Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Open Three-Game Homestand Vs. Minnesota
1/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#7/8 Michigan State (13-3, 3-0)
vs. Minnesota (12-4, 3-1)
Jan. 13, 2010
6:30 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 - Tom Hamilton (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color), Charissa Thompson (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
Minnesota Game Notes
Tickets: A limited number of tickets are currently on sale for MSU-Minnesota. Buy Tickets
The Opening Tip
Michigan State opens a three-game homestand, its longest Big Ten home stretch of the season, with a contest against Minnesota. The Spartans currently sit atop the league standings at 3-0, tied with Illinois, but the Gophers are just one game back in the loss column. The game also features a meeting between the two Big Ten coaches to have won a Division I NCAA Championship.
The Starting Five
1. Allen From Distance
Chris Allen entered Michigan State with the reputation of being a great shooter. Through his first two years, he struggled with consistency, but has elevated his level of play as a junior. Allen leads the squad in 3-point field goals made (28), attempted (69) and percentage (.406). He's also shooting .484 from the floor. His previous career high percentages were .385 from the floor and .360 from 3-point range, both established last season. As his offense improves so has the rest of his game as he is averaging career best in rebounds (3.1 rpg), assists (2.1 apg) and steals (0.6 spg).
2. Spartans Among National Leaders
Michigan State ranks in the top seven nationally in three different statistical categories (as of Jan. 11). The Spartans rank second in the nation with a +10.9 rebound margin, fifth in assists per game (18.7 apg) and seventh in field-goal percentage (.503).
3. Winning In Different Fashions
A sign of a great team is the ability to win different kinds of basketball games. Michigan State has already shown some of that trait in the Big Ten season, winning at Northwestern with a 91-point offensive outburst, and defeating Wisconsin, 54-47, with a stifling defensive effort, holding the Badgers to 33.3 percent shooting. It's reminiscent of the 2000 NCAA Championship team that defeated Wisconsin, 53-41, in the National Semifinal and then sprinted by Florida, 89-76, in the title game. Just last year, MSU defeated Louisville in the Elite Eight with 64 points, and beat Connecticut in the Final Four with 82 points.
4. Spartan Depth
Nine different Spartans are averaging 8.2 minutes or more, including seven at 20.8 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 30.4 minutes per contest after averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game last season. The Spartans have also used 10 different starting lineups through the first 16 games, as 10 different Spartans have started a game, and no one has started every game. Last season, MSU used 14 different starting lineups, including nine in the first 12 games.
5. On The Mark
As a team, MSU is shooting .503 from the floor, leading the Big Ten and ranking seventh in the nation (as of Jan. 11). Individually, seven Spartans are connecting on better than 50 percent of their shots, led by Tom Herzog at .800 (8-of-10). Among players with more than 30 attempts, Draymond Green paces the way at .630 (68-108), leading the league.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 57-56, including a 36-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 11 of the last 13 and 16 of the last 19 meetings. Tom Izzo has a 19-7 all-time record against the Golden Gophers.
Coach Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith (High Point, `73) is 441-174 in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach, including 54-29 in his third 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
Tubby Smith has faced Michigan State 11 times, including six games when he was at Kentucky. The Spartans are 9-2 against Smith overall, including victories in the 1999 and 2005 Elite Eights.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 64-56, in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. MSU held a slim 33-30 lead at the half, and a 38-36 advantage early in the second half, when the Spartans broke free with an 8-0 run highlighted by alley-oop dunks by Durrell Summers and Marquise Gray from Travis Walton. In the second half, MSU shot 52.9 percent, while holding the Gophers to 34.5 percent, including 11.1 percent from 3-point range. Twenty-five of MSU's 33 first-half points came from the bench, led by Chris Allen with 12 and Marquise Gray with nine. It was MSU's first-ever win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament, having previously lost to the Golden Gophers in the Spartans' first tournament game in 1998.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 76-47, on Feb. 4, 2009, in East Lansing. Durrell Summers hit a 3-pointer less than 10 seconds into the game, and hit two more before the game was five minutes old as MSU sprinted out to a 13-1 lead en route to a 42-16 lead. Summers out-scored the Gophers, 17-16, in the first half and led MSU with 21 points. MSU shot 51.0 percent for the game, compared to 28.8 percent for the Gophers. Minnesota shot just 17.4 percent in the first half, marking the first time since Dec. 6, 2006, that the Spartans held an opponent under 20 percent in a half.
Golden Gopher Notes
Minnesota ranks in the top 10 nationally in three statistical categories, including turnover margin (sixth, 6.1), steals per game (sixth, 11.2) and assists per game (eighth, 17.9) ... Blake Hoffarber leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (.521) ... Al Nolen leads the conference in steals (2.63 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.04) ... Minnesota leads the league in blocked shots (6.38 bpg), led by Ralph Sampson III (2nd, 2.29 bpg) and Damian Johnson (4th, 2.00 bpg) ... The Gophers pace the Big Ten in scoring margin (+16.8) and field-goal percentage defense (.384) ... Minnesota's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 463-268 this season.
Game 16 Recap - MSU 71 - Iowa 53
* Draymond Green recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.
