Feb. 26, 2011
The Opening Tip
Michigan State continues its end-of-the-season push as it hosts Purdue on Sunday. The Spartans are coming off a come-from-behind road win at Minnesota and are looking for their third straight win overall. The Boilermakers enter the game having won five straight league games, including road wins at Illinois and Indiana. Michigan State is 11-2 at home this season, including 6-1 in the Big Ten.
The Starting Five
1. He's Back And Getting Stronger
It's been a long rehab process since tearing his left Achilles in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but Kalin Lucas appears to have returned to the form of a two-time All-Big Ten performer. He is averaging team bests in both scoring (16.5 points) and minutes (32.6 minutes), and has scored in double figures in 17 of his last 18 games, averaging 17.7 points in that stretch. In his last eight games, Lucas is averaging 21.4 points and 37.8 mpg, playing a possible 302 of 325 minutes. Statistically, it's the best eight-game scoring stretch of his career.
2. A Rare Commodity
Draymond Green is one of just seven players on the 345 Division I teams to lead his squad in both rebounding and assists. In fact, he is one of just three players in the six major conferences to lead his team in both categories, joining Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert (6.1 rpg, 3.4 apg) and Florida's Chandler Parsons (7.7 rpg, 3.6 apg). Green currently averages 8.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. (Through games of Feb. 24).
3. Winning The Close Ones
Twelve of Michigan State's 27 games have been decided by five points or less, with the Spartans going 8-4 in those contests. In league play, MSU is 6-2 in Big Ten games decided by five points or less.
4. Late Game Heroics
Michigan State has proven that it can win a game even when trailing late. In four of MSU's eight Big Ten wins, the Spartans have trailed in the game's final three minutes. The most notable comeback came against Wisconsin in the Breslin Center, where MSU trailed by nine points with 2:37 left. The Spartans had similar magic in wins over Northwestern and Indiana at home, and at Minnesota. In a fifth Big Ten win, MSU and Illinois were tied with 2:53 left. In the non-conference, MSU defeated a ranked Washington squad after trailing in the final three minutes.
5. A Tale Of Two Defenses
Through the first five conference games, MSU was holding opponents to .393 shooting from the field, including .353 from 3-point range. In the next six games, conference opponents shot .543, including .505 from behind the arc. In the last four games, MSU has shown signs of returning to its early season form, allowing Minnesota, Illinois, Penn State and Ohio State to shoot just .396 from the field and .339 from 3-point range. MSU is 8-2 when holding league opponents below 50 percent shooting from the field.
MSU vs. Purdue Notes
Series History
Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 64-45. The Spartans, however, own a 28-24 advantage in games played in East Lansing. MSU has won 16 of the last 25 games in the series. Tom Izzo is 16-12 in his career against Purdue.
Coach Painter
Matt Painter (Purdue, `94) is 160-66 in his seventh season as a collegiate head coach, including 135-61 in his sixth season at Purdue. After one year as head coach at Southern Illinois, he served as associate head coach at Purdue in 2004-05 in Gene Keady's final year as Boilermaker coach.
The Last Meeting
Purdue defeated Michigan State, 86-76, on Jan. 22, 2011, in West Lafayette. The score was tied at 26 with 5:56 left in the first half, but the Boilermakers ended the half on a 15-5 run. E'Twaun Moore scored 19 first-half points. Purdue extended the lead to 14 points early in the second. MSU cut the deficit to six points with just under 10 minutes remaining, but could not creep any closer. Moore finished with a game-high 26 points, while JaJuan Johnson added 20 and Lewis Jackson scored 19 for Purdue. Draymond Green led MSU with 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Delvon Roe scored a career-high 16 points. Purdue shot 58.0 percent, including 62.1 percent in the first half.
