Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
 | For current information on this topic, see 2008-09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team. |
| Michigan State Spartans | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| University | Michigan State University | ||
| Head coach | Tom Izzo (14th season) | ||
| Conference | Big Ten Conference | ||
| Arena | Breslin Center (capacity: 16,000) | ||
| Nickname | Spartans | ||
| Student section | Izzone | ||
| Colors | Green and White | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament champions | |||
| 1979, 2000 | |||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | |||
| 1957, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1999, 2000 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| 1957, 1959, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 | |||
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University (MSU) and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center.
The Spartans have won two NCAA championships and eleven Big Ten championships in men's basketball. The Spartans won the National Championship in both the 1979 NCAA Tournament and 2000 NCAA Tournament. The 1979 National Championship story line was highly touted as Magic vs. Bird. It was achieved by a team under the coaching of Jud Heathcote that included MVP Magic Johnson, Greg Kelser and Jay Vincent. MSU beat the then undefeated Indiana State Sycamores, led by future NBA hall of famer Larry Bird. The 2000 National Championship was achieved by Morris Peterson, A.J. Granger, Charlie Bell, and MVP Mateen Cleaves leading the team in a victory over the Florida Gators.
Michigan State basketball has been selected for 11 consecutive NCAA tournament bids (1998–2008) as of the end of the 2008 season. Overall, Michigan State has been to the Final Four a total of six times in its history (1957, 1979, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005) and has made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances. Only eight schools (UCLA, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, Indiana and Louisville) have more total Final Four appearances.[1]
On December 13, 2003, Michigan State and Kentucky played at the most-attended basketball game in history. They played this game in front of 78,129 people at Ford Field, a football stadium converted to a basketball court for this one and only game in Detroit. Kentucky won this game by a score of 79–74.[2]
Coaches
Michigan State coaches have led the Spartans to two NCAA Championships, six Final Fours, 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 Big Ten Conference Championships and two Big Ten Tournament titles. Jud Heathcote leads all MSU coaches with 340 wins, and current Spartans coach Tom Izzo is second on the list.[3]
Of all MSU coaches who have headed the Spartans basketball squad in at least a dozen games, Izzo is second in winning percentage and no MSU coach tops him since 1910. Former coach George E. Denman won all 11 games he coached between 1901-03 and Chester L. Brewer won 70 of 95 games from 1903 to 1910.[3]
| Overall | Conference | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Years | Record | Pct. | Record | Pct. | Note |
| No Established Coach | 1898-99 | 0-2 | .000 | |||
| Charles O. Bernies | 1899-1901 | 5-2 | .714 | Michigan State's first men's basketball coach. | ||
| George E. Denman | 1901-03 | 11-0 | 1.000 | Michigan State's only undefeated men's basketball coach. | ||
| Chester L. Brewer | 1903-10 | 70-25 | .737 | |||
| John F. Macklin | 1910-16 | 48-38 | .558 | |||
| George E. Gauthier | 1916-20 | 47-39 | .547 | |||
| Lyman L. Frimodig | 1920-22 | 24-21 | .533 | |||
| Fred H. Walker | 1922-24 | 20-19 | .513 | |||
| John H. Kobs | 1924-26 | 11-26 | .297 | |||
| Benjamin F. VanAlstyne | 1926-49 | 231-163 | .586 | |||
| Alton S. Kircher | 1949-50 | 4-18 | .182 | |||
| Peter F. Newell | 1950-54 | 45-42 | .517 | 26-34 | .433 | |
| Forrest A. Anderson | 1954-65 | 125-124 | .502 | 69-85 | .448 | Guided Michigan State to its first Final Four and NCAA appearance in 1957; 2 NCAA Appearances; 2 Conference Championships |
| John E. Benington | 1965-69 | 54-38 | .587 | 32-24 | .571 | Conference Championship in 1967 |
| Gus G. Ganakas | 1969-76 | 89-84 | .514 | 49-57 | .462 | |
| Jud Heathcote | 1976-95 | 340-194 | .637 | 182-160 | .532 | 1979 NCAA Champs; 9 NCAA Appearances; 3 Conference Championships |
| Tom Izzo | 1995- Present | 333-136 | .710 | 160-72 | .690 | 2000 NCAA Champs; Final Four in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005; 12 NCAA Appearances; 5 Conference Championships; 2 Conference Tournament Championships |
The source of this information is from the 2007-08 Michigan State men's basketball media guide.[3]. Tom Izzo Record YTD.
