Spartans Host Northwestern Sunday

1/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Jan. 10, 2015

Michigan State (11-5, 2-1) vs. Northwestern (10-5, 1-1)
Date	Sunday, January 11, 2015
Time	12 p.m. ET
Location	East Lansing, Mich. \| Breslin Center
Television	BTN (Joe Davis, Bob Wenzel)
Radio	Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga)
Tickets	Buy Tickets
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Northwestern
Statistics	Michigan State \| Northwestern
Live Stats	\| Mobile Users
Social Media	@MSU_Basketball \| Facebook \| Instagram

THE OPENING TIP
Michigan State looks to win its third straight conference game as it hosts Northwestern. The Spartans and Wildcats feature two of the Big Ten's top defenses, as both squads allow fewer than 61 points per game. MSU is allowing just 55.5 points in its last two games.

THE STARTING FIVE
1. Spartan Defense
Over the last 14 games, Michigan State is holding opponents to 58.7 points and a .359 FG%, including .255 from 3-point range. On the season, MSU is limiting teams to 60.1 points on .372 FG%, including .269 from 3-point range. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in 3-point FG pct. defense, while ranking second in FG pct. defense and scoring defense. The prior lows of the Izzo era were a .379 FG% in 2011-12 and .298 3FG% in 2001-02. Nationally, MSU ranks 19th in FG% defense and ninth in 3FG% defense.

2. Dawson's Double-Doubles
It's been a good week for Branden Dawson, as he has already posted double-doubles in two games. He opened with 14 points and 13 rebounds against Indiana on Monday, and backed that up with 14 points and 15 rebounds at Iowa Thursday. The 15 rebounds were a personal best against a Big Ten opponent. Dawson has grabbed double-figure rebounds in all three conference games, averaging a Big Ten-best 13.0 rebounds per game in Big Ten play (9.5 rpg overall). He has three double-doubles this season and 15 for his career, leading all active Big Ten players.

3. Trice From Distance
Travis Trice is situated to end his career as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in MSU history. Midway through his senior year, Trice ranks eighth in career 3-pointers (151), standing just one out of seventh place (Jason Klein, 152) and 10 out of sixth (Durrell Summers, 161). With a career 3-point field-goal percentage of .414 (151-365), Trice ranks eighth in MSU history.

4. Spartans Strong On The Glass
Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best +8.2 rebounding margin, having out-rebounded 13 of 16 opponents. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 518 of 671 opponents (.772), posting a 410-108 (.792) mark in those games. The Spartans have led the nation in rebounding in four of the last 15 seasons (2000, 2001, 2009, 2010), ranking in the Top 10 nine times and the Top 25 on 12 occasions. MSU has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in conference games in 11 of the last 17 years.

5. Spartans On Target From Deep
Michigan State is shooting .418 (130-311) from 3-point range this season, leading the Big Ten and ranking fourth in the nation. MSU shot 70.6 percent vs. Iowa, its best percentage since 2002, after shooting just .278 (25-90) over the previous five games. Denzel Valentine (.471) ranks third in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation, while Bryn Forbes (.459) ranks fourth in the conference. Marvin Clark Jr. (.406) and Travis Trice (.402) also shoot better than 40 percent from behind the arc.

MSU VS. NORTHWESTERN NOTES
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 85-38, including a 48-8 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won 20 of the last 22, 27 of the last 30, and 47 of the last 51 contests. Tom Izzo is 30-4 in his career against Northwestern.

Coach Collins
Chris Collins (Duke, '98) is 24-24 in his second season as a collegiate head coach. Prior to his arrival in Evanston, Collins was an assistant coach at Duke from 2000-2013, including serving as associate head coach since the 2008-09 season. Collins also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Seton Hall, and one season with the WNBA's Detroit Shock.

The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 85-70, on Feb. 13, 2014, in East Lansing. Leading 23-22 with 9:15 left, MSU used an 8-0 run to claim a 31-22 lead, eventually taking a 39-30 advantage into the half. The Spartans then opened the second half on a 7-0 run to push their lead out to 16 points at 46-30, and the Wildcats never got closer than 11 points after that. Adreian Payne led MSU with 20 points and 14 rebounds, as MSU shot 53.3 percent from the field, and 52.4 percent from 3-point range. Denzel Valentine added 16 points for MSU, while Travis Trice tallied 11 points and six assists in a start for an injured Keith Appling. JerShon Cobb led all scorers with 22 points, while Drew Crawford added 18 points and seven assists, and Tre Demps scored 18.

