Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Open Big Ten Tournament On Friday
3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
No. 3 Michigan State (24-7, 14-4)
vs. No. 6 Minnesota (18-12, 9-9)/
No. 11 Penn State (11-19, 3-15)
March 12, 2010
Approx 9 p.m. EST
Indianapolis, Ind.
Conseco Fieldhouse
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 - Gus Johnson (Play by Play), Shon Morris (Color), Charissa Thompson (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
2010 Big Ten Tournament Bracket
The Opening Tip
Michigan State enters the 2010 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed, having captured a share of the regular season championship. The Spartans will play the winner of the Minnesota/Penn State game on Friday night. MSU has not played the Gophers since the seventh game of the conference season on Jan. 23, whereas the Spartans have played the Nittany Lions twice in the last month, including just last Thursday in East Lansing. MSU is looking to capture its third Big Ten Tournament title, having previously won the 1999 and 2000 tournaments.
The Starting Five
1. MSU In The Big Ten Tournament
The Spartans are looking to capture their third Big Ten Tournament championship. In 12 previous years of the Big Ten Tournament, MSU has a record of 13-10. The Spartans won the tournament in 1999 and 2000, and lost in the quarterfinals in 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007. MSU lost in the semifinals in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. The Spartans are 5-5 when the tournament is held in Indianapolis, and 7-5 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
2. Big Ten Champs
Michigan State was one of three teams to claim a share of the 2010 Big Ten Championship, collecting its second-straight conference crown. It is the sixth regular-season Big Ten Championship for head coach Tom Izzo, as he also directed the Spartans to four-straight league crowns from 1998-2001. Overall, it is Michigan State's 12th Big Ten title since joining the conference in 1951 (1957, 1959, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010).
3. Big Ten Accolades
Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green and Raymar Morgan each earned some form of All-Big Ten recognition as announced by the league office on March 8. Lucas earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season, becoming the 13th player in MSU history to be a two-time first-team honoree. Green was a unanimous selection for the Sixth Man of the Year award, also earning third-team honors. Morgan was a third-team selection, as chosen by the league's coaches.
4. The Sixth Man
Draymond Green was a unanimous selection for Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first Spartan to win the award since its inception in 2006. Not only is he among the best reserves in the Big Ten, but also the nation. He was named National Sixth Man of the Year by Yahoo! Sports. Green has come off the bench in 28 of 31 games, yet he ranks tied for fourth on the squad in minutes played.
5. Big Ten Titles Under Coach Izzo
By capturing a share of the 2010 Big Ten Championship, Tom Izzo becomes just the sixth coach in league history to win six league titles, joining Indiana's Bob Knight, Purdue's Gene Keady and Ward Lambert, Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell and Ohio State's Fred Taylor. He became the first coach to win at least six conference titles in his first 15 seasons since Bob Knight won seven during the same span at Indiana.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 59-56. The Spartans have won eight straight, 13 of the last 14, and 18 of the last 21 meetings. Tom Izzo has a 21-7 all-time record against the Golden Gophers.
Spartans Vs. Gophers In Big Ten Tournament
Michgian State is 1-1 vs. Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament. UM defeated MSU, 76-73, in the 1998 Big Ten Tournament. The eighth-seeded Gophers defeated the top-seeded Spartans behind 29 points from Eric Harris. The Gophers out-shot the Spartans, .519-.379. Last year, MSU defeated Minnesota, 64-56, in the quarterfinals. The Spartans held Minnesota to 26 second-half points on 34.5 percent shooting after the break.
Coach Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith (High Point, '73) is 447-182 in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach, including 60-37 in his third season with Minnesota. Prior to his arrival in Minneapolis, he spent 10 seasons as head coach at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA Championship. His head coaching career also includes a two-year stint at Georgia and four seasons at Tulsa.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 65-64, on Jan. 23 in Minneapolis. The Spartans rallied from a 13-point deficit to claim a one-point victory. MSU did not hold the lead until Kalin Lucas broke a 62-62 tie with a 3-pointer with 1:30 left in the game. The Gophers had a couple of chances in the final seconds, but the Spartan defense would not allow a shot to drop. After shooting 28.6 percent in the first half, MSU shot 53.8 percent in the second. Lucas led MSU with 22 points.
MSU vs. Penn State Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 28-5. The Nittany Lions' five wins in the series have been by a combined 20 points. The Spartans have won 12 of the last 14 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 21-4 in his career against Penn State.
Coach DeChellis
Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 200-215 in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, including 95-122 in seven seasons at Penn State. He served as head coach at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003.
Spartans Vs. Nittany Lions In Big Ten Tournament
In the only previous meeting, Penn State defeated Michigan State, 65-63, in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. MSU jumped out to a 19-7 lead, but PSU bounced back to take a 31-30 lead into the half. The game was tight down the stretch, but PSU's Joe Crispin hit an awkward 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds remaining to give the Nittany Lions a four-point lead. Crispin led all scorers with 22 points, while Jason Richardson paced the Spartans with 19 points.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State squeaked by Penn State, 67-65, on March 4 in East Lansing. Three times during the game, MSU held a double-figure lead, but each time the Nittany Lions answered with a run of their own, taking a 62-60 lead with 2:32 remaining. Raymar Morgan then found Draymond Green for a game-tying dunk. Morgan then hit four straight free throws to give MSU a 66-62 lead. Morgan finished the game with 16 points and eight boards, while Draymond Green added 14 points and nine rebounds. MSU's bench out-scored the PSU reserves, 26-1.
