Michigan State University Athletics
Izzo Goes For Win No. 400
1/24/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2012
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
| #10/11 Michigan State (16-4, 5-2) vs. Minnesota (15-5, 3-4) | |
| Date | Wednesday, Jan. 25 |
| Time | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Television | BTN (Gus Johnson, Shon Morris) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Tickets | Available at MSUSpartans.com. |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Minnesota |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Minnesota |
| Internet Coverage | | Live Stats (Mobile Users) |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  |
The Opening Tip
Following Saturday's win over Purdue, Michigan State is back in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten. The Spartans welcome Minnesota to Breslin Center as the Golden Gophers are one of the league's hottest teams having won three in a row, including two straight on the road. MSU has won nine straight games played on one of the two schools' campuses.
The Starting Five
1. Success At Breslin
Michigan State is 306-44 (.874) all-time since Breslin Center opened in 1989, including 158-33 (.827) in Big Ten play. Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 232-29 (.889) at Breslin, including a 117-20 (.854) conference record. MSU is 12-0 at Breslin Center this season and has won 13 straight home games.
2. Green Attacks The Glass
Draymond Green leads the Big Ten at 10.2 rebounds per game, including a conference-best 10.9 rebounds per game in league contests. His 10.2 average is the best for a Spartan since Antonio Smith averaged 10.6 rpg as a sophomore in 1996-97. Goran Suton led the Big Ten in rebounding in 2009, and prior to that the last Spartan to pace the conference was Smith in 1997. Green has grabbed double-figure rebounds in 13 games, including five straight and seven of the last nine. He has led MSU in rebounding in 16 of 20 games this season.
3. The Quest For 400 Wins
With his next victory, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo will record his 400th win at MSU. Already the school's all-time winningest coach, he will become just the fourth coach to win 400 games at a Big Ten institution, joining Bob Knight (661 wins), Gene Keady (512) and Lou Henson (423).
4. Strong Spartan Defense
Michigan State's defensive effort has been impressive this season. The Spartans are allowing just 60.6 points (ranking 37th in the nation through Jan. 22) on .380 shooting (13th in nation), including .294 from 3-point range (23rd in nation). MSU also ranks 52nd in the nation in steals (8.1 spg). The Spartans rank third in the Big Ten in scoring defense, second in field-goal percentage defense and second in 3-point field-goal percentage defense. In the last game, MSU held Purdue to .290 shooting, including .150 from 3-point range. In the previous two games, however, MSU allowed opponents to shoot .505 as Northwestern (.500) and Michigan (.511) are the only teams to reach .500 this season versus MSU.
5. Finding The Long Distance Connection
Through the first six games of the season, MSU was shooting just .269 from 3-point range (32-119). In the last 14 games, however, the Spartans have been on target, connecting on .448 of their shots (90-201) from behind the arc. In the last four games, MSU has shot .516 from 3-point range (33-64). In league games, MSU leads the conference at .448.
MSU vs. Minnesota Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 61-57, including a 38-19 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 10 of the last 11, 15 of the last 17, and 20 of the last 24 meetings. MSU has won 12 straight games at Breslin Center. Tom Izzo has a 23-8 all-time record against the Golden Gophers.
Coach Smith
Orlando "Tubby" Smith (High Point, '73) is 482-203 in his 21st season as a collegiate head coach, including 95-58 in his fourth 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, 53-48, on Feb. 22, 2011, in Minneapolis. Trailing 21-19 at the half, the Spartans opened the second half on a 9-2 run, and held a narrow lead for most of the period. Minnesota, however, used a 9-0 run to take a 47-39 lead with 4:31 left. The Spartan defense took over, allowing the Gophers just one point for the rest of the game on 0-of-6 shooting. Keith Appling hit two free throws with 1:22 left to tie the game and two more with 27 seconds left to take the lead. Mike Kebler put the game away with two free throws with 11 seconds remaining. Kalin Lucas led MSU with 18 points, while Trevor Mbakwe paced Minnesota with 13 points and 10 rebounds. MSU shot 36.7 percent from the field, while UM shot 37.5 percent.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Michigan State defeated Minnesota, 71-62, on Dec. 31, 2010, in East Lansing. The Spartans shot just 25.8 percent in the first half, and trailed 28-22 at the break. Trailing 41-38 with 13:58 remaining, MSU went on a 21-3 run over the next 9:04 to take control of the contest. The Spartans shot 61.5 percent in the second half. MSU connected on 1-of-14 3-pointers in the first half, compared to hitting 7-of-10 in the second half. Durrell Summers scored a game-high 19 points, 14 of which came in the second half as he connected on 4-of-5 3-pointers after halftime. Delvon Roe just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Trevor Mbakwe led Minnesota with 17 points and nine rebounds. Michigan State committed just eight turnovers in the contest.
