Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Back On The Road At Penn State
2/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#10/10 Michigan State (19-6, 9-3)
vs. Penn State (8-15, 0-11)
Feb. 13, 2010
12 p.m. EST
University Park, Pa.
Bryce Jordan 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: ESPN - Dave O'Brien (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color)
Michigan State Game Notes
Penn State Game Notes
The Opening Tip
Michigan State looks to snap a three-game losing streak as it travels to Penn State. Despite losing three in a row, the Spartans are still atop the Big Ten standings with a 9-3 conference mark. The game features the top two rebounding teams in the conference as Penn State's +4.3 rebounding margin is bested only by Michigan State's +9.3 margin.
The Starting Five
1. 20-Win Seasons
With one more victory, Michigan State will record its 11th 20-win season in the last 13 years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the previous 18 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 15 of them, 10 as a head coach and five as an assistant.
2. 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, Lucas has picked up where he left off last season, averaging a team-best 15.2 points. For his career, Lucas is averaging 14.1 points in 23 conference road games. Over the last two seasons, that average jumps to 17.1 points per contest.
3. Green Best On The Boards
One year after Goran Suton paced the Big Ten in rebounding, another Spartan is dominating the boards in conference play. Draymond Green currently leads the league with 8.3 rebounds per Big Ten contest. He's recorded double-figure rebounds in four of 12 league games, including a career-high 16 rebounds at Illinois. The 16 boards were the most by any Spartan in a Big Ten game since Andre Hutson grabbed 16 at Penn State in 2001. The last Spartan sophomore to lead the Big Ten in rebounding was Antonio Smith in 1997 (11.3 rpg).
4. Appling Named McDonald's All-American
Keith Appling, who signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Michigan State in Nov. 2009, was named to the 2010 McDonald's All-American Team on Feb. 11. Appling is the ninth McDonald's All-American to sign with Michigan State under Tom Izzo, and the first since 2003. Appling is currently averaging 27 points per game for Detroit Pershing High School. The game will be played on March 31 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
5. Spartan All-Stars
Michigan State will be well-represented during the NBA All-Star festivities this weekend in Dallas. On Saturday night, Shannon Brown will take part in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, attempting to become the second Spartan to win the event after Jason Richardson won back-to-back titles in 2002 & 2003. On Sunday, Zach Randolph will make his All-Star debut as a reserve for the Western Conference. Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, Randolph is the only player in the Western Conference averaging 20 points (20.5 ppg) and 10 rebounds (11.6 rpg).
MSU vs. Penn State Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 26-5, including a 10-3 advantage in games played in University Park. The Nittany Lions' five wins in the series have been by a combined 20 points. The Spartans have won 10 of the last 12 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 19-4 in his career against Penn State.
Coach DeChellis
Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 197-211 in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, including 92-118 in seven seasons at Penn State. He served as head coach at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003.
The Last Meeting In University Park
Michigan State saw a 17-point second-half lead trimmed to a single point, but held on for a 78-73 victory on Jan. 14, 2009, in University Park. Raymar Morgan led Penn State with 17 points and Goran Suton added a double-double (13 points, 14 rebounds). MSU led 56-39 with 13:39 left and 69-57 with 5:29 remaining, but PSU pulled within one point at 71-70 with 1:30 left on a Talor Battle 3-pointer. Michigan State held on for the win by hitting 7-of-10 free throws in the final 52 seconds and forcing a key Battle turnover with 15 seconds remaining and PSU having an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Jamelle Cornley led the Nittany Lions with 26 points. Battle added 20, but was held without a field goal for 30:15. MSU out-rebounded PSU, the league's second-best rebounding team, by an astounding 41-24 margin, including grabbing 50 percent of its misses.
The Last Meeting
Penn State recorded its first ever win at the Breslin Center with a 72-68 decision on Feb. 1, 2009. Michigan State led by 13 points with 6:11 left in the first half, but Penn State closed the stanza on a 22-8, led by 18 first-half points from Talor Battle. The Nittany Lions hit their first eight shots in the second half and led by 12 with 6:54 remaining. Kalin Lucas had two free throws to tie the game at 69 with 12 seconds left, but missed the second, and after one PSU free throw, Lucas missed a game-tying jumper with five seconds left. Lucas led the Spartans with 23 points, 17 of which came in the second half, while Raymar Morgan played just three minutes due to illness. Battle finished with a game-high 29 points, including hitting 6-of-12 3-pointers. PSU shot 56.3 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range.
Nittany Lion Notes
Penn State has had six league contests decided by six points or more (only Illinois has more) ... Talor Battle is second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per contest and one of 16 active players (the only junior) in Division I to record 1,300 points, 400 rebounds and 350 assists ... Penn State ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (behind MSU), out-rebounding opponents by a +4.3 margin.
Game 25 Recap - Purdue 76 - MSU 64
* Kalin Lucas did not start, but played 29 minutes, including 17 in the second half, after missing the previous game at Illinois with an ankle injury.
* Purdue's .568 field-goal percentage was the best by any Spartan opponent at the Breslin Center this season.
* Michigan State shot a season-low 32.1 percent from the field, including just 25.0 percent in the second half.
* Michigan State trailed by 14 at halftime and by as many as 18 in the second half, but cut the Purdue advantage to three points with 4:34 remaining.