The Last Meeting In East Lansing
Purdue snapped a nine-game losing streak at the Breslin Center with a 76-64 win over Michigan State on Feb. 9, 2010. MSU led 17-15 with 12:33 left in the first half, when Purdue went on a 13-0 run over the next five-plus minutes, en route to taking a 47-33 lead at the half. The Boilermakers shot 65.2 percent in the first half, compared to 39.3 percent for MSU. In the second half, MSU fought to cut the deficit to 65-62 with 4:34 remaining on a Chris Allen 3-pointer. E'Twaun Moore followed with a 3-pointer of his own to spark a 9-0 run and clinch the Purdue victory. For the game, Purdue shot 56.8 percent from the field, compared to just 32.1 percent for MSU. Moore led all scorers with 25 points, while Allen led MSU with 21.
Boilermaker Notes
Seniors JaJuan Johnson (20.4 ppg) and E'Twaun Moore (18.6 ppg) combine to average 39.0 points per game, accounting for 52.9 percent of Purdue's offense ... No other Boilermaker is averaging more than 7.6 points overall, although Lewis Jackson averages 10.0 points in league play ... Purdue has won 20 or more games for the fifth straight season ... After shooting .681 from the foul line in non-conference play, Purdue is shooting .752 in league play ... Purdue leads the conference in scoring in league play, averaging 73.2 ppg ... JaJuan Johnson's 20.5 ppg scoring average in league play paces the Big Ten, while he also leads the conference in blocked shots (2.33 bpg).
Gm. 27 Notes • Michigan State 53 - Minnesota 48
* For the second straight game, Michigan State won when Kalin Lucas (18 points) was the only Spartan to score in double figures.
* With his 18 points, Lucas moved past Sam Vincent into sixth place in MSU career scoring.
* Michigan State's .367 field-goal percentage was its lowest in a win since shooting .362 on Jan. 13, 2010 in East Lansing vs. Minnesota.
* Michigan State's 11 steals were a season high for the Spartans in league play. Eight of the steals came in the second half, resulting in 12 points off turnovers after halftime.
* Adreian Payne blocked a season-high three shots.
* Michigan State followed a 16-2 run by Minnesota with a 14-1 run to close the game over the last 4:15.
* Minnesota out-rebounded Michigan State, 34-33, but the Spartans held a 9-1 rebounding edge in the game's final 3:37.
* The Spartans did not attempt a free throw in the first half, but made 11-of-15 in the second half, including 7-of-8 in the game's final 1:22, as Appling and Kebler were a combined 6-of-6 on three 1-and-1 opportunities.
MSU Basketball Notes
MSU's Mr. Everything
Junior Draymond Green is one of the nation's most versatile players. He leads the team in rebounding (8.4 rpg), steals (1.8 spg), assists (4.0 apg) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.395), and ranks second in blocks (1.1 bpg) and scoring (12.6). Green ranks third in the Big Ten in steals and rebounding, ninth in assists, 10th in blocks and 12th in 3-point field-goal percentage. In 10 games this season, Green has led MSU in both rebounding and assists. Green is MSU's active leader with 16 double-doubles, including eight this season. Against Penn State (15 pts., 14 reb., 10 ast.), he became just the third player in Spartan history to record a triple-double. He's led MSU in rebounding in 19 games, assists in 13 games, and scoring in four games.
Balanced Scoring Is Key
Michigan State is at its best when it's getting offensive production from several sources. The Spartans are 13-6 when three or more players score in double figures, compared to just 3-5 when two or fewer players score in double figures. When a fourth Spartan scores 10 or more, MSU is 7-0. Kalin Lucas has scored in double figures in 14 of 15 league contests, while Draymond Green has done it on 11 occasions, with Durrell Summers scoring 10 or more points in seven of 15 league contests.
Delvon's Block Party
With 96 blocks for his career, Delvon Roe is tied with Ken Johnson for third in MSU career history, trailing only Drew Naymick (134) and Matt Steigenga (97). With 32 blocks for the season, he is tied with Matt Steigenga (1991, 32) for 10th on the MSU single-season chart, needing one to tie Idong Ibok (2007, 33) for ninth and three to tie Kevin Wills (1983, 35), George Papadakos (1988, 35) and himself (2010, 35) for sixth.
