Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Back At Home Vs. Northwestern
1/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#5/5 Michigan State (18-3, 8-0)
vs. Northwestern (14-6, 3-5)
Jan. 30, 2010
7 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), Jim Jackson (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
Northwestern Game Notes
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Raymar Morgan | Chris Allen
The Opening Tip
Coming off two one-point victories on the road, Michigan State returns home to host Northwestern. Off to the best conference start in school history, the Spartans look to remain perfect in Big Ten play, while Northwestern is in search of a résumé building win. MSU and NU are wrapping up the season series, marking the third completed conference series for the Spartans, while having yet to play four teams.
The Starting Five
1. Raymar On The Mark
Over the last four games, Raymar Morgan is averaging 16.8 points, while shooting .778 from the field (28-of-36). He's also averaging 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in that stretch. Over the last two games, he's hit on 14-of-15 field-goal attempts and 7-of-8 free throws. He's scored in double figures in six of eight league games.
2. Mr. Clutch
Kalin Lucas knocked down a jumper with 3.5 seconds left to give MSU a 57-56 win at Michigan. Just three days earlier, Lucas hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 left at Minnesota to snap a 62-62 tie in MSU's 65-64 victory. This isn't the first time in his career that Lucas has hit a clutch shot in the game's final moments. In the 2009 Sweet 16 vs. Kansas, Lucas converted on a three-point play with 48 seconds left, snapping a 60-60 tie in MSU's 67-62 victory.
3. 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 386 of 494 opponents (.781), posting a 308-78 (.798) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +9.8, ranking first in the nation (as of Jan. 29), bettering 17 of 21 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 16-1 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 2-2 when failing to do so.
4. Another Possible Izzo Milestone
Through the first 240 conference games of his head coaching career, Tom Izzo has a winning percentage of .700 (168-72). That ranks him second in Big Ten history among coaches with 10 or more years of service, just decimal points behind Bob Knight at .7004 (353-151). If Michigan State can beat Northwestern, Izzo will pass Knight for first place.
5. One-Point Victories
For the first time in Michigan State basketball history, the Spartans have recorded back-to-back one-point road victories (at Minn. 65-64, at Mich. 57-56). Previously, MSU's last one-point Big Ten win came at Minnesota in 2004. The Spartans have not won two Big Ten games by a single point since 1995. The last time MSU won consecutive one-point games came in 1937 (at Geneva, vs. Kentucky).
MSU vs. Northwestern Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 78-37, including a 44-8 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 20 of the last 22 and 40 of the last 43 contests. Tom Izzo is 23-3 in his career against Northwestern.
Coach Carmody
Bill Carmody (Union College, `75) is 226-180 in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, including 134-155 in 10 seasons at Northwestern. He served as head coach at Princeton from 1996-2000.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 91-70, on Jan. 2, 2010, in Evanston. The game was close for most of the first half and NU held a 30-27 lead with 4:48 remaining in the period. MSU would close the stanza on a 14-3 run, capped by a Raymar Morgan 3-pointer to take a 41-33 lead into the break. Leading 51-43 at the 14:39 mark, MSU went on a 12-0 to take control of the contest. The Spartans led by as many as 26 in the second half. MSU's 21-point win was its largest margin of victory in a league road game since a 27-point win at Penn State in 2007. Kalin Lucas led MSU with 21 points, while John Shurna led NU with 29, the most by any Spartan opponent on the season.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Northwestern defeated Michigan State, 70-63, on Jan. 21, 2009, in East Lansing, recording the school's first-ever win at the Breslin Center. Kevin Coble scored 31 points and Michael Thompson added 20 points to pace the Wildcats. Michigan State had battled back from a five-point deficit to take a 49-48 lead on a pair of Durrell Summers free throws. Northwestern answered with back-to-back 3-pointers from Craig Moore and Thompson to take a 54-49 lead. NU hit just 9-of-28 3-pointers, but hit four of its last five in the final 7:09. MSU committed 18 turnovers, leading to 27 points for the Wildcats. After totaling 22 points and 13 boards in the first meeting of the season, Morgan scored one point in 18 minutes off the bench while battling illness.
Wildcat Notes
John Shurna is averaging 17.3 points after averaging 7.3 points as a freshman. His 10.0 point per game boost is the largest increase of any Big Ten player from last season ... Northwestern ranks fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.49 (as of Jan. 29) ... 47.7 percent of NU's field-goal attempts are from 3-point range ... The Wildcats have recorded an assist on 73.3 percent of their field goals ... Michael Thompson leads the Big Ten in minutes per game (37.60 mpg).
Game 21 Recap - MSU 57 - Michigan 56
* Michigan State held a +16 margin on the boards (41-25), but was -14 in turnovers (18-4).
