Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Travel To Northwestern
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Michigan State (15-8, 6-4) vs. Northwestern (10-13, 1-9) | |
| Date | Tuesday, February 10, 2015 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| Location | Evanston, Ill. | Welsh-Ryan Arena |
| Television | BTN (Dave Revsine, Jim Jackson) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Northwestern |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Northwestern |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
| Promotions | Vote For Coach Izzo |
THE OPENING TIP
Michigan State heads back out on the road to face Northwestern as the Spartans look to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Illinois. In the first meeting of the season in East Lansing, the Spartans survived with an 84-77 overtime victory.
THE STARTING FIVE
1. Izzo Moves Up Big Ten Coaching List
Tom Izzo ranks fourth on the career Big Ten victories list with 227. With MSU's next Big Ten win, Izzo will tie Purdue's Ward Lambert (228 wins) for third place in MSU history. 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 483, trailing only Knight (661 wins) and Keady (512).
2. Spartan Defense
On the season, MSU is limiting teams to 62.1 points on .386 FG%, including .304 from 3-point range. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in FG pct. defense and 3-point FG pct. defense, while ranking fourth in scoring defense. In conference games, MSU ranks second in FG pct. defense (.397), third in 3-point FG pct. defense (.323), and sixth in scoring defense (64.6 ppg). The all-time lows of the Izzo era were a .379 FG% in 2011-12 and .298 3FG% in 2001-02.
3. Spartans Strong On The Road
Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best 35-23 (.603) mark in conference road games over the last six-plus seasons (since the start of 2008-09 Big Ten play). Ohio State is 33-26 on the road, while Wisconsin is 32-26.
4. Valentine's Versatility
Denzel Valentine is arguably the most versatile player in the Big Ten and the numbers provide the evidence. The Spartan junior is the only player to rank in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in scoring (13th), rebounding (t-12th) and assists (8th). He also ranks in the Top 15 in 3-point field-goal percentage (t-7th), 3-point field goals made (3rd), assist-to-turnover ratio (13th), and defensive rebounds (6th).
5. A Hall Of Fame Coach
On Thursday, February 12, Tom Izzo will be formally inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. The rest of the class includes recently retired New York Yankees great and Kalamazoo-raised Derek Jeter, Detroit Red Wings forward Sergei Fedorov, University of Michigan All-American and Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, NHL All-Star and Westland native Mike Modano, Livonia's four-time Olympian, and gold-medal winning swimmer Sheila Taormina and Aleta Sill, from Dearborn, the nation's first female professional bowler to reach $1 million in winnings. Detroit Lions All-Pro defensive tackle Doug English was also named in a special selection by the Hall's Legends Council. Visit MichiganSportsHOF.org to purchase tickets.
MSU VS. NORTHWESTERN NOTES
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 86-38, including a 33-30 advantage in games played in Evanston. The Spartans have won 21 of the last 23, 28 of the last 31, and 48 of the last 52 contests. Tom Izzo is 31-4 in his career against Northwestern.
Coach Collins
Chris Collins (Duke, '98) is 24-32 in his second season as a collegiate head coach. Prior to his arrival in Evanston, Collins was an assistant coach at Duke from 2000-2013, including serving as associate head coach since the 2008-09 season. Collins also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Seton Hall, and one season with the WNBA's Detroit Shock.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Northwestern in overtime, 84-77, on Jan. 11, 2015, in East Lansing. MSU held a 23-9 lead midway through the first half, but NU came back to take a three-point lead late in the half, before the teams went into the locker room tied at 40. With 7:04 left in the contest, MSU led 66-55, but a 15-2 run gave the Wildcats a 70-68 lead. Denzel Valentine sandwiched a jumper and two free throws around a pair of NU foul shots to send the game into overtime tied at 72. The Spartans scored the first eight points of the extra period, holding NU without a point for over four minutes. Travis Trice recorded his first career double-double with 10 assists and 18 points, leading five Spartans in double figures. Bryant McIntosh led NU with 18 points and Tre Demps added 17. The Spartans made just 6-of-11 free throws in the first half, but shot a combined 13-of-15 in the second half and overtime.
The Last Meeting In Evanston
Michigan State used a strong defensive effort to defeat Northwestern, 54-40, in Evanston on Jan. 15, 2014. The first half featured six ties and four lead changes as neither squad led by more than four points. The Spartans struggled offensively in the second half, shooting just .320, but they clamped down defensively, limiting the Wildcats to .235 shooting, including .125 from three-point range. Still, MSU couldn't shake the Wildcats, holding a 40-35 lead with 10:06 remaining. That's when the Spartans slowly pulled away with a 10-2 run over the next 5:07. MSU's defense allowed just five points and one field goal in the final 10 minutes, including no field goals after the 7:17 mark. Gary Harris led MSU with 14 points, while Branden Dawson grabbed 11 rebounds. Tre Demps was the only Wildcat in double figures with 12 points.
