TELEVISION RADIO THE MATCHUP

R BASKETBALL

GAME

31

OHIO STATE

Sunday, March 8, 2020 4:30 p.m. ET East Lansing, Mich. ? Breslin Center

GAME 31

NO. 19/19 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES VS.

NO. 16/17 MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

TELEVISION

CBS Brad Nessler (play-by-play); Clark Kellogg (analyst)

RADIO

Spartan Sports Network ? Will Tieman (play-by-play) and Kevin Pauga (color analyst), with Dalton Shetler (host). Listen to one of 38 affiliates, on the web at SpartanSportsNetwork. com or Sirius, XM and Internet 84.

2019-20 SCHEDULE

October

Tues. 29 ALBION (exhibition) (BTN Plus)

W, 85-50

November

Tues. 5 vs. No. 2 Kentucky # (ESPN)

L, 69-62

Sun. 10 BINGHAMTON (BTN)

W, 100-47

Thur. 14 at No. 12 Seton Hall % (FS1)

W, 76-73

Maui Invitational

Mon. 18 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (BTN)

W, 94-46

Mon. 25 vs. Virginia Tech ^ (ESPN2)

L, 71-66

Tue. 26 vs. Georgia ^ (ESPN2)

W, 93-85

Wed. 27 vs. UCLA ^ (ESPN/2)

W, 75-62

December

Tue. 3 No. 10 DUKE @ (ESPN)

L, 87-75

Sun. 8 RUTGERS * (BTN)

W, 77-65

Sat. 14 at Oakland (ESPN2)

W, 72-49

Wed. 18 at Northwestern * (BTN)

W, 77-72

Sat. 21 EASTERN MICHIGAN (BTN)

W, 101-48

Sun. 29 WESTERN MICHIGAN (BTN)

W, 95-62

January

Thur. 2 ILLINOIS* (FS1)

W, 76-56

Sun. 5 No. 12 MICHIGAN * (CBS)

W, 87-69

Thur. 9 MINNESOTA * (ESPN2)

W, 74-58

Sun. 12 at Purdue* (CBS)

L, 71-42

Fri. 17 WISCONSIN * (FS1)

W, 67-55

Thur. 23 at Indiana * (FS1)

L, 67-63

Sun. 26 at Minnesota * (FOX)

W, 70-52

Wed. 29 NORTHWESTERN * (BTN)

W, 79-50

February

Sat. 1 at Wisconsin * (FOX)

L, 64-63

Tues. 4 No. 22 PENN STATE * (BTN)

L, 75-70

Sat. 8 at Michigan * (FOX)

L, 77-68

Tues. 11 at No. 22 Illinois * (ESPN)

W, 70-69

Sat. 15 No. 9 MARYLAND * (ESPN)

L, 67-60

Thur. 20 at Nebraska * (FS1)

W, 86-65

Tue. 25 No. 18 IOWA * (ESPN2)

W, 78-70

Sat. 29 at No. 9 Maryland (ESPN)

W, 78-66

March

Tue. 3 at No. 20 Penn State * (ESPN)

W, 79-71

Sun. 8 No. 19 OHIO STATE * (CBS)

4:30 p.m.

Wed.-Sun. 11-15

Big Ten Tournament (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Tues.-Wed. 17-18

NCAA Tournament - First Four

Thur.-Sun. 19-22 NCAA Tournament - First & Second Rounds

Thur.-Sun. 26-29

NCAA Tournament - Regionals

April

Sat. 4

NCAA Final Four (Atlanta, Ga.)

Mon. 6

NCAA National Championship (Atlanta, Ga.)

* Big Ten Conference Game # State Farm Champions Classic % Gavitt Tipoff Games ^ Maui Invitational @ Big Ten/ACC Challenge

BOLD CAPS ? Home (Played at Breslin Center) ? Big Ten Game*

March 8, 2020 ? 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS) East Lansing, Mich. ? Breslin Center (14,797)

THE MATCHUP

Michigan State

2019-20 Record

21-9, 13-6 Big Ten

Coach

Tom Izzo

Career Record (Yrs.) 627-241 (25th)

Ohio State 21-8, 11-8 Big Ten

Chris Holtmann 180-118 (9th)

Top Scorer Top Rebounder Top Assists

Cassius Winston (18.3) Xavier Tillman Sr. (10.4) Cassius Winston (5.9)

Kaleb Wesson (14.2) Kaleb Wesson (9.4) CJ Walker (3.5)

THE OPENING TIP

Michigan State closes out its regular season on Sunday, March 8, hosting Ohio State at the Breslin Center (4:30 p.m.) ... MSU is coming off a 79-71 win at No. 20 Penn State on Tuesday ... The Spartans have won their last four games and five of the last six ... Including Sunday's game, Michigan State will have played seven of its last nine games against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 ... MSU is ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press, No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 7 per kenpom. com, No. 7 in the NCAA Net and No. 4 in the ESPN BPI ... The Spartans have seven wins this season against Quadrant 1 teams.

MICHIGAN STATE POSSIBLE STARTING LINEUP

5 cassius winston Sr. ? 6-1 ? 185

G PPG RPG APG FG% MPG 18.3 2.4 5.9 43.9 32.3

2 rocket watts Fr. ? 6-2 ? 184

f

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

8.7 2.2 1.7 38.5 22.5

One of only eight Division I players averaging at least 18.0 ppg, 5.5 apg and 2.0 rpg ... One of only five players in Division I history with at least 1,900 points and 850 assists ... The MSU and Big Ten Conference all-time leader in assists (884).

Has started 15 games this season ... Career-high 21 points at No. 22 Illinois, vs. No. 18 Iowa ... Last three games, 17.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.7 apg, shooting 42.0 percent from the floor ... Reached double figures in scoring nine times, including eight of last 14 games (10.6 ppg).

11 aaron henry So. ? 6-6 ? 210 F PPG RPG APG FG% MPG 9.9 4.6 2.9 44.4 28.7

Has started in 28 of 29 games ... Last seven games, averaging 12.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.9 apg ... 15 games this season with at least 10 points ... Third on team with 2.9 assists ... Has handed out at least three 15 times, including career-high seven vs. Minnesota.

25malik hall Fr. ? 6-7 ? 215 F PPG RPG APG FG% MPG 4.7 3.6 1.2 54.7 15.7

Scored 16 points (5-of-5 FG) with six rebounds at Maryland ... Averaging 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in nine starts ... Earned first career start at Minnesota (Jan. 26), finishing with seven points and six rebounds in 20 minutes ... Career-high 17 points at Seton Hall.

23xaviertillmansr. Jr. ? 6-8 ? 245

The only player in Division I averaging at least 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks ...

F PPG RPG APG BPG MPG Against Big Ten, averaging 14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.2

13.7 10.4 3.0

2.1 32.1

apg, 2.4 bpg ... Last eight games, averaging 14.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, shooting 61.5% FG.

