March 31, 2005
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For the fifth time in seven years, the Big Ten will be represented in the Women's Final Four as top-seeded Michigan State defeated top-ranked and No. 2 seed Stanford, 76-69, in the Kansas City Regional finals on March 30.
The theme of Michigan State's preseason promotional campaign was "Driven," mainly in part to the rich racing history of Indianapolis - the host city of the 2005 Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Women's Final Four.
The Michigan State women have already experienced success in Indianapolis this season as the Spartans claimed their first-ever Big Ten Tournament title at Conseco Fieldhouse in early March.
The Spartans now look to follow a similar path that the Spartans' men's program took to Indianapolis in 2000, when the men captured the national championship title at the RCA Dome.
A GREAT WEEK TO BE A SPARTAN
For the fourth-straight year, the sixth time overall in the NCAA Championship, and the first occasion in Big Ten history, a school will send both its men's and women's basketball teams to their respective Final Fours. The Michigan State women will make their first-ever Final Four appearance, while the men are making their sixth trip in school history and the fourth under Tom Izzo. Only once out of the six occasions has a school claimed dual national championships, which was last year when Connecticut captured both the men's and women's titles.
Year -- School -- Men's Result -- Women's Result
1983 -- Georgia -- Final Four -- Final Four
1999 -- Duke -- National Finalist -- National Finalist
2002 -- Oklahoma -- Final Four -- National Finalist
2003 -- Texas -- Final Four -- Final Four
2004 -- Connecticut -- National Champion -- National Champion
2005 -- Michigan State -- ??? -- ???
SUCCESS DOESN'T TAKE LONG
Since 1999, the Big Ten has sent five teams to the Women's Final Four. In four of the five years, the Conference representative was led by a coach who had been at the school five years or less. In fact, Michigan State's Joanne P. McCallie, currently in her fifth season at the helm, ranks fourth on the list of League coaches who sent their teams to the Final Four the quickest. Below is a breakdown of the tenures of the Big Ten coaches that have led their teams to the Final Four since 1999.
Year -- Coach, School -- Year at School -- Result
1999 -- Carolyn Peck, PUR -- 2nd -- National Championship
2000 -- Rene Portland, PSU -- 20th -- Final Four
2001 -- Kristy Curry, PUR -- 2nd -- National Finalist
2004 -- Pam Borton, MINN -- 2nd -- Final Four
2005 -- Joanne P. McCallie, MSU -- 5th -- ???
BIG TEN SPREADS FINAL FOUR LOVE FOR FOURTH TIME
For the fourth time in Big Ten history, at least one men's and women's basketball program will be competing in the Final Four. Illinois and Michigan State earned two of the four bids on the men's side, while the Spartans will also make their first-ever trip to the women's national semifinals. Here is a look at the three other occurrences in League history:
Year
1999 -- MBB: Michigan State, Ohio State • WBB: Purdue*
2000 -- MBB: Michigan State*, Wisconsin • WBB: Penn State
2001 -- MBB: Michigan State • WBB: Purdue^
2005 -- MBB: Illinois, Michigan State • Michigan State
* National Champion • ^ National Finalist
COULD MICHIGAN STATE BE THE "ONE" TO WIN?
Michigan State is one of three No. 1 seeds that has earned a trip to this year's Women's Final Four. The Spartans' top-seed could serve as good luck however, as the last Big Ten team to reach the Final Four with a No. 1 seed was Purdue in 1999. The Boilermakers would go on to capture the only national championship in Big Ten history that year.
THE "P" IS FOR PROGRESS
So maybe the "P" in Joanne P. McCallie's name stands for her maiden name of Palombo, but her five-year stint as Michigan State head coach could also make the it stand for progress. Since taking over in 2000-01, McCallie has turned the Spartan program into a national powerhouse and spent the majority of the 2004-05 campaign rewriting the school's records book. Here is a brief look at McCallie's tenure in East Lansing:
Michigan State under Joanne P. McCallie
Year W-L Pct. Advanced to
2000-01 10-18 .357 Big Ten quarterfinals
2001-02 19-13 .594 WNIT semifinals
2002-03 17-12 .586 NCAA 1st round
2003-04 22-9 .710 NCAA 2nd round
2004-05 32-3 .914 Final Four *
* Still active
SIX DEGREES OF TRIPLE-DOUBLE FEATS?
