Jan. 7, 2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

#19/20 Michigan State (9-2, 1-0)
vs. Northwestern (8-5, 1-0)

Jan. 8, 2005
2 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center (14,759)

Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (97.5 FM)

TV: ESPN Plus Regional - Craig Coshun (Play by Play), Greg Kelser (Color)

The Opening Tip

Michigan State enters its Big Ten home opener against Northwestern on a six-game winning streak. The Spartans are looking to open the Big Ten season with a 2-0 mark for the first time since 2000. The Wildcats are looking for their first 2-0 Big Ten start since 1983. MSU is also hoping to record its 19th consecutive win over Northwestern in East Lansing.

Michigan State Game Notes
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The Starting Five (And A Sixth Man)

Big Ten Home Openers - Over the past 54 seasons, Michigan State has posted a 35-19 in Big Ten home openers. Tom Izzo is 7-2 in Big Ten home openers.

Getting Defensive - Michigan State has won six straight games, thanks in large part to its defense. In the last six contests, Spartan opponents are averaging just 57.2 points, with no single opponent scoring more than 64 points. Opponents are also shooting just 40.1 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 17.0 turnovers.

Spartan Point Guards Value The Ball - Michigan State's two point guards, Chris Hill and Drew Neitzel, have done a remarkable job taking care of the basketball during the Spartans' six-game winning streak. In that stretch, the two have combined for 47 assists and just 11 turnovers (Hill - 32 assists, 8 turnovers; Neitzel - 15 assists, 3 turnovers). In the last two games, Hill has recorded 15 assists and no turnovers, while Neitzel has recorded 11 assists and just one turnover in his last four games.

The 1,000 Club - With 11 points against Penn State, Kelvin Torbert (1,005 points) became the 32nd player in Michigan State history to score 1,000 in his career. He joins teammate Chris Hill (1,367) as current Spartans with more than 1,000 career points, while Alan Anderson (898) and Paul Davis (888) also are likely to reach 1,000 points this year.

Hill's Ratio - Chris Hill currently leads the Big Ten with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.71-to-1. That number ranks first among Spartan point guards of the last 20 years, ahead of solid point guards like Mateen Cleaves (1.9 in his last three years); Mark Montgomery (2.3 as a junior), Scott Skiles (2.0 as a senior) and Eric Snow (2.5 as a junior and senior).

The Turnover Story - Taking care of the basketball continues to be a point of emphasis for the Spartans. Michigan State is 8-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than its opponents, but just 1-2 when committing an equal number or more than the opposition. On the season, MSU is averaging 14.5 turnovers per game. In the last five games, the Spartans are averaging 12.8 turnovers per game.

Game 11 Notes - MSU 84 - Penn State 58 - Jan. 5, 2005

* With 11 points, Kelvin Torbert became the 32nd player in Michigan State history to record 1,000 career points.

* Michigan State turned 20 Penn State turnovers into 33 points.

* Michigan State shot 61.1 percent from 2-point range, but just 34.8 percent from behind the arc.

* MSU out-rebounded PSU, the Big Ten's leading offensive rebounding team, 11-10, on the offensive glass, outscoring the Nittany Lions, 14-7, in second-chance points.

* Michigan State improved to 24-31 in Big Ten openers, including 10-22 away from East Lansing. Tom Izzo improved to 6-4 in Big Ten openers, including a 2-4 mark on the road.

Northwestern Notes

Coach Carmody - Bill Carmody (Union College, '75) is 61-69 in his fifth year at Northwestern. Overall, he is 153-94 in nine seasons as a collegiate head coach. He served as head coach at Princeton from 1996-2000.

Wildcat Tidbits - Northwestern has four players with more than 30 assists ... The Wildcats average 17.8 3-point attempts per game, but are shooting just 31.5 percent from behind the arc ... NU's 73-52 win over Indiana in the Big Ten opener marked the Wildcats' first win in a season opener since 1983 ... Northwestern is averaging just 12.3 turnovers per game.

Series History - Michigan State leads the all-time series with Northwestern, 69-36, including a 41-7 advantage in games played in East Lansing. The Spartans have won four straight games in the series, 11 of the last 12, and 31 of the last 33 contests. Michigan State has won 18 straight home games against the Wildcats, with Northwestern's last win in East Lansing coming on Jan. 7, 1984. Tom Izzo is 14-2 against the Wildcats, including 7-0 at the Breslin Center.

MSU Basketball Notes

Getting To The Charity Stripe - As a team, MSU is shooting a nation's best 80.5 percent from the foul line (NCAA stats through Jan. 3), including seven Spartans who are shooting better than 80 percent. Michigan State has done a good job getting to the foul line this season, averaging 21.9 attempts per game. For the season, the Spartans have made almost as many free throws (194) as their opponents have attempted (197). Among players with at least 10 attempts, Shannon Brown paces the way, connecting on 90.9 percent of his attempts (30-of-33). In fact, Brown, Kelvin Torbert (88.5 percent) and Alan Anderson (86.0 percent) rank first, second and third in the Big Ten in percentage.

