Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Open Wooden Legacy Vs. Boston College
11/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| #3/4 Michigan State (4-0) vs. Boston College (3-0) | |
| Date | Thursday, November 26, 2015 |
| Time | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Fullerton, Calif. | Titan Gym |
| Television | ESPN2 (Steve Quis, Brad Daugherty, Jeff Goodman) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Drew Neitzel) |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Boston College |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Boston College |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
THE OPENING TIP
Michigan State travels to California for the Wooden Legacy. The Spartans will open against 3-0 Boston College on Thursday at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Friday's game will also be played at Titan Gym, while Sunday's game will be played at Anaheim's Honda Center. MSU's next win will mark Tom Izzo's 500th career victory.
THE STARTING FIVE
1. 499 Career Wins And Counting
Michigan State's next victory will mark Tom Izzo's 500th-career win. Izzo could become the 91st coach to record 500 career wins, with at least 10 seasons in Division I (Davidson's Bob McKillop also currently stands at 499 career wins, and his next game is Nov. 28). Izzo could also become the 18th coach to win 500 career games in his first collegiate head coaching stop. He could be the eighth-fastest coach to reach 500 wins among those who did it all at one school.
2. It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State owns a remarkable +23.8 rebounding margin, leading the Big Ten and the nation. And while part of it is a product of competition, the Spartans also out-rebounded No. 4 Kansas by a +10 margin. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 536 of 698 opponents (.768), posting a 424-112 (.791) 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.
3. Defensive Effort
Statistically, Michigan State has proven to be a strong defensive team in 2015-16. MSU is allowing an average of 59.8 points, while opponents are shooting just .346 from the field and .257 from 3-point range. No opponent has shot better than .362 from the field and .300 from behind the arc. The Spartans are averaging a Big Ten-best 8.3 blocks per game. And the final step of a defensive possession is securing a defensive rebound, an area which MSU excels, grabbing a conference-best 82.0 percent of opponents' missed shots.
4. Michigan State-John Wooden Connections
Michigan State posted a 1-3 record against John Wooden while he was head coach at UCLA. Michigan State was the opponent on Dec. 20, 2003, when UCLA named its court at Pauley Pavilion in honor of John Wooden and his wife Nell. Coach Tom Izzo has held a spot on the John R. Wooden Award Board of Governors, and was the recipient of the 2011 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award.
5. Valentine Lends A Helping Hand
Denzel Valentine leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation, averaging 9.8 assists per contest. With 437 assists for his career, he will soon move into the MSU all-time Top 10, standing 16 behind Steve Smith in 10th place. Valentine has either made or assisted on 47.5 percent of MSU's field goals, as he boasts a career-best 4.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.
MSU vs. Boston College Notes
Series History
Boston College leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 3-2, including a 2-1 edge on a neutral court. Tom Izzo is 1-1 all-time against Boston College, as the Spartans bested BC, 77-70, on Dec. 6, 2005 in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the most recent meeting, BC claimed a 65-58 victory in Chestnut Hill on Nov. 29, 2006.
Coach Christian
Jim Christian (Rhode Island, '88) is 259-172 in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, including 16-19 at Boston College. Christian joined the Eagle program after two seasons at Ohio, leading the Bobcats to a pair of postseason berths. His head coaching career also includes a four-year stint at TCU (2008-12) and opened with a six-year tenure at Kent State (2002-08). In 13 full years, he's led his team to the postseason eight times, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Last Meeting
Boston College defeated Michigan State, 65-58, on Nov. 29, 2006, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Jared Dudley totaled 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles, while Goran Suton paced the Spartans with 18 points and nine rebounds. BC's defense limited Drew Neitzel to just 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Boston College held a 26-18 halftime lead and pushed its advantage out to 17 points with 7:17 left in the contest. MSU fought back to pull within six points at 59-53 with 1:17 remaining, but could not get any closer.
A Familiar Face On The Bench
Stan Heath is in his first season as an assistant coach on the Boston College staff. Heath was an assistant coach at Michigan State under Tom Izzo for five seasons. In his five years, MSU posted a 132-37 record, capturing four straight Big Ten Championships (1998-2001), two Big Ten Tournament titles (1999-2000), advancing to four straight NCAA Tournaments (1998-2001), three Final Fours (1999-2001), and capturing the 2000 NCAA Championship. Heath left MSU following the 2001 season to begin his head coaching career, guiding Kent State to the Elite Eight in 2002. In 13 years of head coaching experience at Kent State, Arkansas and South Florida, Heath posted a 209-207 record.
Eagle Notes
Boston College is led in scoring (18.7 ppg) by graduate transfer Eli Carter. He played two seasons at Rutgers (2011-13) before transferring to Florida (2013-15) ... The Eagles are 3-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, having won the first three games by an average margin of +21.3 ... Boston College's second-leading scorer is freshman guard Jerome Robinson (13.3 ppg) ... The Eagles are shooting .426 from 3-point range, as nine different players have hit a 3-pointer and four players average more than one made 3-pointer per game, led by Matt Milon (2.3 pg) ... BC's roster features 10 newcomers, including nine freshmen ... The Eagles lost 84 percent of their scoring, 73 percent of their rebounding and 88 percent of their assists from last season.