* After hitting 5-of-12 3-point attempts in the first half, Iowa connected on just 1-of-10 attempts in the second.
* Michigan State's 63.6 percent shooting in the second half was its best half of the season.
* Iowa led 13-9 early in the first half, before Michigan State went on a 14-2 run and never led by less than five after that.
MSU Basketball Notes
Turnovers, Defense Make A Difference
Two key factors have emerged as a difference between winning and losing for Michigan State: turnovers and field-goal percentage defense. The Spartans are averaging 18.7 turnovers in their three losses, including 23 vs. Florida and 22 vs. Texas, leading to 19.3 points for the opponent per game. In 13 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.9 turnovers, leading to just 14.1 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 12-0 when holding teams below 40 percent shooting, but 1-3 when an opponent shoots above 40 percent. With North Carolina (.579) and Texas (.561) both shooting well above 50 percent, the Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot .514 in their losses, compared to .365 in victory.
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging 13.9 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 15.8 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 41.7 percent of their misses. Against Florida, MSU grabbed 60 percent of its misses, collecting 18 offensive boards, compared to just 12 defensive boards for the Gators. Michigan State also grabbed more offensive boards than its opponent had defensive boards in games against Wofford and The Citadel. MSU has totaled 18 or more offensive rebounds in three games. The Spartans are paced in offensive rebounds by Delvon Roe with 2.4 per contest.
Offensive Balance
Through 16 games, Michigan State has proven it has several different offensive weapons as five Spartans currently average in double figures. Kalin Lucas paces the Spartan offense at 15.6 points per game, followed by Draymond Green (11.3 ppg), Chris Allen (10.8 ppg), Raymar Morgan (10.5 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.2 ppg). MSU has had four or more players score in double figures in 12 of the 16 games, as eight different players have scored 10 or more points at least once this season, and six different players have led the team in scoring in a single game.
Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 202-24 (.894) at home, including 179-15 (.923) over the last 13 years (1997-98 to present). MSU has defeated 47 consecutive non-conference opponents at the Breslin Center, dating back to a Dec. 3, 2003, loss to Duke.
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .681 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .736 percent of their attempts in the last six games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Durrell Summers ranks second in the league at .897.
Spartan Defense
One of Tom Izzo's early concerns about his team was the defense, having lost 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Travis Walton and outstanding post defender Goran Suton. For the most part, however, the Spartans have responded early, limiting opponents to 39.3 percent on the season, as only two opponents (UNC and Texas) have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 31.1 percent shooting behind the arc, holding six opponents to 25 percent or lower.
It's All About Boardwork
Last season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +9.3, marking the third time in the last 10 years the Spartans have paced the nation. Including 2009-10, MSU has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 11 of the last 13 years. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 383 of 489 opponents (.783), posting a 305-78 (.796) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +10.9, ranking second in the nation (as of Jan. 11), bettering 14 of 16 teams, and tying one. The Spartans are 13-1 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 0-2 when failing to do so.
Go Green
Sophomore Draymond Green is proving to be one of the most versatile players in the Big Ten and one of the conference's premier sixth men, coming off the bench in 13 of 16 games. Through 16 games, he is averaging a team-best 7.9 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in five games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first in steals (23) and field-goal percentage (.630), second in blocks (12), and scoring (11.3 ppg), and third in assists (3.3 apg). He's recorded four double-doubles on the season. And despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks fourth on the squad in minutes per game (24.3 mpg).
Lucas On Target
Kalin Lucas has elevated his shooting accuracy as a junior. Having entered the season with a career field-goal percentage of .410, Lucas is shooting .486 from the field this year, including .375 from behind the 3-point arc.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of Jan. 11), Michigan State ranks fifth in the nation in assists. With a current average of 18.7 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 63.5 percent of their baskets. It's a team effort as five different Spartans average more than two assists per game.
Double-Double Trouble
At least one Spartan has recorded a double-double in nine games, as five different Spartans have posted a double-double. Draymond Green (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Florida, 15 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Oakland, 19 pts., 12 reb.; vs. Iowa, 14 pts., 11 reb.) leads the way with four, while Delvon Roe (vs. Toledo, 10 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Valparaiso, 10 pts., 17 reb.) and Raymar Morgan (vs. Wofford, 19 pts., 11 reb.; vs. The Citadel, 11 pts., 10 reb.) each have two. Derrick Nix (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 14 reb.) and Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.) each have tallied one.
Finding Their Shooting Touch
After shooting .454 from the field in the first three games of the season, including .278 from 3-point range, the Spartans shot better in the next three contests, connecting on 55.6 percent of its shots, including 46.9 percent from 3-point range. The Spartans are shooting 51.6 percent over the last 13 games, including 38.0 percent from behind the arc. For the season, MSU is shooting .503 from the floor, ranking first in the Big Ten. In league play, the Spartans are shooting .510.
Moving Up The Scoring Chart
With 20 points against Florida, Kalin Lucas became the 40th Spartan to record 1,000 career points. The Spartan junior ranks 30th in MSU history with 1,177 points, standing six behind Shannon Brown (1,183 points), eight behind Mike Peplowski (1,185 points) and 18 behind Kelvin Torbert and Alan Anderson (1,195 points). Lucas has scored in double figures in 27 straight games, dating back to last season. His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 20th in MSU history with 1,348 points. He needs 30 points to pass Julius McCoy (1,377 points) and move into 19th place.
