Feb. 5, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#5/5 Michigan State (19-4, 9-1)
vs. Illinois (15-8, 7-3)
Feb. 6, 2010
9 p.m. EST
Champaign, Ill.
Assembly Hall
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play),
Gus Ganakas and Matt Steigenga (Color), Adam Ruff (Host)
Flagship - WJIM 1240 AM/WMMQ 94.9 FM;
TV: ESPN - Dan Shulman (Play by Play), Dick Vitale (Color),
Erin Andrews (Sidelines)
Michigan State Game Notes
Illinois Game Notes
Listen To Spartan Sports Podcasts
Coach Izzo | Delvon Roe | Korie Lucious
The Opening Tip
Michigan State looks to bounce back from its first Big Ten loss of the season as it travels to Champaign to face Illinois. The Spartans currently lead the conference with a 9-1 mark, while the Illini are one of four teams that sit just two games back. MSU has experienced recent success at Illinois, winning in its last two trips to Assembly Hall. Michigan State has been a part of four of the five Big Ten appearances on ESPN College GameDay.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans On The Big Ten Road
After winning four of its first five Big Ten road games of the season, Michigan State has won 12 of its last 14 Big Ten road contests, equaling the best 14-game stretch in school history. In 2008-09, the Spartans were 8-1 on the road, establishing a school record for most number of league road victories.
2. A Resilient Group of Spartans
Michigan State has not lost consecutive games this season, bouncing back in strong fashion from every previous defeat. After its three previous defeats, MSU has out-scored opponents by an average of 88.3-65.3, shooting 54.8 percent from the field and holding opponents to 39.3 percent shooting. The Spartans are also shooting 47.4 percent from 3-point range and out-rebounding opponents by a +12.3 margin. MSU has not last back-to-back games since February 2008.
3. Morgan, Green On Target
Raymar Morgan and
Draymond Green rank one-two in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage in league games. Morgan paces the conference at .613 (46-of-75), followed by Green at .561 (37-66). Throughout the conference, just 11 players are hitting 50 percent or better in league play.
4. Big Ten Defense
Michigan State's defense has been very effective in league play, holding opponents to 60.6 points per game, ranking third in the Big Ten. MSU's conference opponents are shooting .400 from the field, ranking second in the league, including .303 from 3-point range, ranking fourth. Overall, MSU ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.400).
5. Summers Earns POW Honors
Durrell Summers is averaging 15.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in the last three games. He averaged 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in two games last week, recording two double-doubles vs. Michigan and Northwestern. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds at Michigan and a Spartan season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds vs. Northwestern. For his efforts he was named Big Ten Player of the Week, becoming the first Spartan honored this year. He's also averaging 3.0 assists and 3.0 offensive rebounds over the last three games, while shooting .567 from the field. He has three double-doubles on the season, having also recorded one vs. Gonzaga.
MSU vs. Illinois Notes
Series History
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Illinois, 54-53, although the Illini own a 34-17 advantage in Champaign. MSU has won five straight against Illinois and seven of the last eight. The last 10 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. Tom Izzo is 17-11 in his career against the Illini.
Coach Weber
Bruce Weber (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, '84) is 270-119 in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, including 167-65 in seven seasons at Illinois. Prior to his arrival in Champaign, Weber posted a 103-54 mark at Southern Illinois.
The Last Meeting
Michigan State defeated Illinois, 73-63, on Jan. 16, 2010, in East Lansing. The Illini held a 24-18 lead with 6:22 remaining in the first half. MSU then scored 11 straight points to spark a 46-17 run from the 5:50 mark of the first half until the 8:07 mark of the second half, holding a 23-point lead late in the game. Illinois made a late run but never got closer than 10 points. Kalin Lucas paced the Spartans with 20 points, while Delvon Roe scored a season-high 15 points. After being out-rebounded, 18-17, in the first half, the Spartans were +9 on the boards in the second half. Michigan State's defense limited Mike Tisdale to two points on 0-of-1 shooting. Tisdale entered the game averaging 20.3 points in the first four league contests.
