Spartans Travel To Northeastern
12/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| #1/1 Michigan State (11-0) vs. Northeastern (7-3) | |
| Date | Saturday, December 19, 2015 |
| Time | 12:30 p.m. ET |
| Location | Boston, Mass. | Matthews Arena |
| Television | NBC Sports Network (Paul Burmeister, David Kaplan, Carolyn Manno) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Northeastern |
| Statistics | Michigan State |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
The Opening Tip
After a week of academic finals, Michigan State makes its first trip to Boston since November 2006, as the Spartans play at Northeastern in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. This will be the first sell out at Matthews Arena since December 1995.
The Starting Five
1. Great Start
At 11-0, Michigan State is off to the second-best start in school history. Only the 2000-01 Spartans posted a better start, opening at 12-0 before falling at Indiana.
2. MSU At No. 1
Michigan State is currently No. 1 in both the Associated Press and the USA Today Coaches Polls for the third time under head coach Tom Izzo. This is just the fourth time in school history and the ninth week overall that MSU has held the top spot in the AP Top 25. After opening the season at No. 13 in the preseason poll, MSU's rise to No. 1 was the largest by week five since 1987-88 when Arizona opened at No. 17 and rose to No. 1 in week five. The Spartans were No. 1 for two weeks during the National Championship season of 1978-79, holding the top spot on Jan. 3 and Jan. 9. In 2000-01, MSU reached the top spot on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. Most recently, MSU held the No. 1 spot for three weeks in 2013-14 (Nov. 18-Dec. 2), posting a 4-1 record. The Spartans have an all-time record of 11-4 at No. 1.
3. Defensive Effort
Although Coach Izzo would like to see improvement, statistically, Michigan State has proven to be a strong defensive team in 2015-16. The Spartans rank in the Top 15 nationally in scoring defense (4th, 56.8), field-goal percentage defense (5th, .351) 3-point field-goal percentage defense (9th, .266), and blocked shots (13th, 6.2 bpg). Just four teams have shot better than 40 percent from the field and just two have bettered 35 percent behind the 3-point arc. Over the last three games, MSU is holding opponents to 40.0 points, .238 FG%, and .183 3FG%. The final step of a defensive possession is securing a defensive rebound, an area which MSU excels, grabbing a conference-best 79.8 percent of opponents' missed shots.
4. MSU Back In Boston
Michigan State is making its first trip to Boston since playing at Boston College in the 2006 ACC/Big Ten Challenge (L, 65-58). This is the third trip to the Commonwealth for the Spartans under Tom Izzo, as MSU won a pair of contests over Old Dominion and Vermont in the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Worcester.
5. Valentine Lends A Helping Hand
Denzel Valentine leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the nation, averaging 7.2 assists per contest. With 477 assists for his career, he ranks ninth in MSU history, 14 behind Earvin Johnson (491). Valentine has either made or assisted on 46.6 percent of MSU's field goals, as he boasts a career-best 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.
MSU vs. Northeastern Notes
Series History
Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting for Michigan State and Northeastern. The Spartans are 1-0 against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association, having defeated Delaware, 93-78, in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Spartans are 4-2 all-time against CAA foes, as MSU was 2-1 vs. George Mason, 0-1 vs. Navy and 1-0 vs. Old Dominion when they were in the CAA.
Coach Coen
Bill Coen (Hamilton, `83) is 152-148 (.507) in his 10th year as a college head coach, all of which have been at Northeastern. In his first nine seasons, he led the Huskies to four postseason appearances, including the 2015 NCAA Tournament. In 2013, he was named the NABC District 10 Co-Coach of the Year and the USBWA District I Coach of the Year. His coaching career includes stints as an assistant coach at Hamilton, Rhode Island and Boston College.
Husky Notes
Northeastern plays home games at Matthews Arena, the oldest active men's basketball arena in the nation (April 16, 1910). The hallowed hall was the original home of the Boston Celtics, and was the birthplace of the Celtics' famed parquet floor ... Saturday's game will mark the first sell out since the Huskies hosted No. 20 Duke on Dec. 30, 1995 ... Northeastern has already faced two teams from Michigan this season, losing a pair of contests at Detroit (76-73) and Western Michigan (87-86, OT) ... The Huskies defeated No. 15 Miami on the road, 78-77, on Nov. 27 ... Leading scorer David Walker (21.5 ppg) is the first Husky with at least two 30-point games in a single season since J.J. Barea in 2004-05 ... Freshman Jeremy Miller has started the last two games, averaging 15.0 points to earn CAA Rookie of the Week honors.