SPARTAN RESERVES

No. Name 0 Kyle Ahrens 1 Joshua Langford 3 Foster Loyer 10 Jack Hoiberg 13 Steven Izzo 14 Brock Washington 15 Thomas Kithier 20 Joey Hauser 30 Marcus Bingham Jr. 34 Julius Marble 40 Braden Burke 41 Conner George 44 Gabe Brown * Stats from 2018-19

Pos. Ht. Wt. Class

G/F 6-6 210 R-Sr.

G 6-5 200 Sr.

G 6-0 175 So.

G 5-11 175 R-So.

G 5-8 150 Fr.

G 6-4 200 R-So.

F

6-8 230 So.

F

6-9 220 R-So.

F 6-11 225 So.

F

6-8 225 Fr.

F 6-11 245 R-Jr.

G 6-4 205 R-Sr.

F

6-7 210 So.

PPG 3.7 15.0 3.0 1.5 0.0 0.8 3.1 9.7 3.6 1.7 0.3 1.2 7.0

RPG 1.8 3.6 0.5 0.2 0.4 0.8 3.1 5.3 3.7 1.5 0.0 1.9 3.7

APG 0.5 2.3 1.0 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.8 2.4 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.5

MPG 13.2 28.6*

7.7 3.1 1.4 2.1 12.8 29.2* 11.3 5.6 1.7 3.8 22.5

Men's Basketball Contact ? Mike "Mex" Carey

Visit

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BASKETBALL

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

2019-20 MICHIGAN STATE NUMERICAL ROSTER

No. Name. 0 Kyle Ahrens 1 Joshua Langford 2 Rocket Watts 3 Foster Loyer 5 Cassius Winston 10 Jack Hoiberg 11 Aaron Henry 13 Steven Izzo 14 Brock Washington 15 Thomas Kithier 20 Joey Hauser 23 Xavier Tillman Sr. 25 Malik Hall 30 Marcus Bingham Jr. 34 Julius Marble 40 Braden Burke 41 Conner George 44 Gabe Brown

Pos. Ht. G/F 6-6 G 6-5 G 6-2 G 6-0 G 6-1 G 5-11

F 6-6 G 5-8 G 6-4 F 6-8 F 6-9 F 6-8 F 6-7 F 6-11 F 6-8 F 7-0 G 6-4 F 6-7

Wt. Yr. 210 R-Sr. 200 Sr. 184 Fr. 175 So. 185 Sr. 175 R-So. 210 So. 150 Fr. 200 R-So. 230 So. 220 R-So. 245 Jr. 215 Fr. 225 So. 225 Fr. 245 R-Jr. 205 R-Sr. 210 So.

Hometown/High School Versailles, Ohio/Versailles Huntsville, Ala./Madison Academy Detroit, Mich./SPIRE Academy (Ohio) Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston Detroit, Mich./Univ. of Detroit Jesuit Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis East Lansing, Mich. / Lansing Catholic Southfield, Mich. / Southfield Christian Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston Stevens Point, Wis./Stevens Point (Marquette) Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian Aurora, Ill./Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Catholic Central Dallas, Texas/Dallas Jesuit Stevensville, Mich./Lakeshore (Robert Morris)

Okemos, Mich./Okemos Ypsilanti, Mich./Belleville

Head Coach: Tom Izzo (25th season - 627-241 career record) Associate Head Coach: Dwayne Stephens (17th season) Assistant Coach: Mike Garland (20th season) Associate Head Coach: Dane Fife (9th season) Director of Basketball Operations: David Thomas Video Coordinator: Drew Denisco Assistant Video Coordinator: Doug Herner Athletic Trainer: Nick Richey Equipment Manager: Dave Pruder Strength and Conditioning Coach: Marshall Repp

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

Kyle Ahrens.....................................Arns Jack Hoiberg....................................Hoy-berg Thomas Kithier ...............................Kith-E-er Xavier Tillman..................................Zavier Cassius Winston..............................Cash-ess

THE STARTING FIVE

1. Series History

Michigan State and Ohio State will meet for the 136th time on Sunday, March 8 ... MSU leads the head-to-head series, 76-59, and has won six-straight at home and nine of its last 11 over the Buckeyes ... Michigan State is 46-17 at home and is 8-2 in its last 10 home meetings against Ohio State ... The Spartans swept a trio of games last year, beating Ohio State on Jan. 5, 86-77, in Columbus, and then posting an 62-44 win in at the Breslin Center on Feb. 17 and followed with a 77-70 win at the Big Ten Tournament on March 15 ... Tom Izzo is 31-16 in his career against Ohio State.

3. Michigan State to Recognize Four Players on Senior Day

Michigan State men's basketball will recognize redshirt seniors Kyle Ahrens and Conner George, as well as senior guards Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston in post-game ceremonies following the Ohio State game ... Ahrens has battled injuries throughout his career, but has been a fierce competitor for the Spartans during that time ... He has played in 116 career games, averaging 3.0 points per game ... George came to MSU as a walk-on in 2015-16 and was awarded a scholarship for 2017-18 ... George has been referred to as a scout team "Hall of Famer" by Cassius Winston and turned his hard work into playing time in the rotation at different points during his career ... Langford, who was a starter during his first two-plus years, has been beset by injuries the last two years ... He has played in 83 career games, averaging 10.2 points per game ... Winston will leave Michigan State as one of the most decorated players in program history ... He is the all-time leader in assists and ranks among the top-six in scoring ... He was a consensus Second Team All-American last year and the Big Ten Player of the Year ... Winston is one of only five players in Division I history with at least 1,900 points and 850 assists in his career.

4. Tillman Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 First Team

Xavier Tillman was selected to the Academic All-District 5 First Team by the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA) on Feb. 20 ... Firstteam Academic All-District? honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America? ballot ... First-, second- and third-team (if applicable) Academic All-America? honorees will be announced in mid-March ... Tillman, a communication major, carries a 3.627 cumulative grade-point average ... Tillman was the recipient of the Student-Athlete Support Services Provost Award in 2019, which is presented to the male and female freshman or sophomore studentathlete who embodies the characteristics of academic performance, community involvement and leadership ability ... In addition, he has been selected to the Dean's List four times, was the recipient of the Scholar-Athlete Award in 2020, as well as earning High Honors on the Honor Roll in the Spring of 2019 and Student-Athlete of the Month honors.

BROTHERLY LOVE

Sunday's game marks the last regular season game at the Breslin Center for MSU guard Kyle Ahrens ... He will face an Ohio State team that features his younger brother, Justin ... The two faced each other three times last year during Justin's freshman year ... Natives of their hometown of Versailles (VERsales), Ohio have purchased 600 tickets for Sunday's game.