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 .400 from beyond the arc in the first four games.
Spartan Depth
Twelve Spartans have played in every game, with nine players averaging double-figure minutes. In addition, Gavin Schilling has missed all four contests, while Marvin Clark Jr. had played just 18 minutes on the season due to injury. Once healthy, both Schilling and Clark will only add to the Spartan depth, as both could potentially work themselves into the starting lineup.
Double-Double Threats
Three different Spartans have recorded a double-double in Michigan State's first four games. Deyonta Davis (13 points, 11 rebounds) debuted with a double-double. Denzel Valentine (29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists) posted a triple-double in the second game. Most recently, Matt Costello posted 10 points and 10 rebounds against UAPB. It marked the first time MSU had at least one player with a double-double in three straight games since Jan. 24, Jan. 29 and Feb. 1, 2015.
Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 24.3 assists, and recording an assist on 97 of 122 field goals (78.0 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.
MSU In November
Michigan State has an all-time record of 118-31 in games played in the month of November. This includes an 80-3 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 58-0 all-time at home in November, 83-25 for the month.
A Look At The Wooden Legacy
Six of the eight teams in the Wooden Legacy enter the tournament with an undefeated record. Michigan State (No. 3) and Arizona (No. 11) are both ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Michigan State, Arizona, Boise State, Providence and UC-Irvine all participated in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, while Evansville earned a spot in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. MSU is 14-8 all-time against the field: Arizona (2-4), Boise State (2-0), Boston College (2-3), Evansville (4-0), Providence (3-0), Santa Clara (1-1), UC-Irvine (never met).
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 10th, fourth among freshmen, in rebounding (7.0 rpg).
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 (one) as the only Spartans to accomplish the feat. Including his triple-double, Valentine has eight career double-doubles.
Basketball-Football Balance
Michigan State is one of five schools to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in both football and men's basketball as the Spartans are currently ranked No. 3 in basketball and No. 6 in football. Oklahoma (No. 7 BB, No. 5 FB) and North Carolina (No. 9 BB, No. 11 FB) are the only other schools with both programs ranked in the Top 15. Notre Dame and Oregon are the other schools with both programs ranked. (Football AP Top 25-Nov. 22; Basketball AP Top 25-Nov. 23)
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).
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.
Valentine's Big Week
Following a week in which he averaged 18.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 11.5 assists in wins over No. 4 Kansas and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, including posting a triple-double vs. Kansas, Denzel Valentine was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 23. It marked the first weekly honor of his career. Valentine was also named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com, CBS Sports and NBC Sports.
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).
Forbes For Three
Senior Bryn Forbes is proving to be one of top shooters in the country. For his career, he's made 225-of-536 attempts from behind the arc, good for a .420 shooting percentage. He's made a 3-pointer in 96 of 107 career games. He's opened 2015-16 by making 13-of-24 (.542), leading the Big Ten in 3-point field goals made (3.3 pg) and ranking fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.542). Last year, Forbes ranked fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage (.427).
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 ranks fifth in MSU history with 107 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 117 career games, needing to play in 29 more to hold sole position of the top spot in Spartan history. Valentine also needs 16 assists and 156 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 169 made 3-pointers and eighth with 442 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 40th in MSU history with 1,111 career points. He needs 25 points to pass Travis Trice (1,135 points), 36 to pass Pete Gent (1,146), 45 to pass Lindsay Hairston (1,155) and 66 to pass Lee Lafayette (1,176). Bryn Forbes has 1,288 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 898 career points after totaling 873 in two seasons at West Virginia.
Offensive Rebounding
Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten with 15.5 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking first in offensive rebound percentage, grabbing 45.6 percent of its missed shots. The Spartans are averaging 13.0 second-chance points per contest, outscoring opponents by a +6.2 margin. Deyonta Davis is tied for the Big Ten lead with 3.8 offensive boards per contest, while Matt Costello also ranks in the Top 10 (8th, 2.8 orpg).
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.
Izzo Third In Wins At Big Ten School
Tom Izzo enters his 21st season as Michigan State head coach in 2015-16. With a career record of 499-199, Izzo is one win away from capturing his 500th-career victory. He is 13 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 is currently ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and No. 4 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Three other Big Ten schools are ranked including Maryland (No. 2 Associated Press/No. 2 USA Today), Indiana (No. 13/14) and Purdue (No. 16/15). In addition to the conference opponents, MSU defeated Kansas (No. 5/7) in the Champions Classic and could possibly meet Arizona (No. 11/10) 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.
Breslin Upgrades on the Horizon
A major facilities upgrade â€" focused on improving the visitor experience â€" 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.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 21st year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 499-199 (.715), 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 .760, followed by Ryan (.739), Knight (.734), Izzo (.715), 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.