The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Northwestern, 67-51, on March 14, 2014, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind. With the score tied at 10 with 12:35 left in the first half, Branden Dawson scored four of his team-high 16 points to spark a 12-2 run, as MSU outscored NU, 30-12, for the rest of the half. The Spartans out-rebounded the Wildcats, 40-24, including a 20-5 edge in second-chance points and 13 offensive rebounds. Drew Crawford led Northwestern with 21 points. During the game, Adreian Payne blocked two shots to become the MSU career leader.

Wildcat Notes
Junior center Alex Olah ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding at 6.9 boards per game, grabbing double-figure rebounds in five games, after posting just one such game in his first two seasons ... Freshman point guard Bryant McIntosh ranks 6th in the Big Ten in assists (4.7 apg), and was named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week on Dec. 15. He is one of just three true freshmen in a major conference to average more than 11.5 points and 4.5 assists ... Northwestern ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (60.3 ppg), but is just 0.2 points behind Michigan State (60.1 ppg), which ranks second.

GM. 16 RECAP • MICHIGAN STATE 75 - IOWA 61
Michigan State played a remarkable second half to rally from a double-figure halftime deficit to defeat Iowa by double-figures. The Spartans were strong out of the gates, leading 18-12 less than eight minutes into the contest. Trailing 20-16, Iowa went on a 17-2 spurt over six-plus minutes. Travis Trice tried to keep the Spartans close with a pair of 3-pointers in the final three minutes, but the Hawkeyes took an 11-point lead into the half. With MSU trailing 44-33 early in the second half, Denzel Valentine keyed MSU's first run, hitting a 3-pointer, getting an offensive rebound and putback, assisting on a Branden Dawson fastbreak dunk, and hitting a transition jumper during a 9-0 run to pull the Spartans within two points. MSU trailed 46-42 with 12:09 remaining when Trice assisted on a pair of baskets as MSU tied the score at 46. Following an Iowa basket, Trice made one of two free throws. It started a 9-0 run for Trice, including a pair of 3-pointers, as MSU took a 55-48 lead it would not relinquish. Iowa scored three straight points, but the Spartans quickly responded with a 9-2 run, including 3-pointers from Trice and Bryn Forbes and three free throws from Forbes. The Hawkeyes cut the lead to nine points with 5:50 remaining, but two Valentine 3-pointers sandwiched around a Dawson basket gave MSU a 72-55 lead.

MSU VS. IOWA NOTES
* From the 16:37 mark of the second half until the 3:20 mark, MSU outscored Iowa, 39-11.
* For the first time all season, Michigan State won when trailing at the half.
* MSU shot 70.6 percent from 3-point range (12-17), marking its best percentage since the Spartans shot .750 (6-8) from behind the arc against Ohio State on Feb. 26, 2002.
* MSU outscored Iowa, 47-22, in the second half, as the Hawkeyes' 22 points were the fewest by any Spartan opponent in a second half this season.
* MSU recorded its ninth-straight win over Iowa, the longest streak for the Spartans in the 124-game series history.
* Making his 100th career start, Branden Dawson's 15 rebounds were a personal best against a Big Ten opponent.
* Travis Trice (16 points) and Denzel Valentine (15 points) outscored Iowa, 31-22, in the second half.
* MSU's win after trailing by 11 points was its largest comeback since Dec. 31, 2013, when the Spartans rallied from a 12-point deficit to defeat Penn State, 79-63. It also marked MSU's first double-figure win after trailing by double digits at halftime, since Jan. 3, 2001 vs. Penn State.

