Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Play For A Berth In The Final Four
3/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| No. 7 Michigan State (26-11, 12-6) vs. No. 4 Louisville (27-8, 12-6) | |
| Date | Sunday, March 29, 2015 |
| Time | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| Location | Syracuse, N.Y. | Carrier Dome |
| Television | CBS (Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel, Allie LaForce) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Gus Ganakas, Matt Steigenga) |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Louisville |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Louisville |
| Live Stats | |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
THE OPENING TIP
Michigan State is making its ninth trip to the Elite Eight in 18 NCAA Tournament appearances under Tom Izzo. The Spartans and Cardinals are meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the third time since 2009. MSU defeated Louisville in the 2009 Elite Eight in Indianapolis.
MSU BASKETBALL NOTES
* Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Michigan State has advanced to the Elite Eight nine times (all under Tom Izzo), posting a 6-2 record in its previous eight trips. MSU is 8-4 all-time in a regional final.
* Tom Izzo is appearing in his ninth Elite Eight in 18 NCAA Tournament appearances.
* Louisville leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 5-3. The two schools have met three times before in the NCAA Tournament (1959, 2009, 2012). In the 1959 Mideast Regional Final in Evanston, Illinois, Louisville won, 88-81, despite the Spartans getting 29 points and 23 rebounds from Johnny Green. In the 2009 Midwest Regional Final in Indianapolis, the second-seeded Spartans defeated the top-seeded Cardinals, 64-52, as Tom Izzo advanced to his fifth Final Four, behind 19 points and 10 rebounds from Goran Suton. The Cardinals defeated the top-seeded Spartans in the 2012 Sweet 16, 57-44, as MSU shot just .286 from the floor. Tom Izzo is 2-2 against Louisville in his career.
* MSU is holding its three NCAA Tournament opponents to a .331 field-goal percentage, including just. 208 from behind the arc. MSU has held its last five NCAA Tournament opponents below 40 percent shooting, dating back to last season.
* Travis Trice is averaging a team-best 20.7 points in three NCAA Tournament games, shooting .455 (20-44) from the floor, .455 (10-22) from 3-point range, and .857 (12-14) from the foul line. In the last two games, in wins over No. 2 Virginia and No. 3 Oklahoma, Trice is averaging 23.5 points, while shooting .471 (8-17) from behind the arc.
* Tom Izzo is 12-9 in the NCAA Tournament when Michigan State is the lower-seeded team. The 12 wins are the most all-time in NCAA Tournament history.
* Tom Izzo ranks sixth among active coaches for the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage at .738 (45-16). Duke's Mike Krzyzewski ranks first at .766 (85-26), followed by Louisville's Rick Pitino (.757, 53-17), Kentucky's John Calipari (.755, 37-12), Florida's Billy Donovan (.745, 35-12) and North Carolina's Roy Williams (.739, 65-23). Of those six, Izzo and Krzyzewski are the only coaches to appear in the last 18 NCAA Tournaments. In NCAA Tournament wins, Izzo (45) ranks fifth among active coaches, trailing just Krzyzewski (85), Williams (65), Syracuse's Jim Boeheim (53) and Louisville's Rick Pitino (53). Izzo's 45 wins are the most ever for a Big Ten coach, and tied with Bob Knight (Indiana/Texas Tech) for ninth all-time, one win behind Lute Olson (Iowa and Arizona) in eighth with 46.
* MSU is appearing in its 18th straight NCAA Tournament. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and third longest in the nation. Only Kansas (26) and Duke (20) have longer current streaks. In fact, it is tied with Indiana (1986-2003) for the fourth-longest of all-time, and the longest in Big Ten history.
* MSU's 62 NCAA Tournament wins rank as the eighth-most in NCAA history and second in Big Ten history, trailing only Indiana (64).
* Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is making his 18th-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It's the second-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Mike Krzyzewski, who is making his 20th straight trip this season. The 18-year streak is the longest in Big Ten history by a head coach.
* Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are a remarkable 20-4 in the second game of an NCAA Tournament weekend. All four losses have all come to No. 1 seeds or eventual National Champions. The .833 winning percentage is the best in NCAA Tournament history, ranking ahead of Mike Krzyzewski (.787, 37-10) and Dean Smith (.762, 16-5).
* A win would advance Michigan State to the ninth Final Four in school history and the seventh under head coach Tom Izzo. MSU leads the nation with six Final Four appearances in the last 16 seasons.
* On the season, MSU is limiting teams to 63.0 points on .394 FG%, including .318 from 3-point range. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in 3-point FG pct. defense, while ranking second in field-goal percentage defense and fourth in scoring defense.
* Michigan State is averaging 11.2 turnovers per game. That ranks as the lowest average of the Tom Izzo era, as last year's squad averaged 11.58 per game. MSU is averaging just 8.8 turnovers over the last 12 games, including seven games with eight or fewer.
* Tum Tum Nairn Jr. is just the fourth Spartan freshman to start an NCAA Tournament game at the point, joining Kalin Lucas (2008), Drew Neitzel (2005), and Magic Johnson (1978).
* Over the last two years, Branden Dawson has scored in double figures in 11 of 13 Big Ten and NCAA Tournament games in 2014 and 2015. Over the 13 games, he's averaging 14.8 (192) points and 8.2 (106) rebounds, while shooting .623 (81-130) from the field. Last year, he averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in four NCAA Tournament games. This year, he's averaging 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. For his career, he's averaging 11.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in nine NCAA Tournament games.
* MSU has won 11 of its last 14 games, with just three of the games being played at home. The Spartans have won seven of their last eight games against eight teams that each made the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
* Each of MSU's last eight wins have been by single digits, as the Spartans have not won a game by double figures since Feb. 17 at Michigan (80-67).
* Over the last 14 games, Trice is averaging a team-best 18.3 points and 4.3 assists, including shooting .400 from 3-point range. In the last 12 games, he's averaging 19.3 points and 4.3 assists.
* Michigan State is 87-35 (.713) in March since the 1998-99 season. For his career, Tom Izzo is 94-42 (.691) in March. Over the last six-plus years (2009-present), MSU is 41-15 (.732) in what Coach Izzo calls his favorite month of the year.
* MSU's 616 assists this season rank as the third-best single-season total in school history, 15 behind 2007-08, and 21 behind 2013-14. In 15 games, MSU has recorded an assist on more than 70 percent of its baskets.
* Denzel Valentine is shooting .414 (48-116) over the last 16 games, hitting four or more 3-pointers in eight of the last 16 games, including five vs. Ohio State and seven vs. Minnesota.
* Michigan State owns a Big Ten-best +5.8 rebounding margin, having out-rebounded 27 of 37 opponents. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 532 of 692 opponents (.769), posting a 420-112 (.789) mark in those games.
* With 884 career boards, Branden Dawson stands in eighth place in MSU history, three behind Goran Suton (887 rebounds) in seventh place, and 22 behind Mike Peplowski in sixth place.
* With 96 made 3-pointers, Denzel Valentine ranks fourth on the MSU single-season chart, standing one behind Drew Neitzel (97, 2007-08) and 18 behind Drew Neitzel (114, 2006-07). Valentine has attempted 231 3-pointers, ranking fifth on the single-season list, three behind Chris Hill (234, 2002-03), and 13 behind Drew Neitzel (244, 2007-08).
* With a career record of 111-37, this year's senior class ranks as the third-winningest in MSU history behind just the classes of 2001 (115 wins) and 2002 (112 wins).
* Denzel Valentine is the only player to rank in the Top 15 in the Big Ten in scoring (13th), rebounding (13th) and assists (6th). He also ranks in the Top 15 in 3-point field-goal percentage (6th), 3-point field goals made (2nd), assist-to-turnover ratio (8th), and defensive rebounds (6th).
* Branden Dawson and Draymond Green are the only players in Michigan State history to rank in Top 10 in Spartan career rebounds, blocks and steals. Dawson currently ranks second in blocks (136), seventh in steals (160), and eighth in rebounds (884). In addition, Dawson is tied with Kalin Lucas for sixth in MSU history with 119 starts, one behind Raymar Morgan (120).
* MSU is 12-3 when Tum Tum Nairn Jr. starts, as the freshman has started the last 14 games.
* Michigan State is shooting .386 from 3-point range this season, good for the fourth-best percentage of the Tom Izzo era. MSU has attempted 720 3-pointers in 2,066 field-goal attempts, meaning 34.8 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%).
* The Spartans are a perfect 11-0 when four or more players score in double-figures, and just 15-11 when three or fewer Spartans hit double-figures.
* Should Branden 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). He's already the first to do it in conference games since Minnesota's Richard Coffey in 1988.
* In eight of Michigan State's 11 defeats, the Spartans have either led or been within a possession in the final minute of the contest, with five of the losses coming in overtime (one in double overtime).
* Denzel Valentine ranks second in the Big Ten in made 3-point field goals per game (2.6) and sixth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.416; 96-231).
* Travis Trice ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (5.1 apg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9), leading the Spartans in both categories. With 187 assists this season, he is two behind Drew Neitzel (189, 2005-06) in 10th place on the MSU single-season list, three behind Mark Montgomery (190, 1991-92) in ninth, and four behind Travis Walton (191, 2006-07) in eighth.
* Michigan State is averaging 7.5 made 3-pointers per contest, ranking third in the Big Ten. MSU's 278 made 3-pointers and 720 3-point attempts are the second-highest single-season totals in school history. Only last year's squad had more makes (307) and attempts (783).
* Branden Dawson (1,288 points), Travis Trice (1,102 points), and Denzel Valentine (1,013 points) have each scored 1,000 points in their Spartan career. Bryn Forbes has scored 1,223 career points, but 905 of those came in two seasons at Cleveland State.
* Junior Matt Costello (7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and sophomore Gavin Schilling (5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) have combined to give MSU a solid post presence. The two Spartans average a combined 12.3 points and 9.2 rebounds, shooting .581 (186-320) from the field.
* Michigan State is 2-5 in overtime games this season, as the seven overtime games are the most the Spartans have ever played in a single season. The Spartans are tied with Charlotte for the most overtime games (7), and are the only team in the nation with five overtime losses.
* In total, MSU has lost 35 games due to illness and injury for its rotation players.
MSU NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
* Michigan State's defense is holding opponents to 58.3 points on .331 shooting, including just .208 from 3-point range.
* Three Spartans are averaging double-figures in scoring, including Travis Trice (20.7 ppg), Denzel Valentine (12.7) and Branden Dawson (11.7).
* MSU is averaging just 6.7 turnovers, including just 2.3 in the second half.
* The Spartans are shooting .386 from behind the arc, with Travis Trice (10-22), Bryn Forbes (5-11) and Denzel Valentine (7-18), shooting a combined .431 (22-51).
SWEET 16 NOTES - #7 MSU 62 - #3 OKLAHOMA 58
* MSU improved to 9-4 in the Sweet 16 under Tom Izzo.
* Tom Izzo recorded his 12 NCAA Tournament win as a lower seed (12-9), marking the most in tournament history.
* Denzel Valentine became the 48th Spartan to score 1,000 career points.
* Valentine and Travis Trice combined to score 27 points in the second half, the same point total as Oklahoma after the break.
* MSU shot just .563 from the foul line, but Trice and Valentine combined to shoot 6-of-6 in the final 1:19 to secure the victory.
* Branden Dawson's 11 rebounds were a personal best in NCAA Tournament play.
* MSU committed a season-low five turnovers, including just one in the second half, marking the fewest by the Spartans since committing five vs. Michigan on Jan. 25, 2014, and the fewest in an NCAA Tournament game since committing five vs. North Carolina in the 1998 Sweet 16.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 20th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 494-198 (.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 19 full seasons as a head coach, Izzo has captured eight National Coach of the Year awards, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and NABC honors in 2001 and 2012. In 1999, Izzo was named National Coach of the Year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from The Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98. He also earned National Coach of the Year accolades from CBSSports.com in 2012. He earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1998, 2009 and 2012.
Among The Big Ten's Best
Tom Izzo's .685 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks fourth all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind Wisconsin's Bo Ryan (.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 .761, followed by Ryan (.741), 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 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.
