SportsLine.com Report
April 3, 2000

Spartans overcome more adversity to win title

INDIANAPOLIS -- Michigan State saved its best for last.

In an NCAA Tournament in which the Spartans often needed to come back from second-half deficits, Michigan State grabbed Monday's title game -- and Florida -- by the throat to claim an 89-76 victory and its first national title since 1979.

But it wasn't easy. Star point guard Mateen Cleaves went down with an ankle injury early in the second half with the Spartans leading by six points. But when he returned six minutes later, limping and to a standing ovation, the lead had actually been pushed to eight.

In the end, the Spartans' karma was just too much for the Gators. Tom Izzo's team had lost to Duke in the semifinals a year ago and Cleaves skipped the NBA Draft in hopes of winning a national title.

He couldn't have dreamed it any better.

Why they won

Michigan State ran when the Gators dared them to, and the Spartans guards dominated Florida's guards. Cleaves and Charlie Bell outscored Florida's starting guards 27-0.

The MSU bench, suspect for much of the tournament, played surprisingly well, scoring some big points and allowing coach Tom Izzo to keep his starters fresh against the deeper Gators.

Inside the game

Michigan State didn't have a turnover for the first 12 minutes of the game against Florida's press. By then, the Spartans had a nine-point lead. They ran with the Gators from the outset, looking to beat their press by beating them down the floor. The Spartans took the lead to 13 before Florida backed off the press.

Key moment

Point guard Mateen Cleaves suffered a high ankle sprain with 16:18 remaining and had to leave the court. But Cleaves returned with 11:51 left, to a standing ovation, with the Spartans holding an eight-point lead -- two more than when he left. The rest of the team already knew how to rely upon one another without their spark plug in the lineup, and they showed that poise at the most critical time.

Decisions, decisions

Instead of playing man-to-man defense, Izzo slapped a 3-2 zone, the "Izzone," on Florida. It was particularly effective on the perimeter, where the Spartans constantly had a hand in shooters' faces. The Gators made only 6 of 18 attempts from behind the arc.

Grading the Spartans

Backcourt
Inspirational. Cleaves and Bell strangled starters Teddy Dupay and Justin Hamilton (a combined 0-for-5 from the field), Cleaves broke down Florida's press and Bell had a mighty game, finishing with nine points, eight boards, five assists and two steals, with only two turnovers in 33 minutes. Did we mention Cleaves's 13 first-half points?
Grade: A

Frontcourt
Mo Pete hit five of his seven second-half shots, three of which were 3-point shots, to tally 15 points in the second half. Peterson also nullified Gators forward Mike Miller (2-for-5, 10 points, three boards). A.J. Granger was a key part of the long-range attack, draining 3 of 5 3-point shots. Andre Hutson struggled with his post defense, but it didn't make any difference.
Grade: A-

Bench
The bench had 10 points combined in Michigan State's previous two games. It had 16 on Monday, and Jason Richardson and Mike Chappell were particularly effective in the wide-open game that Florida creates. Even freshman Adam Ballinger had a timely basket in the first half. The Spartans' bench was outscored only by 10 by the supposedly superior Florida reserves, who made a mere 9 of 30 shots.
Grade: A

Staff
Izzo used his bench early ... and it worked. And let's not forget his decision to put the team through a brutal non-conference schedule that clearly paid dividends.
Grade: A

How they got there

Every step of the way it seemed like the Spartans were ready to join the rest of the NCAA Tournament's top seeds in falling out of the field. Of the four teams MSU has defeated thus far, only first-round foe Valparaiso didn't hold a second-round lead. Michigan State fell behind Utah, Syracuse and Iowa State, yet always seemed to find another gear when it was needed.

Anybody who questions Mateen Cleaves skills -- no, he can't hit his shots consistently -- need only watch the final 10 minutes of any Spartan game in this tourney to understand his value. He has been magic late in games ... or is that "Magic?" The last Michigan State national championship team was led by a guy named Earvin Johnson who had many of the same traits Cleaves has shown this year.

The Spartans shared the regular-season Big Ten title -- their third consecutive league championship -- and were able to turn it up even more in the Big Ten tournament. Avoiding the kind of upsets that hit top seed Ohio State and No. 3 Purdue, Michigan State rolled past Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois to claim the league's automatic berth.