Wildcat Notes
Junior Tre Demps is averaging 13.0 points in five career games against Michigan State ... At 12.3 ppg, Bryant McIntosh ranks fourth among Big Ten freshmen, while ranking second among conference freshmen with 4.4 apg ... Junior center Alex Olah ranks 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 6.3 boards per game, grabbing double-figure rebounds in six games, after posting just one such game in his first two seasons.
GM. 23 RECAP • ILLINOIS 59 - MICHIGAN STATE 54
Poor shooting, especially from the foul line, plagued Michigan State in a 59-54 loss to Illinois. The Spartans got off to a quick 10-2 start in the first 6:20, but missed on multiple opportunities to make the margin even larger. Illinois fought back to tie the game at 11, and after three straight points from MSU, the Illini used a 8-0 run to claim a 19-14 advantage. The Spartans would never lead again after that, although a Bryn Forbes three-pointer right before halftime cut MSU's deficit to a single point at 28-27. In the second half, Illinois led by as many as seven points. The Illini held a 55-52 advantage when Travis Trice was fouled with 33 seconds left. He hit the front end of a 1-and-1, and after the ball when through the basket, Jaylon Tate was assessed a deadball technical foul for an excessive and late box out of Trice. Trice missed the second free throw and Forbes went to the foul line with two free throws to tie the game. He made just one, but MSU still had possession of the ball trailing by a single point. Denzel Valentine had a shot to take the lead, but the shot was off and Illinois corralled the rebound and put the game away at the foul line.
MSU VS. ILLINOIS NOTES
* Michigan State scored a season-low 54 points.
* Michigan State suffered its first loss this season when allowing fewer than 60 points.
* For the first time all season, Denzel Valentine led the Spartans in points (16), rebounds (7) and assists (4).
* Branden Dawson blocked three shots to move past Delvon Roe for fourth place in MSU history with 108 career blocks.
* Michigan State shot just 7-of-18 from the free throw line, including missing the front end of two 1-and-1s.
* Alvin Ellis III played 18 minutes off the Spartan bench, marking his most action since the Big Ten opener.
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 483 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.
Dawson's Double-Doubles
Branden Dawson has posted double-doubles in 10 Big Ten games (Indiana, at Iowa, at Maryland, Penn State, at Rutgers, Michigan). Against Nebraska, he grabbed 18 rebounds, a personal best against a Big Ten opponent. Dawson has grabbed double-figure rebounds in eight of 10 conference games, averaging a Big Ten-best 11.3 rebounds per game in Big Ten play (9.9 rpg overall). He has seven double-doubles this season and 19 for his career.
Dawson's Defense
Branden Dawson is among the best defensive players in the conference, as his strength and athleticism give him the versatility to guard nearly any position on the floor. Consider what some of the best players in the Big Ten have done against Dawson: Maryland's Jake Layman (Dec. 30) (Avg. 15.8 ppg entering the game - 4 pts., 2-4 FG, 0-2 3FG), Indiana's Troy Williams (Jan. 5) (13.6 ppg - 0 pts., 0-2 FG, 1 reb.), Iowa's Aaron White (Jan. 8) (17.2 ppg - 8 pts., 2-4 FG, 1-1 3FG), Michigan's Zak Irvin (Feb. 1) (13.6 ppg - 11 pts., 5-14 FG, 1-6 3FG). He is the only player to rank in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in steals (9th, 1.6 spg), blocks (11th, 1.2 bpg) and defensive rebounds (1st, 6.7 drpg). In conference games, he ranks sixth in steals (1.7 spg), second in blocks (1.8 bpg) and first in defensive rebounds (7.6 drpg).
Keeping The 3-Pointer In Perspective
Michigan State is shooting .391 from 3-point range this season, marking the fourth-best percentage of the Tom Izzo era. But on-target shooting does not equal an over-reliance on the outside shot. MSU has attempted 437 3-pointers in 1319 field-goal attempts, meaning 33.1 percent of its shots are from behind the arc. That percentage ranks as the second-highest percentage of the Izzo era, behind 2013-14 (36.3%). It's the sixth time in Izzo's 20 seasons that more than 30 percent of the shot attempts have been 3-pointers, joining the 2004-05 (32.8%), 2010-11 (32.7%), 2003-04 (31.2%) and 1999-2000 (31.1%) squads.
