Spartans Hit The Road To Face Iowa

1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Jan. 7, 2015

Michigan State (10-5, 1-1) vs. Iowa (11-4, 2-0)
Date	Thursday, January 8, 2015
Time	7 p.m. ET
Location	Iowa City, Iowa \| Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Television	ESPN (Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg)
Radio	Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga)
Tickets	Buy Tickets
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Iowa
Statistics	Michigan State \| Iowa
Live Stats	\| Mobile Users
Social Media	@MSU_Basketball \| Facebook \| Instagram

THE OPENING TIP
After a pair of home games, Michigan State travels to Iowa for the first conference road game of the season for the Spartans. Three of the last four games in the series have been decided by three points or less, including an overtime thriller last season in Iowa City.

THE STARTING FIVE
1. Spartan Defense
Over the last 13 games, Michigan State is holding opponents to 58.5 points and a .353 FG%, including .259 from 3-point range. On the season, MSU is limiting teams to 60.1 points on .368 FG%, including .273 from 3-point range. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in field-goal pct. defense and 3-point FG pct. defense, while ranking third in 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 16th in FG% defense and 14th in 3FG% defense.

2. Lansing Sexton Trio
Michigan State's Bryn Forbes and Denzel Valentine and Iowa's Anthony Clemmons were all teammates at Lansing Sexton High School, graduating in 2012. Coached by Valentine's father, Carlton, the trio combined to advance to three-straight Michigan Class B state championship games, winning back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Over three years, Lansing Sexton posted a 74-9 record, including 27-1 in 2012. A fourth starter, Jalen Hayes, is currently a redshirt freshman at Oakland University.

3. 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 53-4 (through Jan. 6).

4. Spartans Strong On The Road
Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best 33-21 (.611) 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 (both are 1-0 this season).

5. Spartans Strong On The Glass
MSU owns a Big Ten-best +8.3 rebounding margin, having out-rebounded 12 of 15 opponents, ranking 20th in the nation. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 517 of 670 opponents (.772), posting a 409-108 (.791) 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.

MSU VS. IOWA NOTES
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa, 70-53, although the Hawkeyes own a 34-23 advantage in Iowa City. MSU has won 27 of the last 35 meetings, and four of the last five at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tom Izzo is 28-9 in his career against Iowa.

Coach McCaffery
Fran McCaffery (Penn, '82) is 336-244 in his 19th season as a Division I head coach, including 85-67 in his fifth season at Iowa. McCaffery came to Iowa City from Siena, where he led the Saints to three straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. His head coaching career also includes a six-year stint at UNC Greensboro (1999-2005) and three seasons at Lehigh (1985-88).

The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Iowa, 86-76, on March 6, 2014, in East Lansing. In what proved to be the final home game for Gary Harris, as well as seniors Adreian Payne and Keith Appling, junior Travis Trice led five Spartans in double figures with 17 points. Denzel Valentine had an all-around strong performance with 13 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Leading 53-51 with 13:23 left in the contest, MSU used a 7-0 run to spark a 24-8 spurt over the next eight minutes. For the game, MSU shot 58.3 percent from the field, including a season-best 58.8 percent from 3-point range. Roy Devyn Marble led all scorers with 24 points for the Hawkeyes.

The Last Meeting In Iowa City
Michigan State defeated Iowa, 71-69, in overtime on Jan. 28, 2014, in Iowa City. MSU held an early 10-3 lead, but Iowa took a slim 30-26 lead into the break. With 5:58 remaining, Iowa held a 57-51 advantage, but a 3-pointer from Keith Appling, followed by a layup and transition dunk from Matt Costello gave the Spartans a 58-57 lead. With 1:04 remaining, Gary Harris gave MSU a 61-60 lead by hitting one-of-two free throws, but Iowa's Mike Gesell tied the game by hitting one-of-two in response, sending the game into overtime. Iowa opened the extra stanza with two free throws, before Appling put the Spartans ahead with a 3-pointer. After Iowa tied the game at 64, Costello split a pair of free throws, but Denzel Valentine grabbed the offensive rebound on the miss. The possession ended with a tip-in from Costello as MSU took a 67-64 lead. After an Iowa miss, Valentine found Russell Byrd in the corner for a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to give the Spartans a 70-64 lead as they held on for a 71-69 victory. Appling led MSU with 16 points, while Costello had 11 points and 12 rebounds, as Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson missed the contest due to injury. Roy Devyn Marble led Iowa with a game-high 21 points. MSU's defense held Iowa to 37.5 percent shooting, including 25.0 percent from 3-point range.

Hawkeye Notes
Aaron White ranks eighth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.4 rpg), as one of four players in the conference to rank in the Top 10 in both ... Iowa ranks third in the nation in free-throw percentage (.777), and 11th in free throws made (261); Peter Jok is a perfect 19-of-19 from the foul line, while Aaron White leads Iowa with 101 free throws ... Iowa's resume includes road wins over two ranked opponents: 60-55 at No. 12 North Carolina and 71-65 at No. 18 Ohio State.

GM. 15 RECAP • MICHIGAN STATE 70 - INDIANA 50
Michigan State played some of its best basketball of the season in a 70-50 victory over Indiana, giving the Spartans their first conference win. MSU took command early with a 12-0 run to take a 13-2 lead less than seven minutes into the contest. Holding a 19-11 lead late in the first half, MSU got four straight points from Travis Trice. Indiana answered with a basket, only to watch Branden Dawson dunk twice in transition sandwiched around a Denzel Valentine 3-pointer as MSU took a commanding 30-13 lead. The Hoosiers never got closer than 15 points after that. MSU led 36-17 at the half, shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, while holding Indiana to 17.9 percent, including just 9.1 percent (1-of-11) from 3-point range. The Spartans would push their lead out to 30 points (50-20) in the second half.