5. About the Spartans

Senior guard Cassius Winston leads MSU, and ranks third in the Big Ten, in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game ... Winston is also fourth in the league in assists (5.9 apg), first in free throw percentage, connecting on 85.5 percent of his shots (112-of-131), eighth in field goal percentage (43.9%), first in 3-point percentage (42.6%) and tied for sixth in steals (1.2 spg) ... Junior forward Xavier Tillman Sr. is second on the team with 13.7 points per game (T12th in the Big Ten) and tops the team (3rd in the Big Ten) with 10.4 rebounds per game, while adding 3.0 assists (T14th in the Big Ten) per game and 2.1 blocks per game (4th in the Big Ten) ... Tillman is the only player in the league in the top-15 in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks ... Sophomore forward Aaron Henry is third on the team with 9.9 points per game, while adding 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists ... MSU has three other players averaging at least 4.0 points per game, led by freshman guard Rocket Watts, who scored a career-high 21 points at Illinois and matched that against Iowa ... He is averaging 8.7 points per game (9.6 in Big Ten games) and 2.2 rebounds ... Sophomore forward Gabe Brown is averaging 7.0 points and 3.7 rebounds and scored a career-high 17 points at Nebraska ... ... Freshman forward Malik Hall, who has started nine games and scored 16 points and had six rebounds at Maryland, is averaging 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.

AT A GLANCE

2019-20 RECORD

21-9

2019-20 BIG TEN RECORD

13-6

ASSOCIATED PRESS

16

USA TODAY COACHES

17

LAST GAME

W, 79-71, at No. 20 Penn State

HEAD COACH (YR.)

Tom Izzo (25th)

ASSOC. HEAD COACHES Dwayne Stephens Dane Fife

ASSISTANT COACH

Mike Garland

BY THE NUMBERS

PPG..................................... 75.8 SCORING MARGIN.......... +11.2 FG%.................................... 46.0 3-PT FG%...........................34.9 FT%..................................... 75.0 APG. ................................... 17.7 A/TO...................................... 1.4 REB. MARGIN....................+7.5 TO MARGIN.........................-1.6 SPG....................................... 5.1 BPG. ..................................... 5.0

0 Kyle Ahrens R-Sr. ? 6-6 ? 210

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

3.7 1.8 0.5 41.3 13.2

G Strong, tough wing player ... Explosive athlete with high basketball IQ ... Very good outside shooter ... Good offensive rebounder ... Has scored at least four points 10 times this season and grabbed at least three

rebounds eight times ... Missed three games with an Achilles injury.

1 Joshua Langford Jr. ? 6-5 ? 210

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

-----

G Athletic wing who plays in full attack mode ... Solid mid-range game ... Last year, started first 13 games before being sidelined with a foot injury and missed remainder of the season after surgery in January ... Will

miss the remainder of the season after surgery for a stress reaction in his left foot on Dec. 17.

2 Rocket Watts Fr. ? 6-2 ? 184

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

8.7 2.2 1.7 38.5 22.0

g A solid and strong player ... A tremendous athlete who can play multiple positions ... Coaching staff feels he can develop into an excellent defender ... A competitive and tough player who can shoot from long range ...

A rare combination of strength, size, athleticism and shooting ability.

3 Foster Loyer So. ? 6-0 ? 175

PPG RPG APG 3FG% MPG

3.0 0.5 1.0 44.8 7.7

G Tremendous feel for the game ... Gifted shooter ... Will need to learn to defend bigger guards ... A four-time All-American and four-time Academic All-American ... Recipient of the Michigan Hal Schram Mr. Basketball

Award as a senior ... Father, John, is director of scouting for the Los Angeles Clippers.

5 Cassius Winston Sr. ? 6-1 ? 185

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

18.3 2.4 5.9 43.9 32.5

G Great passing ability and exceptional vision combined with very good ball skills ... Talented point guard who can put points on the board in bunches, but looks to get his teammates involved first ... Has scored in double

figures in 26 of 29 games and has 16 games with at least 20 points.

10 Jack Hoiberg R-So. ? 5-11 ? 175

PPG RPG APG FT% MPG

1.5 0.2 0.9 71.4 3.1

G Turned down Division I golf scholarship offers after being a part of back-to-back state championship golf teams ... Son of Fred and Carol Hoiberg ... Father, Fred, played 10 NBA seasons and is the head coach at the

University of Nebraska ... Started first career game at Nebraska (2/20/20).

11 Aaron Henry So. ? 6-6 ? 210

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

9.9 4.6 2.8 44.4 28.7

F Made big strides in the off-season, improving his ball handling, shooting and defense ... A versatile player who is a strong finisher, can pull up and shoot from long distance ... Plays with toughness and uses his

athleticism on both ends, showing the ability to guard opposing wings and play in the post.

13 Steven Izzo Fr. ? 5-8 ? 150

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

0.0 0.4 0.1 0.0 1.4

G The son of Head Coach Tom Izzo ... Joined the team as a walk-on in the summer of 2019 ... A solid catch and shoot player ... A hard worker who has a great sense for the game.

14 Brock Washington R-So. ? 6-4 ? 200

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

0.8 0.8 0.1 20.0 2.1

G Joined the Spartans as a walk-on prior to the 2017-18 season ... Excellent shooter with a good understanding of the game ... His brother, Bryce, is a sophomore basketball player at Penn.

15 Thomas Kithier So. ? 6-8 ? 230

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

3.1 3.1 0.8 66.7 12.8

f Among the team's most improved players ... Smart, hard-working player with a high basketball IQ ... A solid defender ... Runs the floor well and can be effective in the post ... Has scored at least six points in eight

games and has grabbed at least three rebounds 15 times.

20 Joey Hauser R-So. ? 6-9 ? 220

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

-----

f A transfer from Marquette ... A hard-working player who is versatile, has a high basketball IQ ... Scored double figures 17 times, including nine times in BIG EAST action ... Five-time BIG EAST Freshman of the

Week selection ... Averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists at Marquette in 2018-19.

23 Xavier Tillman Sr. Jr. ? 6-8 ? 245

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

13.7 10.4 3.0 54.8 32.1

F Coming off a strong summer and off-season ... Strong post player with great hands ... Excellent passer out of the post ... High basketball IQ with great rebounding skills ... Excellent defender and shot blocker ... The

only player in the Big Ten in the top-15 in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocked shots and steals.

25 Malik Hall Fr. ? 6-7 ? 215

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

4.7 3.6 1.2 54.7 15.7

F A versatile player with a high IQ ... Has the ability to play a variety of positionns ... Head Coach Tom Izzo refers to him as an "OKG," Our Kinda Guy ... Can handle the ball and has the ability to shoot the three and

play on the block ... Scored season-high 17 points at Seton Hall... Has 11 games with at least six points.

30 Marcus Bingham Jr. So. ? 6-11 ? 225

PPG RPG BPG FG% MPG

3.6 3.7 1.4 40.0 11.3

f A stretch forward who can handle the ball and play in space ... Has seven games this season with at least six rebounds and six games with at least three blocked shots ... Has a 7-4 wingpspan, the longest on the team ...