Balanced Scoring
Michigan State features a balanced scoring attack with three players averaging in double figures, four averaging 9.7 points or more, and six players averaging more than six points per game. 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 six games in which five Spartans have reached double figures, two more times than all of last season. The Spartans are a perfect 10-0 when four or more players score in double-figures, and just 5-8 when three or fewer Spartans hit double-figures.
Spartans Strong On The Glass
Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best +8.6 rebounding margin, having out-rebounded 19 of 23 opponents, ranking sixth in the nation. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 524 of 678 opponents (.773), posting a 414-110 (.790) 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.
Spartans On Target From Deep
Michigan State is shooting .391 (171-437) from 3-point range this season, ranking second in the Big Ten and 26th in the nation. In conference play, however, MSU is shooting just .350. Bryn Forbes (.466) ranks second in the Big Ten, including .487 in Big Ten games, while Denzel Valentine (.421) ranks tied for seventh.
Dawson Attacks The Glass
Branden Dawson leads the Big Ten in rebounding at 9.9 boards per contest. In conference games, he's averaging a Big Ten-best 11.3 rebounds, recording double-figure rebounds in eight of 10 games. Twice this season, he's grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds - at Nebraska and 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). The 18 rebounds at Nebraska mark a personal best against a Big Ten opponent. Should Dawson continue to lead the Big Ten in rebounding, he'll be the first player 6-6 or shorter to do it since Wisconsin's Patrick Tompkins in 1991 (overall), and the first to do it in conference games since Minnesota's Richard Coffey in 1988.
Dawson Climbs Rebounding Chart
Branden Dawson is on pace to finish among the all-time leaders in Michigan State career rebounding. With 782 career boards, he needs 21 to tie Lindsay Hairston for 10th place in MSU history.
Dawson Named Player Of The Week
Branden Dawson was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, Feb. 2. In a pair of Spartan victories, he averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.0 blocks on the road at Rutgers and at home against Michigan. He shot 71.4 percent from the field, while recording two double-doubles, to earn the first Big Ten Player of the Week honor of his career. He shared the honor with Illinois' Malcolm Hill. It marked the third time a Spartan has been honored by the conference office this season, as Travis Trice has earned Player of the Week accolades twice (Jan. 12 and Nov. 17).
The Costello-Schilling Combination
Junior Matt Costello (7.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and sophomore Gavin Schilling (6.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) have combined to give Michigan State a solid post presence. The two Spartans average a combined 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds, shooting .611 (129-211) from the field.
All-Time Block Leaders
Branden Dawson ranks fourth in Michigan State history with 108 career blocks, nine behind Draymond Green (117) in third place. With three blocks against Penn State he joined Draymond Green and Adreian Payne as the only players in MSU history with 1,000 career points and 100 career blocks. Payne is the MSU career leader with 141 blocks. With 81 blocks in his two-plus seasons, Matt Costello could soon appear in the Top 10. Paul Davis currently ranks 10th with 87 career blocks.
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 585-465 (.557) in league play, including 227-105 (.684) under Tom Izzo, who ranks fourth in league history with 227 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 227-105, 14 games better than second-place Wisconsin (213-119).
Free Basketball
Michigan State is 2-3 in overtime games this season, as the five overtime games are the most since the Spartans played five during the 1987-88 season. MSU entered the season having won seven straight overtime games dating back to a loss to Minnesota in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament. MSU has never played more than five overtime games in a single season.
Trice From Distance
Travis Trice is situated to end his career as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in MSU history. Midway through his senior year, Trice sits tied with Durrell Summers for sixth place in career 3-pointers (161), 41 behind Maurice Ager in fifth place. With 405 career 3-point attempts, Trice ranks 10th, four behind Jason Klein (409), eight behind Keith Appling (413), and 28 behind Durrell Summers (433).
A Thin Line Between Victory And Defeat
In six of Michigan State's eight 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. At Nebraska, MSU rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to pull within three points and then two points in the final minute. Against Illinois, MSU trailed by three points in the final minute, with four free throw attempts to take the lead, but could make just two, cutting the deficit to a single point. The Spartans then had possession of the basketball with a chance to take the lead but could not score.
Costello Playing Well
Matt Costello is averaging 8.5 points over the last 15 games, in addition to 5.3 rebounds, shooting .603 from the field in 19.8 minutes per contest. Costello started the first six games of the season, averaging 6.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in 20.2 minutes, shooting .593 from the field. He's come off the bench in the last 17 games, averaging 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19.1 minutes, shooting .600 from the field. Costello has posted two double-doubles on the season.
