Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Travel To Minnesota To Open Difficult Stretch
1/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#6/7 Michigan State (16-3, 6-0)
vs. Minnesota (12-6, 3-3)
Jan. 23, 2010
12 p.m. EST
Minneapolis, Minn.
Williams 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 - Gus Johnson (Play by Play), Greg Anthony (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
Minnesota Game Notes
The Opening Tip
Although they just played on Jan. 13, Michigan State and Minnesota are ready to square off again. The Spartans have played twice since the last meeting, while the Golden Gophers have played just once. Having just played their second game against Iowa, the Spartans will be finished with both the Hawkeyes and Gophers before playing five other schools once. MSU and Minnesota are the top two scoring teams and field-goal percentage defense squads in the Big Ten.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans On The Big Ten Road
After recording road wins at Northwestern and Iowa, Michigan State has won 10 of its last 11 Big Ten road contests. In 2008-09, the Spartans were 8-1 on the road, establishing a school record for most number of league road victories. The only other time the Spartans won 10 of 11 league road contests came in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, when MSU won its last seven road games in 1999 and opened the 2000 campaign by winning three of its first four.
2. Potent Offense
With its up-tempo style of basketball, it's no surprise that Michigan State is among the most productive offensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans currently lead the Big Ten in scoring offense at 78.0 points per game. It's a team effort as just one player (Kalin Lucas, t-8th-15.5 ppg) ranks in the top 20 in scoring. In conference action, MSU ranks third at 69.8 points per contest.
3. A Program First
For the first time in 60 years of playing Big Ten basketball, Michigan State will play six of its next eight conference games away from East Lansing. Twice before (1955 & 1975), the Spartans have played six of eight games on the road in the middle of the conference season, but in both cases, at least one of the road games was a non-conference tilt. While it's unusual to have a stretch like this, it's not unheard of, as this is the sixth occurrence since the 1999-2000 season, joining Purdue (1999-2000), Indiana (2002-03), Ohio State (2002-03), Iowa (2003-04) and Michigan (2003-04). In 2001, MSU did play five of six games on the road during its Big Ten championship season.
4. Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense has been very effective in league play, holding opponents to 58.2 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting a league-low .377 from the field, including .278 from 3-point range, ranking second in the league.
5. Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 29.2 points per game, including 25.3 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 25.3-12.0 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.8 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.3 ppg) average in double figures off the bench, while Green is also MSU's leading rebounder.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 58-56, although the Gophers own a 35-20 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won seven straight, 12 of the last 13, and 17 of the last 20 meetings. Tom Izzo has a 20-7 all-time record against the Golden Gophers.
Coach Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith (High Point, `73) is 441-176 in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach, including 54-31 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 Tom Izzo and Michigan State 12 times, including six games when he was at Kentucky, squaring off in the 1999 and 2005 Elite Eights and the attendance record-breaking BasketBowl at Detroit's Ford Field. It's been a tightly contested series as 10 of the 12 games have been decided by eight points or less, with MSU holding a 10-2 lead.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 60-53, on Jan. 13. The Spartans closed the first half on an 18-6 run to take a 33-25 lead into the break. Early in the second half, MSU pushed the lead out to 11 points, but the Golden Gophers battled and pulled within two points at 51-49 with 5:10 left. Chris Allen then connected on his first 3-pointer of the day. After a Minnesota basket, Allen made a driving layup to push MSU's lead to five with 1:31 left. Draymond Green helped seal victory with a steal and a block on back-to-back possessions in the final 1:15. The Spartans won despite shooting a season-low 36.2 percent from the field, but they committed just 10 turnovers, after Minnesota entered the game forcing conference opponents to commit 19.2 per game. Although both teams boast a deep bench, MSU's reserves out-scored Minnesota's, 27-3.
The Last Meeting In Minneapolis
Michigan State and Minnesota opened their respective 2008-09 conference schedules on New Year's Eve in Minneapolis. The Spartans got 11 first-half points from Chris Allen, including three 3-pointers and led by as many as nine points in the first stanza, but the Golden Gophers pulled within one point at halftime. The Spartans opened the second half on an 8-1 run and never led by less than four after that. In fact, MSU kept its lead in double digits for the final 8:35 of the contest. Kalin Lucas established a career high with 24 points and Goran Suton (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Raymar Morgan (10 points, 10 rebounds) tallied double-doubles. On the glass, MSU out-rebounded Minnesota, 49-27, grabbing 23 offensive rebounds compared to just 16 defensive rebounds for the Golden Gophers. It was the most offensive rebounds Michigan State had recorded in a Big Ten contest since 1998.
Golden Gopher Notes
Minnesota ranks in the top 10 nationally in three statistical categories, including turnover margin (seventh, 5.3), steals per game (eighth, 10.5) and assists per game (ninth, 17.5) ... Blake Hoffarber leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (.495) ... Minnesota leads the league in blocked shots (6.39 bpg), led by Ralph Sampson III (2nd, 2.19 bpg) and Damian Johnson (4th, 2.06 bpg) ... The Gophers pace the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.385) ... Minnesota's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 506-318 this season (28.1-17.7).
Game 19 Recap - MSU 70 - Iowa 63
* Michigan State dished out 24 assists on 28 baskets, including 14 of 15 first-half field goals.
* Michigan State used its 12th different starting lineup of the season.
* With his 16 points, Raymar Morgan moved past Julius McCoy, Robert Chapman and Darryl Johnson into 17th position on MSU's all-time scoring chart. It also marked the first time Morgan had led MSU in scoring since Dec. 19 vs. IPFW.
* Kalin Lucas extended his string of double-figure scoring games to 30 by converting both ends of a 1-and-1 in the final 14 seconds to score his 11 points.
