Michigan State Spartans 70-69 Over Illinois Official Game Thread
State Farm Center
Champaign, Illinois
The Michigan State Spartans are 16-8 (8-5) and licking their wounds riding a three-game losing streak. The team returns to the hard-court tonight here in Champaign, Illinois at the State Farm Center. They are taking on the Fighting Illini. It can be seen on ESPN at 9:00 PM (NOON) ET.
MSU men’s basketball super SID Mex Carey provides this quick look at tonight’s game:
1. Series History Michigan State and Illinois meet for the 123rd time when the teams meet on Tuesday, Feb. 11 ... The Spartans lead the head-to-head series, 62-60, and have won 13 of the last 20 against Illinois and 15 of the last 23 ... MSU won the first meeting between the teams this year, 76-56, on Jan. 2 at the Breslin Center ... In the last 25 games in the series, 20 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or fewer ... Michigan State is 20-39 in games played at Illinois ... The team’s last win on the road was a 60-53 decision on Feb. 22, 2015 ... Tom Izzo is 25-18 in his career against the Illini.
2. Last Meeting with Illinois Cassius Winston scored a game-high 21 points and handed out six assists to lead four players in double figures as No. 14 Michigan State used a big second half to beat Illinois, 76-56, in a Big Ten Conference game on Jan. 2 ... Xavier Tillman added 19 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, while Gabe Brown scored 12 points and Aaron Henry had 10 points and nine rebounds ... Sophomore forward Marcus Bingham Jr. did not score, but had career-high’s with 12 rebounds and five blocked shots.
3. About the Spartans Senior guard Cassius Winston leads MSU, and ranks third in the Big Ten, in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game … Winston is also fourth in the league in assists (5.9 apg), first in free throw percentage, connecting on 87.0 percent of his shots (87-of-100), 11th in field goal percentage (42.2 %) and fifth in 3-point percentage (38.4%) ... Junior forward Xavier Tillman is second on the team with 13.4 points per game (T15th in the Big Ten) and tops the team (2nd in the Big Ten) with 10.2 rebounds per game, while adding 3.1 assists (T11th in the Big Ten) per game and 2.2 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 9.3 points per game, while adding 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists ... MSU has four other players averaging at least 4.0 points per game, led by sophomore forward Gabe Brown, who is averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds ... Freshman guard Rocket Watts, who scored a career-high 16 points at Wisconsin, adds 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists ...Freshman forward Malik Hall, who has started the last five games, is averaging 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds, and sophomore forward Marcus Bingham Jr., is averaging 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
4. Winston Selected as One of 10 Finalists for Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Cassius Winston was one of 10 players selected to the Watch List for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award ... Named after Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy, the annual honor now in its 17th year recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball ... A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the original watch list of 20 candidates ... In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
5. Xavier Tillman Named Finalist for Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Xavier Tillman 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 Thursday ... 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 ... Tillman is second on Michigan State in scoring with 13.3 points per game and leads the team, and ranks second in the Big Ten Conference, with 10.1 rebounds per game ... Tillman is also second on the team with 3.2 assists (11th in the Big Ten) and leads the team with 2.2 blocks (fourth in the Big Ten).
Starters: Watts, Winston, Tillman, Henry, and MBJ
UPDATE: 1st media timeout of the 1st half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 11-3 15:46
UPDATE: 2nd media timeout of the 1st half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 15-7 11:48
UPDATE: 3rd media timeout of the 1st half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 27-14 6:39
UPDATE: FINAL media timeout of the 1st half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 35-16 3:18
UPDATE: 1st media timeout of the 2nd half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 46-32 15:42
UPDATE: 2nd media timeout of the 2nd half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 56-39 11:48
UPDATE: 3rd media timeout of the 2nd half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 60-55 6:25
UPDATE: FINAL media timeout of the 2nd half and #25 Michigan State leads #23 Illinois 64-63 2:58
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