Lucas At The Foul Line
Kalin Lucas is making a run at becoming the MSU career leader in free throws made. He currently ranks tied for third with 468 made free throws, just nine behind MSU career leader Paul Davis (477). With one more make Lucas will pass Shawn Respert (468) for sole possession of third. Lucas also ranks tied for third in MSU history with 593 free throw attempts, 32 behind MSU career leader Paul Davis (625).
Limiting Turnovers
The Spartans average 13.8 turnovers per contest. It's an area where MSU has shown improvement lately, as the Spartans have committed 11 turnovers or fewer in 11 of the last 18 games, averaging 11.7 in that stretch. MSU is averaging just 11.7 turnovers in conference action. MSU is 9-3 when the opponent commits more turnovers or turnovers are equal and 7-8 when it has more turnovers than the opponent.
Tough Non-Conference Slate
During the non-conference schedule, Michigan State played four teams that are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. MSU's four non-conference losses have come to teams with a combined record of 93-19 (through Feb. 24) and that are all currently ranked in the Top 17 of the AP Top 25. In addition, the Spartans defeated a Washington squad that has been ranked for most of the season.
Playing The Best
Michigan State has played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation this season. According to the Sagarin Ratings, MSU's strength of schedule is No. 2 in the nation, while ESPN.com Inside RPI ranks it No. 10. The Spartans have played 15 games against the Inside RPI Top 50, ranking tied for most in the nation, and 19 games against the Top 100, ranking tied for second most. Three non-conference opponents lead either their conference (Duke, Texas, Oakland). (Through games of Feb. 24)
Free Basketball
Michigan State is 3-0 in overtime games this season, with all three coming at home against league opponents. This is the first time since the 2003-04 season the Spartans have played in three or more overtime contests. It's the first time since 1981-82 that MSU has won three overtime games, and the first time ever in program history that MSU has recorded three overtime home wins.
It's All About Boardwork
This year, Michigan State has out-rebounded 16 of 27 opponents, including 15 of the last 23, posting a +3.9 margin. The Spartans are 11-5 when out-rebounding their opponent, and 5-6 when failing to do so. In conference games, MSU ranks second in the Big Ten with a +3.8 margin. MSU has led the nation in rebounding margin in four of the last 11 seasons, including each of the last two, posting a +9.3 margin in 2009 and a +8.6 margin in 2010. The Spartans have led the Big Ten in rebounding margin in 11 of the last 13 years. In the Tom Izzo era, MSU has out-rebounded 412 of 537 opponents (.767), posting a 325-87 (.789) mark in those games.
Becoming A Defensive Stopper
Delvon Roe has turned himself into one of the premier defenders in the Big Ten and a candidate for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. A combination of strength, great feet and quickness allow him to defend on the interior or the perimeter. In the Big Ten, he's drawn the assignment against three of the league's top four scorers, Jon Leuer, John Shurna and JaJuan Johnson. In two games, he's held Shurna to 8.5 ppg on 3-of-21 shooting, including blocking five shots in the second meeting. Against Leuer in East Lansing, Roe limited the talented Badger to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Johnson scored 20 points, but most came when Roe was not guarding him. A closer look at the games shows the following results by the premier inside scorers when being guarded by Roe: Shurna (2 games) - 5 points (2-of-12 FG); Leuer - 6 points (2-of-6 FG); Johnson - 7 points (2-of-7 FG).
Moving Up The Scoring Chart
Kalin Lucas ranks sixth in MSU career scoring with 1,863 points. The Spartan senior needs 52 points to pass Jay Vincent (1,914 points) for fifth place in MSU history.
