Conference Big Ten Conference AP No. 2 Head coach Tom Izzo (5th year) | Coaches No. 1 1999–2000 record 32–7 (13–3 Big Ten) Assistant coach Stan Heath (4th year) | |
The 1999–2000 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played their home games at Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. They were coached by Tom Izzo, in his fifth year, and were members of the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans finished the season with a record of 32–7, 13–3 to win a share of the Big Ten regular season championship for the third consecutive year. They won the Big Ten Tournament championship for the second consecutive year. As a result, they received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. After a win in the National Semifinal, MSU won the National Championship over Florida. The win marked the school's second National Championship and Izzo's only championship to date.
Contents
Previous season
The Spartans finished the 1998–99 season with an overall record of 33–5, 15–1 to finish in first place in Big Ten play. Michigan State received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their second consecutive trip to the Tournament, and advanced to the Final Four, their first trip to the Final Four under Tom Izzo.
Season summary
The Spartans were looking to build on their Final Four appearance the year before with seniors, Mateen Cleaves (12.1 PPG , 1.8 RPG, 6.9 APG) and Morris Peterson (16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 APG), leading the way. However, despite starting the season ranked No. 3 in the country, the Spartans began the season without starting point guard and team captain, Cleaves, who sustained a stress fracture in his right foot during the off-season. Without Cleaves, the Spartans had some troubles through the non-conference schedule, finishing at 9–4 and ranked No. 11 in the country. The Spartans did defeat No. 2 North Carolina on the road as part of the inaugural ACC–Big Ten Challenge and No. 5 Kansas in the Great Eight. However, MSU lost games to No. 20 Texas at the Puerto Rico Shootout and on the road to No. 2 Arizona, Kentucky, and Wright State.
Cleaves returned to the Spartans lineup on January 5, 2000 and helped MSU defeat No. 9 Indiana, No. 7 Ohio State, and in a non-conference matchup, No. 7 Connecticut. The wins propelled the Spartans to a 13–3 conference record and 23–7 overall while being ranked No. 2 in the country. MSU earned a share of the Big Ten Regular season title with Ohio State, their third consecutive championship. The Spartans went on to win the third annual Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed, defeating No. 25 Illinois for the championship for the second consecutive year. Cleaves and Peterson were named to the All–Tournament Team and Peterson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
As a result of their strong finish, the Spartans were awarded the No. 1 seed, their second consecutive No. 1 seed, in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. From there, the Spartans cruised to their third consecutive Sweet Sixteen with wins over Valparaiso, and Utah. MSU continued their National Championship push by reaching their second consecutive Final Four with wins over Syracuse and Iowa State. MSU won every game by double digits despite playing the best possible seed in each round. In their Final Four matchup, Michigan State faced off against fellow Big Ten foe, Wisconsin, beating them in a hard fought game, 53–41. In the National Championship game, the Spartans triumphed over the Florida 89–76, despite losing Cleaves to an ankle injury 3:42 into the second half. Cleaves eventually returned, severely limping and in obvious pain, to lead the Spartans to the championship. Cleaves was subsequently named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Joining Cleaves on the NCAA All-Tournament Team were Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell, and A.J. Granger. The National Championship was the school's second ever basketball National Companionship and first since 1979.
Roster and stats
Source