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 conference this season. He ranks third in the Big Ten in made 3-point field goals per game (2.4) and tied for seventh in 3-point field-goal percentage (.421; 56-133).
Starting Suits Trice Nicely
In his first year as a primary starter, senior Travis Trice is proving he is up to the challenge. He ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (5.5 apg) and paces the conference, and ranks fourth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5), leading the Spartans in both categories. He is ninth in 3-point field goals made (2.1). 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 7.4 made 3-pointers per contest, ranking fifth in the Big Ten. Denzel Valentine leads MSU and ranks third in the Big Ten with 56 made 3-pointers (2.4 pg). The Spartans have made eight or more 3-pointers in 12 games, including six games with 10 or more.
The 1,000-Point Club
With four points against Eastern Michigan before leaving with a wrist injury, Branden Dawson became the 46th Spartan to reach 1,000 career points at MSU. With 1,134 career points, he ranks 38th in MSU history, needing 13 points to pass Pete Gent (1,146 points) and 22 points to pass Lindsay Hairston (1,155 points). Bryn Forbes (1,128 points) has also eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark this season, although 905 of those came in his first two seasons at Cleveland State.
Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. That was never on display more than it was last year, as the Spartans established a school single-season record with 637 assists, leading the Big Ten with 16.76 assists per game. This season, MSU is averaging 17.3 assists per game, leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the nation, recording an assist on 64.1 percent of its baskets. In 11 games, MSU has recorded an assist on more than 70 percent of its baskets (vs. Navy 18 ast., 25 FG - 72.0%; vs. Loyola 27 ast., 36 FG - 75.0%; vs. Santa Clara 22 ast., 29 FG - 75.9%; vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff 27 ast., 30 FG - 90.0%; vs. Oakland 25 ast., 34 FG - 73.5%; vs. Eastern Michigan 17 ast., 20 FG - 85.0%; vs. The Citadel 23 ast., 32 FG - 71.9%; vs. Maryland 15 ast., 21 FG - 71.4%; vs. Indiana 21 ast., 28 FG - 75.0%; vs. Iowa 19 ast., 27 FG - 70.4%; vs. Michigan 19 ast., 27 FG - 70.4%).
Ranked Opponents
Michigan State is currently not ranked in either the USA Today Coaches Poll or the Associated Press Top 25. Six Spartan opponents are ranked in the Top 25: Duke (No. 4 AP/No. 5 USA Today), Wisconsin (5/4), Kansas (8/9), Notre Dame (10/11), Maryland (19/19), and Ohio State (23/21).
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 next 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. He had the brace removed prior to MSU's second game vs. Maryland (Jan. 17). 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.
Bess In The Starting Lineup
Javon Bess has started three games in Big Ten play, averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per contest, while bringing some toughness to the Spartan lineup. After missing the first 10 games of the season while recovering from a broken right foot, Bess made his Michigan State debut against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 17. His development was further stunted by a pair of sprained ankles suffered since the return from the holiday break, limiting him to just 33 total minutes in the first four Big Ten games. He suffered a sprained ankle early last week and came off the bench vs. Rutgers and Michigan. He did not play vs. Illinois due to further pain in his foot.
Double-Double Trouble
Four different Spartans have posted a double-double this season as Branden Dawson (vs. Notre Dame-16 pts., 18 reb.; vs. Indiana-14 pts., 13 reb.; vs. Iowa-14 pts., 15 rebs.; vs. Maryland-14 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Penn State-12 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Rutgers-17 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan-19 pts., 10 reb.) leads MSU with seven. Matt Costello (vs. Loyola-13 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Texas Southern-17 pts., 10 reb.), Gavin Schilling (vs. Santa Clara-14 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Penn State-11 pts., 10 reb.) and Denzel Valentine (vs. Santa Clara-13 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Nebraska-21 pts., 11 reb.) each have two. For his career, Dawson has 19 double-doubles, while Valentine has totaled six.
MSU's M.A.S.H. Unit
Michigan State has dealt with injury issues for much of the season. Freshman Javon Bess underwent surgery in late October on a broken bone in his right foot. After missing the first 10 games, he made his debut against Eastern Michigan. A foot injuyr also forced him to miss MSU's game vs. Illinois. Two minor ankle sprains since Christmas have further hampered his development. Sophomore Alvin Ellis III suffered a severe sprained right ankle after just three minutes against Navy and did not return to action until playing five minutes against Notre Dame. Junior Bryn Forbes did not miss any time, but he played with a brace on his left (non-shooting) hand while recovering from a broken bone for the first 10 games. Senior Branden Dawson missed MSU's game vs. Santa Clara with the flu, which also limited his minutes at the Orlando Classic. Against Eastern Michigan, he suffered a wrist injury that kept him out of action for two games. In total, MSU has lost 20 games due to illness and injury for its rotation players.