Game 31 Recap - MSU 64 - Michigan 48
* Michigan State clinched a share of its 12th Big Ten Championship, and its sixth under Tom Izzo.
* In his final home game, Raymar Morgan recorded his 12th-career double-double with a season-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.
* With 10 points, Kalin Lucas snapped a string of three-straight games in single digits.
* Michigan State out-scored Michigan, 38-18, in points in the paint.
* Michigan State held the Wolverines to 14 first-half points, the low for a Spartan opponent in any half this season.
* The Spartan defense held Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims to a combined 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting. The Michigan duo entered the game averaging a combined 35.3 points per game.
MSU Basketball Notes
Morgan Joins Elite Company
With 16 points against Penn State, Raymar Morgan became just the fifth player in Michigan State history with 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds. Currently standing at 1,522 points and 735 rebounds, Morgan joins Steve Smith (2,263 pts., 740 reb.), Greg Kelser (2,014 pts., 1092 reb.), Jay Vincent (1,914 pts., 709 reb.) and Paul Davis (1,718 pts., 910 reb.). Additionally, Morgan is just five rebounds shy of Steve Smith (740) for 10th place all-time at Michigan State.
Senior Stretch Run
College athletics is full of stories of seniors putting a team on their back down the stretch run of their final season. While Raymar Morgan doesn't need to put the Spartans on his back, his play will go a long way in determining how successful the final month of his career will be. Over the last four games, Morgan is averaging 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, leading the Spartans in both categories. On March 1, he was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week.
MSU In March
Michigan State is 55-21 in March since the 1998-99 season. For his career, Tom Izzo is 62-28 in March. Last season, MSU was 8-1 in what Coach Izzo calls his favorite month of the year. Izzo is 15-3 at home in March as head coach.
Defense Tightens Up
The Spartans have tightened up their defense down the stretch run. After allowing three straight opponents to shoot better than 50 percent from the field in early February, Michigan State is holding opponents to .384 shooting and 57.2 points in the last six games.
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 28 of 31 games. He is averaging a team-best 7.8 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in nine games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first on the team in steals (40), second in field-goal percentage (.545) and blocks (24), third in assists (3.1 apg) and fourth in scoring (10.1 ppg). He's recorded a team-best six double-doubles on the season. And despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks tied for fourth on the squad in minutes per game (25.2 mpg).
Spartans On The Road
Michigan State and Purdue led the Big Ten with seven conference road wins, while Ohio State ranked third with six. Over the last two seasons, Michigan State is 15-3 away from East Lansing, good for the best two-year road record in school history. In 1997-98 and '98-99, the Spartans were 13-3 on the road. Including neutral site games, MSU is 9-5 away from East Lansing this season.
Reducing The Turnovers
Turnovers have been an issue for Michigan State for much of the year, especially in Spartan losses. MSU, however, is getting better in that area of the game, committing 10 turnovers or fewer in five of the last seven games. Despite comitting 23 turnovers at Purdue, MSU is averaging 12.3 turnovers in the last seven games. In fact, Michigan State has committed 10 turnovers or fewer in six of the last 10 contests.
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 393 of 504 opponents (.780), posting a 313-80 (.796) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +9.2, ranking second in the nation (as of March 8), bettering 24 of 31 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 21-3 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 3-4 when failing to do so.
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 13.4 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 13.7 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 40.4 percent of their misses. Michigan State grabbed more offensive boards than its opponent had defensive boards in games against Florida, Wofford, The Citadel and Purdue. The Spartans are paced in offensive rebounds by Draymond Green with 2.45 per contest.
Cleaning Up On The Defensive Boards
Michigan State is well known as a great offensive rebounding team, but to be among the top teams in the nation in rebounding margin, you also have to control the defensive glass. The Spartans have taken that to the extreme in the last three games, allowing Purdue, Penn State and Michigan a combined 19 offensive rebounds, including only three in the second half. For the year, Spartan opponents grab just 27.9 percent of their missed shots, compared to 40.4 percent for MSU.
Allen Heating Up
In the first 23 games of the season, Chris Allen made four 3-pointers in a game on three occassions. In the last eight games, he's made four triples three times, connecting on 18-of-35 (.514) attempts from behind the arc. In league play, Allen ranked fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage (.431).
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 third in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 72.8 points per game. It's a team effort as just one player (Kalin Lucas, t-11th-14.8 ppg) ranks in the top 20 in scoring.
Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 208-26 (.889) at home, including 185-17 (.916) 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. MSU is 16-3 at home in March under Tom Izzo.
Spartan Depth
Nine different Spartans are averaging 7.5 minutes or more, including seven at 20.4 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 16 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.