* Durrell Summers scored all 12 of his points in the first half.
* Iowa hit just 1-of-10 3-pointers in the first half, but connected on 6-of-15 in the second, including five between 8:16 and 2:05 to trim MSU's lead to three points.
* Michigan State started 6-0 in the Big Ten for the first time ever Tom Izzo.
* Michigan State's bench out-scored Iowa's, 19-3.
* Although he narrowly missed a double-double, Draymond Green recorded double-figure rebounds for the sixth time on the season.
MSU Basketball Notes
Picking Up Where He Left Off
One of the main reasons Kalin Lucas was named 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year was his ability to lead the Spartans to victory on the road in conference play, averaging 18.0 points in league road games. In 2010 road games at Northwestern and Iowa, Lucas picked up where he left off last season, averaging a team-best 17.5 points. For his career, Lucas is averaging 14.1 points in 20 conference road games. Over the last two seasons, that average jumps to 17.9 points per contest.
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 16 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.9 turnovers, leading to just 13.3 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 14-0 when holding teams below 41 percent shooting, but 2-3 when an opponent shoots above 41 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 .369 in victory.
Go Green
Sophomore Draymond Green is proving to be one of the most versatile players in the Big Ten and one of the nation's premier sixth men, coming off the bench in 16 of 19 games. Through 19 games, he is averaging a team-best 7.9 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in six games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first on the team in steals (30), second in blocks (17) and field-goal percentage (.597) and third in assists (3.1 apg) and scoring (10.8 ppg). He's recorded four double-doubles on the season. And despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks third on the squad in minutes per game (24.9 mpg).
A Touch Of Green In Big Ten Stats
Draymond Green ranks second in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.597) and rebounding (7.9 rpg) and tied for eighth in steals (1.58 spg). His 1.97 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fifth in the league, and first among non-point guards. He is the only player in the league 6-foot-6 or taller to average more than three assists per game.
Hot Start In League Play
For the first time in the Tom Izzo era, Michigan State has opened Big Ten play with a 6-0 record. MSU's best-ever start was a 7-0 mark in 1977-78.
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 14.0 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 15.2 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 41.0 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. The Spartans are paced in offensive rebounds by Delvon Roe and Draymond Green with 2.3 per contest.
Offensive Balance
Michigan State has proven it has several different offensive weapons as four Spartans currently average in double figures. Kalin Lucas paces the Spartan offense at 15.5 points per game, followed by Raymar Morgan (10.9 ppg), Draymond Green (10.8 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.3 ppg). MSU has had four or more players score in double figures in 12 of the 19 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.
A Unique Trend
In general, college basketball teams score more points on their home court than they do on the road. That is not the case for Michigan State through the first six games of the Big Ten season. The Spartans are averaging 81.0 points in road wins at Northwestern and Iowa, and 64.3 points in home wins over Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa.
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.
Spartan Depth
Nine different Spartans are averaging 7.6 minutes or more, including seven at 20.9 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 30.7 minutes per contest after averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game last season. The Spartans have also used 12 different starting lineups, 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.
On The Mark
As a team, Michigan State is shooting .490 from the floor, ranking second the Big Ten and 15th in the nation (as of Jan. 19). In league play, MSU is shooting a league-best .460. Individually, six 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, Delvon Roe paces the way at .602 (50-83).
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .684 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .726 percent of their attempts in the last nine games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Durrell Summers ranks fifth in the league at .844. Kalin Lucas ranks seventh in the conference (.833), including a remarkable .968 in league play (30-of-31), pacing the Big Ten.
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 39.2 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 30.5 percent shooting behind the arc, limiting seven 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 385 of 492 opponents (.783), posting a 307-78 (.797) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +10.0, ranking second in the nation (as of Jan. 19), bettering 16 of 19 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 15-1 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 1-2 when failing to do so.
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 (29), attempted (77) and percentage (.377). He's also shooting .453 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 (2.3 apg) and steals (0.6 spg).
Sims Joins Squad
Dion Sims joined the Michigan State basketball team for his first practice on Jan. 11 after spending the fall with the football team, where he caught 11 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. As a senior hoops standout at Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Sims averaged 21.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, earning 2009 Associated Press Class A All-State honors and finishing fourth in the voting for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award.
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 .463 from the field this year, including .356 from behind the 3-point arc.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of Jan. 19), Michigan State ranks fourth in the nation in assists. With a current average of 18.7 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 65.1 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 10 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 Raymar Morgan (vs. Wofford, 19 pts., 11 reb.; vs. The Citadel, 11 pts., 10 reb., vs. Illinois, 14 pts., 10 reb.) has three and Delvon Roe (vs. Toledo, 10 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Valparaiso, 10 pts., 17 reb.) has two. Derrick Nix (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 14 reb.) and Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.) each have tallied one.
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 24th in MSU history with 1,222 points, standing 20 behind Stan Washington (1,242 points). Lucas has scored in double figures in 30 straight games, dating back to last season. His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 17th in MSU history with 1,386 points. He needs eight points to pass Andre Hutson (1,393 points) and move into 16th place and 83 to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points).
Lucas On Watch Lists
Kalin Lucas is one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard. He is also one of 31 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, while also being placed on the Naismith Award preseason watch list.
Taking Care of the Ball
Korie Lucious has posted impressive numbers in his role as a reserve point guard. He ranks second on the team with 3.9 assists per game and his 2.74 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks third 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 1.48 (43 assists, 29 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 four in the current poll (MSU-No. 6, PU-No. 13, UW-No. 18, OSU-No. 21). 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.
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 352-140 (.715), and 166-72 (.697) 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 .697 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 (.715), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712) and Lambert (.709). With 166 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.