Height and length make him effective around the basket.

34

Julius Marble

Fr. ? 6-8 ? 225

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

1.7 1.5 0.1 56.3 5.6

A tremendous student who comes from a great program ... Head Coach Tom Izzo refers to him as an Andre

f Hutson-type player ... Can shoot a three, score down low ... Very good with both his right and left hand ... A strong player who still has room for growth.

40

Braden Burke

R-Jr. ? 7-0 ? 245

PPG RPG BPG FG% MPG

0.3 0.0 0.1 100 1.7

Sat out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA rules after transferring from Robert Morris ... Skilled center with

f solid mid-range jump shot ... Good finisher around the rim.

41

Conner George

R-Sr. ? 6-4 ? 205

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

1.2 1.9 0.1 33.3 3.8

Awarded a scholarship for 2017-18, after initially joining the Spartans as a walk-on for the 2015-16 season

g ... Excellent long-range shooter ... His mother, Cathy, is the head coach of the Michigan State volleyball team ... Graduated in three years, currently in grad school.

44

Gabe Brown

So. ? 6-7 ? 210

PPG RPG APG FG% MPG

7.0 3.7 0.5 43.8 22.5

Athletic wing who can score in a variety of ways ... Gym rat with a high basketball IQ ... Very good outside

f shooter ... Tremendous passion for the game ... Grew six inches between his freshman and junior years in high school... Has scored at least seven points in 20 games this year.

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BASKETBALL

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

ABOUT OHIO STATE

Ohio State enters Sunday's game with a 21-9 overall record and an 11-8 mark in the Big Ten following a 71-63 win over Illinois on Thursday ... The Buckeyes

TALE OF THE TAPE OVERALL

have won their last four games and six of the last seven overall ... Junior Kaleb Wesson is one of three players scoring in double figures, leading the team with 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds ... Sophomore Duane Washington Jr. is second on the team with 11.5 points and senior Andre Wesson is averaging 10.2 points and 4.1 rebounds ... The Buckeyes, who are second in the league in 3-pointers made per game (8.5), have six players who have hit at least 15 from long distance.

Scoring Average Scoring Defense Scoring Margin Field Goal Percentage FG Percentage Defense

Michigan State 75.8 64.6 +11.2 46.0% 37.6%

Ohio State 72.2 62.4 +9.8 44.5% 39.4%

LAST YEAR WITH OHIO STATE

The Spartans swept a trio of games last year, beating Ohio State on Jan. 5, 86-77, in Columbus, posting an 62-44 win at the Breslin Center on Feb. 17 and followed with a 77-70 win at the Big Ten Tournament on March 15 ... Cassius Winston scored 25 and Nick Ward had 21 points and eight rebounds in the first meeting ... At the Breslin Center, Matt McQuaid scored 14 points, Winston had 13 and eight assists and MSU held Ohio State to 13 points in the second half ... The Spartans beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Quarterfinals, as Winston scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists and Foster Loyer scored a career high 14 points

Three Point FG % Three Point FG % Defense Free Throw Percentage Rebound Average Opponents Rebound Average Rebound Margin Assists Turnover Average Turnovers Forced Turnover Margin

34.9% 28.7% 75.0% 40.7 33.2 +7.5 17.7 12.7 11.1

-1.6

37.4% 32.8% 74.9% 37.3 31.5 +5.7 12.8 12.8 12.3

-0.5

Steals

5.1

5.0

RARE AIR FOR WINSTON

Blocks

5.0

3.5

When Cassius Winston scored 20 points against Iowa on Feb. 25, it moved him

past the 1,900-point mark for his career (1,908) ... Winston is now one of only

five players in Division I history to score at least 1,900 points and hand out at least 850 assists ...

Player

Points

Assists

Gary Payton, Oregon State

2,172

938

D.J. Cooper, Ohio

2,075

934

Sherman Douglas, Syracuse

2,060

960

Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State

1,989

983

Cassius Winston, Michigan State

1,942

884

MSU VS. OHIO STATE

Last 15 Meetings (MSU 10-5)

Date

Site W/L MSU-Opp

2-24-2013 A

L

60-68

3-16-2013 N

L

58-61

1-7-2014 H

W 72-68 OT

3-9-2014 A

L

67-69

WINSTON IN EXCLUSIVE CLUB AT MSU

Cassius Winston is already in an exclusive club at MSU, as he is one of four players with at least

1,500 points and 600 assists ... :

Player

Years

Points

Assists

Scott Skiles

1982-86

2,145

645

2-14-2015 3-13-2015 2-23-2016 3-5-2016 3-11-2016

H N A H N

W W W W W

Cassius Winston

2016 - present 1,942

884

1-5-2017 A

L

Denzel Valentine

2012-16

1,645

639

2-14-2017 H

W

Mateen Cleaves

1996-2000

1,541

816

1-7-2018 A

L

1-5-2019 A

W

59-56 76-67 81-62 91-76 81-54 72-67 74-66 80-64 86-77

WINSTON CONTINUES MOVING UP RECORD BOOK

2-17-2019 H

W

62-44

Cassius Winston continues to move up the Michigan State record book ... He is one of only seven 3-15-2019 N

W

77-70

players to score at least 1,900 points in his career, moved past Jay Vincent (1977-81) for sixth all-

time at MSU with 20 points at Maryland and is the all-time leader in assists ... He ranks among the

Series Quick Facts

top-10 all-time at Michigan State in nine different categories:

Overall: MSU leads 76-59

Total

Points

1,9242

Assists

884

Field Goals

638

FG Attempts

1,391

Free Throws

411

FT Percentage 84.5%

3-Pointers

255

3-Point Attempts 595

3-Point Percentage 42.8%

Games Played 138

Rank 6th 1st 10th 9th 7th 4th 5th 5th 7th 10th

Next Kalin Lucas (1,996, 5th)

Kalin Lucas (670, 9th) Terry Furlow (1,478, 8th) Scott Skiles (446, 6th) Scott Skiles (85.0%, 3rd) Denzel Valentine (265, 4th) Denzel Valentine (650, 4th) Todd Wolfe (43.8%, 6th) Derrick Nix (139, 9th)

At East Lansing: 46-17 At Breslin Center: 19-5

At Columbus: 25-39 At Neutral Site: 5-3 Izzo vs. OSU: 31-16 Most MSU Points: 102 (Jan. 27, 1964) Most OSU Points: 111 (Jan. 30, 1960) Fewest MSU Points: 12 (Feb. 11, 1911) Fewest OSU Points: 31 (March 5, 1910) Largest MSU Margin: 27 (March 11, 2016) Largest OSU Margin: 44 (Feb. 11, 1950)

Cashing In....

When he moved past the 1,500-point and 750-assist mark for his carer, Cassius Winston became one of one of 10 players from Power Five conference schools to ever accomplish that feat (Winston and MSU's Mateen Cleaves are the only two Big Ten players)

WINSTON ON MIDSEASON WATCH LISTS FOR AWARDS

? Late Season Top 20 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award?

? Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award

? Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List

? Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Watch List

Last MSU Win: March 15, 2019 (77-70) Last OSU Win: Jan. 7, 2018 (80-64) Current Streak: MSU won three Longest MSU Win Streak: 14 Longest MSU Home Win Streak: 10 Longest MSU Away Win Streak: Six Longest OSU Win Streak: Six Longest OSU Home Win Streak: 15 Longest OSU Away Win Streak: Three

Winston is also the first player in Big Ten history to score at least 1,600 ? points and hand out at least 800 assists

Late Season Top 20 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award?

* Active Streak In Overtime: MSU leads 7-1

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

R

WINSTON SELECTED AS CANDIDATE FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD

Cassius Winston has been named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. Winston is one of 30 players considered for the annual award ... To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition ... An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ?, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

WINSTON BREAKS ALL-TIME ASSIST RECORD

Senior guard Cassius Winston handed out four assists in the win over Wisconsin on Jan. 17 and became the all-time leader in assists at Michigan State and in the Big Ten Conference ... Winston's 817 career assists (he has 884 now) broke the career record ? and Big Ten mark ? of 816, held for 20 years by former Spartan Mateen Cleaves ... Winston is the nation's leader among active players in assists ... MSU has the top-three single season assist leaders in Big Ten history (Winston with 291 in 2018-19, Cleaves with 274 in 1998-99 and Magic Johnson with 269 in 1978-79).

1-2 PUNCH

Senior guard Cassius Winston and junior forward Xavier Tillman are forming quite the 1-2 punch for the Spartans ... ESPN's Seth Greenberg said the duo "might be the best combination in college basketball" ... Combined, they are averaging 31.4 points, 12.7 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 2.1 blocks while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor (334-of-689) ... In Big Ten games, they are averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 2.4 blocks and shooting 49.6 percent from the floor (226-of-456) ... Overall, they have combined to account for 41.4 percent of MSU's scoring (941 of 2,273 points), including 46.4 percent in league games (633 of 1,364 points).

THE X FACTOR

X MARKS THE SPOT

Junior forward Xavier Tillman does a little bit of everything

Xavier Tillman is the only Division I player averaging at least 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocked shots ...

... He is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), leads the team in rebounds (10.4 rpg, third in the Big Ten) and blocked shots (2.1 bpg) and is third on the team in assists (3.0 apg) ... He is also the only Big Ten player among the top-15 in the league in points, rebounds, assists and

blocked shots. and is the only Division I player

since 1992-93 to do so (Tim Duncan at Wake Forest in 1996-97 and Bo Outlaw in 1992-93 at Houston).

BLOCK PARTY

Junior forward Xavier Tillman Sr. and the Spartans are

among the leaders in blocked shots and blocks per game

... The Spartans rank 17th nationally with 5.1 blocks per

game and are No. 16 with 150 total blocks ... Tillman has

led the way, averaging 2.1 blocks per game, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten ... When he blocked

two against Iowa, it gave him 147 (he has 151 now) for his career and moved him past Matt Costello

(2012-16) for the all-time lead at Michigan State ... Tillman's 63 blocks this year rank fifth all-time in

a single season ... Tillman blocked 65 shots last year were the third-best single-season mark in MSU

history and the most ever by a sophomore.

MSU'S RECORD IN 2019-20 WHEN:

At home: 11-3 On road: 7-4 Neutral: 3-2 Leading at the half: 19-0 Trailing at the half: 2-9 Tied at halftime: 0-0

Shoot 50% or above from field: 8-0 Shoot less than 50% from field: 13-9 Opp. shoots 50% or above: 1-0 Opp. shoots less than 50%: 20-9 MSU outshoots opp.: 20-3 Opp. outshoots MSU: 1-6 Both teams shoot same from floor: 0-0

MSU outrebounds opp.: 17-3 Opp. outrebounds MSU: 3-5 Rebounds are equal: 1-1

MSU has more turnovers: 12-6 Opp. has more turnovers: 7-3 Turnovers are equal: 2-0

Game decided by 1-5 pts: 3-4 Game decided by 6-10 pts: 3-3 Game decided by 11-15 pts: 4-1 Game decided by 16+ pts: 11-1

MSU scores less than 60 pts: 0-1 MSU scores 60-69 pts: 1-6 MSU scores 70-79 pts: 13-2 MSU scores 80+ pts: 7-0

MSU allows less than 60 pts: 9-0 MSU allows 60-69 pts: 7-4 MSU allows 70-79 pts: 4-4 MSU allows 80+ pts: 1-1

MSU in overtime: 0-0

TILLMAN A FINALIST FOR MALONE POWER FORWARD OF THE YEAR

Xavier Tillman Sr. was named one of 10 candidates for the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Feb. 6 ... Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its sixth year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball ... A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to just 10.

FAMILY MATTERS

Michigan State junior forward Xavier Tillman Sr. had a busy weekend at home on Feb. 15-17 ... Not only did MSU host Maryland on Feb. 15, but Tillman's wife, Tamia, gave birth to their second child, a boy, Xavier Justis Tillman Jr. on Monday morning ... Tillman's wife gave birth to the 7-pound, 8-ounce baby boy at 12:38 a.m. on Feb. 17 ... This is the second child for the couple, who have a 3-year-old daughter, Ayanna ... Tillman did not practice on Feb. 17, but was back with the team on Feb. 18 ... The elder Tillman changed his jersey to reflect Xavier Tillman Sr. for the Iowa game on Feb. 20.

BRESLIN ADVANTAGE

Michigan State has always made the Breslin Center one of the toughest places to play ... Michigan State is 420-63 (.870) at home all-time since the Breslin Center opened in 1989, including 223-48 (.823) in Big Ten play ... Under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 370-50 (.881) at Breslin, including a 181-35 (.838) conference record.

HOME COOKING

In the last four years, Michigan State has a 56-7 record (.889) at the Breslin Center, including a 32-5 mark (.865) against Big Ten opponents.

One MSU player scores 10+: 1-3 Two MSU players score 10+: 3-3 Three MSU players score 10+: 6-3 Four MSU players score 10+: 8-0 Five MSU players score 10+: 3-0 Six MSU players score 10+: 0-0

In November: 5-2 In December: 5-1 In January: 6-2 In February: 4-4 In March: 1-0 In April: 0-0

On Sunday: 5-1 On Monday: 1-1 On Tuesday: 4-3 On Wednesday: 3-0 On Thursday: 4-1 On Friday: 1-0 On Saturday: 3-3

Day Games: 5-4 Night Games: 16-5

R

BASKETBALL

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

MSU REACHES 20 WINS FOR NINTH-STRAIGHT SEASON

When Michigan State won at Maryland on Feb. 29, it marked the team's 20th win this season ... MSU now has won 20 games in nine-straight seasons under Head Coach Tom Izzo ... Izzo has 20 20-win seasons at Michigan State and has missed the plateau only once since 2003-04.

