2014–15 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 2014–15 Michigan State Spartans Michigan State Spartans script.svg 120 Big Ten Conference Branden Dawson Travis Trice Denzel Valentine Big Ten 7 23 27–12 12–6 Tom Izzo Dwayne Stephens Mike Garland Dane Fife Breslin Center NCAA tournament Final Four 20th 12th 8th 4th The 2014–15 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans, led by 20th-year head coach Tom Izzo, played their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan as members of the Big Ten Conference. MSU finished with a record of 27–12, 12–6 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for third place. They defeated Ohio State and Maryland to advance to the Big Ten tournament championship, where they lost to Wisconsin. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East region. They defeated Georgia and Virginia to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. They defeated Oklahoma and Louisville to advance to the Final Four for the seventh time under Tom Izzo. There, the Spartans lost to eventual National Champion, Duke. Previous season The Spartans finished the 2013–14 season with a record of 29–9, 12–6 in Big Ten play to finish in second place. They won the Big Ten tournament by defeating Michigan, and received the conference's automatic bid as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, their 17th straight trip to the tournament. They advanced to the Elite Eight, their eighth trip under Tom Izzo, before losing to eventual National Champion, UConn. The Spartans lost Adreian Payne (16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game) and Gary Harris (16.7 points per game) to the NBA draft and Keith Appling (11.2 points per game) to graduation (eventually to the NBA) following the season. Offseason 2014 recruiting class Tom Izzo again went big in recruiting for the 2014 season and again was shunned. Michigan State made offers to Cliff Alexander, Tyus Jones, Jahlil Okafor, and Tyler Ulis, but all went to other schools.http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state-university/2015/03/10/analyst-not-cheating-costs-msus-izzo-recruits/24723725/ Analyst: Not cheating costs MSU's Izzo recruits Detroit News 2016-02-02 As a result, MSU signed only one top 100 player, Lourawls Nairn, Jr. Analysts have argued that Izzo's unwillingness to cheat cost him some of these recruits. no no 2013 Lourawls Nairn, Jr. #14 PG Bel Aire, KS Sunrise Christian Academy 5 10 170 2013-09-26 3 4 4 4 Javon Bess #24 SF Gahanna, OH Lincoln High School 6 5 195 2013-10-21 4 3 3 4 Marvin Clark, Jr. #43 SF Blue Springs, MO Sunrise Christian Academy 6 7 219 2014-03-24 3 3 3 3 2014 Michigan State Commit List for 2014 Men's Basketball Recruiting ESPN - Michigan State Spartans Basketball Recruiting 2014 michiganstate 175 127 2014-05-09 yes Roster 2014 Michigan State Spartans y yes Javon Bess y 2 G 6 5 205 FR Gahanna, OH Lincoln H.S. Trevor Bohnhoff 13 F 6 7 225 JR Saginaw, MI Nouvel H.S. W Marvin Jr. Clark 0 F 6 6 225 FR Blue Springs, MO Sunrise Christian Academy Matt Costello y 10 F 6 9 245 JR Bay City, MI Jefferson H.S. Branden Dawson y 22 F 6 6 225 SR Gary, IN Lew Wallace H.S. C Alvin Ellis III 3 G 6 4 205 SO Chicago, IL De La Salle Bryn Forbes y 5 G 6 3 175 JR Lansing, MI Sexton H.S.Cleveland State Kenny Goins y 25 F 6 6 215 FR Troy, MI Warren Mott H.S. W Eron Harris y 14 G 6 2 195 JR Indianapolis, IN Lawrence North H.S.West Virginia I Lourawls Jr. Nairn y 11 G 5 10 170 FR Bel Aire, KS Sunrise Christian Academy Gavin Schilling y 34 F 6 9 240 SO Chicago, IL Findlay Prep Travis Trice y 20 G 6 0 170 SR Huber Heights, OH Wayne H.S. C Keenan Wetzel 15 G 6 4 215 SR y Monroe, MI St. Mary Catholic Central H.S. W Colby Wollenman 41 G 6 7 235 JR y Big Horn, WY Big Horn H.S. Denzel Valentine y 45 G 6 5 220 JR Lansing, MI Sexton H.S. C Matt Van Dyk 30 F 6 5 205 JR Imlay City, MI Imlay City W Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan) Dwayne Stephens (Michigan State) Dane Fife (Indiana) Mike Garland (Northern Michigan) http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/msu-m-baskbl-mtt.html Season summary Michigan State was led by