MSU and Duke Square Off In ACC/Big Ten Challenge
11/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2010
| No. 6/6 Michigan State (5-1) vs. No. 1/1 Duke (6-0) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Dec. 1 |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Durham, N.C. | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) |
| Televison | ESPN (Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, Doris Burke) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Satellite Radio | SIRIUS: Channel 122; XM: Channel 143 (Duke Broadcast) |
| Tickets | NA |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Duke |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Duke |
| Internet Coverage | Gametracker |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  |
The Opening Tip
Michigan State travels to Durham, N.C., to play top-ranked Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Big Ten is looking to win the challenge for the second-straight season. This is the third meeting between the Spartans and Blue Devils in the challenge, and the second straight season that MSU will play the defending national champion on the road in the challenge.
The Starting Five
1. Big Ten-ACC Challenge History
Michigan State is a Big Ten-best 5-5 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and had its 2001 game against Virginia in Richmond cancelled due to unplayable wet floor conditions. The Spartans are 0-2 against Duke in challenge history. (For more detailed recaps, see page 7).
2. MSU Vs. Number One
Michigan State is 3-16 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25, although the Spartans have won two of their last three against No. 1. MSU defeated No. 1 Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA Championship game, No. 1 Wisconsin on Feb. 20, 2007 in East Lansing, and No. 1 Louisville in the 2009 NCAA Elite Eight.
3. He's Back
Kalin Lucas tore his left Achilles in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. He then put off surgery for a week to attend the Midwest Regional, cheering on his teammates to the Final Four. Since then, he spent the summer rehabbing daily for hours on end. Lucas has started the season on a strong note, averaging a team-best 17.5 points. He also proved to have his stamina back during the Maui Invitational, averaging a team-best 30.7 minutes over three straight games. He is the current Big Ten Player of the Week (Nov. 29), averaging 20.5 points over four games last week.
4. MSU's Mr. Everything
Junior Draymond Green is one of the nation's most versatile players. He leads the team in rebounding (9.5 rpg), assists (4.2 apg), steals (2.2 spg), blocks (1.8 bpg) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.500), while ranking second in field-goal percentage (.580) and third in scoring (14.0). Green leads the Big Ten in rebounding, while ranking fifth in steals, tied for fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage and blocks, sixth in field-goal percentage and tied for ninth in assists. The 2010 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, Green started the first three games of the season, before coming off the bench for the last two in a selfless move to help with playing rotations. Green has stated a goal of trying to become just the third player in school history to record a triple-double (Earvin Johnson, Charlie Bell). Green is MSU's active leader with 11 double-doubles in his career.
5. Spartans From Distance
Michigan State is shooting a Big Ten-best .417 from 3-point range this season. The Spartans' best 3-point percentage under Tom Izzo is .401, established by the 2003-04 squad. Six different Spartans have knocked down three or more 3-pointers, led by Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, with 11 each.
MSU vs. Duke Notes
Series History
Duke leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 5-2, including a 1-0 advantage in games played in Durham. The Blue Devils own a 2-0 advantage over the Spartans in ACC/Big Ten Challenge history.
Coach Krzyzewski
Mike Krzyzewski (Army, '69) is 874-279 in his 36th season as a collegiate head coach, including 801-220 in 31 seasons at Duke. He has won 12 national coach of the year honors in eight different seasons. He's led the Blue Devils to four NCAA Championships and 11 Final Fours, most among active coaches. Prior to becoming head coach at Duke in 1980-81, Krzyzewski served for five seasons as head coach at Army. Krzyzewski needs 29 more wins to pass Bob Knight in NCAA career wins.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Duke, 78-68, in the Sweet 16 of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Austin (March 25). Trailing 36-32 early in the second half, Michigan State went on a 16-3 run. Duke later cut the lead to 66-63, but a Paul Davis three-point play fouled out Blue Devil center Shelden Williams and pushed the Spartan lead up to six. MSU sealed the win by shooting 8-of-8 from the line in the final 1:05. MSU shot just 41.5 percent from the field, but turned 22 Duke turnovers into 29 points. Davis led MSU with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Alan Anderson added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Spartans. Williams paced Duke with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Daniel Ewing scored 18. MSU's defense held J.J. Redick to 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
The Last Meeting In Durham
Duke defeated Michigan State on Nov. 30, 2004, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Cameron Indoor Stadium. MSU jumped out to an early 19-9 advantage, but Duke came back and held a 44-36 halftime lead. Duke's Daniel Ewing and J.J. Redick scored 35 of their combined 58 points in the first half. The Spartans, however, continued to fight and pulled within a point at 73-72 with 2:25 left, only to see the Blue Devils score the next five points. After hitting 12-of-13 free throws in the first half, MSU made just 9-of-18 in the second half, including 4-of-10 in the last five minutes. Five Spartans scored in double figures, led by Paul Davis' double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Redick and Ewing both scored 29 points to pace Duke.