In the Kansas City Regional semifinal game against Vanderbilt, Michigan State senior Kristin Haynie recorded her first career triple-double as the 5-foot-8 senior had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The only other triple-double in the Spartans' 32-year history was by Kim Archer, who had 16 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Northwestern on March 8, 1984. However Haynie's rare feat, was the second triple-double recorded by a Big Ten student-athlete this year. Ironically, Ohio State's Jessica Davenport posted her first career triple-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 12 blocked shots in a loss at Michigan State. Also, the last three triple-doubles recorded in the Big Ten have come during each of the three main stages of the basketball season. While Haynie's feat occurred in the NCAA Championship and Davenport's was during the regular season, Minnesota's Janel McCarville recorded her first career triple-double during the semifinal round of the 2004 Big Ten Tournament against Davenport and the Buckeyes.
BIG TEN TOURNEY WINS BREED NCAA SUCCESS
Recent history has shown that winning in the Big Ten Tournament breeds success for Conference teams in the NCAA Tournament. Since 1995, the teams that have won the Big Ten Women's Tournament have combined to post a 24-9 record in the NCAA Championship. Purdue captured the League's first-ever NCAA women's title in 1999 after winning the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Penn State appeared in the 2000 NCAA Final Four after finishing as the runner-up in that year's Big Ten Tournament, while Purdue made an appearance in the 2001 National Championship game after also finishing second in that year's Conference Tournament. With the return of Lindsay Whalen after the 2004 Big Ten Tournament, Minnesota went on to its first Final Four appearance in school history. Top-seeded Michigan State, the 2005 Tournament Champion, is currently 4-0 and is the last remaining Conference team in this year's NCAA Championship.
BIG TEN RATES AMONG TOURNEY'S BEST
Ohio State, Northwestern and Illinois were three of the 32 teams selected to play in the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in 1982, tipping off what would become the Big Ten's outstanding legacy in the event. Since the Championship's inception, the Big Ten has earned 95 invitations to the Big Dance. That ranks as the third-highest total behind the SEC (147) and the ACC (103). Penn State made its 21st NCAA appearance overall and its 11th since joining the Big Ten for the 1992-93 season. Purdue made its 16th trip to the Tournament, while Ohio State played in its 14th event. Minnesota earned a spot in the bracket for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in school history and Michigan State is appearing for the sixth time.
SPARTANS MARK SIXTH BIG TEN FINAL FOUR TEAM
With the Michigan State Spartans earning their first-ever trip to the national semifinals in 2005, the Big Ten has now had over half of the Conference schools experience a Women's Final Four. Michigan State (2005) now joins Minnesota (2004), Purdue (1999, 2001), Penn State (2000), Ohio State (1993) and Iowa (1993) as Big Ten representatives in the Final Four.
FINAL FOUR FAMILIARITY
Counting the 2005 season, Big Ten teams have competed in five of the last seven Women's Final Fours and seven overall. Ohio State and Iowa squared off against each other in the League's first Final Four appearance in 1993. The Buckeyes won that tilt before falling to Texas Tech in the national final. Purdue followed up in 1994, advancing to it's first Final Four, where it fell to North Carolina in the semifinals. The third time was the charm for the League, as Purdue defeated Duke, 62-45, to claim the Big Ten's first and only national championship. Penn State made an appearance in 2000, bowing to eventual national champion Connecticut in the semifinals. The Boilermakers made it three in a row for the Big Ten in 2001 when they fought their way to the championship final against Notre Dame. Purdue fell to the Irish, 68-66, in one of the closest finishes in Tournament history. The game was one of five NCAA Championship finals to be decided by two points or less. After a two-year hiatus, Minnesota returned the Big Ten to the national semifinals in 2004 and was followed by top-seeded Michigan State in 2005.
MSU EYES TITLE AND LEAGUE'S NCAA-WIN RECORD
With Michigan State earning a trip to the 2005 Final Four, the Big Ten could equal its all-time best win total in the NCAA Championship. The Big Ten is currently 9-4 in the postseason and needs MSU to go the distance to tie the mark set last year. Minnesota's Mideast Regional Championship win over top-ranked Duke last year gave the Big Ten its 11th victory of the 2004 NCAA Championship, marking the League's all-time record. Big Ten teams combined to produce the previous record of nine wins in 1994, when Penn State and Purdue both reached the Regional Finals and the Boilermakers appeared in the Final Four.
