Michigan State University Athletics
First-Place Spartans Host Purdue In Big Ten Showdown
2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#10/10 Michigan State (19-5, 9-2)
vs. #6/6 Purdue (19-3, 7-3)
Feb. 9, 2010
9 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: ESPN - Brent Musburger (Play by Play), Steve Lavin (Color), Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
Purdue Game Notes
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo PC | Draymond Green PC | Delvon Roe | Chris Allen
White-Out
The Michigan State athletics department is asking fans to wear white to the MSU-Purdue men's basketball game on Feb. 9 as a gesture of uniform support for the Spartans.
The Opening Tip
Having played four of its last five games away from East Lansing, Michigan State is back at home to face Purdue. Despite losing two straight games for the first time since February 2008, the Spartans still stand alone atop the Big Ten standings. MSU hosts a Boilermaker squad that has won five straight games since losing three straight in the middle of January. Following this game, MSU will head back out on the road for two more, to wrap up a span of six road games in eight contests.
The Starting Five
1. 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 8.4 rebounds per Big Ten contest. He's recorded double-figure rebounds in four of 11 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.
2. 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.
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 389 of 497 opponents (.783), posting a 309-80 (.794) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +9.7, ranking second in the nation (as of Feb. 8), bettering 20 of 24 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 17-3 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 2-2 when failing to do so.
4. 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 (62.2 ppg) and third in field-goal percentage defense (.412) in league play. That, however, has not been the case during MSU's current two-game losing streak as Wisconsin and Illinois averaged 72.5 points, hitting 51.8 percent of their shots. It's certainly not the norm, as just five opponents have shot better than 44 percent against MSU all season.
5. Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 26.6 points per game, including 21.4 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 21.4-13.3 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.5 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.2 ppg) average in double figures off the bench, while Green is also MSU's leading rebounder.
MSU vs. Purdue Notes
Series History
Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 62-44. The Spartans, however, enjoy a 28-23 advantage in games played in East Lansing, including nine straight wins at the Breslin Center. MSU has won 15 of the last 22 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 15-10 in his career against Purdue.
Coach Painter
Matt Painter (Purdue, `94) is 127-58 in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach, including 102-53 in his fifth season at Purdue. After one year as head coach at Southern Illinois, he served as associate head coach at Purdue in 2004-05 in Gene Keady's final year as Boilermaker coach.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Purdue, 62-51, on March 8, 2009, in East Lansing. The Boilermakers held a 31-29 lead at the half, behind 10 points from JaJuan Johnson. With the score tied at 33, Delvon Roe scored five straight points to spark a 14-2 Spartan run. The first basket came courtesy of a Goran Suton pass and the next came off a Suton airball. Roe collected the rebound, made the layup and converted a 3-point play after being fouled. The Boilermakers scored just four points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. MSU held Purdue to just 28.3 percent shooting from the field, the lowest percentage for any Spartan opponent on the season. The Boilermakers made just 6-of-32 shots in the second half. MSU held a 50-32 edge on the glass, including a 29-16 edge in the second half. The win closed out Michigan State's 2009 Big Ten Championship season with a school-record tying 15 wins.
Boilermaker Notes
In league games, Purdue junior forward Robbie Hummel ranks second in rebounding (8.2 rpg), seventh in scoring (18.2 ppg) and fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.412) ... JaJuan Johnson and Hummel each have five double-doubles this season ... E'Twaun Moore has scored 20 or more points in seven games this season ... Purdue is forcing opponents to average 16.3 turnovers per contest.
Game 24 Recap - Illinois 78 - MSU 73
* Draymond Green grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, marking the best effort by a Spartan in a Big Ten game since Andre Hutson collected 16 boards at Penn State in 2001.
* With 17 points and 16 boards, Green collected his fifth double-double of the year.
* Michigan State played without Kalin Lucas, who missed the game with an ankle injury.
* MSU shot 54.5 percent from the field, but allowed Illinois to shoot 52.5 percent. * Nine different Spartans scored in the first half.
* Mike Kebler played a career-best tying five minutes, dishing out two assists against no turnovers in Kalin Lucas' absence.
* After going scoreless in two of his last three games, and scoring just six points combined, Chris Allen scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 3-pointers.
MSU Basketball Notes
Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 206-24 (.896) at home, including 183-15 (.924) over the last 13 years (1997-98 to present). MSU has defeated 47 consecutive non-conference opponents at the Breslin Center, dating back to a Dec. 3, 2003, loss to Duke.
Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense has been very effective in league play, holding opponents to 62.2 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting .412 from the field, ranking third in the league, including .313 from 3-point range, ranking fourth. Overall, MSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.405).
Morgan, Green On Target
Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green rank one-two in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in league games. Morgan paces the conference at .605 (49-of-81), followed by Green at .587 (44-of-75). Throughout the conference, just 13 players are hitting 50 percent or better in league play.
Summers Shows Some Consistency
Durrell Summers is averaging 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the last four games, scoring in double figures in each contest. It's his longest stretch of double-figure scoring since doing so in the first five games of the season. He was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 1 after averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in games vs. Michigan and Northwestern, recording a double-double in each game. He has three double-doubles on the season, having also recorded one vs. Gonzaga.
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 75.2 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.
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 17.4 turnovers in their five losses, including 23 vs. Florida and 22 vs. Texas, leading to 19.0 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 4-5 when an opponent shoots above 41 percent. The Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot .516 in their losses, compared to .376 in victory.
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), first in field-goal percentage (.594) and 11th in steals (1.38 spg). His 1.74 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh 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 21 of 24 games. He is averaging a team-best 8.3 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in eight games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first on the team in steals (33) and field-goal percentage (.594), second in blocks (21), third in assists (3.0 apg) and fourth in scoring (10.5 ppg). He's recorded five double-doubles on the season. And despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks tied for third on the squad in minutes per game (25.6 mpg).
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 13.58 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 14.1 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 40.9 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 2.42 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 (10.8 ppg), Durrell Summers (10.8 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.5 ppg). Chris Allen is just outside that group at 9.1 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 7.7 minutes or more, including seven at 21.2 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 30.9 minutes per contest after averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game last season. The Spartans have also used 13 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.
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 .462 from the field this year, including a team-best .378 from behind the 3-point arc.
On The Mark
As a team, Michigan State is shooting .485 from the floor, ranking second in the Big Ten and 16th in the nation (as of Feb. 8). In league play, MSU is shooting .461, ranking third. 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 .594 (98-165), leading the Big Ten, just ahead of teammate Raymar Morgan (.552), who ranks fifth.
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .687 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .720 percent of their attempts in the last 14 games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks eighth in the Big Ten (.807), including .860 in league play, ranking fifth. As a team, MSU is shooting .707 in conference action, ranking seventh.
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 40.5 percent on the season, as only five opponents have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 31.6 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 (37), attempted (96) and percentage (.385). He's also shooting .436 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.
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 17.9 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 65.3 percent of their baskets. It's a team effort as five 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 22nd in MSU history with 1,286 points, standing 10 behind Matt Steigenga (1,296 points). His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 16th in MSU history with 1,439 points. He needs 30 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 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 1.15 (46 assists, 40 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 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 355-142 (.714), and 169-74 (.695) 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 .695 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 (.716), 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.