seniors Travis Trice (15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game) and Branden Dawson (11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game) and junior Denzel Valentine (14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game). The Spartans started the season ranked No. 18 in the country. The Spartans had two players transfer to the team. Eron Harris transferred from West Virginia. West Virginia transfer Eron Harris picks Michigan State https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2014/06/09/eron-harris-west-virginia-transfers-to-michigan-state/10249143/ USA TODAY 2016-02-11 Under NCAA transfer rules, Harris had to redshirt for the 2014–15 season. Bryn Forbes transferred from Cleveland State. The NCAA granted Forbes a waiver due to family hardship that allowed Forbes to play immediately without having sit out a season. Bryn Forbes granted NCAA waiver to play immediately for Michigan State basketball http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2014/08/bryn_forbes_granted_ncaa_waive.html MLive.com 20 August 2014 2015-12-16 MSU began the season with a trip to play Navy in Annapolis, Maryland at the Naval Academy. The Spartans survived a scare to win a close game 64–59. No. 18 Michigan State edges Navy 64-59 https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400587026 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 The Spartans then traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana to participate in the Champions Classic, but were unable to outlast Duke (whom they would later meet in the Final Four), losing 81–71. Okafor, Duke cruise to win over Michigan St. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400587768 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 MSU won their next four games, including wins over Santa Clara, Rider, and Marquette in the Orlando Classic. In the championship game of the Orlando Classic, the Spartans fell to No. 11 Kansas 61–56. Kansas edges Michigan State for Orlando title https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400609032 ESPN.com 2016-02-11 Despite the loss, MSU moved up to No. 19 in the polls. In the ACC–Big Ten Challenge, MSU could not hold off Notre Dame, losing in overtime 79–78.https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400587817 Michigan State vs. Notre Dame - Game Recap - December 3, 2014 - ESPN ESPN.com 2016-05-09 Wins followed against smaller schools including Oakland and Eastern Michigan before MSU was shocked by Texas Southern at home in overtime. Texas Southern stuns No. 25 Spartans in OT https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595422 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 Following the loss, the Spartans went unranked the remainder of the season. They finished the non-conference season at 9–4. In the Big Ten season, the Spartans were swept by Maryland Trimble carries No. 14 Maryland past Michigan State 75-59 https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595469 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 and suffered bad losses to Nebraska, Terran Petteway scores 32, Nebraska holds off Spartans 79-77 https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595483 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 Illinois, Illinois holds on to beat Michigan St. 59-54 https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595503 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 and Minnesota in overtime. Minnesota upsets Michigan State 96-90 in OT https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595538 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 However, the Spartans rallied late in the season, winning six of their last eight conference games including a win over No. 23 Ohio Statehttps://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400595517 Ohio State vs. Michigan State - Game Recap - February 14, 2015 - ESPN ESPN.com 2016-05-09 and wins at Michigan and at Illinois. MSU finished the season in a three-way tie for third place in conference. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 21–10, 12–6 in the Big Ten regular season. The Spartans got hot in the Big Ten tournament beating Ohio State Michigan State beats Ohio State 76-67 in Big Ten tourney http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20150313_OHIOST@MICHST/michigan-state-beats-ohio-state-76-67-in-big-ten-tourney CBSSports.com 2016-02-11 and No. 8 Maryland. Second Half Comeback Leads Michigan State Past No. 8 Maryland - Michigan State Official Athletic Site http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/031415aaa.html www.msuspartans.com 2016-02-11 They challenged No. 6 Wisconsin for the tournament title, eventually losing the Big Ten tournament Championship in overtime. Wisconsin uses OT shutout to take Big Ten https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400785257 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 The Spartans received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed in the East Region. The bid was MSU's 18th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. MSU beat Georgia in the First Round Michigan State holds off Georgia 70-63 in NCAA East Region https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400785441 ESPN.com 2016-02-11 and surprised No. 2-seeded and No. 6-ranked Virginia in the Second Round. Michigan State Tops Virginia 60-54 For Trip to Sweet 16 - Michigan State Official Athletic Site http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/032215aaa.html www.msuspartans.com 2016-02-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202834/http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/032215aaa.html 2016-03-03 dead With the win, the Spartans advanced to their fourth straight Sweet Sixteen and seventh Sweet Sixteen in eight years. In the Sweet Sixteen, they faced No. 3-seeded and No. 13-ranked Oklahoma. MSU defeated Oklahoma by four. Spartans down Sooners in East semifinal https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400786506 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 Valentine scored 18 points and Trice contributed 24. The win sent MSU to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year and their fourth trip since 2009. Louisville awaited the Spartans in the Elite Eight. The Spartans were pushed to overtime, but again came up with the victory, earning a trip to their seventh Final Four under Tom Izzo. Michigan St., Izzo back to Final Four https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400787680 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 Trice was named the Regional's MVP. In the Final Four, the Spartans fell to the eventual National Champions for the second straight season, losing a rematch of their Champions Classic game to Duke in the National Semifinal. Duke's quest for fifth title rolls on with MSU win https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400787887 ESPN.com 2016-02-02 Schedule and results yes yes |- !colspan=9 style=Michigan State Spartans| Exhibition Nov 3, 2014 7:00 pm yes 18 The Master's College Breslin Center East Lansing, MI 97–56 Valentine 24 Valentine 12 Trice 9 14,797 Nov 7, 2014 8:00 pm yes 18 St. Cloud State Breslin Center East Lansing, MI 101–46 Trice 20 Valentine 11 Valentine 11 14,797 |- !colspan=9 style=Michigan State Spartans| Non-conference regular season Nov 14, 2014 9:00 pm yes yes 18 Navy Alumni Hall Annapolis, MD Veterans Classic CBSSN 64–59 Trice 25 Dawson 8 Valentine 6 5,699 1–0 Nov 18, 2014 7:00 pm yes yes 19 Duke 4 Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN Champions Classic ESPN 71–81 Dawson 18 Dawson 9 Trice 8 19,306 1–1 Nov 21, 2014 7:00 pm yes 19 Loyola–Chicago Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 87–52 Clark Jr./Dawson 15 Costello 11 Nairn Jr./Trice/Valentine 7 14,797 2–1 Nov 24, 2014 7:00 pm yes 20 Santa Clara Breslin Center East Lansing, MI Orlando Classic Opening Round BTN 79–52 Trice 19 Schilling/Valentine 11 Trice 8 14,797 3–1 Nov 27, 2014 6:30 pm yes yes 20 Rider HP Field House Lake Buena Vista, FL Orlando Classic Quarterfinals ESPN2 77–45 Valentine 19 Costello 9 Trice 4 3,216 4–1 Nov 28, 2014 9:00 pm yes yes 20 Marquette HP Field House Lake Buena Vista, FL Orlando Classic Semifinals ESPN2 79–68 Valentine 25 Dawson 8 Trice 7 3,449 