For the second consecutive season, the Big Ten boasts a team in the Women's Final Four. And for the second straight year, the Big Ten has produced two teams that made their storied runs while producing many firsts for the program along the way. The following is a comparison of the eerily similar occurrences between Minnesota in 2004 and Michigan State in 2005:
Milestone
First Sweet 16 Appearance in School History *, MSU
First Elite Eight Appearance in School History: MINN, MSU
First Final Four Appearance in School History: MINN, MSU
Most Wins in School History: MINN (25), MSU (32)
Earned Final Four Bid After Knocking Off Nation's #1 Team: MINN (Duke), MSU (Stanford)
Earned Final Four Bid After Ending Nation's Longest Winning Streak MINN (Duke - 13), MSU (Stanford - 24)
* Minnesota earned its first Sweet 16 bid in 2003.
THREE BIG TEN STARS HONORED AT REGIONALS
Michigan State's Kristin Haynie and Liz Shimek, along with Ohio State's Jessica Davenport, were named to their respective NCAA Regional's All-Tournament squads. Haynie was tabbed the Kansas City Regional's most outstanding player, while her teammate Shimek joined her on the five-player team. Despite Ohio State falling to Rutgers in the regional semifinals, Davenport was selected to the Philadelphia Regional All-Tournament team after posting 22 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
BIG TEN GRABS FOUR OF TOP 16 SEEDS
The Big Ten snagged four of the top 16 seeds in this year's NCAA Championship, which tied the most by any conference (Big 12). Michigan State earned a No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Minnesota and No. 4 Penn State.
ANOTHER "ONE" FOR THE BIG TEN
For the second consecutive season, a Big Ten team has earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Championship. Michigan State gained its first-ever No. 1 seed this season, while Penn State was one of four top-seeds in last year's tournament. The Spartans are the eighth overall top-seed in Big Ten history. Iowa earned the League's first two top-seeds in 1988 and 1992, while Ohio State was No. 1 in 1993 and both Penn State and Purdue were No. 1 seeds in 1994. The Boilermakers staked claim to the top seed in 1999 and captured the Conference's lone national championship. Penn State also earned a top seed in 1991, however that was prior to joining the Big Ten.
FIVE FOR FIVE
For the fifth consecutive season, the Big Ten sent five or more teams to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. The Conference sent five teams to the 2001 and 2005 tournaments and tied the League high of six teams the past three seasons in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
IOWA CONCLUDES SEASON IN WNIT
The Big Ten sent two League squads -- Illinois and Iowa -- to the 2005 WNIT, with the Hawkeyes extending their season to the semifinals, before falling at Southwest Missouri State. No teams were invited to the WNIT last year, because all teams eligible were selected to the NCAA Championship. Last season marked the first time since 1997 that there were no Big Ten entrants in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The postseason WNIT is an event that the Big Ten has won three times since 1998, most recently in 2001 when Ohio State defeated New Mexico.
TWO BIG TEN TEAMS REACH 30-WIN PLATEAU
For the first time in Conference history, a pair of Big Ten teams reached the 30-win plateau in a season. Michigan State improved to 32-3 on the year, while Ohio State finished the season 30-5. Prior to the 2004-05 season, only three teams ever reached the 30-win mark. Purdue won the NCAA title in 1999 with a 34-1 record, while Penn State was 30-5 in 1999-2000 and Purdue was 31-7 in 2000-01.
BIG TEN BOASTS FOUR 20-WIN TEAMS
With a win in its Big Ten Tournament opener, Iowa, which concluded its season 23-10, reached the 20-win plateau for the season and gave the Big Ten four 20-win teams for the 10th time in League history.
SPARTANS AND BUCKEYES SHARE BIG TEN TITLE
For the ninth time in League history and the first time since the 1996-97 season, the Big Ten regular season title was shared by two teams. Ohio State earned a piece of the title in the regular season finale after a 69-58 victory over Penn State. The Buckeyes, who share the title with Michigan State, earned their first-ever No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament with the win. Since the inception of Big Ten women's basketball in 1982-83, Ohio State has captured eight regular season titles, while Michigan State earned its second ever championship and the first for MSU since 1997. The Buckeyes last won a Big Ten title in 1992-93, when OSU finished as co-champions before making a run to the national title game.
SPARTANS CAPTURE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TITLE
Michigan State, which shared the Big Ten title this season with Ohio State, became the first team since Purdue in 1999 to win both the regular season and Tournament titles in the same year. Penn State also did it in 1995, the first year of the Big Ten Tournament.
