Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Back At Home Against UAPB
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| #13/13 Michigan State (2-0) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-1) | |
| Date | Friday, November 20, 2015 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Internet | ESPN3 (Dan Gutowsky, Homer Drew) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Game Notes | Michigan State |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
The Opening Tip
Michigan State returns home to host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday night. MSU is coming off a win over No. 4 Kansas in the Champions Classic, while UAPB has split a pair of road contests this season. This will be the third meeting between the Spartans and Golden Lions in the last four years.
The Starting Five
1. It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State owns a +18.5 rebounding margin through the first two games of the season. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 534 of 696 opponents (.767), posting a 422-112 (.790) mark in those games. The Spartans have led the nation in rebounding in four of the last 16 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 12 of the last 18 years and in 13 of 20 seasons under Tom Izzo.
2. Triple-Double Trouble
Denzel Valentine recorded a triple-double against Kansas in the Champions Classic (29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists), joining Earvin Johnson (eight), Draymond Green (three) and Charlie Bell (1) as the only Spartans to accomplish the feat. Including his triple-double, Valentine has eight career double-doubles. No Spartan has ever recorded a triple-double in back-to-back games.
3. Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. Through two games this season, Michigan State is averaging 22.5 assists, and recording an assist on 45 of 58 field goals (77.6 percent). Last season, MSU established a school single-season record with 646 assists, leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the nation with 16.6 per contest. In 2013-14, MSU tallied 637 assists, a total that was a school record at the time, until last year's squad surpassed it. The Spartans led the Big Ten and ranked sixth in the nation in 2013-14 with 16.8 per contest. Last year, MSU recorded an assist on 63.7 percent of its baskets.
4. Forbes For Three
Senior Bryn Forbes is proving to be one of top shooters in the country. For his career, he's made 218-of-522 attempts from behind the arc, good for a .418 shooting percentage. He's made a 3-pointer in 94 of 105 career games. He's opened 2015-16 by making 6-of-10 in his first two games, and including two exhibitions, he's 17-of-27 from 3-point range. Last year, Forbes ranked fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage (.427).
5. MSU In November
Michigan State has an all-time record of 116-31 in games played in the month of November. This includes a 78-3 mark at home. The last team to beat MSU at home in November was a David Robinson-led Navy squad that bested the Spartans, 91-90, in overtime on Nov. 29, 1986. Tom Izzo is 56-0 all-time at home in November, 81-25 for the month.
MSU vs. UAPB Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 2-0. This is the third meeting between the Spartans and Golden Lions in the last four seasons, as MSU won in December 2012 and 2014.
Coach Ivory
George Ivory (Mississippi Valley State, '88) is 91-133 in his eighth season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. A four-year starter at MVSU, Ivory ranks among the school leaders in scoring, steals, assists, minutes and games played, earning Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-SWAC, SWAC Tournament MVP and Player of the Year accolades during his career. Prior to becoming head coach of the Golden Lions, Ivory served as an assistant for Jackson State (women), Mississippi Valley State, Grambling State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 85-52, on Dec. 6, 2014, in East Lansing. The Spartans made three 3-pointers and converted on a three-point play in their first five possessions to jump out to a 12-2 lead. The Spartans had secured victory by halftime, leading 54-20 at the break. The Spartans recorded an assist on 27 of 30 baskets, including 18 of 19 in the first half. Travis Trice and Matt Costello led five Spartans in double-figures with 15 points each.
MSU Vs. The SWAC
Michigan State is 8-1 against teams currently in the SWAC, including 1-0 vs. Alabama State, 1-0 vs. Alcorn State, 2-0 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 1-0 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1-0 vs. Prairie View A&M, and 2-1 vs. Texas Southern.
Golden Lion Notes
The Michigan State game marks the third straight road game for UAPB to open the season. The Golden Lions opened with a 58-56 win at Seattle University. On Monday, UAPB fell at Oklahoma State, 86-72, although it trailed by just a single point at the half. JoVaughn Love has led the squad in scoring in both games, including 21 points at Stillwater. The Golden Lions are a deep squad as 12 players saw six minutes or more of action against OSU.
MSU Basketball Notes
From Beyond the Arc
Michigan State figures to have one of its best 3-point shooting teams in school history. The Spartans made 294 3-pointers last year, which ranked second in school history, behind only the 2013-14 squad (307 3-pointers). While the Spartans will miss Travis Trice and his 90 3-pointers, they add junior transfer Eron Harris (89 3-pointers in 2013-14), and freshman Matt McQuaid who was rated as one of the best shooters in his class. Michigan State has hit .412 from beyond the arc in the first two games, led by McQuaid (3-3), Bryn Forbes (6-10) and Denzel Valentine (5-12).