Blue Devil Notes
Nolan Smith has scored in double figures in 17 straight games and 30 of the last 31 ... Freshman point guard Kyrie Irving was named MVP of the CBE Classic, averaging 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists ... The Blue Devils are averaging 24.8 points per game off opponent turnovers ... Duke has won 22 consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium ... Duke has been ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll for 59 consecutive weeks.
ACC/Big Ten Challenge Notes
Challenge History
This is the 12th season of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Michigan State is a Big Ten-best 5-5 in the challenge and had its 2001 game against Virginia in Richmond cancelled due to unplayable wet floor conditions. The Big Ten won the challenge for the first time in 2009 by a 6-5 margin.
Dec. 1, 1999 - MSU 86 - North Carolina 76 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
Morris Peterson scores 31 points to hand the Tar Heels their first loss in a home opener since 1928. All-American Mateen Cleaves missed the game with a stress fracture in his foot.
Nov. 29, 2000 - MSU 77 - North Carolina 64 - East Lansing, Mich.
Jason Richardson led MSU with 16 points and Charlie Bell tallied 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while holding UNC All-American Joseph Forte 11 points below his scoring average.
Nov. 28, 2001 - MSU vs. Virginia (Cancelled) - Richmond, Va.
The game was halted at the 15:04 mark of the second half due to unplayable floor conditions as unseasonably warm temperatures caused a steady supply of moisture to collect on the court laid over a sheet of ice used by a minor league hockey team.
Dec. 4, 2002 - MSU 82 - Virginia 75 - East Lansing, Mich.
Michigan State used a 17-0 first-half run to take control of the contest, as Chris Hill led four Spartans in double figures with 22 points.
Dec. 3, 2003 - Duke 72 - MSU 50 - East Lansing, Mich.
Duke out-shot MSU, 59.2%-40.0%, from the field and the Spartans committed 20 turnovers, including 17 in the first half.
Nov. 30, 2004 - Duke 81 - MSU 74 - Durham, N.C.
J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing each scored 29 points for Duke, including a combined 35 in the first half. MSU pulled within a single point in the final three minutes, but could not overcome shooting 9-of-18 at the foul line in the second half.
Nov. 30, 2005 - MSU 88 - Georgia Tech 86 - East Lansing, Mich.
Paul Davis scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half, but Georgia Tech hit five 3-pointers in the final 1:26 and nearly rallied from a 10-point deficit. Shannon Brown also scored 22 for MSU.
Nov. 29, 2006 - Boston College 65 - MSU 58 - Boston, Mass.
Boston College turned 17 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points and held off a late Spartan run to take the victory.
Nov. 28, 2007 - MSU 81 - North Carolina State 58 - East Lansing, Mich.
Goran Suton's 16-point, 12-rebound double-double led the Spartans, as Michigan State jumped to a 41-19 halftime lead and cruised to victory.
Dec. 3, 2008 - North Carolina 98 - MSU 63 - Detroit, Mich.
North Carolina turned 22 MSU turnovers into 27 points and the Spartans shot just 20 percent in the second half, including connecting on just 1-of-14 shots from 3-point range. Raymar Morgan scored 21 to lead MSU.