5–1 Nov 30, 2014 1:00 pm yes yes 20 Kansas 11 HP Field House Lake Buena Vista, FL Orlando Classic Championship ESPN 56–61 Trice/Valentine 14 Dawson 9 Trice 2 4,842 5–2 Dec 3, 2014 7:15 pm yes yes 19 Notre Dame Edmund P. Joyce Center South Bend, IN ACC–Big Ten Challenge ESPN2 78–79 OT Valentine 22 Dawson 18 Trice 5 9,149 5–3 Dec 6, 2014 2:15 pm yes 19 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 85–52 Costello/Trice 15 Dawson 7 Valentine 8 14,797 6–3 Dec 14, 2014 8:00 pm yes Oakland Breslin Center East Lansing, MI ESPNU 87–61 Valentine 19 Dawson/Schilling 6 Trice 8 14,797 7–3 Dec 17, 2014 9:00 pm yes 25 Eastern Michigan Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 66–46 Forbes 14 Costello 9 Valentine 8 14,797 8–3 Dec 20, 2014 5:00 pm yes 25 Texas Southern Breslin Center East Lansing, MI ESPNU 64–71 OT Costello 17 Costello 10 Bess/Trice 3 14,797 8–4 Dec 22, 2014 6:00 pm yes The Citadel Breslin Center East Lansing, MI 82–56 Valentine 18 Clark Jr./Valentine 6 Trice 11 14,797 9–4 |- !colspan=9 style=Michigan State Spartans|Big Ten regular season Dec 30, 2014 5:00 pm Maryland 12 Breslin Center East Lansing, MI ESPN2 66–68 2OT Trice 26 Dawson 11 Trice 6 14,797 9–5 0–1 Jan 5, 2015 7:00 pm Indiana Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 70–50 Valentine 15 Dawson 13 Trice 7 14,797 10–5 1–1 Jan 8, 2015 7:00 pm yes Iowa Carver–Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, IA ESPN 75–61 Trice 25 Dawson 15 Valentine 6 15,054 11–5 2–1 Jan 11, 2015 12:00 pm Northwestern Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 84–77 OT Trice 18 Dawson 9 Trice 10 14,797 12–5 3–1 Jan 17, 2015 4:00 pm yes Maryland 14 Xfinity Center College Park, MD CBS 59–75 Dawson 14 Dawson 10 Valentine 5 17,950 12–6 3–2 Jan 21, 2015 7:00 pm Penn State Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 66–60 Schilling/Valentine 11 Dawson/Schilling 10 Valentine 4 14,797 13–6 4–2 Jan 24, 2015 4:00 pm yes Nebraska Pinnacle Bank Arena Lincoln, NE ESPN 77–79 Trice 27 Dawson 18 Trice/Valentine 3 15,757 13–7 4–3 Jan 29, 2015 6:00 pm yes Rutgers Louis Brown Athletic Center Piscataway, NJ BTN 71–51 Forbes 18 Dawson 11 Trice 5 6,088 14–7 5–3 Feb 1, 2015 1:00 pm Michigan Breslin Center East Lansing, MI Rivalry CBS 76–66 OT Valentine 25 Dawson 10 Trice 9 14,797 15–7 6–3 Feb 7, 2015 12:00 pm Illinois Breslin Center East Lansing, MI ESPN 54–59 Valentine 16 Costello/Valentine 7 Valentine 4 14,797 15–8 6–4 Feb 10, 2015 7:00 pm yes Northwestern Welsh-Ryan Arena Evanston, IL BTN 68–44 Trice 16 Dawson 10 Valentine 8 7,265 16–8 7–4 Feb 14, 2015 12:00 pm Ohio State 23 Breslin Center East Lansing, MI ESPN 59–56 Valentine 17 Dawson 11 Trice 5 14,797 17–8 8–4 Feb 17, 2015 9:00 pm yes Michigan Crisler Center Ann Arbor, MI Rivalry ESPN 80–67 Dawson 23 Dawson 13 Trice 7 12,502 18–8 9–4 Feb 22, 2015 7:30 pm yes Illinois State Farm Center Champaign, IL BTN 60–53 Valentine 20 Valentine 9 Trice 4 16,108 19–8 10–4 Feb 26, 2015 7:00 pm Minnesota Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 90–96 OT Valentine 27 Dawson 8 Trice 10 14,797 19–9 10–5 Mar 1, 2015 4:00 pm yes Wisconsin 5 Kohl Center Madison, WI CBS 61–68 Forbes 21 Schilling 6 Valentine 6 17,279 19–10 10–6 Mar 4, 2015 8:00 pm Purdue Breslin Center East Lansing, MI BTN 72–66 Trice 27 Costello 7 Trice 6 14,797, 2015 20–10 11–6 Mar 7, 2015 Noon yes Indiana Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN ESPN 74–72 Trice 21 Costello 8 Valentine 7 17,472 21–10 12–6 |- !colspan=9 style=Michigan State Spartans|Big Ten tournament Mar 13, 2015 9:00 pm yes 3 Ohio State 6 United Center Chicago, IL Quarterfinals BTN 76–67 Valentine 23 Dawson/Valentine 8 Dawson/Valentine 7 17,230 22–10 Mar 14, 2015 4:00 pm yes 3 Maryland 8 2 United Center Chicago, IL Semifinals CBS 62–58 Trice 20 Dawson 8 Valentine 7 18,088 23–10 Mar 15, 2015 3:30 pm yes 3 Wisconsin 6 1 United Center Chicago, IL Championship CBS 69–80 OT Dawson/Valentine 16 Valentine 8 Valentine 6 17,123 23–11 |- !colspan=9 style=Michigan State Spartans|NCAA tournament Mar 20, 2015 12:40 pm yes yes 23 7 E Georgia 10 E Time Warner Cable Arena Charlotte, NC Second Round truTV 70–63 Valentine 16 Costello 7 Trice/Valentine 