MSU Basketball Notes
Denzel Valentine â€" America's Most Versatile Player
Denzel Valentine made an early statement with his triple-double vs. Kansas in the Champions Classic. Tallying a career-high 29 points, a career-high 12 assists and 12 rebounds, he became just the fourth player in MSU history to record a triple-double. Nine days later, he recorded a second triple-double against Boston College (29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists), and followed the next day with a career-high 32 points vs. Boise State.
He currently leads the Big Ten in assists (7.2 apg), while ranking second in scoring (18.6 ppg) and third in rebounding (8.5 rpg). He is the only player to rank in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in all three categories. Valentine also leads the Big Ten in defensive rebounds (7.7 drpg), and ranks second in 3-point field goals made (3.0 pg). Last season, he was the only Big Ten player to rank in the Top 15 in scoring, rebounding and assists.
Valentine's numbers are arguably the best in recent college basketball history. Since 1995-96, no player has averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for a season.
For his career, Valentine has totaled 11 double-doubles, including the two triple-doubles.
Basketball-Football Balance
Michigan State is one of four schools to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in both football and men's basketball as the Spartans are currently ranked No. 1 in basketball and No. 3 in football. Oklahoma (No. 3 BB, No. 4 FB) is the only other school with both programs ranked in the Top 10. Baylor and North Carolina are the other schools with both programs ranked. (Football AP Top 25-Dec. 6; Basketball AP Top 25-Dec. 14). MSU is the only school in the nation to have won four straight bowl games and appear in four Sweet 16s in the last four seasons.
Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. Michigan State is averaging 22.7 assists ranking second in the nation, and recording an assist on 250 of 311 field goals (80.4 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.
It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State owns a remarkable +16.9 rebounding margin, leading the Big Ten and ranking third in the nation, as the Spartans have out-rebounded every opponent by at least a +7 margin, including Louisville by +10, after the Cardinals entered the game with a +21.4 margin. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 543 of 705 opponents (.770), posting a 431-112 (.794) 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.
Offensive Rebounding
Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten with 12.8 offensive rebounds per game, while ranking second in offensive rebound percentage, grabbing 39.3 percent of its missed shots. The Spartans are averaging 11.7 second-chance points per contest, outscoring opponents by a +5.0 margin.
Clark Rounding Into Shape
Marvin Clark Jr. got off to a slow start in 2015-16 as a foot injury suffered in September forced him to miss the first two games of the season. Since his return in the third game of the season, it's been a process to return to the form that made him a key reserve during MSU's 2015 Final Four run. He's shown great signs of improvement recently, averaging 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 15.3 minutes over the last three games, scoring nine points vs. both Binghamton and Maryland Eastern Shore. In the six games prior to that, he totaled just 20 points (3.3 ppg) and 42 minutes (7.0 mpg).
Improved Foul Shooting
Michigan State ranks seventh in the Big Ten and 76th in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting . 724 from the foul line. While that percentage isn't overly impressive, it's certainly an improvement over last season when MSU ranked 330th in the nation, shooting 63.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Forbes For Three
Senior Bryn Forbes is proving to be one of top shooters in the country. For his career, he's made 241-of-576 attempts from behind the arc, good for a .418 shooting percentage. He's made a 3-pointer in 102 of 114 career games, including in 10 of 11 contests this season. He's opened 2015-16 by making 29-of-64 (.453), making three or more 3-pointers in seven games. Last year, Forbes ranked fourth in the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage (.427).
The 500 Win Club
Tom Izzo recorded his 500th-career win in MSU's 99-68 victory over Boston College in the Wooden Legacy. Izzo became the 91st coach in history to record 500 career wins, with at least 10 seasons in Division I, and just the eighth coach to accomplish the feat in his first 21 seasons. Izzo also became the 18th coach to win 500 career games in his first collegiate head coaching stop, and was the eighth-fastest coach to reach 500 wins among those who did it all at one school, accomplishing the feat in 699 career games. (Note: Two days later, Bob McKillop recorded career win No. 500 in 27 seasons - all at Davidson.)
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 200 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 (183), Texas (175), Duke (173) and Kentucky (170).
