Jan. 20, 2009
NU Game Notes vs. Michigan State (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern and Michigan State bring their 2008-09 regular season series to a close Wednesday night as the Wildcats travel to East Lansing to face the seventh-ranked Spartans. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. Central time and Big Ten Network is televising the game live with Tom Hamilton and Steve Smith on the call.
The contest can also be heard at 720 AM-WGN and online at wgnradio.com with Dave Eanet and Bob Hildebrand.
NU (9-6, 1-4) is coming off its first conference win of the season on Sunday, topping then-No. 18 Minnesota 74-65 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Craig Moore scored a game-high 22 points and knocked down six 3-pointers, including three during a 16-0 Wildcat run early in the second half. Northwestern forced the Golden Gophers into 19 turnovers in the contest. Kevin Coble contributed 20 points to the hosts' cause.
Michigan State (15-2, 5-0) sits atop the Big Ten standings after rallying back to defeat Illinois 63-57 at home Saturday. Goran Suton scored a team-high 12 points, while Marquise Gray came off the bench to add 11. The Spartans held a 42-30 rebounding advantage, including pulling down 18 on the offensive end.
Series History: Michigan State leads, 77-36.
Last Meeting: Northwestern led 33-32 at the half, but Michigan State opened the second period on a 12-point run and held off the Wildcats the rest of the way in winning 77-66 Jan. 3, 2009 in Evanston.
Scouting Michigan State
The Spartans (15-2, 5-0) hold a two-game lead in the Big Ten race after posting a 63-57 home victory over Illinois on Saturday. Goran Suton paced a balanced scoring effort with 12 points as Michigan State overcame a seven-point halftime deficit.
Junior forward Raymar Morgan leads MSU with averages of 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Kalin Lucas contributes 13.7 points and ranks second in the Big Ten with an average of 5.4 assists per contest.
Tom Izzo is in his 14th season as the head coach at Michigan State and guided the Spartans to the 2000 national championship. He has a career record of 320-132.
Taking it Away
The Wildcats enter Wednesday's game ranked first in the Big Ten in turnover margin at +4.33. In Northwestern's last two games, both against ranked foes, the 'Cats forced Purdue into 22 miscues Thursday before turning Minnesota over 19 times Sunday. NU has turned its opponents over an average of 16.0 times per game this season, with four of its foes committing over 20 turnovers in a contest. The Wildcats are forcing their Big Ten opponents into an average of 15.6 turnovers per game, the top mark in conference play. Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten with a 1.34 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Minnesota Game Notes
The win was Northwestern's first over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 18 Iowa 51-48 Feb. 8, 2006 in Evanston ... Craig Moore's six 3-pointers made are one shy of the top effort in Big Ten play this season ... Moore (22) and Kevin Coble became the second Wildcat duo to record 20 or more points in the same game this season, joining Coble (22) and John Shurna (20) who accomplished the feat against UMKC Dec. 15 ... Coble went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line, the best effort in the nine-year Carmody era and coming one make shy of ranking in a tie for the seventh-best effort in a game in school history ... Minnesota's Al Nolen came into the game ranked fifth in the nation with a 3.72 assist-to-turnover ratio, but had just two assists to go along with six turnovers Sunday ... NU's 21 free throws made and .778 free throw percentage (21-27) are both season highs.
Challenging Slate
Wednesday's contest at Michigan State is Northwestern's third straight game against a ranked foe and its fourth out of the last five. The last time NU played three consecutive opponents who were ranked was the 2005-06 season. Before that, the Wildcats hadn't faced three straight ranked teams since the 1993-94 season. Through games played Sunday, Northwestern has the ninth-highest strength of schedule in the country so far this season according to RealTimeRPI.com. NU's six losses have come to teams that have a combined 82-20 record (.804).
Protecting the Rock
Northwestern has handed out 235 assists while committing just 175 turnovers so far this year for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. The mark ranks third in the Big Ten and was 14th-best in the country entering play this week. Individually, sophomore point guard Michael Thompson leads the conference with a 4.25 assist-to-turnover ratio in Big Ten play. In five games and 162 minutes of action, Thompson has committed a mere four turnovers. The Wildcats ranked third in the country last season with a 1.43 team assist-to-turnover ratio.
Up Next...
The Wildcats head right back to the Great Lake State this Saturday as they travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Central time.