Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Host Penn State On Thursday
2/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2011
| Michigan State (13-10, 5-6) vs. Penn State (12-10, 5-6) | |
| Date | Thursday, Feb. 10 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Televison | Big Ten Network (Gus Johnson, Greg Kelser) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Satellite Radio | SIRIUS 122; XM 143 |
| Tickets | Available at www.msuspartans.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Penn State |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Penn State |
| Internet Coverage | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  |
The Opening Tip
Michigan State returns home to host Penn State. After playing four of their last six games on the road, the Spartans open a stretch that will see them play four of their next six at home. The Spartans are 9-2 at Breslin Center this season, including 4-1 in league play. Both the Spartans and Nittany Lions have played schedules that rank among the 10 toughest in the nation.
The Starting Five
1. He's Back And Getting Stronger
It's been a long rehab process since tearing his left Achilles in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Kalin Lucas is slowly returning to the form of a two-time All-Big Ten performer. The Cousy Award finalist is averaging team bests in both scoring (15.8 points) and minutes (31.6 minutes), and has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games, averaging 16.9 points in that stretch. In his last four games, Lucas is averaging 22.5 points and 37.0 mpg, playing a possible 148 of 165 minutes.
2. Lucas At The Foul Line
Kalin Lucas is making a run at becoming the MSU career leader in free throws made. He currently ranks fifth with 451 made free throws, just 26 behind MSU career leader Paul Davis (477). With 13 more makes Lucas will tie Steve Smith (464) for fourth. Lucas also ranks sixth in MSU history with 569 free throw attempts, 56 behind MSU career leader Paul Davis (625).
3. A Tale Of Two Defenses
Through the first five conference games, MSU was holding opponents to .393 shooting from the field, including .353 from 3-point range. In the last six games, conference opponents are shooting .543, including .505 from behind the arc. In all conference games, MSU ranks eighth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.469). MSU ranks second in the league in blocks (4.82 bpg) and third in steals (5.91 spg) in league games.
4. MSU's Mr. Everything
Junior Draymond Green is one of the nation's most versatile players. He leads the team in rebounding (8.3 rpg), steals (1.7 spg), assists (3.9 apg) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.394), ranks second in blocks (1.1 bpg), and third in scoring (13.2). Green leads the Big Ten in steals, while ranking third in rebounding, 10th in assists, and 11th in blocks. In eight games this season, Green has led MSU in both rebounding and assists. Green is MSU's active leader with 15 double-doubles in his career, including seven this season. He's led MSU in rebounding in 16 games, assists in 11 games, and scoring in four games. Over the last eight games, Green is averaging 15.9 points.
5. Delvon's Block Party
With 94 blocks for his career, Delvon Roe ranks fourth in MSU career history, trailing only Drew Naymick (134), Matt Steigenga (97) and Ken Johnson (96). With 30 blocks for the season, he needs two more to tie Matt Steigenga (1991, 32) for 10th on the MSU single-season chart, three to tie Idong Ibok (2007, 33) for ninth and five to tie Kevin Wills (1983, 35), George Papadakos (1988, 35) and himself (2010, 35) for sixth.
MSU vs. Penn State Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Penn State, 28-6, including an 17-1 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Nittany Lions' six wins in the series have been by a combined 24 points. The Spartans have won 12 of the last 15 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 21-5 in his career against Penn State.
Coach DeChellis
Ed DeChellis (Penn State, '82) is 212-226 in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach, including 107-133 in eight seasons at Penn State. He served as head coach at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003.