Dec. 1, 2009 - North Carolina 89 - MSU 82 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina led by as many as 19 points in the second half, but MSU battled back to within six points and possession of the ball with 90 seconds left. The Spartans, however, were hampered by poor shooting as MSU shot just 2-of-20 from 3-point range. UNC out-shot MSU, 57.9%-43.0%.
Gm. 6 Notes • MSU 73 - Tennessee Tech 55
* Durrell Summers became the 41st player in Michigan State history to record 1,000 career points.
* Summers scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
* Tom Izzo improved to 41-0 at home in November.
* Draymond Green led MSU in rebounding (9) and assists (6) in the same game for the fourth time on the season.
* Derrick Nix logged five minutes after not traveling with the team to Maui due to personal reasons.
* MSU knocked down a season-high 10 3-pointers in a season-high 24 attempts.
* Michigan State committed nine turnovers in the games first 11 minutes, and eight over the final 29 minutes.
MSU Basketball Notes
Sherman Can't Miss
Garrick Sherman is shooting a remarkable .783 from the field this season, leading the Big Ten in field-goal percentage. Since opening the season with a 3-of-6 effort, Sherman has hit 15 of his last 17. At one point, he connected on 10 straight shots this season.
Another Strong Non-Conference Schedule
Michigan State will be tested early and often during its 2010-11 non-conference schedule. Four opponents (Duke, Syracuse, Texas, Washington) appeared in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. All four of those squads also appear in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
Big Ten Even Stronger
While MSU's non-conference slate is rough, the Big Ten schedule is even tougher, as the conference will feature its strongest lineup in decades. Five different league schools (Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue and Minnesota) are ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, while Northwestern and Wisconsin received votes.
Big Ten Favorites
Michigan State was selected as the preseason conference favorite for the 2010-11 season, as voted on by a panel of media. Ohio State and Purdue were picked to finish second and third, respectively. 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas was tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year.
In The Rankings
Michigan State is currently ranked No. 6 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25. Eight different Spartan opponents are ranked in at least one of the two polls, including Duke (1 AP/1 USA Today), Ohio State (2/2), Syracuse (8/7), Minnesota (15/13), Texas (19/20), Illinois (20/21), Purdue (22/18) and Washington (23/22).
Moving Up The Scoring Chart
Kalin Lucas ranks 16th in MSU career scoring with 1,523 career points. The Spartan senior needs 12 points to pass Drew Neitzel for 15th place (1,534 points), 18 to pass Chris Hill for 14th place (1,540 points), 19 to pass Mateen Cleaves for 13th place (1,541 points) and 32 to pass Maurice Ager (1,554 points) for 12th place in MSU history.
Summers Reaches 1,000
Durrell Summers became the 41st player to top 1,000 career points with his 21-point effort vs. Tennessee Tech. With 1,010 points for his career, he needs 19 to pass Kevin Smith (1,028 points) for 40th in MSU history.
Dealing With Injury
One of the early storylines for the 2010-11 Spartans will be how they deal with injuries and how different players battle back from injury. Many different players missed significant time in the offseason due to injury. Most notably, Kalin Lucas is attempting to come back from an Achilles injury suffered in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament against Maryland. Shortly after the season concluded in April, Delvon Roe had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. Garrick Sherman had screws removed from his foot, left over from a high school injury. Freshman center Adreian Payne separated his shoulder late in his high school senior season and missed several months. Fellow freshman Russell Byrd suffered a broken foot in May, and when the foot never fully healed, he underwent a second surgery in early October. Austin Thornton suffered a back injury that kept him out of action for several weeks. Even Durrell Summers suffered a mild knee sprain and missed an opportunity to work with the USA Basketball Select Team. Korie Lucious missed a couple weeks in early October after surgery to fix a torn meniscus.
Acting The Part
November 16 proved to be an especially busy day for Delvon Roe. At 7:30 p.m., the theatre major played the role of "Charles the Wrestler" in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" put on by the MSU Department of Theatre at the Wharton Center. At 10 p.m., he resumed his normal role of starting power forward for the Spartans, playing one of his best games at MSU, recording 15 points, five rebounds and six assists. Roe also performed on stage on Nov. 17 and 18 prior to leaving for Maui. Feeling his healthiest since before injuring his knee in the first game of his senior year of high school, Roe is averaging 6.2 points and 5.7 rebounds on the young season.