Golden Gopher Notes
Minnesota leads the Big Ten in blocked shots (5.9 bpg) ... In conference games, the Golden Gophers pace the Big Ten at 15.6 assists per game ... In Big Ten contests, Rodney Williams ranks third in the conference in rebounding (7.9 rpg), trailing only Draymond Green and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger ... Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe was leading the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the seventh game of the season; Mbakwe and Green were teammates with USA Basketball at the World University Games.
Gm. 20 Recap
Michigan St. 83 - Purdue 58
Michigan State got off to a slow start as it was tied 10-10 over eight minutes into the contest. With 6:26 left, the score was tied at 20 when MSU started to surge ahead with a 7-0 run, taking a 31-24 lead into the half. In the second half, MSU opened with a 9-2 run to take a 40-26 lead. Leading 44-32 with 13:50 left, the Spartans put the game away with an 11-0 spurt. MSU's defense was outstanding, holding Purdue to 29.0 percent shooting, inlcuding 15.0 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, MSU shot 60.0 percent, including 53.8 percent from behind the arc. Freshman Branden Dawson led four Spartans in double-figures, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
MSU vs. Purdue Notes
* MSU's defense held Purdue's leading scorer Robbie Hummel to two points on 0-of-11 shooting. Hummel entered the game averaging 16.1 points per game.
* Michigan State held an 18-0 advantage in fast break points.
* Draymond Green nearly recorded his third-career triple-double, tallying eight points, 12 rebounds and a season-high seven assists.
* Michigan State tied its season low with just six offensive rebounds, including just one in the first half.
* Branden Dawson led MSU with 14 points, snapping a string of six straight games scoring in single digits.
* Four Spartans scored in double figures and three more scored eight or nine points.
* With 12 rebounds, Draymond Green moved into a tie for fifth place with Mike Peplowski in MSU career rebounds (906).
* Michigan State was out-rebounded, 20-12, in the first half, but held a 21-14 advantage in the second half.
MSU Basketball Notes
Lending A Helping Hand
Michigan State ranks 14th in the nation and first in the Big Ten in assists with 16.8 per game (NCAA ranking through Jan. 19). The Spartans have recorded an assist on 61.1 percent of their baskets. Over the last 13 games, the Spartans are averaging 18.8 assists. Individually, Keith Appling is averaging 5.0 assists in the last 13 contests.
Big Ten Success
Michigan State has won 12 Big Ten Championships, including two of the last three, since joining the league prior to the 1950-51 season. The Spartans' first ever league game was at Northwestern, where MSU claimed a 67-62 victory on Jan. 6, 1951. All-time, MSU is 546-446 (.550) in league play, including 188-87 (.684) under Tom Izzo, who ranks sixth in league history with 188 conference wins. Izzo has guided MSU to six of its 12 league crowns. Since Izzo's first season (1995-96), MSU has a Big Ten-best record of 188-87, 15.5 games better than second place Wisconsin (173-103).
MSU's Mr. Everything
Coach Izzo has explained that he hasn't had a player asked to do as much for a team as Draymond Green, and the numbers prove it. In addition to being the unquestioned leader of the squad, Green leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (10.2 rpg), minutes (33.0 mpg), steals (32) and blocks (23), while ranking second in assists (3.6 apg). He leads the Big Ten in rebounding and defensive rebounds (7.6 drpg), while ranking third in offensive rebounds (2.4 orpg), tied for seventh in steals, tied for ninth in scoring, ninth in blocks, 10th in assists, 13th in assist/turnover ratio and 15th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.391).