The Last Meeting
Penn State defeated Michigan State, 66-62, on Jan. 8, 2011, in University Park, Pa. MSU led by five points at the half and by as many as six points early in the second half, before a 10-0 Penn State run gave the Nittany Lions a 44-40 advantage. David Jackson scored eight points during the run, including hitting two 3-pointers. Delvon Roe scored with 3:14 left to give MSU a 61-60 lead. The Spartan defense then forced a miss, but turned the ball over on the next possession. Penn State then missed another 3-pointer, but Andrew Jones had a putback jam over Draymond Green, taking a 62-61 lead. The Spartans then missed two shots and PSU hit a free throw. With 48 seconds left, Durrell Summers went to the foul line with a chance to tie the game, but hit just one of two attempts. Talor Battle responded with a tough baseline jumper, giving PSU a 65-62 lead with 18 seconds left. Summers then missed a three and PSU sealed the game at the foul line. Summers led MSU with 21 points, while Jeff Brooks paced PSU with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Poor foul shooting cost MSU as the Spartans hit just 10-of-20 attempts at the foul line.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Michigan State defeated Penn State, 67-65, on March 4, 2010, in East Lansing. MSU led by as many as 11 points midway through the first half and took a 32-25 lead into the break. The Spartans even held a 56-46 lead with 9:29 left in the contest, only to watch the Nittany Lions go on a 12-0 run to take a 58-56 lead. Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green then scored all of MSU's points during a 10-4 run to take a 66-62 lead with 12 seconds left. A Chris Babb 3-pointer with 8 seconds left cut the lead to a single point. And when Kalin Lucas hit just one of two free throws, Penn State had a chance for the win, but Talor Battle's half-court heave was off target. Morgan led MSU with 16 points, while Green scored 14 off the bench, giving the Spartans a 26-1 edge in bench points. MSU held a 14-5 edge in offensive rebounds, and did not allow one in the second half. Babb and Battle led PSU with 16 points each.
Nittany Lion Notes
Senior guard Talor Battle needs 23 points to reach 2,000 for his career ... Jeff Brooks is day-to-day with a shoulder injury ... In conference games, Brooks ranks second in the conference in field-goal percentage (.633) and tied for fourth in blocks (1.90 bpg) ... Penn State's strength of schedule ranks No. 5 according to ESPN.com Inside RPI.
Gm. 23 Notes • Wisconsin 82 - Michigan State 56
* Derrick Nix made his first start of the season, as the Spartans used their seventh different starting lineup this year.
* The two teams combined for just 85 field-goal attempts, a combined low for the season, as MSU attempted a season-low 46 shots and Wisconsin attempted 39 shots, a season low for a Spartan opponent.
* Wisconsin's .590 FG%, .647 3-point FG% and .962 FT% were season bests for a Spartan opponent.
* Michigan State committed a season-low seven assists.
* Kalin Lucas' 20 points moved him past Terry Furlow into seventh in MSU career scoring (1,782 points).
* Jordan Taylor's 30 points were the most against the Spartans by a Big Ten opponent this season.
* Wisconsin grabbed just four offensive rebounds, but converted them into nine points.
MSU Basketball Notes
Tough Non-Conference Slate
During the non-conference schedule, Michigan State played five teams that are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. MSU's four non-conference losses have come to teams with a combined record of 79-13 (through Feb. 8) and that are all currently ranked in the Top 12 of the AP Top 25.
Playing The Best
Michigan State has played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation this season. According to the Sagarin Ratings, MSU's strength of schedule is No. 1 in the nation, while ESPN.com Inside RPI ranks it No. 9. The Spartans have played seven games against the RPI Top 25, tied for seventh most in the nation, 10 games against the Inside RPI Top 50, ranking tied for fourth most, and 16 games against the Top 100, ranking tied for second most. Three non-conference opponents lead either their conference or division (Duke, Texas, Oakland). (Through games of Feb. 8)
Limiting Turnovers
The Spartans average 13.8 turnovers per contest. It's an area where MSU has shown improvement lately as the Spartans have committed 11 turnovers or fewer in nine of the last 14 games, averaging 11.2 in that stretch. MSU is averaging just 11.2 turnovers in conference action. MSU is 8-3 when the opponent commits more turnovers or turnovers are equal and 5-7 when it has more turnovers than the opponent.