It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State has led the nation in rebounding margin in each of the last two seasons, posting a +9.3 margin in 2009 and a +8.6 margin in 2010. The Spartans have led the nation in rebounding margin in four of the last 11 years. 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 400 of 516 opponents (.775), posting a 318-82 (.795) mark in those games. This year, however, MSU has out-rebounded just three of six opponents, posting a +2.0 margin.
Quite A Class Already
Although they have played just three-plus seasons, Spartan seniors Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Mike Kebler have won 91 games in their careers. That total already ranks as the eighth winningest class in school history. The 2008 class ranks seventh with 98 wins. If the Spartans win 29 games this season, they will equal the 2001 class (115) as the most successful group in school history.
Spartan Depth
In 2009-10, seven Spartans averaged more than 20 minutes per game, while nine averaged 7.2 minutes per contest. This season, 10 different Spartans have averaged 8.0 minutes or more, while nine have averaged 10.0 or more. MSU's bench is out-scoring opponents' reserves by 11.1 points per game (26.8 ppg-15.7 ppg).
Spartans On Target
Michigan State has opened the season shooting the ball well. The Spartans are shooting .495 from the field, including .417 from 3-point range (45-of-108). The exception is at the foul line, where MSU is shooting .647. Defensively, MSU is holding opponents to a .392 field-goal percentage, including .356 from behind the arc.
Individual Accolades
Seniors Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers have been named preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden and Naismith Awards. In addition, Lucas earned a spot on Dick Vitale's Preseason All-Rolls Royce Second Team and was named the nation's No. 1 floor leader by Athlon Sports College Basketball. He was also named preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Lindy's and Athlon Sports College Basketball. Summers was named a Second-Team Preseason All-American by Sporting News.
An Experienced Group
Michigan State returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's Big Ten Championship and Final Four squad. The Spartans return three of their top four scorers and seven of their top nine. The Spartans return 71.7 percent of their scoring, 72.9 percent of their rebounding and 76.9 percent of their assists. Entering the season, Michigan State's returning roster had combined to play in a Big Ten-best 615 contests, 31 more than Northwestern. MSU's roster had combined for 221 starts, which was just the seventh-highest total in the league. MSU's combined minutes played total of 10,255 ranked fifth in the conference.
Spartan Newcomers
Michigan State's roster features four freshmen: Keith Appling, Russell Byrd, Alex Gauna and Adreian Payne. Appling was a high school teammate of Derrick Nix at Pershing High School, capturing the Class A state title in 2009. Individually, he was a 2010 McDonald's All-American and winner of the 2010 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award. Byrd is an outstanding perimeter shooter from Fort Wayne, Ind., who averaged 23.2 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior. However, he broke his foot in May, and when it did not heal fully, he underwent a second surgery in October. Gauna is a skilled big man from Eaton Rapids, Mich. Gauna was a 2010 Class B All-State honoree after averaging 21.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks as a senior. Payne led Jefferson Township High School to the 2010 Ohio Division IV state championship, averaging 15.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots as a senior. An extremely talented and athletic forward, Payne was one of the top 25 players in America as a senior.
Spartans In The NBA
Five former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Charlie Bell (Golden State Warriors), Shannon Brown (Los Angeles Lakers), Morris Peterson (Oklahoma City Thunder), Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns). Brown is a key reserve guard for the Lakers and has been a major contributor on back-to-back NBA Championship squads. Randolph was selected as a reserve for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Richardson has averaged more than 18 points per game over the course of his 10-year career.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 16th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 369-147 (.715), and 174-76 (.696) 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 his 341st career victory on Nov. 28, 2009 . In his 15 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 .696 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 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 174 conference victories, Izzo ranks tied for seventh all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 15 seasons, Tom Izzo won 364 games, ranking sevent in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 15 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). Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons and Stan Joplin, an assistant during Izzo's first season, spent 12 seasons as head coach at Toledo.