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 190 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 (175), Texas (166), Kentucky (165), Duke (165), and Illinois (164). (Through games of Feb. 8)
Wollenman Honored For Academics
Colby Wollenman has been named to the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 First Team. The forward from Big Horn, Wyoming, owns a 3.98 overall GPA as a physiology (pre-med) major. First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. He is joined on the All-District 5 First Team by Butler's Alex Barlow, Western Michigan's Austin Richie, Valparaiso's Alec Peters, and Xavier's Matthew Stainbrook.
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.
Preseason All-American
Branden Dawson was named a preseason first-team All-American by The Sporting News. He was a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection as chosen by Lindy's Sports and Sporting News. ESPN.com ranked Dawson No. 15 in its player rankings, while ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman named him a third-team All-American. Dawson was also selected to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list and the Naismith Award Watch List.
Prep Teammates
Michigan State's roster features three pairs of high school teammates. Junior Denzel Valentine has been reunited with high school classmate Bryn Forbes, who spent his first two seasons at Cleveland State. The duo teamed to appear in three-straight Michigan Class B title games from 2010-2012, capturing the state championship in 2011 and 2012. Forbes transferred to MSU this past June, and later received a waiver from the NCAA allowing him to play this season. Freshmen Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. and Marvin Clark Jr. both attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. They were teammates during the 2012-13 season, posting a 29-1 record, with Clark as a senior and Nairn as a junior. Clark then did a year of prep school at Sunrise Christian last season, while Nairn finished his high school career. Sophomores Alvin Ellis III and Gavin Schilling were teammates at Chicago De La Salle as juniors in 2011-12. Ellis graduated from De La Salle, while Schilling spent his final season at Findlay Prep in Nevada. In addition, although Branden Dawson (Indiana) and Travis Trice (Ohio) attended high school in different states, they were AAU teammates for SYF Players over the summer.
Big Ten Schedule
Moving to a 14-team conference for 2014-15, each Big Ten team will play five schools twice, four schools on the road, and four schools at home. Michigan State will go home and home with Maryland, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan, and Illinois. The Spartans will host Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Purdue, while traveling to Iowa, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. Eight of Michigan State's 13 Big Ten opponents appeared in the 2014 postseason, including five in the NCAA Tournament (Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin), two in the NIT (Illinois, Minnesota) and one in the CBI (Penn State).
Spartans In The NBA
Michigan State leads all Big Ten schools with eight players appearing on NBA rosters this season. Gary Harris (Denver) and Adreian Payne (Atlanta) are in their rookie seasons after being selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. They join former Spartans Alan Anderson (Brooklyn), Shannon Brown (Miami), Draymond Green (Golden State), Zach Randolph (Memphis) and Jason Richardson (Philadelphia) in the NBA. Kalin Lucas (Memphis) signed a free-agent contract in November and appeared in his first career game on Nov. 19.
Spartans Sign Strong Recruiting Class
Michigan State signed three talented players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Kyle Ahrens (G, 6-5, 195) led Versailles (Ohio) High School to the Ohio Division III state title game as a sophomore. He was averaging 22 points, seven rebounds as four assists as a junior before suffering a season-ending leg injury in the sixth game of the season. Deyonta Davis (F/C, 6-10, 215) is a five-star big man who averaged 15.0 points, 13.6 rebounds and 7.1 blocks as a junior at Muskegon High School, leading his team to a perfect 28-0 mark and a Michigan Class A state championship. He established a Michigan state high school single-season record with 199 blocks in 2013-14. Matt McQuaid (G, 6-5, 180) averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds as a junior at Duncanville (Texas) High School. He exploded during the off season, averaging 15.6 points in the 2014 Nike EYBL circuit, shooting 45.1 percent from 3-point range. ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman called him "arguably the best pure shooter in the country."
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 20th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 483-195 (.712), and 227-105 (.684) 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 .684 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks fifth all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (.711), former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700), Ohio State's Thad Matta (.692) and former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Matta ranks first at .767, followed by Ryan (.735), Knight (.734), Izzo (.712), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), and Lambert (.709). With 227 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.