Taking Care of the Ball
Korie Lucious has posted impressive numbers in his role as a reserve point guard. He leads the team with 4.1 assists per game and his 2.75 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Last season, he averaged just 1.2 assists with a 1.12 assist-to-turnover ratio. Raymar Morgan has also improved his ball handling. Entering the season with a career 0.57 assist-to-turnover ratio, he has improved to 1.54 (37 assists, 24 turnovers) this season.
Spartan Quad-Captains
Senior forward Raymar Morgan and junior guard Kalin Lucas were unanimous selections for team co-captains as voted on by their Spartan teammates. Right after Christmas, the MSU coaching staff added Draymond Green and Isaiah Dahlman as captains, rewarding them for their leadership.
Big Ten Strength
Eight different league schools (Michigan State, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin) have been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 this season, including three in the current poll (PU-No. 6, MSU-No. 7, UW-No. t-13). The last time that MSU played five different ranked schools during league play came during the 1999 season when the Spartans played six different ranked league opponents.
Life Away From Home
Michigan State is 4-3 away from home this season, including 3-2 on an opponent's home court, with losses at Texas and North Carolina. Three of the Spartans' road games have been against a ranked opponent. MSU has won 10 of its last 11 conference road games for the first time since 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Last season, MSU was 19-5 away from East Lansing, including 10-4 on a neutral court, while also establishing a school record with eight Big Ten road wins.
Another Strong Non-Conference Schedule
Michigan State was tested often during its 2009-10 non-conference schedule. The Spartans played true road games at No. 10 North Carolina and No. 2 Texas. The last time MSU played two ranked non-conference teams on the road was 2003-04 (No. 6 Kansas, No. 17 Syracuse). In addition, MSU hosted Gonzaga and played Florida on a neutral court in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City.
MSU's All-Time Leader
With MSU's 106-68 win over UMass, Tom Izzo became the winningest coach in Michigan State history with his 341st career victory, passing his mentor Jud Heathcote. Izzo began working for Heathcote in the 1983-84 season, and was elevated to associate head coach in July 1990. On March 30, 1993, Izzo was named Heathcote's hand-picked successor following the 1994-95 season. Following the game, Izzo said "I do feel like, because Jud has been so instrumental on my behalf and got me the job, that I'll just look at it as we have 681 wins between us."
Strong Debut
Center Derrick Nix had one of the top freshman debuts in Michigan State history. Nix's 14 rebounds set an MSU freshman debut record, besting the previous mark of 10 held by Matt Steigenga and Ben Tower. Nix (11 points, 14 rebounds) also became just the second freshman in MSU history to debut with a double-double, joining Steigenga (15 pts., 10 reb.). Nix is the 2009 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball honoree, having led Detroit Pershing to a Michigan Class A State Championship.
MSU's Three-Guard Attack
Michigan State features one of the best backcourts in the nation. In fact, Lindy's College Basketball Magazine ranked it the best. The foundation of the backcourt is the junior trio of Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, giving MSU one of the most athletic and offensively potent attacks in the country. Through 16 games, the trio is averaging a combined 36.6 points (Lucas-15.6, Allen-10.8, Summers-10.2). Korie Lucious adds 5.6 points off the bench.
Big Ten Favorites
After winning the 2009 Big Ten regular-season title by four games, Michigan State was selected as the preseason conference favorite for the 2009-10 men's basketball season, as voted upon by a 24-member media panel. Purdue and Ohio State were chosen to finish second and third, respectively. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas was tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year.
Individual Accolades
Junior Kalin Lucas and senior Raymar Morgan have been named preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award. In addition, Lucas earned a spot on Dick Vitale's Preseason All-Rolls Royce Team and was named the nation's best point guard by Lindy's College Basketball. He was also named preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Lindy's and Athlon Sports College Basketball. Morgan was named a fourth-team preseason All-American by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. He also earned all-league accolades from Lindy's and Athlon. Delvon Roe earned all-league honors from Athlon, while Durrell Summers was recognized by Lindy's.
Honors For Spartan Backcourt
Lindy's College Basketball selected Michigan State as having the nation's best backcourt. Villanova, California, Kansas, Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi and Purdue round out the top 10.
Spartans In The NBA
Five former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Los Angeles Lakers), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns).
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 349-140 (.714), and 163-72 (.694) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. He ranks as the winningest coach in Michigan State history, having passed his mentor Jud Heathcote with a 106-68 win over UMass for his 341st career victory. 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. He earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and 2009.
Among The Big Ten's Best
Tom Izzo's .694 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) and just ahead of Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Izzo (.714), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712) and Lambert (.709). With 163 conference victories, Izzo ranks eighth all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 14 seasons, Tom Izzo won 336 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 14 years.
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 seventh 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 fifth 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 third season with Utah. Stan Joplin, an assistant during Izzo's first season, spent 12 seasons as head coach at Toledo.
