always wins. Gray has scored in double figures 17 times in his career, and the Spartans are 16-1 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.
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 next nine games, MSU averaged 12.6 turnovers, while opponents averaged 12.8, giving the Spartans a 135-96 edge in points off turnovers. In the last two games, MSU is averaging 18.0 turnovers, leading to a 27-47 deficit 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 7-0 when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, and 3-0 when turnovers are equal, but just 5-3 when committing more.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press poll and in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll. Five Spartan opponents are also ranked, including North Carolina (#5 AP/#6 USA Today/ESPN), Texas (#14/15), Purdue (#18/18), Minnesota (#21/20), and Illinois (#25/24). MSU is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season.
Spartans On The Run
Michigan State leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 76.8 points per game, a sign of the up-tempo pace the Spartans are playing 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 Earns Big Ten Player of the Week Honor
Raymar Morgan was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 5 after averaging 16.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in a pair of Spartan road victories. In a win at No. 21 Minnesota, Morgan scored 10 points and collected 10 rebounds. He posted another double-double at Northwestern, leading the squad with 22 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 from the field. For the week, he shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 from the foul line. It is the third weekly award of Morgan's career.
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
Seven former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Maurice Ager (New Jersey Nets), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Charlotte Bobcats), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (Los Angeles Clippers), Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers).
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 320-133 (.706), and 150-70 (.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 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 .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 (.706). With 150 conference victories, Izzo ranks 11th all-time.
Izzo Against Ranked Opponents
In his 14 years of coaching, Tom Izzo is 67-65 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 188-23 (.891) at home, including 165-14 (.922) 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.