The Last Meeting In Champaign
Michigan State clinched a share of the 2009 Big Ten Championship with a 74-66 win at Champaign on March 1, 2009. The Spartans held a 37-30 lead at halftime. MSU pushed its lead out to 11 points early in the second half, but Illinois rallied back to tie the game at 58 with 7:19 left. The Spartans, however, would not allow another Illini field goal until the 33 second mark, going on an 11-3 run. Mike Tisdale was a factor in Illinois' comeback with 13 second-half points, but he did not score after Idong Ibok entered the game defensively with 7:08 remaining and the score tied at 58. With the score deadlocked at 58, Kalin Lucas scored five of MSU's next nine points and assisted on another basket, en route to his game-high 18 points. The Spartans committed just four turnovers in the second half, compared to 11 for Illinois.
Illini Notes
Illinois paces the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense in league action (.376) ... Demetri McCamey leads the Big Ten in assists (6.2 apg), including a 7.1 average in league contests ... Mike Davis leads the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.7 boards per contest ... Six different Illini have scored 20 points or more in a single game this season.
Game 23 Recap - Wisconsin 67 - MSU 49
* Kalin Lucas sprained his ankle at the 10:47 mark of the second half and did not return.
* Wisconsin out-scored MSU, 27-6, on 3-pointers.
* Wisconsin was the first team to shoot better than 50 percent from the field against Michigan State in conference play.
* Michigan State scored a season-low 49 points.
* Durrell Summers was the only Spartan in double figures with 11 points, marking his third straight double-figure scoring game.
* Michigan State and Wisconsin were even on the boards in the first half, but the Spartans held a 19-12 margin in the second half.
* Wisconsin native Korie Lucious scored nine points for MSU, a season high in a Big Ten game.
MSU Basketball Notes
20-Win Seasons
With one more victory, Michigan State will record its 11th 20-win season in the last 13 years, all under head coach Tom Izzo. Of the previous 18 20-win seasons in Spartan history, Izzo has been involved in 15 of them, 10 as a head coach and five as an assistant.
It's All About Boardwork
Last season, Michigan State led the nation in rebounding margin at +9.3, marking the third time in the last 10 years the Spartans have paced the nation. Including 2009-10, MSU has led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 11 of the last 13 years. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 388 of 496 opponents (.782), posting a 309-79 (.796) mark in those games. This season, MSU has out-rebounded its opponents by a margin of +9.7, ranking third in the nation (as of Feb. 5), bettering 19 of 23 teams, and tying two. The Spartans are 17-2 when out-rebounding an opponent, but 2-2 when failing to do so.
Potent Offense
With its up-tempo style of basketball, it's no surprise that Michigan State is among the most productive offensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans currently rank second in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 75.3 points per game. It's a team effort as just one player (Kalin Lucas, 7th-15.6 ppg) ranks in the top 20 in scoring.
Bench Production
Michigan State's bench is averaging 26.4 points per game, including 20.4 points in Big Ten play. On average, MSU's bench is out-scoring Big Ten opponents' benches by a 20.4-11.8 margin, including a remarkable 27-3 edge in the first meeting with Minnesota. Draymond Green (10.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (10.2 ppg) average in double figures off the bench, while Green is also MSU's leading rebounder.
Turnovers, Defense Make A Difference
Two key factors have emerged as a difference between winning and losing for Michigan State: turnovers and field-goal percentage defense. The Spartans are averaging 17.3 turnovers in their four losses, including 23 vs. Florida and 22 vs. Texas, leading to 18.8 points for the opponent per game. In 19 wins, MSU is averaging just 13.7 turnovers, leading to just 14.0 opponent points. Defensively, MSU is 15-0 when holding teams below 41 percent shooting, but 4-4 when an opponent shoots above 41 percent. With North Carolina (.579) and Texas (.561) both shooting well above 50 percent, the Spartans are allowing opponents to shoot .513 in their losses, compared to .376 in victory.