MSU BASKETBALL NOTES
Izzo's 20th Season
In his 20th season as Michigan State head coach, the 2014-15 campaign is Tom Izzo's 32nd year in East Lansing. An eight-time National Coach of the Year, Izzo has guided MSU to seven Big Ten Championships, four Big Ten Tournament titles, 17 straight NCAA Tournaments, six Final Four appearances, and the 2000 NCAA Championship in his stint as head coach. He is MSU's all-time winningest coach with 479 wins, and is the longest serving active men's basketball coach in the Big Ten. In addition, his 468 victories are the fourth-most by a coach in his first 19 years of coaching in NCAA history. The only high-major coaches with longer active tenures at one school are Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (39th season) and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (35th season).

Big Ten Success
Michigan State has captured at least a share of the Big Ten Championship or a Big Ten Tournament title in four of the last six seasons. After winning the title outright in 2009, the Spartans shared the conference crown in 2010 and 2012. In 2012, MSU also added a Big Ten Tournament title to its resume. Last season, MSU won the Big Ten Tournament after finishing tied for second in the regular season. During Tom Izzo's tenure, the Spartans have won seven regular-season titles and four tournament crowns.

Big Ten Success, Part II
Michigan State has won 13 regular-season Big Ten Championships, including three of the last six, 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 581-462 (.557) in league play, including 223-102 (.686) under Tom Izzo, who ranks fourth in league history with 223 conference wins. Izzo has guided MSU to seven of its 13 league crowns. Since Izzo's first season (1995-96), MSU has a Big Ten-best record of 223-102, 16 games better than second-place Wisconsin (207-118).

Izzo Moves Up Big Ten Coaching List
Tom Izzo ranks fourth on the career Big Ten victories list with 223. It's likely that Izzo will rank third by the end of the season, moving past Purdue's Ward Lambert (228 wins). Indiana's Bob Knight is the all-time leader with 353 Big Ten wins, while Gene Keady ranks second with 265 victories. In terms of most wins at a Big Ten institution, Izzo already ranks third with 478, trailing only Knight (661 wins) and Keady (512).

Dawson Attacks The Glass
Branden Dawson leads the Big Ten in rebounding at 9.5 boards per contest. In conference games, he's averaging a Big Ten-best 13.0 rebounds, recording double-figure rebounds in all three games. Over his last seven games, he's averaging 11.0 boards. Earlier this season, he grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds (nine offensive boards) at Notre Dame. The 18 rebounds are tied for the most by a Spartan since Goran Suton grabbed 20 vs. Oakland in 2007. Dawson's nine offensive rebounds against the Irish are tied for the third-best single-game effort in MSU history (since 1986-87). Most recently, he pulled down 15 rebounds against Iowa, marking his personal best against a Big Ten opponent.

Breslin Advantage
Michigan State is 346-52 (.869) at home all-time since Breslin Center opened in 1989, including 178-39 (.820) in Big Ten play. Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 272-37 (.880) at Breslin, including a 137-26 (.840) conference record. MSU has won 53 of the last 61 (.869) games at Breslin.

A Thin Line Between Victory And Defeat
In four of Michigan State's five defeats, the Spartans have either led or been within a possession in the final minute of the contest, with three of the losses coming in overtime (one in double overtime). Against Kansas, MSU trailed by just three points in the final minute with possession of the ball. At Notre Dame, MSU led by six with under eight minutes left, before falling by a single point in overtime. In an overtime upset loss to Texas Southern, MSU led by eight points with eight minutes to play, and by six with under four minutes to play. In the Big Ten opener, MSU led Maryland by five with under five minutes to play and by four with under two minutes left in overtime, before losing a two-point game in double overtime. Outside of the loss to Texas Southern, MSU has lost to four Top 15 teams with a combined mark of 55-5 (through Jan. 9).

Spartans Strong On The Road
Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best 34-21 (.618) mark in conference road games over the last six-plus seasons (since the start of 2008-09 Big Ten play). Ohio State is 32-23 on the road, while Wisconsin is 30-25 (all three are 1-0 this season).

The Costello-Schilling Combination
Junior Matt Costello (7.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and sophomore Gavin Schilling (7.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) have combined to give Michigan State a solid post presence. The two Spartans average a combined 14.9 points and 10.7 rebounds, shooting .669 (97-147) from the field. Schilling leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage, while Costello ranks third.