Jud Heathcote Era (1976–1995)
Jud Heathcote led the Spartans to the 1979 national championship and coached one of the game's all-time greats, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Heathcote succeeded Gus Ganakas, who is currently an MSU basketball radio announcer, as coach in 1976. Heathcote stepped down in 1995 with nine NCAA appearances, three Big Ten championships and three NIT appearances.
Results By Season Under Heathcote [3]
| Season | Overall Record | Big Ten Record | Big Ten Championships | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-77 | 12-15 | 9-9 | ||
| 1977-78 | 25-5 | 15-3 | Regular Season | NCAA Elite Eight |
| 1978-79 | 26-6 | 13-5 | Regular Season | NCAA Champion |
| 1979-80 | 12-15 | 6-12 | ||
| 1980-81 | 13-14 | 7-11 | ||
| 1982-83 | 17-13 | 9-9 | NIT Second Round | |
| 1983-84 | 16-12 | 9-9 | ||
| 1984-85 | 19-10 | 10-8 | NCAA First Round | |
| 1985-86 | 23-8 | 12-6 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | |
| 1986-87 | 11-17 | 6-12 | ||
| 1987-88 | 10-18 | 5-13 | ||
| 1988-89 | 18-15 | 6-12 | NIT Final Four | |
| 1989-90 | 28-6 | 15-3 | Regular Season | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 1990-91 | 19-11 | 11-7 | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1991-92 | 22-8 | 11-7 | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1992-93 | 15-13 | 7-11 | NIT First Round | |
| 1993-94 | 20-12 | 10-8 | NCAA Second Round | |
| 1994-95 | 22-6 | 14-4 | NCAA First Round |
Tom Izzo Era (1995–Present)
Since 1995, the team has been coached by Tom Izzo, who has a 330-135 overall head coaching record.[4] Izzo coached the Spartans to their second national championship in 2000 with an 89-76 victory over Florida. Izzo has guided the Spartans to four of nine NCAA Final Fours from 1999-2007, an accomplishment unmatched by any other college basketball program during that span. The coach has also appeared in a postseason tournament every year he has headed the MSU basketball program.
Izzo has also received numerous awards including the 1998 Associated Press National Coach of the Year, the 1998 Basketball News National Coach of the Year, the 1998 United States Basketball Writers Association Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award, the 1998 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, the 1998 Basketball Times Mideast Coach of the Year, the 1999 Basketball News Coach of the Year Award, the 2001 National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year Award and the 2005 Clair Bee Award.[5]
Izzo has also helped his assistants secure head coaching jobs across the basketball world. Five current Division I head coaches served as assistants under Izzo, including Brian Gregory at Dayton, Tom Crean at Indiana, Stan Heath at South Florida, Jim Boylen at Utah, and Doug Wojcik at Tulsa. Current assistant coach Mike Garland spent three seasons as head coach at Cleveland State following an initial seven-year stint at MSU. Former MSU assistant Stan Joplin had previously coached at Toledo until he was let go following the 2007-08 season.[6]
Results By Season Under Izzo [3]
| Season | Overall Record | Big Ten Record | Big Ten Championships | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 16-16 | 9-9 | NIT Second Round | |
| 1996-97 | 17-12 | 9-9 | NIT Second Round | |
| 1997-98 | 22-8 | 13-3 | Regular Season | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 1998-99 | 33-5 | 15-1 | Regular Season and Tournament | NCAA Final Four |
| 1999-2000 | 32-7 | 13-3 | Regular Season and Tournament | NCAA Champion |
| 2000-01 | 28-5 | 13-3 | Regular Season | NCAA Final Four |
| 2001-02 | 19-12 | 10-6 | NCAA 1st Round | |
| 2002-03 | 22-13 | 10-6 | NCAA Elite Eight | |
| 2003-04 | 18-12 | 12-4 | NCAA First Round | |
| 2004-05 | 26-7 | 13-3 | NCAA Final Four | |
| 2005-06 | 22-12 | 8-8 | NCAA First Round | |
| 2006-07 | 23-12 | 8-8 | NCAA Second Round | |