Green Among Best On The Boards
One year after Goran Suton paced the Big Ten in rebounding, another Spartan was among the best on the boards in conference play. Draymond Green finished conference play ranked fourth in the league with 7.6 rebounds per Big Ten contest. He recorded double-figure rebounds in five 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.
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.
Getting To The Foul Line
Michigan State has done a good job getting to the foul line this season, averaging 20.2 attempts per game, including 18.4 attempts in Big Ten games. In league action, the Spartans averaged 3.2 more free throw attempts per contest than their opponent.
Morgan On Target
Raymar Morgan led the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in league games, shooting .561 (83-of-148). Throughout the conference, just 11 players hit 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 15.1 turnovers in their seven losses, including 23 vs. Florida and 22 vs. Texas, leading to 16.4 points for the opponent per game. In 24 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.6 turnovers, leading to just 13.8 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 19-0 when holding teams below 41 percent shooting, but 5-7 when an opponent shoots above 41 percent. The Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot .508 in their losses, compared to .375 in victory.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 25.1 points per game, including 20.9 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 20.9-10.7 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.1 ppg) averages in double figures off the bench, while he is also MSU's leading rebounder.
Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense was effective in league play, holding opponents to 61.3 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting .411 from the field, ranking third in the league, including .322 from 3-point range, ranking first. Overall, MSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.406).
A Touch Of Green In Big Ten Stats
Overall, Draymond Green ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.8 rpg), fourth in field-goal percentage (.545) and 10th in steals (1.3 spg). His 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh in the league, and first among non-guards. He and Ohio State's Evan Turner are the only players in the league 6-foot-6 or taller to average more than three assists per game.
On The Mark
As a team, Michigan State is shooting .475 from the floor, ranking second in the Big Ten and 27th in the nation (as of March 8). In league play, MSU shot .453, ranking fourth. Individually, seven Spartans are connecting on better than 50 percent of their shots, led by Tom Herzog at .818 (9-of-11). Among players with more than 75 attempts, Delvon Roe paces the way at .568 (75-132).
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .688 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement, hitting .715 percent of their attempts in the last 21 games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Kalin Lucas ranks 10th in the Big Ten (.786), including .808 in league play, ranking eighth. As a team, MSU shot .705 in conference action, ranking ninth.
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 (51), attempted (125) and percentage (.408). He's also shooting .437 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 (3.2 rpg), assists (2.1 apg) and steals (0.5 spg). He's also emerged as one of MSU's best perimeter defenders.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of March 8), Michigan State ranks seventh in the nation in assists. With a current average of 16.9 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 62.6 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 15 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.; vs. Purdue, 12 pts., 11 reb.) leads the way with six, while Raymar Morgan (vs. Wofford, 19 pts., 11 reb.; vs. The Citadel, 11 pts., 10 reb., vs. Illinois, 14 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Purdue 16 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan 22 pts., 10 reb.) has five, Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan, 10 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Northwestern, 24 points, 10 reb.) has 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 1,371 points, standing six behind Julius McCoy (1,377 points), 11 behind Robert Chapman (1,382 points), 12 behind Darryl Johnson (1,383 points) and 22 behind Andre Hutson (1,393 points). His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 15th in MSU history with 1,522 points. He needs 13 points to pass Drew Neitzel (1,534 points), 19 to pass Chris Hill (1,540 points) and 20 to pass Mateen Cleaves (1,541 points).
Morgan In Career Rankings
In the final stretch of his Spartan career, Raymar Morgan finds himself among the MSU career leaders in several categories. He currently ranks seventh in free throw attempts (537), 10th in games started (114) and 15th in career scoring (1,522 points). Morgan is looking to become just the eighth player in Spartan history to score in double figures in all four years of his career. He needs just five rebounds and 66 points to move into the top 10 in both categories, joining Steve Smith, Greg Kelser and Jay Vincent as the only players to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
20-Win Seasons
With a 65-54 win at Penn State, Michigan State recorded its 11th 20-win season in the last 13 years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the 19 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 16 of them, 11 as a head coach and five as an assistant.
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).
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 .455 from the field this year, including .348 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 14.8 points per game, followed by Raymar Morgan (11.1 ppg), Durrell Summers (10.3 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.1 ppg). Chris Allen is just outside that group at 9.1 ppg. MSU has had four or more players score in double figures in 14 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 showed that trait in the first two games of 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.
A Program First
This year, Michigan State had a stretch that saw it play six of eight conference games away from East Lansing for the first time in 60 years of playing Big Ten basketball. 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 by a Big Ten squad 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.
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 40.6 percent shooting on the season, as just seven opponents have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 32.1 percent shooting behind the arc, limiting 11 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.
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 and Naismith Awards.
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 3.3 assists per game and his 1.96 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks sixth 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 1.04 (55 assists, 53 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 (OSU-No. 5, PU-No. 6, MSU-No. 11, UW-No. 13).
Life Away From Home
Michigan State is 9-5 away from home this season, including 8-4 on an opponent's home court, with losses at Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois. Four of the Spartans' road games have been against a ranked opponent. MSU has won 15 of its last 18 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 competed in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Game and Zach Randolph was selected as a Western Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo In his 15th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 360-144 (.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 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 .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 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.