Valentine Brings Florida Heat Up North
Joined by teammate Travis Trice on the Orlando Classic All-Tournament Team, Denzel Valentine had an exceptional Thanksgiving weekend in Florida. In three games, Valentine averaged a team-best 19.3 points, shooting .543 (19-35) from the field and .609 (14-23) from 3-point range. He scored a career-high 19 points in the quarterfinals vs. Rider, only to better that effort one night later with 25 points against Marquette. His solid play continued at Notre Dame, scoring a team-high 22 points, shooting 7-of-13, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He's averaging 15.2 points and shooting .529 (36-68) from 3-point range in the last 12 games.

Costello Playing Well
Matt Costello is averaging 9.9 points over the last eight games, in addition to 6.0 rebounds, shooting .644 from the field in 19.8 minutes per contest. Costello started the first six games of the season, averaging 6.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 20.2 minutes, shooting .593 from the field. He's come off the bench in the last 10 games, averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes, shooting .635 from the field. Costello has two double-doubles and ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.620).

Valentine's Continual Improvement
Always known for his versatility, Denzel Valentine has worked hard to become a terrific shooter. After shooting .281 (16-57) from 3-point range as a freshman and improving to .377 (43-114) as a sophomore, Valentine is one of the best shooters in the nation this season. He ranks third in the Big Ten in made 3-point field goals per game (2.6), and ranks third in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage (.471; 41-87). Over the last 12 games, he's shooting .529 from behind the arc (36-68).

Dawson's Injury
Branden Dawson suffered a stable, non-displaced fracture on his left wrist after taking a hard fall in the Dec. 17 contest vs. Eastern Michigan. He missed MSU's last two games vs. Texas Southern (Dec. 20) and The Citadel (Dec. 22). He returned to the lineup against Maryland (Dec. 30), totaling nine points and 11 rebounds, while wearing a brace. Earlier this season, Dawson missed the game against Santa Clara with the flu, and came off the bench vs. Rider and Marquette while recovering from the same illness.

Starting Suits Trice Nicely
In his first year as a primary starter, senior Travis Trice is proving he is up to the challenge. He ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (5.9 apg) and paces the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.8), leading the Spartans in both categories. He is sixth in 3-point field goals made (2.4). His 5.9 assists are the most by a Spartan since Mateen Cleaves averaged 6.9 as a senior. Trice entered the year having started just eight games in his career, but he did average 9.3 points and 3.6 assists in those eight games last season.

Long Range Firepower
Michigan State established a school single-season record in 2013-14 with 307 made 3-pointers, 54 more than the previous school record. The Spartans made 10 or more 3-pointers in 14 games, including a school single-game record 17 at Purdue, tying the Big Ten record for a conference game. This season, MSU is averaging 8.1 made 3-pointers per contest, ranking third in the Big Ten. Denzel Valentine leads MSU and ranks third in the Big Ten with 41 made 3-pointers (2.6 pg). The Spartans have made eight or more 3-pointers in nine games, including six games with 10 or more.

The 1,000-Point Club
With four points against Eastern Michigan before leaving with a wrist injury, Branden Dawson became the 46th Spartan to reach 1,000 career points at MSU. With 1,039 career points, he ranks 44th in MSU history, needing 16 points to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 points) and 21 to pass Earvin Johnson (1,059 points). Bryn Forbes (1,063 points) has also eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark this season, although 905 of those came in his first two seasons at Cleveland State.

Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. That was never on display more than it was last year, as the Spartans established a school single-season record with 637 assists, leading the Big Ten with 16.76 assists per game. This season, MSU is averaging 18.3 assists per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation, recording an assist on 66.6 percent of its baskets. In 10 games, MSU has recorded an assist on more than 70 percent of its baskets (vs. Navy 18 ast., 25 FG - 72.0%; vs. Loyola 27 ast., 36 FG - 75.0%; vs. Santa Clara 22 ast., 29 FG - 75.9%; vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff 27 ast., 30 FG - 90.0%; vs. Oakland 25 ast., 34 FG - 73.5%; vs. Eastern Michigan 17 ast., 20 FG - 85.0%; vs. The Citadel 23 ast., 32 FG - 71.9%; vs. Maryland 15 ast., 21 FG - 71.4%; vs. Indiana 21 ast., 28 FG - 75.0%; vs. Iowa 19 ast., 27 FG - 70.4%).

Playing The Best
Since the 1997-98 season, the year of Michigan State's first of 17 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans have played 189 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 (172), Kentucky (165), Illinois (164), Texas (162), and Duke (161). (Through games of Jan. 8)

Bess Makes Spartan Debut
After missing the first 10 games of the season while recovering from a broken right foot, freshman Javon Bess made his Michigan State debut against Eastern Michigan. The 2014 Ohio Co-Division I Player of the Year, Bess checked in about six minutes into the second half and promptly grabbed a rebound. He finished with five rebounds and one point in just nine minutes of play. Through six games, he's averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 points per game. His development was further stunted by a pair of sprained ankles suffered since the return from the holiday break, limiting him to just 28 total minutes in the first three Big Ten games.

Balanced Scoring
Michigan State features a balanced scoring attack with three players averaging in double figures, four averaging 9.9 points or more, and seven players averaging 6.6 points or more. Six different Spartans have led the team in scoring in a single game, as seven different players have scored in double figures at least once. There have been four games in which five Spartans have reached double figures, the same number of times as all of last season. The Spartans are a perfect 7-0 when four or more players score in double-figures, and just 4-5 when three or fewer Spartans hit double-figures.

Double-Double Trouble
Four different Spartans have posted a double-double this season as Branden Dawson (vs. Notre Dame-16 pts., 18 reb.; vs. Indiana-14 pts., 13 reb.; vs. Iowa-14 pts., 15 rebs.) leads MSU with three. Matt Costello (vs. Loyola-13 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Texas Southern-17 pts., 10 reb.) has two, while Gavin Schilling (vs. Santa Clara-14 pts., 11 reb.) and Denzel Valentine (vs. Santa Clara-13 pts., 11 reb.) each have one. For his career, Dawson has 15 double-doubles, while Valentine has totaled five.

MSU's M.A.S.H. Unit
Michigan State has dealt with injury issues for much of the season. Freshman Javon Bess underwent surgery in late October on a broken bone in his right foot. After missing the first 10 games, he made his debut against Eastern Michigan. Two minor ankle sprains since Christmas have further hampered his development. Sophomore Alvin Ellis III suffered a severe sprained right ankle after just three minutes against Navy and did not return to action until playing five minutes against Notre Dame. Junior Bryn Forbes did not miss any time, but he played with a brace on his left (non-shooting) hand while recovering from a broken bone for the first 10 games. Senior Branden Dawson missed MSU's game vs. Santa Clara with the flu, which also limited his minutes at the Orlando Classic. Against Eastern Michigan, he suffered a wrist injury that kept him out of action for two games. In total, MSU has lost 19 games due to illness and injury.

Trice Nominated For Good Works Team
Travis Trice is one of 158 male nominees for the 2015 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. This prestigious community service award recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities. From the nominees, a distinguished voting panel will select a 10-member team comprised of five student-athletes from the Division I level and five from Divisions II, III and the NAIA.

All-Time Block Leaders
Branden Dawson ranks seventh in Michigan State history with 94 career blocks, just behind Ken Johnson (96) and Matt Steigenga (97). Adreian Payne is the MSU career leader with 141 blocks. With 72 blocks in his two-plus seasons, Matt Costello could appear in the Top 10 later in the season. Paul Davis currently ranks 10th with 87 career blocks.

MSU's Sunrise Connection
Freshmen Marvin Clark Jr. and Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr., both products of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, are making big contributions as Spartan freshmen. Clark Jr. ranks seventh on the team in scoring at 6.6 ppg. Nairn Jr. ranks third on the team with 2.8 assists per game, and has shown remarkable leadership skills for a freshman.

Ranked Opponents
Michigan State is currently not ranked in either the USA Today Coaches Poll and or the Associated Press Top 25. Six Spartan opponents are ranked in the Top 25: Duke (No. 2 AP/No. 2 USA Today), Wisconsin (4/4), Maryland (11/9), Kansas (12/13), Notre Dame (13/12) and Ohio State (22/20).