Spartan Depth
Nine Spartans have played in every game, with eight of those players averaging double-figure minutes. In addition, Gavin Schilling has missed all 11 contests, while Marvin Clark Jr. has played just 88 minutes in nine games due to injury. Clark, however, is averaging 15.3 minutes over the last three games. Once healthy, both Schilling and Clark will only add to the Spartan depth, as both could potentially work themselves into the starting lineup.
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 currently ranks sixth in the Big Ten, shooting .384 from behind the arc, led by Bryn Forbes at .453, as nine different Spartans have made a 3-pointer.
Double-Double Threats
Three different Spartans have recorded a double-double this season. Denzel Valentine has two triple-doubles (vs. Kansas and Boston College), and two double-doubles (vs. Binghamton and UMES), while Deyonta Davis (vs. Florida Atlantic) and Matt Costello (vs. UAPB) each have one double-double.
Davis' Impressive Debut
Freshman Deyonta Davis is proving to be an impact player in his first season. 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 ranks tied for third in the Big Ten in blocks (2.4 bpg), fifth in field-goal percentage (.632) and has scored in double-figures in five games. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 30 after averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in four games. With 26 blocks, Davis already has tied the third-best effort for a Spartan freshman, and needs four more to hold sole possesion of the MSU freshman record - a mark currently held by Delvon Roe (29).
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. He recorded a second against Boston College (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), becoming one of three Spartans with multiple triple-doubles. Including his triple-doubles, Valentine has 11 career double-doubles.
All-Time Block Leaders
Matt Costello is tied with Draymond Green for fourth place in MSU history with 117 blocks. Drew Naymick ranks third with 134 blocks. Branden Dawson is the MSU career leader with 142 blocks. Costello blocked 43 shots as a sophomore and 48 as a junior.
Valentine On Awards Lists
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. He is also on the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List and the Naismith Award Watch List 50. He is a candidate for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. In the preseason, he was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten's all-conference team, and was tabbed a preseason All-American by CBSSports.com (third team) and Sports Illustrated (second team), while ESPN.com ranked him the No. 3 player in college basketball.
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 In The Record Books
Denzel Valentine has played in 124 career games, needing to play in 22 more to hold sole position of the top spot in Spartan history. Valentine ranks ninth in MSU career assists (477), needing 98 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 194 made 3-pointers and sixth with 501 3-point attempts. He needs eight more made 3-pointers to tie Travis Trice and Maurice Ager for fifth all-time at MSU, and 11 more attempts to tie Trice for fifth-most attempts.
Valentine's Big Week(s)
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. He followed by averaging 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists in four games, earning Big Ten Player of the Week and NBC Sports National Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week on Nov. 30.
Wooden Legacy Recap
Michigan State captured the 2015 Wooden Legacy championship with three double-digit victories. Denzel Valentine was named Most Outstanding Player after averaging 26.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists, while also setting an event mark with 15 3-pointers in three games (.536). He recorded his second-career triple-double vs. Boston College, and scored a career-high 32 points vs. Boise State. Deyonta Davis averaged 11.3 points, shooting .850 from the field. Tum Tum Nairn Jr. averaged 7.7 points, including a career-high 13 points vs. Boston College, and totaled 18 assists and just two turnovers in two games. MSU recorded an assist on 69 of 88 baskets (78.4 percent) and held a +11.0 rebounding margin. The Spartans shot 52.1 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from 3-point range.
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 28th in MSU history with 1,255 career points. He needs 21 points to pass Quinton Brooks (1,275 points) and 42 points to pass Matt Steigenga (1,296 points). Bryn Forbes has 1,377 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 951 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.
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).
Strength of Schedule
Eight of MSU's 13 non-conference contests 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.
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
With 506 career wins, Tom Izzo is six 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. 1 in the AP Top 25 and No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Two other Big Ten schools are ranked including Maryland (No. 6 Associated Press/No. 7 USA Today), and Purdue (No. 9/8). In addition to the conference opponents, MSU defeated Kansas (No. 2/5) in the Champions Classic, defeated Providence (No. 14/t-14) in the Wooden Legacy, and defeated Louisville (No. 19/t-16) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
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 506-199 (.718), 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 former Wisconsin coach 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 .754, followed by Ryan (.737), Knight (.734), Izzo (.718), 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.