* Raymar Morgan scored a game-high 20 points, marking his first 20-point game in Big Ten play since scoring 22 at Northwestern on Jan. 3, 2009.
* Michigan State held Michigan to 32.8 percent shooting, a season low for a Spartan league opponent and tying the season low for any MSU opponent.
* Michigan State's defense held Michigan without a point over the final 2:37.
* Durrell Summers recorded his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while also posting career best in assists (5) and minutes (34).
* Kalin Lucas scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, capped by his game winner with 3.5 seconds left.
* Michigan State opened league play at 8-0 for the first time in school history.
* Michigan State improved to 17-3 in its last 20 games against Michigan.
* Michigan converted 18 Spartan turnovers into 23 Wolverine points.
MSU Basketball Notes
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 76.4 points per game. It's a team effort as just one player (Kalin Lucas, 8th-15.6 ppg) ranks in the top 20 in scoring. In conference action, MSU ranks fourth at 67.6 points per contest.
Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense has been very effective in league play, holding opponents to 58.6 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting a league-low .384 from the field, including a league-low .280 from 3-point range.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 27.6 points per game, including 22.0 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 22.0-12.8 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.2 ppg) average in double figures off the bench, while Green is also MSU's leading rebounder.
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 18 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.9 turnovers, leading to just 13.9 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 15-0 when holding teams below 41 percent shooting, but 3-3 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 .373 in victory.
A Touch Of Green In Big Ten Stats
Draymond Green ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.9 rpg), third in field-goal percentage (.583) and 11th in steals (1.43 spg). His 1.86 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks sixth 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.
A Program First
For the first time in 60 years of playing Big Ten basketball, Michigan State will play six of 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.
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 18 of 21 games. Through 21 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) and field-goal percentage (.583), second in blocks (20) and third in assists (3.1 apg) and scoring (10.4 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 (25.2 mpg).
Hot Start In League Play
For the first time in 60 seasons of Big Ten basketball, Michigan State has opened league play with an 8-0 record. The previous best conference start was 7-0, established in 1977-78, when Earvin "Magic" Johnson was a Spartan freshman.
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 13.81 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 14.5 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 40.7 percent of their misses. Michigan State grabbed more offensive boards than its opponent had defensive boards in games against Florida, Wofford and The Citadel. The Spartans are paced in offensive rebounds by Delvon Roe with 2.43 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 15.6 points per game, followed by Raymar Morgan (11.7 ppg), Draymond Green (10.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.2 ppg). Chris Allen is just outside that group at 9.4 ppg. MSU has had four or more players score in double figures in 13 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 eight games of the Big Ten season. The Spartans are averaging 71.0 points in four road wins and 64.3 points in four home wins.
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 7.8 minutes or more, including seven at 20.7 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 31.1 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 .485 from the floor, ranking second the Big Ten and 22nd in the nation (as of Jan. 29). In league play, MSU is shooting .454, ranking second. 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, Draymond Green paces the way at .583 (84-144), ranking third in the Big Ten, just ahead of teammate Raymar Morgan (.580), who ranks fourth.
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .683 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .720 percent of their attempts in the last 11 games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks seventh in the conference (.802), including a remarkable .865 in league play, ranking sixth in 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 39.3 percent on the season, as only three opponents have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 30.3 percent shooting behind the arc, limiting eight opponents to 25 percent or lower.
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 (33) and attempted (86) and ranks second in percentage (.384). He's also shooting .441 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 (3.0 rpg), assists (2.3 apg) and steals (0.5 spg). He's also emerged as one of MSU's best perimeter defenders.
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 .386 from behind the 3-point arc.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of Jan. 29), Michigan State ranks fifth in the nation in assists. With a current average of 18.4 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 11 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.) and Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan, 10 pts., 10 reb.) each have tallied two. Derrick Nix (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 14 reb.) has 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 23rd in MSU history with 1,256 points, standing 19 behind Quinton Brooks (1,275 points). Lucas has scored in double figures in 32 straight games, dating back to last season. His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 16th in MSU history with 1,423 points. He needs 46 points 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 3.7 assists per game and his 2.44 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 1.43 (43 assists, 30 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. 5, PU-No. 10, UW-No. 16, OSU-No. 20). 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 6-3 away from home this season, including 5-2 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 11 of its last 12 conference road games for the first time in school history. 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). Shannon Brown will be competing in the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Game and Zach Randolph has been selected as a Western Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 354-140 (.717), and 168-72 (.700) 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 .700 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, just percentage points behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and ahead of Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Izzo (.717), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712) and Lambert (.709). With 168 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.
