Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Host Illini In Big Ten Home Opener
1/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| #5/5 Michigan State (14-1, 1-1) vs. Illinois (8-7, 0-2) | |
| Date | Thursday, January 7 , 2016 |
| Time | 9 p.m. ET |
| Location | East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center |
| Television | ESPN (Jason Benetti, Jim Calhoun) |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Will Tieman, Matt Steigenga) | Sirius 83/XM 195 |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Illinois |
| Statistics | Michigan State | Illinois |
| Live Stats | |
| Tickets | Purchase Tickets |
| Social Media | @MSU_Basketball  | Facebook  | Instagram |
The Opening Tip
Michigan State returns home to host Illinois in the Spartans' Big Ten home opener. The Spartans opened conference play by splitting a pair of road contests, while the Illini lost their first two conference games. Eighteen of the last 19 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
The Starting Five
1. Great Start
Despite losing for the first time this season at Iowa after setting a school record by winning the first 13 games of the season, Michigan State's 14-1 start is uncommonly good. Only the 1930-31, 1977-78, 2000-01, 2007-08, and 2013-14 teams also opened with 14 wins in their first 15 games.
2. Big Ten Home Openers
Over the past 65 seasons, Michigan State has posted a 45-20 mark in Big Ten home openers. Tom Izzo is 17-3 in Big Ten home openers, including winning 12 of his last 13.
3. Great To Be Back Home
Michigan State's game against Illinois marks the first home game for the Spartans since Dec. 12, when MSU defeated Florida. 58-52. Since then, the Spartans have played one neutral-site contest (vs. Oakland) and three road games (at Northeastern, at Iowa, at Minnesota). It's the largest in-season gap (25 days without a game) between home games for Michigan State since the 1986-87 season (Dec. 13, 1986-Jan. 8, 1987). MSU is a perfect 7-0 at Breslin Center this season.
4. Costello Steps Up
Senior Matt Costello is having his best season as a Spartan, averaging 8.9 points and 7.0 rebounds. More importantly, he has raised his game in the last three contests with fellow senior Denzel Valentine on the bench, averaging 14.7 points and a team-best 11.0 rebounds. He's scored a career high-tying 17 points against both Iowa and Minnesota, while grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds at Minnesota. He's posted a double-double in two of the three games Valentine has missed.
5. 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 (13th, 61.3), field-goal percentage defense (2nd, .360) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (8th, .273). Just five teams have shot better than 40 percent from the field and just four have bettered 35 percent behind the 3-point arc. The final step of a defensive possession is securing a defensive rebound, an area which MSU excels, grabbing a conference-best 75.9 percent of opponents' missed shots.
MSU vs. Illinois Notes
Series History
The all-time series between Michigan State and Illinois is tied at 58. The Spartans own a 36-20 advantage in games played in East Lansing, although the Illini have won the last two games at Breslin Center. MSU has won nine of the last 14 against Illinois and 11 of the last 17. Eighteen of the last 19 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. Tom Izzo is 21-16 in his career against the Illini. The road team has won the last four games in the series.
Coach Groce
John Groce (Taylor, '94) is 155-105 in his eighth season as a head coach, including 70-49 in his fourth season at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Groce spent four seasons at Ohio University, leading the Bobcats to an 85-56 mark. In 2011-12, he directed Ohio to a 29-8 record, advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. His coaching career includes stints as an assistant at Taylor, North Carolina State, Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Illinois defeated Michigan State, 59-54, on Feb. 7, 2015, in East Lansing. The Spartans got off to a quick 10-2 start, but missed on multiple opportunities to make the margin even larger. Illinois led by a single point at the half, and by as many as seven points in the second half. 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 a late box-out of Trice. Trice missed the second free throw and Bryn Forbes went to the foul line with two free throws for the technical 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. Valentine led MSU with 16 points, while Malcolm Hill led all scorers with 19 points. MSU made just 7-of-18 from the foul line, including missing the front end of two one-and-ones.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Illinois, 60-53, on Feb. 22, 2015, in Champaign. MSU held a slim lead for most of the contest. Denzel Valentine hit a 3-pointer with 5:56 left to take a 49-41 lead. Travis Trice followed with a free throw and a driving layup to push MSU's lead out to 11 points at 52-41. Trice and Valentine combined to score 28 of MSU's 34 second-half points, as Valentine finished with a game-high 20 points and Trice added 18. MSU made just 3-of-15 3-pointers, but hit a season-high 85.0 percent from the foul line. The Spartans held the Illini to 28.8 percent shooting from the field, including just 12.5 percent from behind the arc. Malcolm Hill led Illinois with 17 points.