Appling's Emergence
Freshman guard Keith Appling is rounding into a standout freshman, both offensively and defensively. He's started 17 of the last 18 games for the Spartans, averaging 5.9 points and 25.4 minutes. He's also shooting .439 from the field, including .354 from 3-point range, in his starts. He scored a season-high 19 points in MSU's home overtime win against Northwestern, scoring five straight points in the extra stanza. Defensively, he's proving to be a stopper on the perimeter.
Quite A Class Already
Spartan seniors Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Mike Kebler have won 102 games in their careers. That total ranks as the sixth winningest class in school history. With one more wins, the 2011 class will tie the 2009 class for fifth with 103 wins. The 2001 class is the winningest class in school history with 115 victories.
Starting Lineup Shakeups
Michigan State has used nine different starting lineups this season, compared to 19 last season. The lineup of Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, Keith Appling, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe has started 10 of 15 Big Ten games, although MSU has used a different lineup in five straight games. Lucas is the only Spartan to start every game this season.
Holding Down Top Scorers
Michigan State has done a solid job defensively on some of the league's top scorers. In two games, MSU has held Northwestern's John Shurna, currently averaging 19.3 ppg, to 8.5 ppg on 3-of-21 shooting. In University Park, MSU held Penn State's Talor Battle, averaging 20.5 ppg, to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Battle did score 19 points in East Lansing, but hit just 7-of-20 shots, including 3-of-11 from 3-point range. In East Lansing, the Spartans limited Wisconsin's Jon Leuer, averaging 19.2 points, to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. recently, MSU held Ohio State's Jared Sullinger to 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, marking his lowest point total in Big Ten play. Delvon Roe deserves much of the credit, as he was the primary defender on both Shurna and Leuer. In the second game vs. Northwestern, Roe tied his career high with five blocks. On the perimeter, freshman Keith Appling has emerged as a defensive force.
State Pride
Michigan State's top three scorers (Kalin Lucas - 16.5 ppg, Draymond Green - 12.6 ppg and Durrell Summers -12.3 ppg) are all from the state of Michigan. The trio combines for 41.7 points per game. Green is a Saginaw native, while Lucas and Summers are from Detroit. They are joined in the starting lineup by another Michigan native, freshman Keith Appling, the 2010 Michigan Mr. Basketball Award winner from Detroit.
Solid Defensive Effort
Michigan State is holding teams to 66.8 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot just 42.5 percent from the field, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range. MSU has held nine opponents below 40 percent and 11 have topped 45 percent, including five above 50 percent, as MSU has out-shot its opponent in 16 of 27 contests. Statistically, MSU ranks second in blocks (4.78 bpg) and fifth in the conference in steals (6.78 spg), while Draymond Green ranks third in the Big Ten in steals (1.81 spg).
Lucas In Exclusive Club
With 1,863 career points and 535 career assists, Kalin Lucas is part of an exclusive club. He is just the fourth Spartan to total 1,500 career points and 500 career assists, joining Scott Skiles (2,145 pts., 645 asts.), Mateen Cleaves (1,541 pts., 816 asts.) and Drew Neitzel (1,534 pts., 582 asts.).
Block Party
Michigan State ranks second in the Big Ten in all games with 4.78 blocks per game. In conference action, MSU ranks second with 4.87 blocks per game, thanks in part to a 12-block effort at Northwestern. The 12 blocks rank as the second-greatest single-game total in school history. Freshman guard Keith Appling blocked five shots in the first game against the Wildcats, equaling the fourth-best single-game total in school history, and the best ever for a Spartan guard, while Delvon Roe blocked five shots in the second game vs. NU. Delvon Roe leads the Spartans with 32 blocks, followed by Draymond Green with 30. With 22 blocks, Adreian Payne ranks tied for third all-time among Spartan freshmen.
Spartans From Distance
Michigan State is shooting .351 from 3-point range this season, ranking seventh in the Big Ten. Four different Spartans have knocked down 25 or more 3-pointers led by Durrell Summers with 52. Draymond Green is shooting a team-best .395 from 3-point range, as all four Spartans hitting 25 or more threes are shooting 36 percent or better (Lucas - .386, Appling - .368, Summers - .363). As a team, MSU ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 6.48 3-pointers per game, after finishing last in the conference last season (5.1).