Starting Lineup

• PG Mateen Cleaves (6-2, 195, Sr.) 12.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 7.5 apg
  Cleaves is MSU's heart and soul, having been through the wars for four seasons. He is as competitive as they come, which allows him to deliver offensively when opponents let him fire up his normally-suspect outside shot. He is perhaps the premier point guard in the country at getting the ball up court after a defensive rebound. He's delivered points and assists in the tournament -- 14 and 5.5 per game.
• SG Charlie Bell (6-3, 195, Jr.) 11.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.1 apg
  Bell is a streaky shooter -- he's 8-for-26 in tournament games -- but when he is on, woe to the opponent leaving him free. He excels at hitting 3-pointers on the run in the Spartans fast-break attack and is a big, physical defender capable of bothering opposing two-guards into long nights. He scored 31 points in early March against Michigan, but has yet to have another such night, or anything close. The Spartans have had a great tournament without significant contributions from Bell. If he gets it going, they're that much more frightening.
• C Andre Hutson (6-8, 230, Jr.) 10.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg
  A hard-worker on the glass at both ends, Hutson is undersized for a center, but in height only. His strength makes him effective against whoever he plays, because he is able to root them out of the spot where they prefer to set up. Limited in his shooting range and from the free-throw line, he scores best when his opportunities come off the glass. He's had a big impact on the tourney, averaging 15.6 points and eight rebounds in the last three games -- the only three that have really mattered.
• SF Morris Peterson (6-6, 215, Sr.) 16.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg
  His improvement over five seasons at Michigan State has been nothing short of amazing. Peterson was a no-defense, gun-it-when-you-catch it project when he began his career as a Spartan. He goes out as the co-MVP of the Big Ten. A demon on defense, on the boards and on either 3-pointers or drives to the hoop, he is at his best in big games and a major headache for any opponent. He averaged just under 20 points against Syracuse and Iowa State and continues to be the player -- along with Cleaves -- that makes teams pay for their imperfections.
• PF A.J. Granger (6-9, 230, Sr.) 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg
  He's been a major factor in the Spartans' tourney success, scoring 37 points against Syracuse and Iowa State -- more than double his season average. Granger was benched at midseason after he got one rebound in a loss at Ohio State. How did he respond? By averaging eight rebounds for his last eight regular-season games. Loves to trail the team down the floor, set up at the key and take a return pass from Cleaves or Bell for a 3-pointer. Stretches opposing defenses, because few power forwards enjoy venturing as far onto the perimeter as Granger's range extends.

Keys to Success

Michigan State leads the nation in rebounding, which triggers its fast break and leads to transition 3-point opportunities for Mateen Cleaves, Charlie Bell, A.J. Granger and Morris Peterson.

Its offensive and defensive balance, however, makes Michigan State especially difficult to beat.

The Spartans like to bang on defense even more than most Big Ten teams, particularly Cleaves out front and Andre Hutson in the low post. Either could be subject to foul trouble in the NCAA Tournament if MSU gets a crew that calls it close.

The Coach

Tom Izzo stepped into a tough situation at Michigan State, replacing loveable legend Jud Heathcote, who had personality, panache and a national championship cache.

Now he's merely the former coach in East Lansing, which is a testament to Izzo's success. He took the Spartans to the Sweet 16 in 1998, and the Final Four in 1999.

He teaches tough defense and has proven to be an outstanding recruiter.

What's more, Izzo is from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so he considers MSU his dream job. He's going to be around a long, long time and win a lot of games, perhaps including a title to go with the one Heathcote and Magic Johnson claimed in 1979.

The Bench

MSU is deep, although forwards Al Anagonye and David Thomas, both recovering from stress fractures in their right foot, and have seen only single-digit minutes in the tourney.

Guard Mike Chappell can provide some long-range offense off the bench -- he hit 11 of 16 3-pointers in his last two regular season games -- but is averaging just three points in the tourney, and that's including a nine-point effort against Valpo.

Freshman Jason Richardson is a high-flyer who can get on the glass and soar (he had 10 rebounds vs. Valpo), but has no shot beyond 10 feet. He scored 11 points in the first two round of the tourney but has not scored since. Adam Ballinger gives MSU a 6-9 banger if Hutson or Granger gets in foul trouble. He did not play against Syracuse and logged just a minute against ISU.

Offense

The Spartans love to run, and they do it well. No team switches from defense to offense faster, and Cleaves is the key to that weapon. He catches outlet passes near midcourt and sees the floor well when he gets to the other end. Peterson and Bell fill the lanes as well as any players in college basketball.

Defense

Michigan State's man-to-man defense isn't the most distinctive thing about its defense, rebounding is. That's not to say the Spartans don't play sticky man-to-man. They do. But their dominance of the glass makes their defense even more effective, because if a team doesn't score on its first opportunity, it isn't likely to receive a second chance.