Sports: Izzo Leads Hoopsters to 5th Straight NCAA's
Despite injuries, early departures, and a tough schedule, Izzo leads the MSU to its fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance.
Showing some of its vintage trademarks, MSU bounced back after an 0-3 league start and almost won its fifth straight Big Ten title—an achievement that could have won Tom Izzo his fourth “National Coach of the Year” award.
MSU also gained a fifth straight invitation to the NCAA Tournament, but exited after a first-round loss to North Carolina State in Washington DC.
Although MSU’s 10-6 conference record (19-12 overall) fell just short of the 2002 title, it was impressive given the enormous amount of adversity. MSU’s roster, depleted by the graduation of five seniors, was further drained by two early forays to the NBA and by a rash of injuries. As Izzo finally admitted after the season, “This team accomplished a ton.”
The 2001-02 Spartan cagers followed Izzo’s familiar blueprint of defense, rebounding, and “blue collar” effort. MSU again led the Big Ten in rebounds and rebounding margin (a whopping +8.2), and in shooting defense (.391 field goal percentage, .298 3-point field goal percentage). Surprisingly, MSU also led in such glamour statistics as free throw shooting (.770) and three-point shooting (.403) percentages.
Besides Izzo and the players, credit assistants Brian Gregory, Mike Garland and Mark Montgomery. Credit Marcus Taylor for his emergence as a dominant point guard and unanimous team MVP. Credit Adam Ballinger for emerging from role-playing obscurity to all-round star. Credit Al Anagonye for his ferocity in the paint. Credit the three freshmen, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, for their immediate impact. Credit the role players and even walk-ons Tim Bograkos and Matt Ishbia.
In fact, credit the entire supporting cast for hanging tough under dire circumstances.
The graduation of five players, including Charlie Bell, Andre Hutson and David Thomas—who formed the winningest class in Big Ten history—robbed MSU of experience. Unexpected exits of sophomore Jason Richardson and freshman Zack Randolph, both NBA first-round selections, compounded the problem. When junior forward Adam Wolfe, MSU’s best shooter, suffered a freakish season-ending injury, and key scorers Taylor and Ballinger had to miss six games due to injury, MSU struggled to find enough bodies for full practice scrimmages. Izzo was forced to play more freshmen and walk-on minutes than any other team in the league.
Izzo had gamely scheduled seven ranked teams for the preseason—a move that in retrospect smacks of masochism. MSU lost several close games while looking like a short-handed hockey squad. With both Taylor and Ballinger out, MSU lost by three points at Minnesota. With Injuries a factor, MSU lost four close Big Ten losses by a total of 10 points. But the Spartans did gut out wins against Oklahoma and Arizona, No. 2 and 3 seeds in the NCAA. MSU also led Virginia late in a game that was cancelled when it turned into water polo.
Sophomore point guard Marcus Taylor won both the Big Ten scoring (17.7) and assists (5.0) title—a rare feat that had only been achieved once before in league history. “There’s a reason only two have done it,” says Izzo. “It’s nearly impossible to do.”
Taylor made the First Team All-Big Ten team, while Ballinger, the team’s “Chairman of the Boards” with more than seven caroms per game, made the media’s Third Team. Anagonye emerged with a baby hook that attracted double teams and played with aggression that invited a few phantom foul calls. Adam Wolfe surfaced as a deadly outside shooter and offensive rebounder before a freak accident at Penn State sidelined him for the season. Center Jason Andreas saw great improvement in his post play.
All the freshmen contributed. Torbert, a MacDonald All-American and MSU’s latest Flintstone, made on impact on defense and averaged close to double digits. Anderson emerged as a talented driver and key defensive cog. Chris Hill combined smart play with a smooth outside stroke, averaging more than 11 points per game and shooting treys at a .446 clip. Redshirt freshman walk-on Bograkos, also a Flinstone, was ruthless on defense and made things happen whenever he came in.
Ishbia, MSU’s lone senior, assumed surrogate coach duties and helped bridge the communication between coaches and players. He will return next season as volunteer assistant coach.
MSU enjoyed many memorable wins, including its last five conference games—highlighted by an 81-76 win at Ohio State over the Big Ten tourney champions and a payback 57-54 home win against co-champ Indiana. A midseason 71-44 drubbing of Michigan quashed a media perception that the Wolverines had inched toward parity with MSU in basketball. With Taylor sitting out the second half with a concussion, MSU beat highly-ranked Illinois 67-61 in Champaign for what Izzo calls “as big a win as we’ve had in a lot of years.”
Preseason home wins against Oklahoma and Arizona were impressive, but the Breslin mystique ended Jan. 12 when Wisconsin won 64-63 after Torbert’s alley-oop basket at the buzzer was disallowed. The loss ended MSU’s nation-leading 53-game home winning streak.
Even in a rebuilding year, with enormous adversity, MSU made the NCAA tournament as a 10th seed in the East. Under Izzo, MSU has clearly evolved into an elite program. Huge numbers of Spartans jammed the pep rally at the Omni Severin in Indianapolis for the Big Ten tournament, where MSU lost to Indiana, and against the Murali’s in Washington DC. Several of Izzo’s former assistants enjoyed excellent seasons as head coaches, including Tom Crean at Marquette and Stan Heath at Kent State. Izzo enjoyed prominent exposure on ESPN. And the recruits for next year have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.
One recruit, 6-10 power forward Paul Davis of Rochester, was named Mr. Basketball—the fourth straight to choose MSU (after Jason Richardson, Marcus Taylor, and Kelvin Torbert). He joins MSU next year along with guards Maurice Ager and Rashi Johnson, power forward Delco Rowley, and two-sport star and swingman Matt Trannon.