MSU's Detroit Duo
Michigan State's senior duo of Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers, both from Detroit, rank in the top three on the Spartans in scoring. Lucas (16.5 ppg) and Summers (12.3 ppg) combine to average 28.8 points per game. The two guards have teamed up together since AAU basketball in middle school.
Durrell From Downtown
Durrell Summers leads the Spartans in 3-point field goals made (53) and attempted (146), while ranking fourth in percentage (.363). He ranks tied for 10th in the Big Ten in 3-point field goals made per game (1.96). His 53 made 3-pointers are a personal best for a single season. With 152 career 3-pointers, Summers is tied with Jason Klein for sixth in MSU history.
Dealing With Injury
One of the storylines for the 2010-11 Spartans will be how they deal with injuries and how different players battle back from injury. Many different players missed significant time in the offseason due to injury. Most notably, Kalin Lucas is attempting to come back from an Achilles injury suffered in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament against Maryland. Shortly after the season concluded in April, Delvon Roe had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. Garrick Sherman had screws removed from his foot, left over from a high school injury. Freshman center Adreian Payne separated his shoulder late in his high school senior season and missed several months. Fellow freshman Russell Byrd suffered a broken foot in May, and when the foot never fully healed, he underwent a second surgery in early October. Austin Thornton suffered a back injury that kept him out of action for several weeks. Even Durrell Summers suffered a mild knee sprain and missed an opportunity to work with the USA Basketball Select Team.
Summers Reaches 1,000
Durrell Summers became the 41st player to top 1,000 career points with his 21-point effort vs. Tennessee Tech. With 1,250 points for his career, he ranks 24th in MSU history, needing 26 points to pass Quinton Brooks for 23rd (1,275 points).
In The Rankings
Seven different Spartan opponents are ranked in at least one of the two polls, including Duke (1 AP/1 USA Today), Ohio State (2/3), Texas (5/5), Purdue (8/8), Wisconsin (12/12), Connecticut (14/15) and Syracuse (17/20).
Sherman Hits The Mark
Garrick Sherman is shooting a strong .712 from the field this season. Since opening the season with a 3-of-6 effort, Sherman has hit 39 of his last 53. At one point, he connected on 10 straight shots this season, and he's 9-of-10 over the last five games.
Acting The Part
November 16 proved to be an especially busy day for Delvon Roe. At 7:30 p.m., the theatre major played the role of "Charles the Wrestler" in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" put on by the MSU Department of Theatre at the Wharton Center. At 10 p.m., he resumed his normal role of starting power forward for the Spartans, playing one of his best games at MSU, recording 15 points, five rebounds and six assists. Roe also performed on stage on Nov. 17 and 18 prior to leaving for Maui. Feeling his healthiest since before injuring his knee in the first game of his senior year of high school, Roe is averaging 6.5 points and 5.3 rebounds on the season.
Spartans In The NBA
Five former Spartans are currently on NBA rosters, including Charlie Bell (Golden State Warriors), Shannon Brown (Los Angeles Lakers), Morris Peterson (Charlotte Bobcats), Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies) and Jason Richardson (Orlando Magic). Brown is a key reserve guard for the Lakers and has been a major contributor on back-to-back NBA Championship squads. Randolph was selected as a reserve for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Richardson has averaged more than 18 points per game over the course of his 10-year career.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo
In his 16th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 380-157 (.708), and 182-83 (.687) 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 his 341st career victory on Nov. 28, 2009 . In his 15 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 .687 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 Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.708). With 182 conference victories, Izzo ranks tied for sixth all-time.
Izzo Among Best Ever
Through his first 15 seasons, Tom Izzo won 364 games, ranking seventh in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 15 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). 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.
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