Mr. Spartan
While Draymond Green's statistical contributions are significant and impressive, his best quality is his leadership. Green is in his third year as a captain, becoming just the fifth three-time captain in school history. Coach Tom Izzo recently called Green "the perfect Spartan," saying that he's becoming "the face of Michigan State athletics" like Mateen Cleaves or Kirk Cousins. Said Izzo, "I have something that you don't get very often ... I've got a guy who is my voice. And he's kind of my personality, which makes it even better for me."
Appling Locks Them Up
Besides everything Keith Appling provides on the offensive end of the floor, leading the team in assists and ranking second in scoring, he is perhaps even more impressive on the defensive end where he is emerging as one of the premier defenders in the league. Named MSU's Best Defensive Player as a freshman, Appling is terrific at running through screens and not allowing his man an open look. Consider two of his more recent efforts. UMKC's Reggie Chaimberlain entered the game averaging 19.0 points, but was limited to 2 points on 1-of-8 shooting. IU's Jordan Hulls was held to 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting, after entering the contest averaging 12.1 points.
Spartans Shooting Better
Michigan State got off to a slow start in terms of field-goal percentage this season, shooting .306 from the field against North Carolina outdoors on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Over the first six games of the season, MSU shot .423 from the field and .238 from 3-point range. In the last 14 games, however, MSU has shown dramatic improvement, hitting .511 from the field and .448 from 3-point range. The Spartans have shot over 50 percent in seven of the last 13 games, including four contests at 60 percent or better. In Big Ten games, MSU leads the conference at .509.
Defending The Three
Last season, Michigan State ranked eighth in the Big Ten, allowing teams to shoot .364 from 3-point range. This year, the Spartans rank second in the conference, allowing opponents to shoot just .294 from behind the arc. MSU has held seven opponents to a .250 or lower shooting percentage from behind the arc. That happened just four times all of last season. Eleven opponents have shot under .300, including five of the last six.
Spartan Double-Doubles
Four different Spartans have recorded a double-double this season. Draymond Green leads the way with 10 double-doubles in the season's first 20 games, pacing the Big Ten and ranking 12th in the nation. Green has posted a double-double in six of the last 10 games. Adreian Payne, Brandon Wood and Branden Dawson have each recorded one double-double.
It's All About Boardwork
After leading the nation in rebounding margin in both 2009 (+9.3) and 2010 (+8.6), Michigan State ranked 48th in the nation last season at +4.0. The Spartans have shown a better effort in 2011-12, out-rebounding 18 of 20 opponents by a +9.7 margin, including five by 15 or more, leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the nation (through Jan. 22). The Spartans have led the nation in rebounding margin in four of the last 12 seasons, ranking in the top 10 seven times and the top 25 on 10 occasions. MSU has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 11 of the last 14 years. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 434 of 564 opponents (.770), posting a 342-92 (.788) mark in those games.
Consistent Starting Lineup
Michigan State has used the same starting lineup (Keith Appling, Branden Dawson, Draymond Green, Adreian Payne, Brandon Wood) for 18 of its 20 games. The only changes came against Eastern Michigan when Derrick Nix started in place of Payne, and vs. Lehigh when Austin Thornton started in place of Green.
Becoming A Point Guard
Keith Appling has been asked to make the transition from the wing to point guard for Michigan State this season. As the season progresses, Appling seems more at home in his new position. While he did not have an assist in the first two games of the season, he's averaging 4.4 assists in his last 18 games with a 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 5 and then again on Jan. 2. He's averaging 5.0 assists in the last 13 games, including a career-best 9 vs. Iowa, and has seven or more assists in five of the last 13 games. He owns a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the last 13 contests. In conference games, he ranks second in the Big Ten with 5.0 assists per game and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2).
