2000–01 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team

Previous season

The Spartans finished the 1999–2000 season as NCAA National champions with an overall record of 32–7 and in first place in the Big Ten with a 13–3 record. Michigan State received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their third straight trip to the Tournament, and won the National Championship, the second in school history, by beating Florida in the National Championship game.

The Spartans lost Mateen Cleaves (12.1 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 6.9 APG) and Morris Peterson (16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 APG) to the NBA draft following the season.

Season summary

Following their National Championship in 2000, Michigan State entered the regular season ranked No. 3 in both polls. The Spartans were led by freshman Zach Randolph (10.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.0 APG), sophomore Jason Richardson (14.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.2 APG), and seniors Charlie Bell (13.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.1 APG), and Andre Hutson (13.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 APG). MSU started the season strong, winning their first 12 games, including wins over No. 6 North Carolina, No. 8 Florida, and No. 8 Seton Hall. After beating Seton Hall, the Spartans ascended to the No. 1 ranking which they held for two weeks. MSU finished the non-conference season at 12–0.

After a loss in their second Big Ten game, MSU cruised through the Big Ten season with wins over No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 25 Iowa, and at No. 22 Wisconsin. finishing 13–3 and sharing the Big Ten Championship with Illinois. The championship marked the fourth consecutive Big Ten championship for the Spartans. The Spartans remained ranked in the top 5 during the entire season, ultimately finishing with a 24–3 overall record and ranked No. 2 in the country. MSU suffered a surprise defeat by Penn State in the Big Ten tournament in their attempt to win the tournament for the third consecutive year.

The Spartans were awarded a No. 1 seed, their third consecutive No. 1 seed, in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. Seeking a repeat National Championship, MSU easily dispatched Alabama State and Fresno State to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth consecutive year. A win over Gonzaga and Temple led to the school's third straight trip to the Final Four. However, they were unable to repeat as National Champions, losing to Arizona in the National Semifinal.

Following the season, Randolph and Richardson declared for the NBA draft.

Roster

Schedule and results

|- !colspan=9 style=| Exhibition |- !colspan=9 style=| Non-conference regular season |- !colspan=9 style=|Big Ten regular season |- !colspan=9 style=|Big Ten tournament |- !colspan=9 style=|NCAA tournament Source

Rankings

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a week 2 poll

Awards and honors

• Jason Richardson – All-Big Ten First Team
• Jason Richardson – AP All-American Second Team
• Charlie Bell – All-Big Ten First Team (Media), Second Team (Coaches)
• Andre Hutson – All-Big Ten Second Team
• Tom Izzo - NABC National Coach of the Year

References

References

1. "Men's Basketball Tops No. 6 North Carolina, 77-64 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
2. "National Title Rematch Goes To Michigan State – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
3. "Men's Basketball Defeats No. 8 Seton Hall, 72-57 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
4. "No. 1 Spartans Fall Victim To Hoosiers' Buzzer Beater – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
5. "No. 3 Spartans Dispense Of No. 17 Wisconsin In Overtime, 69-59 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
6. "No. 4 Spartans Cruise Past Hawkeyes, 94-70 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
7. "No. 3 Spartans Sneak Past No. 22 Badgers, 51-47 – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
8. "Spartans Sputter At Big Ten tournament – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
9. "NCAA Men's Basketball – Alabama State vs. Michigan State".
10. "NCAA Men's Basketball – Fresno State vs. Michigan State".
11. "Gonzaga Gonzaga/Michigan State Michigan St Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN".
12. "Michigan State's Thomas Plays Career Game – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
13. "Michigan State Falls Short In Title Defense – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
14. "Arizona steals the show, 80-61".
15. "2001 Michigan State Spartans".
16. (March 26, 2001). "Michigan State Claims Success to Call Its Own". [[The New York Times]].
17. "2000-01 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results".
18. "2000-2001 Results - Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
19. "Three Spartans Earn All-Big Ten Honors – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
20. "Richardson Named Second Team AP All-American – Michigan State Official Athletic Site".
21. "Tom Izzo Named NABC National Coach Of The Year - Michigan State Official Athletic Site".