THE SPARTANS IN NATIONAL STATS

Michigan State ranks among the top-5 in the country in four different categories and among the

top-35 in 12 ... The Spartans are No. 3 in the country in assists per game, averaging 17.7 per

game ... Here's a breakdown of where else MSU ranks among the top in the country:

Assists per Game

3

17.7/game

Field Goal Pct. Defense

3

37.6

Total Assists

4

530

Defensive Rebounds per Game

5

29.6/game

Three-point FG Defense

9

28.7

Total Rebounds per Game

9

40.7

Assist Turnover Ratio

10

1.30

Rebound Margin

12

+7.5

Total Blocks

16

150

Blocked Shots per Game

17

5.0

Total Rebounds

18

1,222

Scoring Margin

20

11.2

Individuals

Cassius Winston Assists per Game

24

5.9/game

Total Assists

27

170

Xavier Tillman

Defensive Rebounds per Game

8

7.7/game

Total Rebounds

21

311

Rebounds per Game

22

10.4/game

Double Doubles

23

14

Total Blocks

31

63

Blocked Shots per Game

35

2.11/game

MAKING THE GRADE

Michigan State's student-athletes turned in a record-setting academic semester in school

history, posting new all-time high departmental semester and cumulative GPAs ... Twenty of

MSU's 23 programs posted a cumulative 3.0 GPA, setting a new department record, and a

record-tying 18 teams registered a semester GPA of 3.0 or better. Seven teams posted their

all-time high cumulative GPA, including men's basketball, which posted a 3.1 GPA.

DEFEND, REBOUND, RUN

Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo has always said that if his teams can defend and rebound it will lead to positives ... Last year, MSU ranked No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.1 percent), No. 5 in the country in rebound margin (+8.8 overall), No. 7 in blocked shots per game (5.3) and No. 3 in total blocks (205) ... Through 30 games this year, the Spartans are first in the Big Ten, and No. 3 in the country, in field goal percentage defense at 37.6 percent ... MSU is second in the league, and No. 12 nationally, with a +7.5 rebound margin ... The Spartans, who blocked 12 shots against Michigan on Jan. 5, rank No. 17 in the country in blocked shots per game (5.0) and No. 17 in total blocks (150).

2019-20 Big Ten Standings

(Through March 6)

Big Ten Overall W-L Pct. W-L Pct.

Michigan State 13-6 .684 21-9 .700

Maryland

13-6 .684 23-7 .767

Wisconsin

13-6 .684 20-10 .667

Illinois

12-7 .632 20-10 .667

Ohio State

11-8 .579 21-9 .700

Penn State

11-8 .579 21-9 .700

Iowa

11-8 .579 20-10 .667

Michigan

10-9 .526 19-11 .633

Rutgers

10-9 .526 19-11 .633

Indiana

9-10 .474 19-11 .633

Purdue

9-10 .474 16-14 .533

Minnesota

7-12 .368 13-16 .448

Northwestern 2-17 .105 7-22 .241

Nebraska

2-17 .105 7-23 .233

Big Ten Conference Schedule March 7 - March 8 (All Times Eastern)

Saturday, March 7 Wisconsin at Indiana (noon, BTN) Rutgers at Purdue (2 p.m. BTN) Penn State at Northwestern (4 p.m., BTN)

Sunday, March 8 Michigan at Maryland (noon, FOX) Nebraska at Minnesota (noon, BTN) Ohio State at Michigan State (3:30 p.m., CBS) Iowa at Illinois (6 p.m., BTN)

2020 Big Ten Tournament Schedule Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - First Round Game 1 (6 p.m. ET): #12 seed vs. #13 seed Game 2 (25 min. after): #11 seed vs. #14 seed

Thursday, March 12, 2020 - Second Round Game 3 (Noon ET): #8 seed vs. #9 seed Game 4 (25 min. after): #5 seed vs. Game 1 winner Game 5 (6:30 p.m. ET): #7 seed vs. #10 seed Game 6 (25 min. after): #6 seed vs. Game 2 winner

Friday, March 13, 2020 - Quarterfinals Game 7 (Noon ET): #1 seed vs. Game 3 winner Game 8 (25 min. after): #4 seed vs. Game 4 winner Game 9 (6:30 p.m. ET): #2 seed vs. Game 5 winner Game 10 (25 min. after): #3 seed vs. Game 6 winner

SPARTANS SHARE THE BALL

Unselfishness is a trademark of all Tom Izzo teams ... That has been especially true over the

last seven seasons as MSU established a school record for assists during that span ... In 2019-

Saturday, March 14, 2020 - Semifinals Game 11 (1 p.m. ET): Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Game 12 (25 min. after): Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner

20, MSU leads the Big Ten, and ranks No. 2 nationally, in assists per game, with 17.8, and are No. 4 with 517 assists ... The Spartans have recorded an assist on 65.0 percent of their field goals this year (530-of-816) ... MSU is No. 1 in the country in assist percentage this season ... Last year, the Spartans led the country in total assists and handed out the second-most in a

Sunday, March 15, 2020 - Championship Game Game 13 (3:30 p.m. ET)

Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner

single season in MSU history (715) ... The Spartans recorded an assist on 66.8 percent of their

field goals last year ... In 2017-18, MSU led the country in assists per game (19.1) and handed out 670, then the second-best mark in program history ...

In 2015-16, MSU tallied a school record 719 assists, good for the 22nd-best total in NCAA history ... MSU's nation's-best assist average of 20.5 was the

23rd-best average in NCAA history ... The Spartans recorded an assist on a nation's-best 71.3 percent of its field goals.

STARTING LINEUPS

Through the first 30 games this season, Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo has used nine different starting lineups, for varying reasons ... Senior guard Joshua Langford was sidelined before the start of the season, moving freshman guard Rocket Watts into the lineup for the season opener against Kentucky in the Champions Classic ... Sophomore forward Aaron Henry missed the Charleston Southern game after a sprained ankle at Seton Hall ... Sophomore forward Marcus Bingham Jr. has started the last nine games and then sophomore Gabe Brown moved into the lineup the last five games after Watts was sidelined last week with an lower leg injury ... Sophomore guard Foster Loyer started against Western Michigan ? scoring a game-high 16 points with six assists ? in place of Cassius Winston, who had bruised his left knee in practice on Dec. 27 ... At Minnesota on Jan. 26, Watts and freshman Malik Hall were in the lineup and Hall was back in the lineup against Northwestern on Jan. 29.