Raymar On The Mark
Raymar Morgan is averaging 12.5 points, while shooting .644 from the field (29-of-45) in the last six games. He's also averaging 6.7 rebounds in that stretch. He's scored in double figures in six of 10 league games. His run started with a 14-point, 10-rebound effort against Illinois.
Picking Up Where He Left Off
One of the main reasons Kalin Lucas was named 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year was his ability to lead the Spartans to victory on the road in conference play, averaging 18.0 points in league road games. In 2010 road games, Lucas has picked up where he left off last season, averaging a team-best 15.2 points. For his career, Lucas is averaging 14.1 points in 23 conference road games. Over the last two seasons, that average jumps to 17.1 points per contest.
Mr. Clutch
Kalin Lucas knocked down a jumper with 3.5 seconds left to give MSU a 57-56 win at Michigan. Just three days earlier, Lucas hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 left at Minnesota to snap a 62-62 tie in MSU's 65-64 victory. This isn't the first time in his career that Lucas has hit a clutch shot in the game's final moments. In the 2009 Sweet 16 vs. Kansas, Lucas converted on a three-point play with 48 seconds left, snapping a 60-60 tie in MSU's 67-62 victory.
One-Point Victories
For the first time in Michigan State basketball history, the Spartans have recorded back-to-back one-point road victories (at Minn. 65-64, at Mich. 57-56). Previously, MSU's last one-point Big Ten win came at Minnesota in 2004. The Spartans have not won two Big Ten games by a single point since 1995. The last time MSU won consecutive one-point games came in 1937 (at Geneva, vs. Kentucky).
A Touch Of Green In Big Ten Stats
Draymond Green ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.9 rpg), third in field-goal percentage (.583) and 10th in steals (1.43 spg). His 1.79 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh in the league, and first among non-guards. He is the only player in the league 6-foot-6 or taller to average more than three assists per game.
A Program First
For the first time in 60 years of playing Big Ten basketball, Michigan State will play six of eight conference games away from East Lansing. Twice before (1955 & 1975), the Spartans have played six of eight games on the road in the middle of the conference season, but in both cases, at least one of the road games was a non-conference tilt. While it's unusual to have a stretch like this, it's not unheard of, as this is the sixth occurrence since the 1999-2000 season, joining Purdue (1999-2000), Indiana (2002-03), Ohio State (2002-03), Iowa (2003-04) and Michigan (2003-04). In 2001, MSU did play five of six games on the road during its Big Ten championship season.
Go Green
Sophomore Draymond Green is proving to be one of the most versatile players in the Big Ten and one of the nation's premier sixth men, coming off the bench in 20 of 23 games. He is averaging a team-best 7.9 boards per game, recording double-figure rebounds in seven games. Further demonstrating his versatility, he ranks first on the team in steals (33) and field-goal percentage (.583), second in blocks (20) and third in assists (3.0 apg) and fourth in scoring (10.2 ppg). He's recorded four double-doubles on the season. And despite coming off the bench in a majority of the contests, he ranks fourth on the squad in minutes per game (25.4 mpg).
Hot Start In League Play
For the first time in 60 seasons of Big Ten basketball, Michigan State opened league play with an 9-0 record. The previous best conference start was 7-0, established in 1977-78, when Earvin "Magic" Johnson was a Spartan freshman.
Attacking The Offensive Glass
Michigan State is averaging a Big Ten-best 13.70 offensive rebounds per contest, leading to 14.1 second chance points per game. The Spartans are grabbing 40.8 percent of their misses. Michigan State grabbed more offensive boards than its opponent had defensive boards in games against Florida, Wofford and The Citadel. The Spartans are paced in offensive rebounds by Delvon Roe with 2.30 per contest.
Offensive Balance
Michigan State has proven it has several different offensive weapons as four Spartans currently average in double figures. Kalin Lucas paces the Spartan offense at 15.6 points per game, followed by Raymar Morgan (11.0 ppg), Durrell Summers (10.8 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.2 ppg). Chris Allen is just outside that group at 8.9 ppg. MSU has had four or more players score in double figures in 13 games, as eight different players have scored 10 or more points at least once this season, and six different players have led the team in scoring in a single game.