Davis' Impressive Debut
Other freshmen across the country might have garnered the headlines, but it's tough to imagine a more impressive debut than MSU's Deyonta Davis. The 2015 Michigan Mr. Basketball Award winner became just the third Spartan freshman to post a double-double in his debut, totaling 13 points and 11 rebounds, joining Derrick Nix and Matt Steigenga. Davis also blocked five shots, the most ever in a Spartan freshman debut. The 11 rebounds are the second most ever in an MSU freshman debut. Davis leads the Big Ten in blocks (3.5 bpg) and ranks tied for fifth, second among freshman, in rebounding (8.5 rpg).
Coaching Stability
Michigan State has had just two basketball coaches in the last 40 seasons and three in the last 47. Tom Izzo is in his 21st season, having taking over from his mentor Jud Heathcote, who spent 19 years as head coach (1976-95). Before Heathcote, Gus Ganakas spent seven seasons as head coach. Ganakas is currently in his 30th-straight season providing commentary on Spartan radio broadcasts.
Playing The Best
Since the 1997-98 season, the year of Michigan State's first of 18 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans have played 199 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 (182), Texas (173), Duke (173) and Kentucky (170).
Basketball-Football Balance
Michigan State is one of eight schools to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in both football and men's basketball as the Spartans are currently ranked No. 13 in basketball and No. 9 in football. Oklahoma (No. 8 BB, No. 7 FB) and North Carolina (No. 1 BB, No. 12 FB) are the only other schools with both programs ranked in the Top 15. Michigan, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, and Utah are the other schools with both programs ranked.
Valentine's Preseason Honors
Denzel Valentine was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten's 10-member preseason all-conference team. On Nov. 17, he was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50. ESPN.com ranked him the No. 3 player in college basketball, based on both quality and quantity of contributions to his team's ability to win games. He was also tabbed preseason Third Team All-America by CBSSports.com and Second Team All-America by Sports Illustrated. Valentine leads all returning Spartans in scoring (14.5 ppg), rebounding (6.3 rpg) and assists (4.3 apg).
Valentine On Wooden List
Denzel Valentine is one of 10 Big Ten players on the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50. The list will be trimmed to a Midseason 25 in January. Aerial Powers from the Michigan State women's basketball team made the women's preseason list, making MSU one of just 13 schools, including just two in the Big Ten (Maryland), to have a male and female honoree.
All-Time Block Leaders
Matt Costello is tied with Delvon Roe for fifth place in MSU history with 106 blocks. Draymond Green ranks fourth with 117 blocks. Branden Dawson is the MSU career leader with 142 blocks. Costello blocked 43 shots as a sophomore and 48 as a junior.
Valentine In The Record Books
Denzel Valentine has played in 115 career games, needing to play in 31 more to hold sole position of the top spot in Spartan history. Valentine also needs 34 assists and 172 rebounds to become the only Spartan to rank in the school's career Top 10 in both categories. He ranks seventh in MSU history with 166 made 3-pointers and ninth with 428 3-point attempts.
Spartans In The NBA
Michigan State is tied for the Big Ten lead with six players on NBA opening-day rosters. Branden Dawson (Los Angeles Clippers) is in his rookie season after being selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft. They join former Spartans Alan Anderson (Washington), Draymond Green (Golden State), Gary Harris (Denver), Adreian Payne (Minnesota) and Zach Randolph (Memphis).
1,000-Point Scorers
Denzel Valentine ranks 42nd in MSU history with 1,092 career points. He needs eight points to pass Bill Kilgore (1,099 points), 18 to pass Al Ferrari (1,109 points) and 43 to pass Travis Trice (1,135 points). Bryn Forbes has 1,262 career points, 905 of which came in his first two seasons at Cleveland State. Eron Harris will likely be the next Spartan to reach 1,000 career points, currently standing at 879 career points after totaling 873 in two seasons at West Virginia.
Prep Teammates
Michigan State's roster features three pairs of high school teammates. Seniors Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes teamed to appear in three-straight Michigan Class B title games from 2010-2012, capturing the state championship in 2011 and 2012. Sophomores 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 in 2013-14, while Nairn finished his high school career. Juniors 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.
Strength of Schedule
Including potential opponents in the Wooden Legacy, 11 of MSU's 17 non-conference opponents competed in the 2015 postseason, including seven in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Eight of MSU's 13 non-conference contests could feature 2015 postseason participants. Including Big Ten opponents, 18 of MSU's 31 regular-season games will be played against teams that completed in postseason play in 2015.
Big Ten Schedule
With a 14-team conference 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 Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers and Wisconsin. The Spartans will host Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska, while traveling to Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern and Purdue. Seven of Michigan State's 13 Big Ten opponents appeared in the 2014 postseason, including six in the NCAA Tournament (Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin) and one in the NIT (Illinois).
Returning Depth
Michigan State returns nine of its top 11 scorers from its 2014-15 squad. The Spartans return 63.3 percent of their scoring, 66.9 percent of their rebounding, and 60.4 percent of their assists from last season. Eight different returners started at least one game in 2014-15, including four players who started 17 or more contests.