Illini Notes
Illinois juniors Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill combine to form the highest-scoring duo in the Big Ten and rank among the nation's leaders, averaging a combined 36.4 ppg ... Illinois leads the Big Ten in turnover margin (+3.4) ... All 12 Illini who have played in a game have started at least one contest, but only four players have played in all 15 games ... Illinois is averaging 9.9 made 3-pointers over the last nine games.
MSU Basketball Notes
Denzel Valentine -- 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 is tied for first in the Big Ten in assists (7.1 apg), while ranking second in scoring (18.5 ppg) and third in rebounding (8.3 rpg). He is the only players to rank in the Top 10 in the Big Ten in all three categories. Valentine also leads the Big Ten in defensive rebounds (7.5 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. 5 in basketball and No. 3 in football. Oklahoma (No. 2 BB, No. 4 FB) is the only other school with both programs ranked in the Top 5. North Carolina and Iowa are the other schools with both programs ranked. (Football AP Top 25-Dec. 6; Basketball AP Top 25-Jan. 4). 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.
Making The Most Of An Opportunity
Junior Eron Harris has started the last three games for Michigan State in place of an injured Denzel Valentine. In games against Oakland, Iowa and Minnesota, Harris is averaging a team-best 19.3 points, shooting .486 from the field and averaging 8.7 foul shots per game. In addition, Harris is averaging 5.0 rebounds in the last three contests.
Spartans Share The Ball
Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams. Michigan State is averaging 21.0 assists, ranking third in the nation and recording an assist on 315 of 425 field goals (74.1 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.
Tum Tum Takes Care of the Ball
Michigan State point guard Tum Tum Nairn Jr. isn't known for his scoring, but he's earned the right to be the Spartans' starting point guard with his leadership, defense and ability to take care of the ball. With 67 assists and just 13 turnovers on the season, he ranks sixth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.2). In the last 12 games, he has posted a 6.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (59 assists, 9 turnovers). He committed just six turnovers in the month of December.
Breslin Advantage
Michigan State is 358-54 (.869) at home all-time since Breslin Center opened in 1989, including 183-41 (.817) in Big Ten play. Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 284-39 (.879) at Breslin, including a 142-28 (.835) conference record.
Spartan Comebacks
Michigan State has shown the ability to overcome adversity during its 14-1 start to the 2015-16 season, as the Spartans have overcome double-figure deficits in three victories. MSU trailed Oakland by a season-high 15 points in the first half, and also trailed Kansas and Louisville by 13 points in the first half.
Izzo Third In Wins At Big Ten School
With 509 career wins, Tom Izzo is three wins shy of tying Gene Keady (512 wins) for second-most victories at a Big Ten school, trailing only Bob Knight (661 wins). Izzo is also third all-time with 234 Big Ten wins, trailing just Knight (353 wins) and Keady (265 wins).
Big Ten Success
Michigan State has won 13 regular-season Big Ten Championships 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 592-468 (.558) in league play, including 234-108 (.684) under Tom Izzo, who ranks third in league history with 234 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 234-108, 13.5 games better than second-place Wisconsin (221-122).
It's All About Boardwork
Michigan State owns a remarkable +13.6 rebounding margin, leading the Big Ten and ranking third in the nation, as the Spartans have out-rebounded 14 of 15 opponents this season, including Louisville by +10, after the Cardinals entered the game with a +21.4 margin. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 546 of 709 opponents (.770), posting a 433-113 (.793) 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.