Winning In Different Fashions
A sign of a great team is the ability to win different kinds of basketball games. Michigan State has already shown some of that trait in the Big Ten season, winning at Northwestern with a 91-point offensive outburst, and defeating Wisconsin, 54-47, with a stifling defensive effort, holding the Badgers to 33.3 percent shooting. It's reminiscent of the 2000 NCAA Championship team that defeated Wisconsin, 53-41, in the National Semifinal and then sprinted by Florida, 89-76, in the title game. Just last year, MSU defeated Louisville in the Elite Eight with 64 points, and beat Connecticut in the Final Four with 82 points.
Spartan Depth
Nine different Spartans are averaging 7.7 minutes or more, including seven at 20.7 minutes or more. Kalin Lucas leads Michigan State with 30.9 minutes per contest after averaging a team-best 31.9 minutes per game last season. The Spartans have also used 12 different starting lineups, as 10 different Spartans have started a game, and no one has started every game. Last season, MSU used 14 different starting lineups, including nine in the first 12 games.
Lucas On Target
Kalin Lucas has elevated his shooting accuracy as a junior. Having entered the season with a career field-goal percentage of .410, Lucas is shooting .462 from the field this year, including a team-best .378 from behind the 3-point arc.
On The Mark
As a team, Michigan State is shooting .482 from the floor, ranking second in the Big Ten and 20th in the nation (as of Feb. 5). In league play, MSU is shooting .453, ranking fourth. Individually, six Spartans are connecting on better than 50 percent of their shots, led by Tom Herzog at .800 (8-of-10). Among players with more than 30 attempts, Draymond Green paces the way at .587 (88-150), ranking third in the Big Ten, just ahead of teammate Raymar Morgan (.562), who ranks fifth.
Better At The Foul Line
Michigan State has struggled at the foul line this season, converting at a .689 percentage. The Spartans, however, are showing improvement recently, hitting .724 percent of their attempts in the last 13 games, raising the team's average from .644 to its current mark. Individually, Durrell Summers ranks sixth in the conference (.821), while Kalin Lucas ranks eighth (.807), including .860 in league play, ranking fourth in the Big Ten.
Spartan Defense
One of Tom Izzo's early concerns about his team was the defense, having lost 2009 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Travis Walton and outstanding post defender Goran Suton. For the most part, however, the Spartans have responded early, limiting opponents to 40.0 percent on the season, as only four opponents have shot better than 44 percent. MSU has been equally stingy on its 3-point defense, holding teams to 31.1 percent shooting behind the arc, limiting eight opponents to 25 percent or lower.
Allen Rounds Out His Game
Chris Allen entered Michigan State with the reputation of being a great shooter. Through his first two years, he struggled with consistency, but has elevated his level of play as a junior. Allen leads the squad in 3-point field goals made (33) and attempted (90) and ranks second in percentage (.367). He's also shooting .428 from the floor. His previous career high percentages were .385 from the floor and .360 from 3-point range, both established last season. As his offense improves so has the rest of his game as he is averaging career best in rebounds (3.0 rpg), assists (2.3 apg) and steals (0.5 spg). He's also emerged as one of MSU's best perimeter defenders.
Sims Joins Squad
Dion Sims joined the Michigan State basketball team for his first practice on Jan. 11 after spending the fall with the football team, where he caught 11 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. As a senior hoops standout at Orchard Lake St. Mary's, Sims averaged 21.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, earning 2009 Associated Press Class A All-State honors and finishing fourth in the voting for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award.
Lending A Helping Hand
According to the most recent NCAA statistics (as of Feb. 5), Michigan State ranks fourth in the nation in assists. With a current average of 18.1 assists per game, the Spartans have recorded an assist on 65.3 percent of their baskets. It's a team effort as four different Spartans average more than two assists per game.