Three-Headed Scoring Attack
Three Spartans have emerged as Michigan State's leading scorers, as Draymond Green (15.0 ppg), Keith Appling (12.6 ppg) and Brandon Wood (9.7 ppg) are all averaging at least 9.7 ppg. It's been more pronounced over the last 14 games as the trio is averaging a combined 39.5 points (Green-16.0, Appling-13.4, Wood-10.1). As a group, they outscored Florida State, 56-49.
Second-Chance Points
Michigan State is outscoring opponents, 277-195, in second chance points for the season. That's an average of +4.0 points per game (13.8-9.8). The Spartans are averaging 12.8 offensive boards per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. MSU has 255 offensive rebounds on the year compared to 397 defensive rebounds for its opponents, good for an offensive rebound percentage of .391, ranking first in the conference. The Spartans have grabbed 20 or more offensive boards three times this season.
What A Difference A Year Makes
Through the first 20 games of the season, Derrick Nix is averaging 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 18.5 minutes per contest. That's a contrast to last season when Nix averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds for the season. Nix has even elevated his play recently, averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in the last 13 games. In the first 73 games of his career, Nix scored in double figures just three times; he's done it seven times in the last 13 contests. He's been MSU's first sub in 17 of the 19 games in which he's come off the bench.
Guard Rebounding
One of the reasons that MSU is able to rank among the nation's leaders in rebounding margin is that its guards have been strong on the glass. The Spartans' starting backcourt of Keith Appling (3.4 rpg), Brandon Wood (2.8 rpg) and Branden Dawson (4.2 rpg) averages 10.4 boards per contest.
New Faces
Six of the 11 players in the Spartan playing group are seeing their first action in a Michigan State uniform (Russell Byrd, Branden Dawson, Alex Gauna, Brandan Kearney, Travis Trice, Brandon Wood). The six are averaging 37.3 percent of the scoring and 41.0 percent of the minutes. There are just two players on the 2011-12 roster (Keith Appling and Draymond Green) who averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season for MSU.
Climbing The Rebounding Charts
With 906 career rebounds, Draymond Green ranks tied with Mike Peplowski for fifth in MSU history, four behind Paul Davis (910) in fifth place. He has a shot at becoming just the fourth player in MSU history with 1,000 career boards, and the third player with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, joining Greg Kelser and Johnny Green. Given that the Spartans play 31 regular season games, at least one game in the Big Ten Tournament and possibly at least one postseason game, Green (10.2 rpg) would need to average 9.03 rebounds this season to reach 1,000 for his career. This season, Green leads the Big Ten and ranks 21st in the nation in rebounding (through Jan. 22). He also ranks 12th in the nation with 10 double-doubles.
Balanced Scoring
Seven different Spartans have led Michigan State in scoring this season. Draymond Green (eight times), Keith Appling (five times), Branden Dawson (three times), Brandon Wood (twice), Derrick Nix, Austin Thornton and Travis Trice have each paced MSU. Adreian Payne also has scored in double figures at least once this season, making eight different players to score 10 or more in a game.
The Turnover Story
One area of concern for the Spartans has been the turnovers. MSU is committing 13.8 per game (although just 12.3 in the last 13 games), while forcing 14.1 by its opponents. The Spartans are averaging 16.4 points per game off opponent turnovers, compared to 12.4 points by opponents off MSU turnovers. The Spartans are 9-0 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponent, but 5-4 when they have more (2-0 when turnovers are equal).
In The Paint
Michigan State has out-scored its opponents in the paint by an average of 36.7-23.9, out-scoring 17 of its 20 opponents. The Spartans even out-scored No. 1 North Carolina in the paint, 34-32, despite the Tar Heels having what some consider to be the premier frontline in the country.
Getting To The Foul Line
Over the first five games of the season, Michigan State was shooting just .629 from the foul line. That has improved recently, as the Spartans are shooting .725 over the last 15 games. For the season, MSU is shooting .698 from the foul line, averaging 22.0 attempts per game.