Big Ten Leaders - The Spartans lead the conference in four statistical categories, including scoring offense (84.2 ppg), scoring margin (+21.5), free-throw percentage (.805) and rebounding margin (+7.4). MSU ranks in the top three in 14 of 19 categories. Individually, Chris Hill leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.71-to-1, while Shannon Brown paces the conference in free-throw percentage (.909). In fact, Brown and teammates Kelvin Torbert (.885) and Alan Anderson (.860) rank first, second and third in the league in free-throw percentage.

Hitting The Boards - Michigan State is doing a much better job rebounding the basketball this season than it did last year. The Spartans are out-rebounding their opponents by a +7.4 margin. They are also hitting the offensive glass, grabbing 12.55 offensive boards per game. MSU leads the conference in rebounding margin and ranks second in offensive rebounds. Rebounding is also a good indicator of the team's success. MSU is 8-0 when it out-rebounds its opponent, 1-2 when it is out-rebounded.

Off The Gridiron, Onto The Hardwood - Matt Trannon is back with the basketball team after playing football in the fall. This year, he ranked second on the team in receptions (36) and yards (405), while also scoring two touchdowns in 11 games. He returned to practice on Monday, Dec. 13. He has appeared in four games this season. In his last three games, he is averaging 5.7 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per contest. He grabbed a career-best seven rebounds against UNC Asheville. Last season, he averaged 6.9 minutes in 17 games, recording 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds.

Using The Bench - Michigan State's bench has outscored its opponent's bench in nine out of 11 games. In fact, Spartan subs have scored 110 more points (10.0 per game). In five of the 11 games, MSU's bench advantage has been greater than 10 points, including three of 19 or more.

Balanced Scoring - Michigan State's impressive offensive performance has been the result of a team effort. Six Spartans are averaging in double figures, led by Maurice Ager at 13.8 ppg. By comparison, just three Spartans averaged in double figures last year, after Chris Hill was the only player to do so in 2002-03.

Taking Turns - Through 11 games, five different Spartans have led the team in scoring this season. Paul Davis has led the team four times. Maurice Ager has led it three times, while Alan Anderson and Kelvin Torbert have each done it twice. Chris Hill has led the team in one game.

Hitting The Mark - Last season, Michigan State was the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (5th, .492), free-throw percentage (4th, .771) and 3-point field-goal percentage (8th, .401). Through 11 games this year, the Spartans are even better, shooting 50.2 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from 3-point range and 80.5 percent from the free-throw line. MSU's shooting should come as no surprise considering the team returns its top six scorers from a 2003-04 squad that became the first team ever to lead the Big Ten in league games in field-goal percentage (.522), 3-point field-goal percentage (.434), free-throw percentage (.777) and scoring offense (71.3 ppg) (conference games only).

Spartans Share The Ball - One of the greatest traits of this Michigan State team is its unselfishness. Through 11 games, MSU is averaging 19.1 assists per game. The Spartans have recorded assists on 210 of their 320 baskets (65.6 percent).

Ager's Explosion - Several Spartans are putting up good numbers, but Maurice Ager has been arguably the most productive player. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game, and ranks second in rebounding with 4.6 boards per contest. He entered the season averaging 7.5 points for his career, shooting 39.2 percent, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range. His accuracy has improved greatly this season, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from 3-point range.

Hill Moves Up Career Scoring List - Chris Hill currently stands at 1,367 points, in 16th place on the MSU all-time scoring list. He needs 11 points to pass Julius McCoy (1,377 points) and move into 15th place. With 174 points, he will move into the top 10.

Hill For Three - Chris Hill is among the best 3-point shooters in MSU history. He ranks second in career 3-point field goals made (275) and career attempts (635) and sixth in career 3-point field-goal percentage (.433). Hill has made at least one 3-point field goal in 103 of 107 games in his career. His 275 career 3-point field goals rank sixth in Big Ten history, 59 behind Penn State's Pete Lisicky.

He Can Pass, Too - In addition to all of his scoring and long-range shooting, Chris Hill is positioned to finish his career among the school's all-time leaders in assists. He currently stands eighth in MSU history with 363 career assists, eight behind 7th-place Charlie Bell. Hill dished out a season-best nine assists against UNC Asheville and recorded eight assists against Stanford.

Chris Hill Off The Court - Chris Hill has been named the 2004 Playboy Magazine Anson Mount Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In recognition of this honor, Michigan State University receives a $5,000 check for its general scholarship fund in Hill's name. Now in its 17th year, the purpose of the award is to call attention to the importance of scholarship combined with excellence in collegiate athletics and to honor an individual who personifies the best qualities of both. In 2003-04, Hill earned first-team Academic All-America honors, becoming the first Spartan to accomplish that feat since Greg Kelser in 1979.