Double-Double Trouble
At least one Spartan has recorded a double-double in 12 games, as five different Spartans have posted a double-double. Draymond Green (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Florida, 15 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Oakland, 19 pts., 12 reb.; vs. Iowa, 14 pts., 11 reb.) leads the way with four, while Raymar Morgan (vs. Wofford, 19 pts., 11 reb.; vs. The Citadel, 11 pts., 10 reb., vs. Illinois, 14 pts., 10 reb.) and Durrell Summers (vs. Gonzaga, 21 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Michigan, 10 pts., 10 reb.; vs. Northwestern, 24 points, 10 reb.) each have tallied three and Delvon Roe (vs. Toledo, 10 pts., 11 reb.; vs. Valparaiso, 10 pts., 17 reb.) has two. Derrick Nix (vs. FGCU, 11 pts., 14 reb.) has one.
Moving Up The Scoring Chart
With 20 points against Florida, Kalin Lucas became the 40th Spartan to record 1,000 career points. The Spartan junior ranks 22nd in MSU history with 1,286 points, standing 10 behind Matt Steigenga (1,296 points). His teammate, Raymar Morgan, currently ranks 16th in MSU history with 1,431 points. He needs 38 points to pass Charlie Bell (1,468 points).
Lucas On Watch Lists
Kalin Lucas is one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, recognizing the nation's top point guard. He is also one of 31 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, while also being placed on the Naismith Award preseason watch list.
Taking Care of the Ball
Korie Lucious has posted impressive numbers in his role as a reserve point guard. He ranks second on the team with 3.8 assists per game and his 2.35 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Last season, he averaged just 1.2 assists with a 1.12 assist-to-turnover ratio. Raymar Morgan has also improved his ball handling. Entering the season with a career 0.57 assist-to-turnover ratio, he has improved to 1.16 (43 assists, 37 turnovers) this season.
Spartan Quad-Captains
Senior forward Raymar Morgan and junior guard Kalin Lucas were unanimous selections for team co-captains as voted on by their Spartan teammates. Right after Christmas, the MSU coaching staff added Draymond Green and Isaiah Dahlman as captains, rewarding them for their leadership.
Big Ten Strength
Eight different league schools (Michigan State, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin) have been ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 this season, including four in the current poll (MSU-No. 5, PU-No. 8, OSU-No. 13, UW-No. 16).
Life Away From Home
Michigan State is 6-4 away from home this season, including 5-3 on an opponent's home court, with losses at Texas, North Carolina and Wisconsin. Three of the Spartans' road games have been against a ranked opponent. MSU has won 12 of its last 13 conference road games for the first time in school history. Last season, MSU was 19-5 away from East Lansing, including 10-4 on a neutral court, while also establishing a school record with eight Big Ten road wins.
Spartans In The NBA
Five former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Los Angeles Lakers), Morris Peterson (New Orleans Hornets), Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jason Richardson (Phoenix Suns). Shannon Brown will be competing in the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Game and Zach Randolph has been selected as a Western Conference reserve for the All-Star Game.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 14th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 355-141 (.716), and 169-73 (.698) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. He ranks as the winningest coach in Michigan State history, having passed his mentor Jud Heathcote with a 106-68 win over UMass for his 341st career victory. In his 14 seasons as a head coach, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors four times, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and NABC honors in 2001. 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 earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and 2009.
Among The Big Ten's Best
Tom Izzo's .698 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700) and ahead of Purdue's Ward Lambert (.685). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Izzo (.716), Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712) and Lambert (.709). With 169 conference victories, Izzo ranks eighth all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 14 seasons, Tom Izzo won 336 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 14 years.
Izzo's Coaching Tree
Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Jim Boylen (Utah), Tom Crean (Indiana), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (South Florida) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his seventh year as head coach, after leaving MSU in the spring of 2003. Crean directed Marquette to the 2003 Final Four, while Heath directed Kent State to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Wojcik is in his fifth season at Tulsa. Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is now back as an assistant coach at MSU. Most recently, Jim Boylen left MSU following the 2007 season, and is in his third season with Utah. Stan Joplin, an assistant during Izzo's first season, spent 12 seasons as head coach at Toledo.
Statistics
Roster
Schedule