Preseason All-American
Branden Dawson was named a preseason first-team All-American by The Sporting News. He was a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection as chosen by Lindy's Sports and Sporting News. ESPN.com ranked Dawson No. 15 in its player rankings, while ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman named him a third-team All-American. Dawson was also selected to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list and the Naismith Award Watch List.

Prep Teammates
Michigan State's roster features three pairs of high school teammates. Junior Denzel Valentine has been reunited with high school classmate Bryn Forbes, who spent his first two seasons at Cleveland State. The duo teamed to appear in three-straight Michigan Class B title games from 2010-2012, capturing the state championship in 2011 and 2012. Forbes transferred to MSU this past June, and later received a waiver from the NCAA allowing him to play this season. Freshmen Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. and Marvin Clark Jr. both attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. They were teammates during the 2012-13 season, posting a 29-1 record, with Clark as a senior and Nairn as a junior. Clark then did a year of prep school at Sunrise Christian last season, while Nairn finished his high school career. Sophomores Alvin Ellis III and Gavin Schilling were teammates at Chicago De La Salle as juniors in 2011-12. Ellis graduated from De La Salle, while Schilling spent his final season at Findlay Prep in Nevada. In addition, although Branden Dawson (Indiana) and Travis Trice (Ohio) attended high school in different states, they were AAU teammates for SYF Players over the summer.

Big Ten Schedule
Moving to a 14-team conference for 2014-15, each Big Ten team will play five schools twice, four schools on the road, and four schools at home. Michigan State will go home and home with Maryland, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan, and Illinois. The Spartans will host Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Purdue, while traveling to Iowa, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. Eight of Michigan State's 13 Big Ten opponents appeared in the 2014 postseason, including five in the NCAA Tournament (Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin), two in the NIT (Illinois, Minnesota) and one in the CBI (Penn State).

Spartans In The NBA
Michigan State leads all Big Ten schools with eight players appearing on NBA rosters this season. Gary Harris (Denver) and Adreian Payne (Atlanta) are in their rookie seasons after being selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. They join former Spartans Alan Anderson (Brooklyn), Shannon Brown (Miami), Draymond Green (Golden State), Zach Randolph (Memphis) and Jason Richardson (Philadelphia) in the NBA. Kalin Lucas (Memphis) signed a free-agent contract in November and appeared in his first career game on Nov. 19.

Spartans Sign Strong Recruiting Class
Michigan State signed three talented players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Kyle Ahrens (G, 6-5, 195) led Versailles (Ohio) High School to the Ohio Division III state title game as a sophomore. He was averaging 22 points, seven rebounds as four assists as a junior before suffering a season-ending leg injury in the sixth game of the season. Deyonta Davis (F/C, 6-10, 215) is a five-star big man who averaged 15.0 points, 13.6 rebounds and 7.1 blocks as a junior at Muskegon High School, leading his team to a perfect 28-0 mark and a Michigan Class A state championship. He established a Michigan state high school single-season record with 199 blocks in 2013-14. Matt McQuaid (G, 6-5, 180) averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds as a junior at Duncanville (Texas) High School. He exploded during the off season, averaging 15.6 points in the 2014 Nike EYBL circuit, shooting 45.1 percent from 3-point range. ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman called him "arguably the best pure shooter in the country."

The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 20th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 479-192 (.714), and 223-102 (.686) in the Big Ten, as the head 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 19 full seasons as a head coach, Izzo has captured eight National Coach of the Year awards, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and NABC honors in 2001 and 2012. 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 also earned National Coach of the Year accolades from CBSSports.com in 2012. He earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1998, 2009 and 2012.

Among The Big Ten's Best
Tom Izzo's .686 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks fourth all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (.707), former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700), Ohio State's Thad Matta (.695) and just ahead of former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Matta ranks first at .770, followed by Knight (.734), Ryan (.734), Izzo (.714), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), and Lambert (.709). With 223 conference victories, Izzo ranks fourth all-time.

Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 19 seasons, Tom Izzo won 468 games, ranking fourth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 18 years.

Izzo's Coaching Tree
Three current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Indiana), Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech), and Mark Montgomery (Northern Illinois). Stan Heath has been a head coach for 12 seasons, with stints at Kent State, Arkansas and South Florida. 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. Doug Wojcik spent nine seasons between Tulsa and College of Charleston.