Spartans Face Orange In Jimmy V Classic
12/6/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2010
| No. 7/8 Michigan State (6-2) vs. No. 8/7 Syracuse (8-0) | |
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 7 |
| Time | Approx. 9:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden |
| Televison | ESPN (Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, Doris Burke) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Satellite Radio | SIRIUS: Channel 113; XM: Channel 197 |
| Tickets | Available at Ticketmaster.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Syracuse |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Syracuse |
| Internet Coverage | NA |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  |
The Opening Tip
Michigan State faces Syracuse in the Spartans' third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic. The Orange will be MSU's third opponent that is currently ranked in the Top 10. Although Syracuse is a regular in Madison Square Garden, the Spartans also have experienced success at one of basketball's famed arenas, winning two of their last three games at MSG.
The Starting Five
1. 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 7.4 minutes or more, while nine have averaged 10.5 or more. MSU's bench is out-scoring opponents' reserves by 12.5 points per game (27.9 ppg-15.4 ppg), out-scoring the opponents' bench in all eight games this season.
2. Nation's Best Sixth Man
After starting four of the season's first seven games, Draymond Green and the Spartan coaching staff have decided Green will resume his role as the team's sixth man. Last season, Green was a unanimous selection for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, and was named National Sixth Man of the Year by Yahoo! Sports.
3. MSU In Jimmy V History
This is Michigan State's third appearance in the Jimmy V Classic, joining the three other participants this year (Kansas, Memphis, Syracuse) as the only schools to make three appearances. In its first appearance, MSU defeated No. 8 Seton Hall, 72-57, on Dec. 19, 2000. The Spartans out-rebounded the Pirates, 60-39, setting a Jimmy V Classic record with 27 offensive boards. On, Dec. 6, 2005, MSU defeated Boston College, 77-70. After shooting 36.7 percent in the first half, MSU shot 77.3 percent in the second half, resulting in 51 second-half points for the Spartans. Maurice Ager led MSU with 22 points.
4. Spartans From Distance
Michigan State is shooting a Big Ten-best .431 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 four or more 3-pointers, and four have hit 12 or more, led by Durrell Summers, with 16. Draymond Green is shooting a team-best .542 from 3-point range. As a team, MSU ranks second in the Big Ten with 8.25 3-pointers per game, after finishing last in the conference last season (5.1).
5. Moving Up The Scoring Chart
Kalin Lucas ranks 15th in MSU career scoring with 1,537 career points. The Spartan senior needs four points to pass Chris Hill for 14th place (1,540 points), five to pass Mateen Cleaves for 13th place (1,541 points) and 18 to pass Maurice Ager (1,554 points) for 12th place in MSU history.
MSU vs. Syracuse Notes
Series History
Syracuse leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 9-7. This includes a 1-1 record in neutral site games. Syracuse won the only previous meeting at Madison Square Garden, a 69-58 decision in the 2001 Preseason NIT. MSU's last win in the series was a 75-58 victory in the Sweet 16 of the 2000 NCAA Tournament at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Coach Boeheim
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse, `66) is 837-293 in his 35th season as head coach at his alma mater. He ranks fifth all-time for wins by a Division I head coach, trailing just Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp and Mike Krzyzewski. In his 34 full seasons, he has led the Orange to 33 post-season appearances, including 27 NCAA Tournaments. He guided Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA Championship.
The Last Meeting
Syracuse defeated Michigan State, 96-83, on Jan. 3, 2004, in Syracuse. The Orange used big runs to start both halves to take control of the game, opening the game with a 9-0 run, and the second half on an 11-0 run. Syracuse shot 60.3 percent from the field, including 65.4 percent in the second half. Paul Davis led four Spartans in double figures with 21 points. Chris Hill recorded 16 points and a game-high nine assists.
Orange Notes
This is the third team from Michigan that Syracuse will face in its first nine contests, having defeated Detroit and Michigan earlier this season ... Rick Jackson averages 12.4 rebounds per contest, accounting for 30.5 percent of the team's rebounds. Against Detroit, Jackson grabbed a remarkable 25 rebounds ... Syracuse has used the same starting lineup in all eight games this season ... The Orange are 2-0 on a neutral court, defeating Michigan and Georgia Tech in Atlantic City in the Legends Classic.
Gm. 8 Notes • Michigan St. 74 - Bowling green 39
* After both teams shot 29.6 percent in the first half, MSU improved to 60.0 percent in the second, compared to just 25.0 percent for Bowling Green.
* Michigan State hit a season-high 12 3-pointers in a season-high 28 attempts.
* Michigan State's 35-point margin of victory was a season high.
* Michigan State held a 51-26 (+25) margin on the glass, including grabbing a season-high 18 offensive boards.
* Draymond Green recorded his fourth double-double of the season.
* Bowling Green's 39 points marked the fewest by a Spartan opponent since Brown scored 34 points on Nov. 8, 2006.
* Kalin Lucas did not score and played just 15 minutes, citing fatigue and sore foot. The 15 minutes were a career low, and it was just the second time in his career that he has not scored.
* Making his fourth start of the season, Austin Thornton grabbed a career high six rebounds.
MSU Basketball Notes
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 14.9 points and 30.0 minutes. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 29, averaging 20.5 points over four games. Recently, he played 36 minutes at Duke, the most he's played since the injury.
MSU's Mr. Everything
Junior Draymond Green is one of the nation's most versatile players. He leads the team in rebounding (9.4 rpg), steals (2.0 spg), blocks (1.8 bpg) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.542), while ranking second in assists (3.9 apg), and third in field-goal percentage (.551) and scoring (13.8). Green ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding, tied for third in steals, fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage, sixth in blocks, tied for 11th in assists and 12th in field-goal percentage. 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 12 double-doubles in his career.
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.
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. Nine different Spartan opponents are ranked in at least one of the two polls, including Duke (1 AP/1 USA Today), Ohio State (2/2), Connecticut (6/6), Syracuse (8/7), llinois (16/17), Purdue (19/18), Washington (21/22), Minnesota (22/20) and Texas (25/25).
Sherman Can't Miss
Garrick Sherman is shooting a remarkable .727 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 21 of his last 27. At one point, he connected on 10 straight shots this season.
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 1,035 points for his career, he needs 20 to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 points) for 39th and 25 to pass Earvin Johnson (1,059 points) for 38th in MSU history.
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 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on the young season. Roe's increased movement has also benefited him on the defensive end, where he's able to play some on the perimeter. For example, he helped hold Duke All-American Kyle Singler to 5-of-14 shooting.
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 402 of 518 opponents (.776), posting a 319-83 (.794) mark in those games. This year, MSU has out-rebounded just five of eight opponents, posting a +5.4 margin. Recently, however, the rebounding effort has been better, as MSU has out-rebounded each of its last four opponents, with an average margin of +10.
Quite A Class Already
Although they have played just three-plus seasons, Spartan seniors Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Mike Kebler have won 92 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.
Spartans On Target
Michigan State has opened the season shooting the ball well. The Spartans are shooting .490 from the field, including .431 from 3-point range (66-of-153). The exception is at the foul line, where MSU is shooting .640. Defensively, MSU is holding opponents to a .388 field-goal percentage, including .357 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 370-148 (.714), 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 (.714), 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.