BIG TEN CROWNS A NEW SCORING QUEEN
Ohio State sophomore Jessica Davenport claimed the 2005 Big Ten women's basketball scoring title, racking up 347 points in 16 games for a 21.7 points per game average. The Buckeye center captured the title by nearly 3.0 points, as she bettered Penn State's Tanisha Wright and Illinois' Angelina Williams, who averaged 18.8 ppg each. Fourth place went to Wisconsin freshman Jolene Anderson at 18.1 ppg -- the best average for a freshman since Penn State's Kelly Mazzante won the scoring title as a newcomer at 19.7 ppg in 2000-01. Overall, Davenport is just the third Buckeye to win the scoring title as Nikita Lowry won the crown in 1987-88 (23.7) and 1988-89 (18.9), and Katie Smith was the League's top scorer in 1993-94 (22.4) and 1994-95 (21.2).
McCARVILLE TAKES HOME REBOUND CROWN
After three-consecutive seasons of Illinois' Cindy Dallas being atop the League rebounding ranks, her graduation paved the way for Minnesota's Janel McCarville to take over the throne as rebounding queen. McCarville, who led the League in caroms the majority of the season, was nearly passed by Ohio State's Jessica Davenport. McCarville ended the Conference season with 10.6 boards, while Davenport posted an average of 10.5. On the final Sunday of the regular season, the Golden Gopher senior posted 12 rebounds against Northwestern for a season total of 170, while Davenport grabbed a career-high 16 boards for a total of 168. If Davenport would have recorded three more rebounds, she would have become the fifth Big Ten player and the first since Iowa's Amy Herrig (21.2 ppg, 11.9 rpg) to lead the League in both scoring and rebounding in the same season. On the year, Davenport and McCarville each had eight double-doubles in Big Ten play, while McCarville edged the Buckeye 12-11 in total double-double games this season.
OSU'S DAVENPORT SWATS HER WAY TO 100
On the final day of the regular season, Ohio State's Jessica Davenport became just the third Big Ten student-athlete to record 100 blocks in a season. The Buckeye sophomore has recorded 116 blocks over a 35-game span, which equates to an average of 3.31. Davenport is the first Big Ten shot-blocker to hit the century mark since League-record holder Trish Andrew of Michigan swatted 136 shots during the 1991-92 season. Wisconsin's Janetta Johnson recorded 130 blocks during the 1988-89 campaign.
OSU SHATTERS BIG TEN ATTENDANCE MARK
Ohio State found a perfect way to end another exciting Conference season this year by shattering the Big Ten single-game attendance mark by nearly 400 on its final regular-season game on February 27. The sold-out crowd of 17,525 in Value City Arena in Columbus surpassed the previous League record of 17,142, set on January 20, 2002, when Wisconsin hosted Minnesota. The game, which was also the third highest attended game in the country this year, gave the Buckeyes a share of the Big Ten regular season title with Michigan State.
COACHES CORNER: BIG TEN BITS FROM THE WBCA
• The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected Ebba Gebisa of the University of Wisconsin as the winner of the Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award. The $1,000 Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award, named for and presented by Stoner, a former legal consultant for the WBCA, is presented annually to one female collegiate basketball player who intends to pursue a career in law. The West Lafayette, Ind., native is a senior forward who has been on the dean's list every semester but one during her collegiate career. Gebisa will graduate this spring with a degree in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics.
• At least four Big Ten student-athletes -- Minnesota's Janel McCarville, Ohio State's Caity Matter and Penn State's Jess Strom and Tanisha Wright -- have been selected for the 2005 WBCA All-Star Challenge Game. On Saturday, April 2, the top 20 senior collegiate players in women's basketball will showcase their talents at the University of Indianapolis' Nicoson Hall. This capstone event tips-off the 24th Annual WBCA National Convention, which takes place in Indianapolis, at the site of this year's NCAA Women's Final Four.
• Dave Loane has been named the winner of the 2005 Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) Mel Greenberg Media Award. Named after Mel Greenberg, the Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter who founded the Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll, the WBCA Media Award is presented annually to a member of the media who has best displayed a commitment to women's basketball and to advancing the role of the media in the women's game. Loane is a 17-year play-by-play reporter for Illinois athletics, which includes women's basketball. Loane is also an occasional caller of Big Ten women's basketball and volleyball contests on FSN Chicago.