Seeking Win No. 500
Tom Izzo enters his 21st season as Michigan State head coach in 2015-16. With a career record of 497-199, Izzo will likely capture his 500th career win early in the non-conference schedule. He is 16 wins shy of tying Gene Keady (512 wins) for second most victories at a Big Ten school, trailing only Bob Knight (661 wins).
MSU In The Polls
Michigan State remains ranked No. 13 in the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls. Four other Big Ten schools are ranked including Maryland (No. 3 Associated Press/No. 3 USA Today), Indiana (No. 14/15), Purdue (No. 21/23) and Michigan (No. 24/25). In addition to the conference opponents, MSU is also scheduled to play Kansas (No. 4/5) in the Champions Classic and could possibly meet Arizona (No. 12/10) in the Wooden Legacy.
Valentine Wins Bronze with USA
Denzel Valentine was a member of the USA Basketball Pan American Games Team that captured a Bronze Medal in Canada July 21-25. He ranked sixth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.4 points, while shooting .500 from the field and .385 from 3-point range. In medal play, he averaged 11 points and 3.5 rebounds in two games.
Spartans Summer Trip: Italy
In late August, Michigan State traveled to Italy for the first summer foreign trip of the Tom Izzo era. After a decisive 98-54 victory over a club team in Florence, the Spartans took part in a four-team round-robin event featuring national teams from Russia, Italy, and Georgia. Although the Spartans dropped all three games, the games got progressively closer as MSU trailed Italy by just five points midway through the fourth quarter, and falling to Georgia by a single point. Denzel Valentine averaged a team-best 17.3 points against the three national teams, while Gavin Schilling was the team's leading rebounder (7.0 rpg) and second-leading scorer (13.3 ppg). Bryn Forbes also averaged double figures at 13.0 ppg.
Nation's Best Seven Final Fours in 17 Years
Michigan State advanced to the 2015 Final Four, marking the seventh trip to the Final Four in 20 seasons under Tom Izzo. The seven trips in the last 17 seasons rank as the most in the nation. In addition, MSU has appeared in 18 straight NCAA Tournaments, marking the nation's third-longest active streak, and matching the longest streak in Big Ten history.
2015 Wooden Legacy
Michigan State will open the 2015 Wooden Legacy against Boston College on Thursday, Nov. 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) in Fullerton, California. The winner of the MSU-BC contest will face the UC Irvine-Boise State winner in a semifinal contest on Friday, Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). The other half of the bracket features first-day matchups between Evansville and Providence, followed by Santa Clara and Arizona. After an off day, the tournament will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 29. Games on Nov. 26 and 27 will be held at Cal State Fullerton, while the final day of games will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Breslin Upgrades on the Horizon
A major facilities upgrade -- focused on improving the visitor experience -- and the construction of a Michigan State University Basketball Hall of History are on tap for the Breslin Student Events Center. The MSU Board of Trustees gave the university the go-ahead to proceed with the $50 million project. $30 million will be provided by the university and $20 million from MSU Athletics. The work is scheduled to begin in January 2016, with substantial completion expected by August of 2017 and final completion by June 2018.
2016 Recruiting Class
Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo will be bringing in one of the nation's top recruiting classes in 2016, as it currently sits at No. 3 according to ESPN.com. During November's early signing period, the Spartans received signed letters of intent from five-star recruits Miles Bridges (G/F, 6-7, Flint, Mich.) and Joshua Langford (G, 6-5, Huntsville, Ala.), along with four stars Cassius Winston (G, 6-0, Detroit, Mich.) and Nick Ward (F, 6-9, Gahanna, Ohio). All four players have been rated in the top 50 of their class across the country by ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 24/7 Sports, with Bridges and Langford touted as high as No. 8 and No. 17, respectively. Bridges has averaged a double-double throughout his high school career, including 15.7 points and 10.6 rebounds at Huntington Prep last season. He'll carry on the tradition of Flint natives at MSU under Tom Izzo, including Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell and Antonio Smith. Langford is a four-time Alabama Class 3A Player of the Year, having first won the award as an eighth grader, while also capturing two state championships. Winston has led his squad to the state semifinals in each of the last two seasons, and averaged 22.3 points and 7.1 assists as a junior. Ward attends Gahanna Lincoln High School, where he was teammates with current Spartan Javon Bess, and averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks as a prep junior.
Exhibition Recap
Michigan State averaged 93.5 points in a pair of exhibition victories. Bryn Forbes led all scorers at 19.5 points per game, shooting .647 (11-17) from 3-point range. Denzel Valentine displayed his all-around skills, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Gavin Schilling was MSU's third-leading scorer at 11.0 points per game. As a team, MSU shot .535 from the field, including .408 from 3-point range.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 21st year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 497-199 (.714), and 233-107 (.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 20 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 (.717), former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700), and Ohio State's Thad Matta (.688) and ahead of former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Matta ranks first at .762, followed by Ryan (.740), Knight (.734), Izzo (.714), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), and Lambert (.709). With 233 conference victories, Izzo ranks third all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 20 seasons, Tom Izzo won 495 games, ranking fifth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 20 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 was 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.