Green's Weekly Honors
One week after Keith Appling was named Big Ten Player of the Week, Draymond Green earned the honor on Dec. 12, sharing it with Indiana's Christian Watford. Green earned the honor on the strength of his career-high 34-point effort in MSU's win at Gonzaga. For the week, he averaged 24.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He was also named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com's Andy Katz and ESPN's Dick Vitale.
The 1,000-Point Club
With a second-half tip-in vs. Florida State, Draymond Green became the 42nd player in MSU history to reach the 1,000 point mark for his career. With 1,216 points, he ranks 26th in MSU history, needing 27 to move past Stan Washington (1,242 points).
Playing The Best
Since the 1997-98 season (including 2011-12 - through Jan. 23), the year of Michigan State's first of 14 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans have played 151 games against ranked opponents. That total ranks first among teams that have appeared in a Final Four since then. The Spartans are followed by North Carolina (145), Connecticut (139), Kentucky (139) and Duke (137).
Toughest Start Ever
Michigan State opens the season with the toughest start in the nation with back-to-back neutral-site contests vs. No. 1 North Carolina and No. 6 Duke. MSU is the first team to open the season against North Carolina and Duke in back-to-back games since Wake Forest and North Carolina State did it in November 1976. Michigan State also has never opened a season with two games against ranked opponents.
Big Ten Contenders
Michigan State was picked third by a panel of media in the 2011-12 Big Ten preseason poll. Ohio State and Wisconsin were picked to finish first and second, respectively. Draymond Green found a spot on the preseason all-conference team, joining Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Purdue's Robbie Hummel, Minnesota's Trevor Mbakwe and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor.
Draymond On Awards Lists
Senior forward Draymond Green is a familiar face among all the new ones in the Michigan State lineup. A three-year captain, Green is on the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 and the Naismith Award Watch list. He's also one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
An Experienced New Face
Although he had never played a minute for Michigan State prior to this season, senior Brandon Wood brings a wealth of college basketball experience to the Spartan lineup. A two-time All-Horizon League performer at Valparaiso the last two seasons, Wood transfered to MSU in May after receiving his sports marketing and business degree. NCAA rules allow an institution to apply for a waiver to allow a student-athlete to transfer without sitting out a season, provided the student-athlete has earned a bachelor's degree, has eligibility remaining and is enrolling in a graduate-level program. In two seasons at Valpo, Wood scored 1,117 points, including averaging 17.7 ppg as a sophomore and 16.7 ppg as a junior. He's also performed at a high level against some of the nation's best teams, scoring 30 points vs. North Carolina, 24 vs. Michigan State and 21 vs. Purdue as a sophomore, followed by 20 vs. Purdue as a junior. This year, Wood's started all 20 games for MSU, ranking third on the team in scoring at 9.7 ppg.
In The Rankings
Seven different Spartan opponents are ranked in at least one of the two polls, including Ohio State (4 AP/3 USA Today), North Carolina (7/8), Duke (8/6), Indiana (16/17), Michigan (20/22), Florida State (23/-) and Wisconsin (25/t-25). MSU is ranked No. 10 by the AP and No. 11 by ESPN/USA Today.
U-S-A, U-S-A
Keith Appling and Draymond Green both benefitted from their experiences with USA Basketball over the summer. Green was a member of the World University Games team, averaging 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, ranking second on the team in boards, and serving as a distributor from the forward position. Appling played with the FIBA U19 World Championship team, averaging 4.1 points and 10.3 minutes per contest, gaining some valuable experience at the point.
Same Name, Different Spellings
Among MSU's newcomers, three have the same first name, but it's spelled three different ways. Branden Dawson, Brandan Kearney and Brandon Wood each have a different second-to-last lettter in the first name. Pay close attention to eliminate typos.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 17th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 399-165 (.707), and 188-87 (.684) 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 16 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 .684 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks third all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (.710), former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Ryan (.729), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.707). With 188 conference victories, Izzo ranks sixth all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 16 seasons, Tom Izzo won 383 games, ranking sixth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 16 years.
Izzo's Coaching Tree
Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Indiana), Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech), Stan Heath (South Florida), Mark Montgomery (Northern Illinois) 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. Jim Boylen was head coach at Utah for four years.