| 2007-08 | 27-9 | 12-6 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | |
| 2008-09 | 28-6 | 15-3 | Regular Season | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
Student Athletes
| Retired basketball jerseys | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Years |
| 4 | Scott Skiles | 1982-1986 |
| 12 | Mateen Cleaves | 1996-2000 |
| 21 | Steve Smith | 1987-1991 |
| 24 | Johnny Green | 1955-1958 |
| 24 | Shawn Respert | 1991-1995 |
| 31 | Jay Vincent | 1978-1981 |
| 32 | Greg Kelser | 1976-1979 |
| 33 | Earvin "Magic" Johnson | 1977-1979 |
| 42 | Morris Peterson | 1995-2000 |
| Coach | Jud Heathcote | 1976-1995 |
Spartans formerly or currently in the NBA include Maurice Ager, Alan Anderson, Charlie Bell, Shannon Brown, Mateen Cleaves, Erazem Lorbek, Paul Davis, Terry Furlow, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Greg Kelser, Morris Peterson, Zach Randolph, Shawn Respert, Jason Richardson, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Eric Snow, Sam Vincent, Jay Vincent and Kevin Willis.
Johnny Green, Greg Kelser, Magic Johnson, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith, Shawn Respert, Morris Peterson, and Mateen Cleaves are all former student athletes who have had their jersey number retired by Michigan State. The school also has raised a banner to the rafters, which honors former coach Jud Heathcote.[7]
2008–2009 roster
- 00 Idong Ibok, SR (rs)
- 1 Kalin Lucas, SO
- 2 Raymar Morgan, JR
- 3 Chris Allen, SO
- 5 Travis Walton, SR
- 10 Delvon Roe, FR
- 13 Austin Thornton, FR (rs)
- 14 Goran Suton, SR (rs)
- 15 Durell Summers, SO
- 20 Mike Kebler, SO
- 23 Draymond Green, FR
- 25 Jon Crandell, JR
- 22 Isaiah Dahlman, JR
- 34 Korie Lucious, FR
- 40 Tom Herzog, SO (rs)
- 41 Marquise Gray, SR (rs)
- 6 Casey VanPolen, FR (rs)
Postseason History
The Spartans have appeared in 22 NCAA men's basketball tournaments with two NCAA men's basketball national championships. They also count six Final Fours and sport a 43-21 all-time NCAA tournament record following their most recent performance the 2008 NCAA tournament. Michigan State has been in the Sweet 16 8 of the last 12 years. Only Duke has more appearances.[8] MSU has accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament five times, the most recent being in 1997.[9]
National Championships
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round #1 | Bye | |
| Round #2 | # 10 Lamar | 95-64 |
| Sweet 16 | # 3 LSU | 87-71 |
| Elite 8 | # 1 Notre Dame | 80-68 |
| Final 4 | # 9 Penn | 101-67 |
| Championship | # 1 Indiana State | 75-64 |
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round #1 | # 16 Valparaiso | 65-38 |
| Round #2 | # 8 Utah | 73-61 |
| Sweet 16 | # 4 Syracuse | 75-58 |
| Elite 8 | # 2 Iowa State | 75-64 |
| Final 4 | # 8 Wisconsin | 53-41 |
| Championship | # 5 Florida | 89-76 |
NCAA Tournament History & Seeds
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
| Years → | '79 | '80 | '81 | '82 | '83 | '84 | '85 | '86 | '87 | '88 | '89 | '90 | '91 | '92 | '93 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '99 | '00 | '01 | '02 | '03 | '04 | '05 | '06 | '07 | '08 | '09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds → | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | 5 | - | - | - | 1 | 5 | 5 | - | 7 | 3 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
Prior to seeding MSU appeared in the 1957, 1959 and 1978 NCAA Tournaments.[12]
National Invitation Tournament Appearances
The Spartans have played in the 1983, 1989, 1993, 1996 and 1997 NIT Tournaments. MSU's highest finish in the tournament is fourth place, which was accomplished in 1989.[9]
Uniforms (2006-Present)
For accuracy's sake, the current jerseys worn by the Spartans basketball team differ slightly from the images in the infobox. The Wikipedia uniform template does not have a design that completely matches the team's uniform.