Free Basketball
Michigan State is 3-0 in overtime games this season, with all three coming at home against league opponents. This is the first time since the 2003-04 season the Spartans have played in three or more overtime contests. It's the first time since 1981-82 that MSU has won three overtime games, and the first time ever in program history that MSU has recorded three overtime home wins.
Home Sweet Home
During Tom Izzo's career as head coach, the Spartans are 217-28 (.886) at home, including 194-19 (.911) over the last 14 years. MSU is 9-2 at home this season.
Quite A Class Already
Spartan seniors Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Mike Kebler have won 99 games in their careers. That total ranks as the seventh winningest class in school history. With two more wins, the 2011 class will tie the 2003 class for sixth with 101 wins. The 2001 class is the winningest class in school history with 115 victories.
It's All About Boardwork
This year, Michigan State has out-rebounded 13 of 23 opponents, including 12 of the last 19, posting a +3.3 margin. The Spartans are 9-4 when out-rebounding their opponent, and 4-6 when failing to do so. In conference games, MSU ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a +2.5 margin. MSU has led the nation in rebounding margin in four of the last 11 seasons, including each of the last two, posting a +9.3 margin in 2009 and a +8.6 margin in 2010. The Spartans have led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 11 of the last 13 years. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 409 of 533 opponents (.767), posting a 323-86 (.790) mark in those games.
Becoming A Defensive Stopper
Delvon Roe has turned himself into one of the premier defenders in the Big Ten and an early favorite for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. A combination of strength, great feet and quickness allow him to defend on the interior or the perimeter. In the Big Ten, he's drawn the assignment against three of the league's top four scorers, Jon Leuer, John Shurna and JaJuan Johnson. In two games, he's held Shurna to 8.5 ppg on 3-of-21 shooting, including blocking five shots in the second meeting. Against Leuer in East Lansing, Roe limited the talented Badger to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Johnson scored 20 points, but most came when Roe was not guarding him. A closer look at the games shows the following results by the premier inside scorers when being guarded by Roe: Shurna (2 games) - 5 points (2-of-12 FG); Leuer - 6 points (2-of-6 FG); Johnson - 7 points (2-of-7 FG).
Appling's Emergence
Freshman guard Keith Appling is rounding into a standout freshman, both offensively and defensively. He's started 13 of the last 14 games for the Spartans, averaging 5.9 points and 25.3 minutes. He's also shooting .444 from the field, including .390 from 3-point range, in his starts. He scored a season-high 19 points in MSU's home overtime win against Northwestern, scoring five straight points in the extra stanza. Defensively, he's proving to be a stopper on the perimeter. For example, he helped limit Penn State's Talor Battle to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting and played some excellent defense on Indiana's Jordan Hulls down the stretch of MSU's overtime win.
Starting Lineup Shakeups
Michigan State has used seven different starting lineups this season, compared to 19 last season. The lineup of Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, Keith Appling, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe has started nine of 11 Big Ten games. Lucas is the only Spartan to start every game this season.
State Pride
Michigan State's top three scorers (Kalin Lucas - 15.8 ppg, Durrell Summers -13.4 ppg and Draymond Green - 13.2 ppg) are all from the state of Michigan. The trio combines for 42.4 points per game. Green is a Saginaw native, while Lucas and Summers are from Detroit. They are joined in the starting lineup by another Michigan native, freshman Keith Appling, the 2010 Michigan Mr. Basketball Award winner from Detroit.
Moving Up The Scoring Chart
Kalin Lucas ranks seventh in MSU career scoring with 1,782 points. The Spartan senior needs 70 points to pass Sam Vincent (1,851 points) for sixth place and 133 to pass Jay Vincent (1,914 points) for fifth place in MSU history.