MSU VS. INDIANA NOTES
* Michigan State held Indiana to a season-low 50 points on a season-low 28.3 percent shooting. It marked the first time this season the Hoosiers have been held under 70 points.
* The Spartans grabbed half of their missed shots, recording 17 offensive rebounds while Indiana tallied just 17 defensive rebounds, as MSU held a dominating 50-28 advantage on the glass.
* MSU held a 17-3 edge in second-chance points.
* Branden Dawson recorded his second double-double of the season, notching 14 points and 13 rebounds, matching his best effort against a Big Ten opponent.
* Tum Tum Nairn Jr. made his first career start, and scored a season-high seven points. Nairn made 3-of-5 field goals, after entering the game just 5-of-27, including no field goals in the last seven games.
* MSU held a 23-10 edge in fast-break points.
* Gavin Schilling narrowly missed his second-career double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in just 22 minutes.
* MSU improved to 20-1 all-time at Breslin Center vs. Indiana.
* The game was the final contest in a seven-game homestand, the longest of the Tom Izzo era, and the longest at MSU since 1942 (Jan. 2-Jan. 26).

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 478 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 580-462 (.557) in league play, including 222-102 (.685) under Tom Izzo, who ranks fourth in league history with 221 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 222-102, 16 games better than second-place Wisconsin (206-118).

Izzo Moves Up Big Ten Coaching List
Tom Izzo ranks fourth on the career Big Ten victories list with 222. 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 9.1 boards per contest. He's grabbed double-figure rebounds in three contests, including the last two. Over his last six games, he's averaging 10.3 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 13 rebounds against Indiana, matching his personal best against a Big Ten opponent.

The Costello-Schilling Combination
Junior Matt Costello (8.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and sophomore Gavin Schilling (7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) have combined to give Michigan State a solid post presence. The two Spartans average a combined 15.5 points and 11.2 rebounds, shooting .669 (95-142) 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 14.9 points and shooting .525 (32-61) from 3-point range in the last 11 games.

Costello Playing Well
Matt Costello is averaging 11.0 points over the last seven games, in addition to 6.4 rebounds, shooting .651 from the field in 19.9 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 nine games, averaging 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes, shooting .640 from the field. Costello leads MSU with two double-doubles (tied with Branden Dawson) and ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.623).

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 tied for fourth in the Big Ten in made 3-point field goals per game (2.5), and ranks third in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage (.463; 37-80). Over the last 11 games, he's shooting .525 from behind the arc (32-61).

Spartans On Target From Deep
Michigan State is shooting .401 (118-294) from 3-point range this season, ranking second in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation. The Spartans, however, are shooting just .278 (25-90) over the last five games. Denzel Valentine (.463) ranks third in the Big Ten, while Bryn Forbes (.452) ranks sixth in the conference. Marvin Clark Jr. (.406) and Travis Trice (.360) also shoot 36 percent or better from behind the arc.

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 (6.0 apg) and paces the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.8), leading the Spartans in both categories. He is tied for eighth in 3-point field goals made (2.1). His 6.0 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 7.9 made 3-pointers per contest, ranking tied for fourth in the Big Ten. Denzel Valentine leads MSU and ranks tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 37 made 3-pointers (2.5 pg). The Spartans have made eight or more 3-pointers in eight games, including five 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 1,025 career points, he is tied with Gary Harris (1,025 points) for 45th in MSU history, and needs four points to pass Kevin Smith (1,028 points) and 30 to pass Marcus Sanders (1,054 points). Bryn Forbes (1,055 points) reached the 1,000-point milestone one game earlier against Oakland, although 905 of those came in his first two seasons at Cleveland State.

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 (163), Texas (162), and Duke (161). (Through games of Jan. 6)

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 five games, he's averaging 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 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 14 total minutes in the first two Big Ten games.

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 fifth in the nation, recording an assist on 66.3 percent of its baskets. In nine 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%).

Balanced Scoring
Michigan State features a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging in double figures, and seven players averaging 7.2 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 3-5 when three or fewer Spartans hit double-figures.

Double-Double Trouble
Four different Spartans have posted a double-double this season as Matt Costello (vs. Loyola-13 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Texas Southern-17 pts., 10 reb.) and Branden Dawson (vs. Notre Dame-16 pts., 18 reb.; vs. Indiana-14 pts., 13 reb.) lead MSU with two. 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 14 double-doubles, while Valentine has totaled five.

MSU's M.A.S.H. Unit
Michigan State has dealt with injury issues for much of its schedule. 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. Sophomore Alvin Ellis III suffered a sprained right ankle after just three minutes against Navy and did not return to action until playing five minutes against Notre Dame. He's yet to play more than eight minutes in any contest. 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 70 blocks in just over two 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 6.9 ppg. Nairn Jr. ranks third on the team with 2.9 assists per game, and has shown remarkable leadership skills for a freshman.

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.

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).

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 478-192 (.713), and 222-102 (.685) 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 .685 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 (.705), former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700), Ohio State's Thad Matta (.693) and just ahead of former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Matta ranks first at .769, followed by Knight (.734), Ryan (.733), Izzo (.713), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), and Lambert (.709). With 222 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.