These uniforms, introduced at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, replaced a similar design. The home jersey features a script green-colored "State" and green uniform numbers outlined in gray. Trim on this jersey is green and gray. The road jersey features a script white-colored "State" and white uniform numbers outlined in gray. Gray is not an official color of MSU but it has been increasingly used in recent years by Nike, Inc. The athletic company started making jerseys for the team at the start of the 2000-01 season.
The Spartans do not currently wear an official alternate uniform but the team has worn a silver alternate and a 1979 throwback uniform in the past.
Stadium
The Spartans play home games at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center on campus in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena is commonly referred to as "the Breslin" and was opened in 1989. It is named for Jack Breslin, an MSU alumnus, former athlete and administrator, who first began pushing for the arena in 1969. Its capacity is 16,280 seats, and the stadium superseded Jenison Fieldhouse.
The arena's current basketball court is the same floor where the Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, which was at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The school purchased the floor from the NCAA and Final Four floor installer Horner Flooring after the title game. A plaque was installed on the baseline near the Michigan State tunnel to commemorate the floor's purpose in the school's history.[13]
The Breslin Center is home to the Izzone, a large student section named after Coach Izzo, the basketball team's head coach since 1995. The student section had been named Spartan Spirits prior to Izzo's prominence at the school. The Izzone routinely gets mentioned in discussions of the nation's top student fan sections.[14] The section helped cheer the Spartans to a 53-game home win streak between 1998 and 2002 and also a 28 game winning streak from 2007 and 2009.[15]
Notes and references
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Final_Four_appearances_by_school
- ^ MSU Spartans.com Men's Basketball Falls To No. 8 Kentucky, 79-74.
- ^ a b c d e Michigan State Michigan State University Spartans, Official Athletic Site - Michigan State
- ^ MSU Spartans.com Player Bio: Tom Izzo.
- ^ Men's Basketball Returns To Action Against The Citadel :: Spartans look for third victory in five days
- ^ Player Bio: Tom Izzo :: Men's Basketball
- ^ Cleaves Gets Emotional As Michigan State Retires His Jersey :: Former Spartan All-American honored in pre-game ceremony
- ^ Michigan State Spartans Overview - Basketball State
- ^ a b NIT - National Invitation Tournament
- ^ 2008 College Basketball Tournament Brackets - CBSSports.com
- ^ 2008 College Basketball Tournament Brackets - CBSSports.com
- ^ NCAA Basketball - CBSSports.com
- ^ Ramsey, Ethan (2005-03-29). "Champs given shot to purchase Final Four court". The Daily Orange. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
- ^ SI.com - SI On Campus - Best Student Sections - Wednesday February 22, 2006 5:08PM
- ^ ESPN - Michigan State vs. Wisconsin - Recap - January 16, 2005
External links
- Official Site of Michigan State Athletics - Men's Basketball
- 2007-08 Media Guide
- MSU Basketball Blog
- Green & White site at the Lansing State Journal online