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

R

FATHER & SON MATCHUP

When Michigan State played at Nebraska on Thursday night in Lincoln, Neb., it provided a

unique matchup as Spartans redshirt sophomore guard Jack Hoiberg and his teammates

MICHIGAN STATE RETIRES DRAYMOND GREEN'S NUMBER

faced the Cornhuskers, coached by his father, Fred Hoiberg ... The younger Hoiberg said his

mother, brothers, all four of his grandparents and some aunts and uncles plan to be at Pin- The Michigan State men's basketball program retired Dray-

nacle Bank Arena ... Hoiberg started the game and scored four points and had two assists. mond Green's No. 23 on Tuesday, Dec. 3 when the Spartans

hosted Duke. Green, who played in two Final Fours and

NATIONAL HONORS FOR WINSTON FOLLOWING B1G WEEK

Cassius Winston scored a career-high 32 points and handed out nine assists as MSU beat

Michigan, 87-69, and was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 6 ... It was the

sixth time in his career that he earned that award, as he was recognized five times during

won three Big Ten regular-season championships, earned National Player of the Year honors in 2012 in addition to being a consensus First Team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year.

the 2018-19 season ... That week, Winston was also recognized as Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association, the Citizen Naismith Trophy, NCAA March Madness and the 3X3U National Championship ... Winston averaged 26.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds while connecting on 54.5 percent of his field goals, including 62.5 percent of his 3-point attempts (5-of-8) in the wins.

Green is one of just four players in Michigan State history to earn National Player of the Year honors, having been selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2012. A consensus First Team All-American, he also collected Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Tournament

SOPHOMORES STEPPING UP

MSU's sophomore class has picked up the pace this season ... All five, with Aaron Henry earning 26 starts, have started at least one game this season ...Through 29 games this season, the sophomore class ? Marcus Bingham Jr., Gabe Brown, Henry, Thomas Kithier and Foster Loyer ? is averaging 26.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game ... The

Most Outstanding Player accolades in 2012. In addition to First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2012, he was a secondteam honoree in 2011 and 2010, while also being named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2010. As a senior in 2012, he also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team.

group has accounted for 34.8 percent of the team's total points (763 of 2,194), 37.7 percent of the team's rebounds (444 of 1,179) and 30.6 percent of the team's assists (158 of 517).

During his time at Michigan State, Green played in the 2009 and 2010 Final Fours, won three Big Ten regular-season

THE GRADUATES

The Michigan State roster features three players who have already completed their un-

championships in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and captured a Big Ten Tournament championship in 2012.

dergraduate academic requirements in redshirt seniors Kyle Ahrens and Conner George and senior Cassius Winston ... George graduated in three years, earning his bachelor's degree in communication ... He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in education ... Ahrens completed his undergraduate work in December 2018 and began a Master of Arts in education in January 2019 ... Winston earned his bachelor's degree in advertising management in the summer of 2019 and began work on a master's degree in sports management.

He is the all-time leading rebounder in Michigan State history, collecting 1,096 career caroms from 2008-09 to 2011-12. He also ranks second in career steals (180), sixth in career blocks (117) and 18th in career scoring with 1,517 points. He finished his career just 27 assists shy of MSU career Top 10. He is one of just four players in MSU history

to record a triple-double, posting three, including two in

LANGFORD TO MISS REMAINDER OF THE 2019-20 SEASON

NCAA Tournament competition.

Michigan State men's basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo announced on Thursday, Dec. 19

that senior guard Joshua Langford would miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season after Since leaving Michigan State, Green has gone on to have

undergoing surgery on Dec. 17 in New York City ... Langford had been sidelined in the a successful NBA career. Now entering his eighth season,

preseason with a stress reaction in his left foot ... Langford played in the first 13 games he has been a part of three NBA Championship teams with

of the 2018-19 season before being sidelined ... He was third on the team in scoring with the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018). Individually,

15.0 points per game, fourth with 3.6 rebounds, third with 2.3 assists, third on the team in Green appeared in three straight NBA All-Star games from

3-point field goal percentage (40.3 percent) and third in minutes played (28.4/game) ... In 2016-2018, and is a two-time All-NBA honoree, earning

83 career games, with 75 starts, Langford has averaged 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 a spot on the second team in 2016 and the third team in

assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from 3-point land ... 2017. The 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Green

As a sophomore in 2017-18, he averaged 11.7 points and 3.0 rebounds while connecting is a five-time NBA All-Defensive selection, earning three

on 40.4 percent of his 3-point field goals (44-of-109) and as a freshman in 2016-17, he first-team honors from 2015-17 and second team honors

averaged 6.....9 points and 2.3 rebounds ... He has scored 847 career points.

in 2018 and 2019. In 2016, Green won an Olympic Gold

Izzo on Langford...

Medal with Team USA at the Summer Olympic Games in

"I think there was a worry that he may never play basketball again. And I think that is more Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

gone. Josh was always hoping after this year to test his professional options, both overseas,

the G-League and the NBA if he would have had a good season. I think those are still his

hopes and dreams. We'll talk about any other options he has when the time comes, but for me right now...it's saddens me a little bit, because even though

I did not, and I was kind of honest with most of you, I did not think he would be back. That saddens me because the kind of kid he's been. He's just done

everything we could ask of him. We think of somebody it's been unfair to. This kid means the world to me and I think to our program for what he stood for.

Both religiously, academically, athletically... he was the workhorse of our team. Now, I'm hoping to help him fulfill another dream and goal, and that's where

we're kind of at right now. Put it anyway you want it, I'm sure there's some fans out there that think he was popping back in in January and everything was

going to be great. That wasn't how I left it. It's way more of a positive than a negative, because I think it's positive that his future in basketball is there and

he has a future in basketball, and for that I'm really excited."

CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019-20 SEASON

MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo announced the team's captains for the 2019-20 season before departing to play Seton Hall in the Gavitt Tipoff Games on Nov. 13 ... Four players were selected as captains ? redshirt senior Kyle Ahrens, senior guards Joshua Langford and Cassius Winston and junior forward Xavier Tillman ... This is the seconds straight year that Langford and Winston have captained the Spartans.

WINSTON EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN HONORS, BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Cassius Winston earned a slew of preseason awards entering the 2019-20 season ... Winston was selected as a Preseason First Team All-American by the Associated Press and was also tabbed a Preseason First Team All-American by the Sporting News ... He was also named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten Team and was selected to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award ... Winston was a unanimous selection as the Preseason Player of the Year and is the second MSU player in the last three years named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, joining Miles Bridges, who was recognized in 2017.

R

BASKETBALL

GAME 31 ? OHIO STATE

I DO

Michigan State has two players on the roster this year who were married over the summer ... Redshirt senior guard/forward Kyle Ahrens married Janelle Mangen on July 22 in his hometown of Versailles, Ohio ... Junior forward Xavier Tillman married Tamia Todd on May 19 in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. ... Tillman and his wife have a 2-year-old daughter, Ayanna, and are expecting their second child in February.