Forbes For Three
Senior Bryn Forbes is proving to be one of top shooters in the country. For his career, he's made 254-of-601 attempts from behind the arc, good for a .423 shooting percentage. He's made a 3-pointer in 105 of 118 career games, including in 13 of 15 contests this season. He's opened 2015-16 by making 42-of-89 (.472), ranking 10th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage. Forbes has made three or more 3-pointers in nine games and ranks tied for third in the Big Ten for 3-point field goals made (2.8).
Offensive Rebounding
Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game, while also ranking second in offensive rebound percentage, grabbing 38.7 percent of its missed shots. The Spartans are averaging 12.4 second-chance points per contest, outscoring opponents by a +3.3 margin.
Improved Foul Shooting
Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 91st in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting .719 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.
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 (184), Texas (176), Duke (173) and Kentucky (171).
All-Time Block Leaders
Matt Costello ranks fourth in MSU history with 121 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.
Spartan Depth
Nine Spartans average double-figure minutes, while 11 average more than nine minutes, and 13 average more than seven minutes. MSU has needed its depth as Gavin Schilling missed the first 11 contests with a turf toe injury before returning against Northeastern. Marvin Clark Jr. has played just 117 minutes in 12 games after a foot injury kept him out of action for two months. Both Schilling and Clark were slated to be potential starters this season. MSU's practice on Dec. 17 was the first of the season where every player was cleared for full participation, however Denzel Valentine is out with an injury suffered in practice on Dec. 20.
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 Matt Costello (vs. UAPB, Oakland and Minnesota) has three double-doubles and Deyonta Davis (vs. Florida Atlantic) has one.
Valentine Lends A Helping Hand
Denzel Valentine is tied for the Big Ten lead and ranks eighth in the nation, averaging 7.1 assists per contest. With 483 assists for his career, he ranks ninth in MSU history, eight behind Earvin Johnson (491). In games in which he has played, Valentine has either made or assisted on 45.9 percent of MSU's field goals, as he boasts a career-best 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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 fifth in the Big Ten, shooting .389 from behind the arc, led by Bryn Forbes at .472, as nine different Spartans have made a 3-pointer.
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 fourth in the Big Ten in blocks (2.1 bpg), second in field-goal percentage (.663) and has scored in double-figures in seven 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 32 blocks, Davis already has established the single-season record for a Spartan freshman.
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 signs of improvement recently, averaging 5.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 12.5 minutes in his last six 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). He made his first start of the season at Iowa, totaling seven points and a season-high tying six rebounds. However, he injured his hand at Iowa and missed the game at Minnesota.
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.
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 125 career games, needing to play in 21 more to hold sole position of the top spot in Spartan history. Valentine ranks ninth in MSU career assists (483), needing 93 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 197 made 3-pointers and sixth with 506 3-point attempts. He needs five eight more made 3-pointers to tie Travis Trice and Maurice Ager for fifth all-time at MSU, and six more attempts to tie Trice for fifth-most attempts.
MSU At No. 1
Michigan State held the No. 1 position in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls for a school-record four weeks earlier this season. It marked just the fourth time in school history, including the third time under Tom Izzo, for a total of 11 weeks. 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 14-5 at No. 1.
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 1,272 career points. He needs four points to pass Quinton Brooks (1,275 points) and 25 points to pass Matt Steigenga (1,296 points). Bryn Forbes has 1,441 career points, 905 of which came in his first two seasons at Cleveland State. Eron Harris surpassed 1,000 career points with his 21-point effort at Iowa. He's totaled 1,015 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).
MSU In The Polls
Michigan State is currently ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 and No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Three other Big Ten schools are ranked including Maryland (No. 3 Associated Press/No. 3 USA Today), Iowa (No. 19/23) and Purdue (No. 20/18). In addition to the conference opponents, MSU defeated Kansas (No. 1/2) in the Champions Classic, defeated Providence (No. 8/9) in the Wooden Legacy, and defeated Louisville (No. 16/16) 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.
Strength of Schedule
Eight of MSU's 13 non-conference contests featured 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.
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 -- focused on improving the visitor experience -- 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 509-200 (.718), and 234-108 (.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 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 .684 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks fifth 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 former Purdue coach Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Matta ranks first at .757, followed by Ryan (.737), Knight (.734), Izzo (.718), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), and Lambert (.709). With 234 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.