* Purdue took control of the game with a 13-0 run over a five minute span midway through the first half.
* Chris Allen played a career-high 34 minutes, scoring 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
MSU Basketball Notes
Where's The D?
Throughout the season, Michigan State has ranked among the best defensive teams in the Big Ten, ranking fourth in scoring defense (63.3 ppg) and third in field-goal percentage defense (.422) in league play. That, however, has not been the case during MSU's current three-game losing streak as Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue averaged 73.7 points, hitting 53.2 percent of their shots. It's certainly not the norm, as just six opponents have shot better than 44 percent against MSU all season, including each of the last three.
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 389 of 498 opponents (.781), posting a 309-80 (.794) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +9.3, ranking second in the nation (as of Feb. 8), bettering 20 of 25 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 17-3 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 2-3 when failing to do so.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 26.4 points per game, including 21.3 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 21.3-12.9 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.3 ppg) averages in double figures off the bench, while he is also MSU's leading rebounder.
Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense has been very effective in league play, holding opponents to 63.3 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting .422 from the field, ranking third in the league, including .319 from 3-point range, ranking fourth. Overall, MSU ranks fifth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.410).
Morgan On Target
Raymar Morgan leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in league games. Morgan paces the conference at .580 (51-of-88). Throughout the conference, just 12 players are hitting 50 percent or better in league play.
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 16.0 turnovers in their six losses, including 23 vs. Florida and 22 vs. Texas, leading to 17.5 points for the opponent per game. In 19 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.7 turnovers, leading to just 14.0 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 15-0 when holding teams below 41 percent shooting, but 4-6 when an opponent shoots above 41 percent. The Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot .523 in their losses, compared to .376 in victory.
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 rank second in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 74.8 points per game. It's a team effort as just one player (Kalin Lucas, 9th-15.4 ppg) ranks in the top 20 in scoring.
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.
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).
A Touch Of Green In Big Ten Stats
Overall, Draymond Green ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (8.3 rpg), fifth in field-goal percentage (.556) and tied for 10th in steals (1.36 spg). His 1.67 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks eighth in the league, and first among non-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 22 of 25 games. He is averaging a team-best 8.2 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in eight games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first on the team in steals (34) and blocks (21), second in field-goal percentage (.556), third in assists (3.0 apg) and fourth in scoring (10.3 ppg). He's recorded five 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 (25.5 mpg).
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 13.56 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 13.9 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 40.5 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 Draymond Green with 2.48 per contest.
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 .459 from the field this year, including .364 from behind the 3-point arc.
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 15.4 points per game, followed by Raymar Morgan (10.6 ppg), Durrell Summers (10.5 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.3 ppg). Chris Allen is just outside that group at 9.6 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.
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 7.5 minutes or more, including seven at 21.3 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 30.8 minutes per contest after averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game last season. The Spartans have also used 14 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 .478 from the floor, ranking second in the Big Ten and 16th in the nation (as of Feb. 8). In league play, MSU is shooting .449, ranking fifth. 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 50 attempts, Delvon Roe paces the way at .559 (62-111).
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .692 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .724 percent of their attempts in the last 15 games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks eighth in the Big Ten (.800), including .836 in league play, ranking fifth. As a team, MSU is shooting .714 in conference action, ranking sixth.
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, limiting opponents to 41.0 percent on the season, as only six opponents have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 31.9 percent shooting behind the arc, limiting eight opponents to 25 percent or lower.
Hot Start In League Play
For the first time in 60 seasons of Big Ten basketball, Michigan State opened league play with an 9-0 record. The previous best conference start was 7-0, established in 1977-78, when Earvin "Magic" Johnson was a Spartan freshman.
Allen Rounds Out His Game
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 (41), attempted (103) and percentage (.398). He's also shooting .443 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 (2.2 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.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of Feb. 8), Michigan State ranks fifth in the nation in assists. With a current average of 17.6 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 64.2 percent of their baskets. It's a team effort as four different Spartans average at least two assists per game.
Double-Double Trouble
At least one Spartan has recorded a double-double in 13 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.; vs. Illinois, 17 pts., 16 reb.) leads the way with five, while Raymar Morgan (vs. Wofford, 19 pts., 11 reb.; vs. The Citadel, 11 pts., 10 reb., vs. Illinois, 14 pts., 10 reb.) and Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan, 10 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Northwestern, 24 points, 10 reb.) each have tallied 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.) 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 21st in MSU history with 1,298 points, standing 79 behind Julius McCoy (1,377 points). His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 16th in MSU history with 1,445 points. He needs 24 points to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points).
Lucas On Watch Lists
Kalin Lucas is one of 11 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 3.8 assists per game and his 2.09 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fifth 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 1.15 (47 assists, 41 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 (PU-No. 6, MSU-No. 10, UW-No. 11, OSU-No. 13).
Life Away From Home
Michigan State is 6-5 away from home this season, including 5-4 on an opponent's home court, with losses at Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois. Three of the Spartans' road games have been against a ranked opponent. MSU has won 12 of its last 15 conference road games. 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 Sprite 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 355-143 (.713), and 169-75 (.693) 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 .693 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 (.713), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712) and Lambert (.709). With 169 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.