MSU WEARS PATCHES IN REMEMBRANCE OF ZACHARY WINSTON

The Michigan State basketball team took to the floor at Seton Hall on Thursday, Nov. 14 with patches in the upper left that read "Smoothie" ... The patches, which they will wear for the remainder of the season, are in honor of Zachary Winston, the younger brother of senior guard Cassius Winston, who passed away on Nov. 9 ... "Smoothie" was the nickname for Winston, who was a sophomore at Albion College and a member of the basketball team ... The Spartans played Albion in an exhibition game on Oct. 29 at the Breslin Center ... Khy Winston, the youngest brother, played 11 minutes and scored three points.

FATHER AND SON

A familiar name is on the Michigan State roster in 2019-20 ... For the last 25 years, Tom Izzo has been listed as the head coach ... On the roster this year is freshman walk-on guard Steven Izzo, the youngest of his two children ... Steven, a 5-8 guard, walked-on to the team during the summer ... He played in the exhibition game against Albion College, logging three minutes and hitting 1-of-2 free throws for one point.

SPARTANS IN THE NBA

Michigan State had six players on NBA opening day rosters: Denzel Valentine (Chicago Bulls), Gary Harris (Denver Nuggets), Bryn Forbes (San Antonio Spurs), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)

COACHING STABILITY

Michigan State has had just two basketball coaches in the last 44 seasons and three in the last 50 ... Tom Izzo is in his 25th season, having taking over from his mentor Jud Heathcote, who spent 19 years as head coach (1976-95) ... Before Heathcote, Gus Ganakas spent seven seasons as head coach ... Ganakas provided commentary on Spartan radio broadcasts for 31 seasons.

MICHIGAN STATE IN THE BIG TEN

TEAM STATISTICS

Scoring Offense Scoring Defense Scoring Margin Free-Throw Pct. Field-Goal Pct. FG Pct. Defense 3-Pt. FG Pct. 3-Pt. FG Pct. Def. Rebounding Off. Rebounding Def. Rebound Margin Blocked Shots Assists Steals Turnover Margin Assist/TO Ratio Offensive Reb. Defensive Reb. 3-Point FG Made

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Scoring Cassius Winston 3rd 18.3 ppg

Xavier Tillman 13th 13.7 ppg

Rebounding Xavier Tillman

3rd 10.4 rpg

2nd (75.8) 6th (64.6) 1st (+11.2) 2nd (75.0%) 2nd (46.0%) 1st (37.6%) 3rd (34.9%) 1st (28.7%) 1st (40.7) 5th (33.2) 2nd (+7.5)

1st (5.0) 1st (17.7) 8th (5.1) 14th (-1.6) 2nd (1.4) 9th (11.1) 1st (29.6) 8th (7.7)

LONGEST TENURED COACHING STAFFS

Michigan State also has one of the longest-tenured staffs in Division I basketball entering the 2019-20 season:

Field Goal Percentage Xavier Tillman 3rd

Cassius Winston 9th

54.8% 43.9%

Coaching Staff (Head Coach, Assistants) Tom Izzo, Dwayne Stephens, Dane Fife, Mike Garland

Bob Huggins, Larry Harrison, Ron Everhart, Erik Martin

School Season At School

Michigan State

10th

West Virginia

8th

3-Point FG Percentage Cassius Winston 1st 42.6%

Will Brown, John Iati, Josh Pelletier, Jerrad Knotts Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend, Norm Roberts, Jerrance Howard Dana Altman, Tony Stubblefield, Kevin McKenna, Mike Mennenga

UAlbany Kansas Oregon

8th 6th 6th

Free Throw Percentage Cassius Winston 1st 85.5%

Ben Howland, George Brooks, Korey McCray, Ernie Zeigler Brian Wardle, Drew Adams, Mike Bargen, Jimmie Foster * Keith Dambrot, Terry Weigand, Rick McFadden, Charles Thomas * Mike McConathy, Jeff Moore, Jacob Spielbauer, Dave Simmons

Mississippi State Bradley Akron/Duquesne Northwestern State

5th 5th 10th 9th

Assists Cassius Winston 4th 5.9 apg

Xavier Tillman 14th 3.0 apg

* Duquesne's staff spent seven seasons together at Akron and enter third season at Duquesne * Northwestern State staff is not consecutive seasons.

Steals Cassius Winston T7th 1.2 spg

TUM TUM NAIRN JR. JOINS MEN'S BASKETBALL STAFF

Xavier Tillman T7th 1.2 spg

No stranger to Michigan State or to the Breslin Center, Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr. joined the men's basketball staff as a graduate manager, Head Coach Tom Izzo announced on Sept. 6 ...

3-Point FG Made

Nairn spent the 2018-19 season as a player development assistant with the Phoenix Suns ... Cassius Winston 1st

2.4/game

Nairn was a three-time captain under Izzo and one of the best leaders in Michigan State history

... He was a four-time recipient of Michigan State's Stephen G. Scofes Inspirational Player Award Blocked Shots

and also was the recipient of the Antonio Smith Glue and Guts Award as a senior in 2018.

Xavier Tillman 4th 2.1 bpg

Marcus Bingham Jr. T11th 1.4 bpg

NATION'S BEST EIGHT FINAL FOURS IN 21 YEARS

Michigan State advanced to the 2019 Final Four, marking the eighth trip to the Final Four in 21 Assist/Turnover Ratio

seasons under Tom Izzo ... The eight trips in the last 21 seasons rank as the most in the nation Cassius Winston T9th 1.8 (5.9 apg/3.3 tpg) ... In addition, MSU has appeared in 22 straight NCAA Tournaments, marking the nation's third-

longest active streak, and the longest streak in Big Ten history.

Offensive Rebounds

MSU ADDS TWO ON NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

Xavier Tillman 9th 2.7

Michigan State's men's basketball team received signed National Letters of Intent from AJ Hoggard and Mady Sissoko on Nov. 14 ... Hoggard played at Archbishop Carroll in Philadelphia before transferring to Huntington Prep (W.Va.) for his senior year ... Comes from the same prep

Defensive Rebounds Xavier Tillman T1st

7.7

school as former MSU All-American Miles Bridges ... Ranked No. 71 nationally by 247Sports. com and No. 13 among all point guards ... At Archbishop Carroll, Hoggard was a first team AllCatholic selection ... He averaged 15.6 points as a junior, leading the team to a 20-8 record and

Minutes Played Cassius Winston

9th

32.4 mpg

the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals ... A nativeMali, West Africa, Mady Sissoko averaged 12.5 points,

8.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game as a junior at Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant, Utah ...

A 6-10 center who has a 7-4 wingspan, Sissoko is ranked No. 35 in the ESPN Top 100 and the Nike Top 100 Elite ... Rated the No. 36 overall player and

No. 7 among centers by ... Also plays for the Vegas Elite and Jimmer Elite (Utah Mountain Stars) ... Sissoko has been in the United States

since 2016 ... Sissoko will be Michigan State's first player from Africa since Idong Ibok, a native of Nigeria, played from 2005-09.

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