6 16,551 24–11 Mar 22, 2015 12:10 pm yes yes 23 7 E Virginia 6 2 E Time Warner Cable Arena Charlotte, NC Third Round CBS 60–54 Trice 23 Dawson 9 Valentine 4 18,482 25–11 Mar 27, 2015 10:16 pm yes yes 23 7 E Oklahoma 13 3 E Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY Sweet Sixteen TBS 62–58 Trice 24 Dawson 11 Dawson/Trice/Valentine 2 24,453 26–11 Mar 29, 2015 2:20 pm yes yes 23 7 E Louisville 17 4 E Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY Elite Eight CBS 76–70 Trice 17 Dawson 11 Valentine 6 OT 24,404 27–11 Apr 4, 2015 6:09 pm yes yes 23 7 E Duke 4 1 S Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN Final Four TBS 61–81 Valentine 22 Valentine 11 Nairn Jr./Valentine 5 72,238 27–12 AP Poll Eastern Time Sourcehttps://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/michigan-state/2015-schedule.html 2014-15 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Resultshttp://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/msu-m-baskbl-sched-2014.html Michigan State Official Athletic Site 2016-02-11 2016-02-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20160216124317/http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/archive/msu-m-baskbl-sched-2014.html dead Player statistics +Individual player statistics (final) MinutesScoringTotal FGs3-point FGsFree-throwsReboundsPlayerGPGSTotAvgPtsAvgFGFGAPct3FG3FAPctFTFTAPctOffDefTotAvgAStlBlkTovBess, Javon1214812.3322.71123.47812.500921.4291520352.912439Bohnhoff, Trevor13231.820.2000024.5001230.20100Clark, Marvin3943711.21794.564127.5042162.3362740.6753056862.21191229Costello, Matt3979420.42737.0110190.57904.0005379.671791232025.229164831Dawson, Branden35105530.141511.9182340.5350051104.4901022163189.159425867Ellis, Alvin322748.6551.71753.321625.2401533.455418220.71812518Forbes, Bryn39102226.23328.5110246.44770164.4274252.808848561.43823531Nairn, Lourawls3975819852.22888.318310.3002648.542656621.69411136Schilling, Gavin3965916.91995.182141.582003573.47666841503.81572533Trice, Travis39130933.659815.3195497.39790244.369118165.715181051233.219740669Valentine, Denzel39129533.256714.5197445.443102245.4167186.826461992456.316735992Wetzel, Keenan14312.230.219.11117.143001340.30001Wollenman, Colby292207.6361.21728.6070029.2221435491.763412Total357050279379.810092078.486321739.434454623.7294271027145440.5719414177156Opponents398025248263.68332104.396.224712.315592820.7223788691247409217110416 Legend  GP  Games played  GS  Games started Avg  Average per game  FG Field-goals made FGA Field-goal attempts  Off  Offensive rebounds Def Defensive rebounds  A Assists  TO Turnovers Blk  Blocks  Stl  Steals High  Team high Rankings 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings AP 0 18 18 19 20 19 RV 25 NR NR NR RV RV NR RV NR RV RV NR RV 23 Coaches 0 19 18 19 19 18 23 22 RV NR NR RV RV NR RV NR RV 25 RV RV 22 7 *AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings. Awards and honors Post-season awards Branden Dawson All Big Ten Second Team Three Spartans Receive All-Big Ten Honors - Michigan State Official Athletic Site http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030915aaa.html www.msuspartans.com 2016-02-11 Big Ten All-Defensive Team NABCA All-District Second Team NABC All-District Honorees Big Ten Conference Official Site http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032715aab.html Big Ten Conference 2016-02-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20150404021740/http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032715aab.html 2015-04-04 dead USBWA All-District Team Dawson, Valentine Named to USBWA All-District Team - Michigan State Official Athletic Site http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031015aac.html www.msuspartans.com 2016-02-11 Travis Trice All Big Ten Third Team NCAA Tournament East Region Most Outstanding Player Denzel Valentine All Big Ten Third Team USBWA All-District Team NCAA Tournament All-East Regional Team References Category:Michigan State Spartans men's basketball seasons Michigan State Michigan State Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Category:2014 in sports in Michigan Category:2015 in sports in Michigan