Nov. 1, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
2002-03 Michigan State BasketballMichigan Statevs. Magic Johnson All-StarsNovember 1, 2002 - 7:00 p.m.Breslin Center (14,759)East Lansing, Mich.
Media Coverage
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WJIM (1240 AM/97.5 FM)
TV: None
Michigan State Game Notes
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Scouting The Opposition - Tonight's game features the Michigan State Spartans in their exhibition opener against the Magic Johnson All-Stars. Rather than putting together a group of former college and pro players, Johnson has joined the Canberra Cannons from Australia's National Basketball League for tonight's contest. The Cannons are 4-1 in their current season and are taking a week away from their regular-season for a short U.S. exhibition tour.
All-Time Great - There was never any doubt, but Earvin "Magic" Johnson's place among the game's all-time greats was cemented this fall as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on September 27. At the Enshrinement Ceremony, Johnson was introduced by his longtime rival and friend Larry Bird. Spartans in attendance at the ceremony included Johnson's college coach Jud Heathcote, former Spartan Eric Snow, current MSU coach Tom Izzo and former Spartan coach Pete Newell.
Magic's Return - Tonight's game marks the second-consecutive year that Earvin "Magic" Johnson has played in an exhibition game against the Spartans. Last season, Johnson recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Although his squad lost by two points, Johnson just missed a half-court shot as time expired that would have won the game. Prior to last year's game, Magic's last game in the Breslin Center was the Jud Heathcote All-Star Tribute, when Johnson led all scorers with 39 points.
Preseason Favorites - Michigan State was selected as the preseason favorite for the Big Ten Championship by both the league's media and coaches. The announcement was made on Sunday, Oct. 27 at the Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Day. Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans welcome the expectations as it signifies a sign of respect for the program. It is also a sign that the Spartans are a true team that relies on many different players as no individual was selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team. Michigan State was last tabbed as the preseason favorite in 2001, when it finished in a tie for first place.
One For The Thumb - Last season, Michigan State missed becoming just the second team in Big Ten history to win five straight conference championships, finishing just one game out of first place. This season, however, the Spartans still have a chance to reach elite status by winning a fifth Big Ten crown in a span of six years. Only the Ohio State squads of 1960-64 that captured five championships in a row can claim such an honor.
Coach Izzo - In his eighth year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 167-65 (.720), 82-34 (.707) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. He is the third-winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) and Benjamin VanAlstyne (232) in total wins. Izzo's 167 wins in his first seven years give him the fifth most by a coach in his first seven seasons of coaching in college basketball history. In his seven seasons of coaching, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors three times, including NABC honors in 2001. In 1999, Izzo was named national coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98.
More Homecomings - Besides Earvin "Magic" Johnson, two other Spartans will be making a return trip to the Breslin Center on Friday. David Thomas and Mike Chappell were both members of the 2000 NCAA Championship team and also played on the 2001 Final Four squad. Both players were on the roster for the 1999 Final Four, but Thomas was redshirting and Chappell was sitting out the year after transferring from Duke. Thomas led the NBL in steals last year and was Canberra's team MVP.
In The Polls - Michigan State is ranked 10th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll released on Oct. 31. Five Spartan opponents are also ranked, including No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 17 Kentucky, No. 21 Indiana, No. 24 Minnesota and No. 25 Illinois.
Dominating The Big Ten - Over the past five seasons, Michigan State has posted a 64-16 Big Ten record, a remarkable winning percentage of .800. Illinois is the only other team to have as many as 50 conference wins over that same time period, posting a 51-29 mark.
Significant Depth - After playing the 2001-02 season with just eight recruitied scholarship players (before injuries), the Spartans feature great depth in 2002-03. Depth, a common factor on Michigan State's Final Four squads, leads to more competitive practices, while also allowing Coach Izzo to play the aggressive defense and up-tempo game he prefers.
Young At Heart - Depth does not always equal experience. Although Michigan State has eight players returning who averaged more than 10 minutes per game in 2001-02, just four players (Aloysius Anagonye, Jason Andreas, Adam Ballinger and Adam Wolfe) have more than one year of playing experience with the Spartans. This means MSU does not have a backcourt player with more than one year of experience.
An Experienced Pair - Seniors Aloysius Anagonye and Adam Ballinger are the senior foundation of a young Spartan squad. The two of them have played in a combined total of 191 games at Michigan State. The remaining 15 players on the roster have appeared in 232 games.
Green-White Recap - The Green team defeated the White squad 78-52 at last Saturday's Green-White Game (Oct. 26). Chris Hill led the way for the Green unit with 17 points and nine assists. Adam Wolfe paced the White with 16 points. Aloysius Anagonye (13 pts.), Paul Davis (12 pts.), Maurice Ager (12 pts.), Alan Anderson (11 pts.) Erazem Lorbek (10 pts.) and Kelvin Torbert (10 pts.) all scored in double figures. Davis was the game's leading rebounder with seven boards. Hill and Rashi Johnson each finished with nine assists.
Air Time - Over the last four years, Michigan State has averaged over 29 television broadcasts per year, including more than 21 per year on national television networks. In 2002-03, MSU could have as many as 25 regular-season games televised (not including postseason). Of those 25, 17 could be broadcast by national networks, including eight on ESPN, four on ESPN2 and five more on CBS.
Tough Opponents - Michigan State's 2002-03 schedule features 15 teams that appeared in postseason play in 2002. NCAA Tournament teams include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State (possible Great Alaska Shootout opponent), Wisconsin and Wyoming (possible Great Alaska Shootout opponent). Iowa, Minnesota, South Florida, Syracuse, Villanova (possible Great Alaska Shootout opponent) and Virginia all appeared in the National Invitation Tournament.
Sophomore Explosion - Michigan State has developed a tradition of sophomores who elevate their game tremendously in their second year, dating back to Greg Kelser who raised his scoring average by 10 points from his first to his second year. Steve Smith went from averaging under 11 points as a freshman to nearly 18 points as a sophomore. More recently, after some struggles as a freshman, Mateen Cleaves averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 assists in his second season, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors. In 2001, sophomore Jason Richardson earned second-team Associated Press All-America honors after averaging just five points as a freshman. Last season, Marcus Taylor became just the second player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring and assists, one season after averaging fewer than eight points per contest. This season, Alan Anderson (6.5 ppg in '01-02), Chris Hill (11.5 ppg in '01-02) and Kelvin Torbert (8.2 ppg in '01-02) seem like good candidates for the "Spartan Sophomore Explosion."
New Faces - Considered by many analysts to be the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation, the five-member class of 2002 should immediately contribute to the Spartans. Maurice Ager is a very quick guard that is Tom Izzo's first recruit from the Detroit Public School League. Paul Davis is one of the top players in his class and Michigan's Mr. Basketball winner for 2002. Rashi Johnson is a junior college transfer who led Mott (Flint) Community College to an appearance in the national championship game of the 2001 NJCAA Division II Tournament. Erazem Lorbek joins the Spartans from Slovenia where he gained valuable international experience. Delco Rowley brings strength and athleticism to the power forward position.
The Breslin Experience - Although MSU's 53-game homecourt winning streak was snapped in 2002, the Breslin Center continues to be one of college basketball's great homecourt advantages. Over the past four years, Michigan State has won 59 of its last 61 games in Breslin, a winning percentage of .967. Additionally, the Breslin Center has been sold out for 67 consecutive regular-season games.