Holding Down Top Scorers
Michigan State has done a solid job defensively on three of the league's top scorers. In two games, MSU has held Northwestern's John Shurna, currently averaging 19.3 ppg, to 8.5 ppg on 3-of-21 shooting. MSU held Penn State's Talor Battle, averaging 20.5 ppg, to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. In East Lansing, the Spartans limited Wisconsin's Jon Leuer, averaging 19.2 points, to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Delvon Roe deserves much of the credit, as he was the primary defender on both Shurna and Leuer. In the second game vs. Northwestern, Roe tied his career high with five blocks. On the perimeter, freshman Keith Appling has emerged as a defensive force.
Solid Defensive Effort
Michigan State is holding teams to 68.3 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot just 42.9 percent from the field, including 37.4 percent from 3-point range. MSU has held seven opponents below 40 percent and 11 have topped 45 percent, including five above 50 percent, as MSU has out-shot its opponent in 13 of 23 contests. Statistically, MSU ranks third in blocks (4.74 bpg) and tied for fourth in the conference in steals (7.09 spg), while Draymond Green leads the league in steals (1.74 spg).
Lucas In Exclusive Club
With 1,782 career points and 524 career assists, Kalin Lucas is part of an exclusive club. He is just the fourth Spartan to total 1,500 career points and 500 career assists, joining Scott Skiles (2,145 pts., 645 asts.), Mateen Cleaves (1,541 pts., 816 asts.) and Drew Neitzel (1,534 pts., 582 asts.).
Block Party
Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten in all games with 4.74 blocks per game. In conference action, MSU ranks tied for second with 4.82 blocks per game, thanks in part to a 12-block effort at Northwestern. The 12 blocks rank as the second-greatest single-game total in school history. Freshman guard Keith Appling blocked five shots in the first game against the Wildcats, equaling the fourth-best single-game total in school history, and the best ever for a Spartan guard, while Delvon Roe blocked five shots in the second game vs. NU. Delvon Roe leads the Spartans with 30 blocks, followed by Draymond Green with 26.
Spartans From Distance
Michigan State is shooting .361 from 3-point range this season, ranking seventh in the Big Ten. Four different Spartans have knocked down 24 or more 3-pointers led by Durrell Summers with 50. Draymond Green is shooting a team-best .394 from 3-point range, as all four Spartans hitting 24 or more threes are shooting 38 percent or better (Appling - .393, Lucas - .392, Summers - .385). As a team, MSU ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 6.91 3-pointers per game, after finishing last in the conference last season (5.1).
MSU's Detroit Duo
Michigan State's senior duo of Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, both from Detroit, rank one-two on the Spartans in scoring. Lucas (15.8 ppg) and Summers (13.4 ppg) combine to average 29.2 points per game. The two guards have teamed up together since AAU basketball in middle school.
Durrell From Downtown
Durrell Summers leads the Spartans in 3-point field goals made (50) and attempted (130), while ranking fourth in percentage (.397). Summers has made four or more three pointers in five of the last 16 games and three or more in eight of the last 16. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in 3-point field goals made per game (2.17). His 50 made 3-pointers are a personal best for a single 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 1,227 points for his career, he ranks 25th in MSU history, needing 16 to pass Stan Washington for 24th (1,242 points).
Dealing With Injury
One of the 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.
In The Rankings
Eight different Spartan opponents are ranked in at least one of the two polls, including Ohio State (1 AP/1 USA Today), Texas (3/3), Duke (5/5), Connecticut (10/9), Syracuse (12/13), Wisconsin (13/14), Purdue (14/12) and Minnesota (-/25).
Sherman Hits The Mark
Garrick Sherman is shooting a strong .686 from the field this season. Since opening the season with a 3-of-6 effort, Sherman has hit 32 of his last 45. At one point, he connected on 10 straight shots this season.
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 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds on the season.
Award Candidates
Seniors Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers have been named preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden and Naismith Awards. Lucas is also a candidate for the Cousy Award, presented to the nation's top point guard.
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 (Orlando Magic). 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 377-156 (.707), and 179-82 (.686) 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 .686 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 Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.707). With 179 conference victories, Izzo ranks seventh all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 15 seasons, Tom Izzo won 364 games, ranking seventh 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.
