University of Michigan is coming to town losing 8 of their last 9. Regardless the in-state rivalry will make this game a must watch.
Michigan State is hosting in-state rival Michigan in the first of two clashes this season. The Spartans are coming off a beat down by Wisconsin, but have one three of their last four games. In contrast, the University of Michigan team has been on a skid losing 8 of their last 9 games in what some are calling a truly lost season.
Regardless of records, the in-state rivalry adds heat to this game.
Game Time: Tuesday, January 30th at 9:00 pm (US East Coast Time)
Watch the game: Peacock
Comment and Follow Live at the GAME THREAD HERE (live at 6:30pm)
Some basics to sound like a pro:
Michigan State:
The Spartans appear to be settling in as a middle of the pack Big Ten team. Their recent loss to Wisconsin (the second of the season) showed a team with fight, but not the talent to compete with the emerging upper tier of the conference (Wisconsin and Purdue). This is a far cry from the pre-season top five rankings and talk of national championships.
Michigan State relies on fifth year senior Tyson Walker for a large amount of their offense. Walker is averaging around 20-points a game. If he can maintain that for the full season he would be the first player in the Tom Izzo era to achieve that feat. Point guard AJ Hoggard has been improving in recent weeks and is starting to look like the floor leader and bowling ball power driver he was at the end of last year. Fifth year senior Malik Hall is also gaining some consistency, providing solid defense and routinely double digit scoring.
Beyond those three, the Spartans need players to step up regularly. Junior Jaden Akins and Sophomore Tre Holloman both play excellent defense and have had games where they have scored at will. As has been the case for the last few years, the weakness for the Spartans is their center position. Senior Mady Sissoko has been a sound rebounder of late and is an excellent screener, but he, nor Sophomore Carson Cooper provide much scoring.
In a game like this, the veteran leadership should have this team focused on putting the Wolverines down early.
University of Michigan
For any Spartan fan that calls this season a “lost” season, they should look down the road to see a true lost season. The Wolverines are struggling to win games. In most games, they struggle to look even competitive. Their two wins in conference play have been against lower tier teams Iowa and Ohio State . And in their most recent loss Michigan was outplayed by Iowa on their homecourt – revenge for the Wolverines early season win against Iowa.
On paper, the Wolverines have some firepower. They are averaging almost 79 points a game, with three players averaging double figures and a fourth just under ten points. The problem is their defense, the team is giving up over 79 points a game.
Adding to the problems for Michigan is the academic struggles of point guard Dug McDaniel. The talented sophomore leads the team in points (17.2), assists (5.1) and steals (1.0) per game. Due to academic problems, McDaniel is in the middle of a six road game suspension. The non-traditional approach at least makes sure the Wolverines have his services in front of their own fans. Not having him on the road has already proven to be very difficult for his teammates to overcome.
Many are predicting this year could be the swan song for coach Juwan Howard.
Predictions:
BBD: 83-68 Michigan State Win
What are your predictions for the game? Let everyone know in the comments below.