Spartan Depth - Through 11 games, 11 Michigan State Spartans are averaging at least 8.5 minutes of action, including nine players in double digits and six players playing more than 20 minutes. No single player is averaging more than 25.9 minutes per contest.

Good To Be Back Home - Michigan State has been extremely productive offensively in its six home games. The Spartans are averaging 90.2 points, shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3-point range at the Breslin Center.

Torbert Hits The Mark - After shooting 41.1 percent from the floor in his first two seasons, Kelvin Torbert is shooting 54.4 percent in his last two years. In 2003-04, Torbert was the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 10 in field-goal percentage (8th, .534), 3-point field-goal percentage (1st, .484) and free-throw percentage (6th, .800). His .588 3-point percentage in conference games is the second highest mark in conference history. He is off to an equally impressive start this season, shooting 57.1 percent from the floor, 43.3 percent from 3-point range and 88.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Anderson Feeling Comfortable - With the addition of Drew Neitzel to help handle the point guard duties, Alan Anderson has been able to return to his natural forward position. The change has led to increased production, as he is currently averaging 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, shooting 55.8 percent from the field. Prior to this season, he had never averaged 10 points in any season or shot better than 50.3 percent.

No Sophomore Slump - In 2003-04, Shannon Brown earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team, averaging 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game. This season, he is averaging 12.2 points and 3.2 boards in 23.5 minutes per contest.

Breslin Success - Michigan State has sold out 103 consecutive regular-season games at the Breslin Center. Since the start of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State has won 91 of its last 97 regular-season games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .938.

The Century Mark - Michigan State opened the season with three consecutive 100-point games for just the second time in school history (1963-64). Prior to this season, Tom Izzo's Spartans had topped 100 points just twice in his nine full seasons.

Davis Earns Big Ten POW Honors - After scoring a season-best 20 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds vs. Stanford, Paul Davis was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 13. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in recording the 10th 20-point game of his career.

Winning The Right Way - In addition to excelling on the court, the Spartans are standouts in the classroom. Fourteen Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees over the last five years, including five each in 2001 and 2003.

Another Difficult Slate - Michigan State has put together another challenging schedule in 2004-05. It includes five teams that appeared in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (Duke, Illinois, Florida A&M, Stanford and Wisconsin) and five that appeared in the NIT (George Mason, George Washington, Iowa, Michigan and Purdue).

Experience Matters - Michigan State players have a combined 367 starts in their careers, including 257 career starts for Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert. Entering the season, MSU's returning players had 312 career starts (most in the Big Ten) and 601 career appearances (second most in the Big Ten). The trio of Anderson, Hill and Torbert had 235 career starts, making them the most experienced trio in the Big Ten. The Spartans also return 93.7 percent of their scoring, 85.6 percent of their rebounding and 88.3 percent of their minutes from last year.

Spartans On TV - This season, 26 of Michigan State's 27 regular-season games will be televised, including seven on ESPN, one on ESPN2 and three on CBS. In addition, MSU could have one more game on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Davis Earns Preseason Honor - Junior center Paul Davis was selected to the Big Ten preseason all-conference team. As a sophomore, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor. Last year, he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. This season, he has been named a John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-American and a preseason candidate for the Naismith Award.

The Golden Arches - Michigan State is becoming the home for McDonald's All-Americans. Over the past six seasons, seven McDonald's All-Americans have joined the Spartan squad, including Jason Richardson in 1999, Marcus Taylor and McDonald's All-American All-Star game MVP Zach Randolph in 2000, Kelvin Torbert in 2001, Paul Davis in 2002 and Shannon Brown and Brandon Cotton in 2003.

Home To Mr. Basketball - Five of the last six recipients of Michigan's Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award, presented to the top high school player in the state, have gone on to wear a Spartan jersey. Jason Richardson (Saginaw Arthur Hill HS) won the award in 1999, followed by Marcus Taylor (Lansing Waverly HS) in 2000, Kelvin Torbert (Flint Northwestern HS) in 2001, Paul Davis (Rochester HS) in 2002 and Drew Neitzel (Wyoming Park HS) in 2004. While the 2003 winner did not attend MSU, Shannon Brown (Proviso East HS) captured Illinois' Mr. Basketball Award that same year.

Spartans In The NBA - Listed below is an update on seven former Spartans currently on NBA rosters: (Stats current through Jan. 2.)

	Mateen Cleaves (Seattle): 8 GP, 1.6 mpg, 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.3 apg
	Morris Peterson (Toronto): 31 GP, 23.2 mpg, 8.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.1 apg
	Zach Randolph (Portland): 28 GP, 38.4 mpg, 20.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.1 apg
	Jason Richardson (Golden State): 29 GP, 37.3 mpg, 20.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.4 apg
	Steve Smith (Charlotte): 22 GP, 19.8 mpg, 9.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.0 apg
	Eric Snow (Cleveland): 28 GP, 20.4 mpg, 3.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3.2 apg
	Kevin Willis (Atlanta): 21 GP, 12.4 mpg, 3.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg