2015 MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class: Charlie Bell
9/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Michigan State will induct six new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 17. In the fifth of a six-part series this week on msuspartans.com, former Spartan men's basketball All-American Charlie Bell is featured.
Michigan State's all-time leader in games started, Charlie Bell entered MSU with a reputation of being a terrific scorer. Over his four years, the 2001 All-American developed into one of the greatest all-around players in Spartan basketball history, especially exceling as a rebounder and defensive player, and still holds the MSU record by appearing in 115 Spartan victories. During Bell's career, MSU won the 2000 NCAA Championship, four-straight Big Ten Championships (1998-2001), back-to-back Big Ten Tournaments (1999, 2000) and appeared in three-straight Final Fours (1999-2001).
Bell finished his career with 1,468 career points, which currently ranks 19th in MSU history. His 136 starts are the most in Spartan history, seven more than any other player. He ranks sixth in career games played (140), a total which ranked first at the end of his career. He is one of just three Spartans to post a triple-double during his career, and one of just two Spartans to capture MSU's Best Defensive Player Award four-straight seasons.
"I was shocked when I got the call from Mark Hollis, but I was also extremely happy," Bell said. "I had a lot of different emotions, and I was just trying not to cry.
"When I look back on my time at Michigan State, the first thing that comes to mind is the time I spent with my teammates. I was blessed to have great teammates, and the bond that comes with being a part of the Spartan family remains strong to this day. Coach Izzo made us work harder than I had ever worked before at the time. Beyond basketball, he instilled values that I still live by today. Going through those battles with my fellow Flintstones and fellow freshman Andre Hutson made us brothers for life.
"I never dreamed of being in the Hall of Fame, but I'm tremendously humbled by this honor. To be mentioned with some of the other Hall of Famers, both previous inductees and fellow members of my class, is awesome. I played basketball to have fun, without worrying about what honors would come my way or caring about my individual stats. I always tried to enjoy the moment and win as many games as we could.
"There were times where I could have selfishly looked to score more, but I always prided myself on being unselfish," Bell continued. "I was willing to do whatever it took to win, whether that meant playing the point or shooting guard, defending the other team's best player, grabbing a rebound, getting the ball to a teammate, or sometimes taking the tough shot.
"This is a great honor, and one that I wouldn't have realized without tremendous support from so many people throughout the university, including our fans and alumni. But most importantly, I need to thank my teammates and coaches. They were always there to help me get better, and their support and guidance made me into the player I became."
After finishing his prep career as the Flint area's all-time leading scorer, Bell made an immediate impact as a freshman. He started his first collegiate game, scoring a team-high 15 points in a win against East Tennessee State. For the year, he started all 30 games and ranked third on the team in both scoring (9.2 points per game) and rebounding (4.4 rpg.). In what was the first of MSU's active 18-year NCAA Tournament streak, Bell averaged 13.7 points, ranking second on the team, and shot 53.8 percent from the field during the Spartans' run to the Sweet 16.
During his sophomore campaign in 1998-99, Bell averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, as MSU posted a 33-5 record and advanced to the school's first Final Four since 1979. His best scoring effort of the season was a 26-point game at Oakland.
As a junior, Bell earned third-team All-Big Ten honors, averaging 11.5 points, ranking third on the team, and 4.9 rebounds, ranking fourth. Defensively, Bell led MSU with 47 steals. While All-America point guard Mateen Cleaves missed the first 13 games of the season, Bell was asked to play a larger role, totaling 12.6 points and 3.9 assists. He scored 21 points in a December contest against No. 4 Kansas, earning a spot on the All-Great Eight Team, and also was named to the Spartan Classic and Puerto Rico Shootout All-Tournament Teams. He scored at least 20 points in three-straight games against Kansas (21), Arizona (20), and Oakland (20). In Big Ten play, he led MSU with 22 points in an overtime win against Indiana, as Tom Izzo recorded his 100th career victory. On Senior Day, he scored a career-best 31 points against Michigan, as MSU posted a 114-63 win. In postseason play, he averaged 7.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists on the Spartans' run to the NCAA title, while earning a spot on the All-Final Four Team.
Bell's senior season opened with a bang, posting a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Oakland. He joined Magic Johnson as the only Spartans to ever post a triple-double at the time, and remains just one of three players in MSU history to accomplish the feat.
He assumed a greater leadership role as a senior. He increased his scoring average to 13.5 points, but gained even more attention for his all-around performance. CBS SportsLine.com's Dan Wetzel wrote, "He's the best all-around player on the best all-around team," while Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl added, "Not a highlights-at-11 kind of guy, but no player does a wider variety of things for his team." Bell scored in double figures in 24 of 33 games, including matching his career high with 31 points against Eastern Washington, hitting 12-of-13 shots from the field, including all three 3-point attempts.
The individual honors rolled in for the player that was always willing to sacrifice individual praise for team success. He earned NABC Second-Team All-America and Associated Press Third-Team All-America honors. ESPN's Dick Vitale added Bell to his All-America second team, while also naming Bell the best defensive guard in the nation. Bell also was named a Wooden Award All-American. He shared Team MVP honors, as voted on by the media, while the conference media voted him First-Team All-Big Ten.
But what remained most important to Bell was team success. The Spartans became just the fourth team to win four-straight Big Ten Championships, and also advanced to a third-straight Final Four. Bell's 2001 senior class set a then-Big Ten record with 115 wins, as Bell was the only player to appear in all 115, and also posted a 56-3 home record at the Breslin Center.
Following graduation, Bell was not selected in the 2001 NBA Draft, but he did play in the NBA during the 2001-02 season, splitting time between Phoenix and Dallas. After three successful seasons overseas in Italy and Spain, Bell returned to the NBA for the 2005-06 season. He spent five years with Milwaukee (2005-10), and one with Golden State (2010-11). His best season came in 2006-07, as he averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists with the Bucks.