Michigan State vs. Louisville: 5 Keys To Victory

Before we dive into the five keys that will propel the Spartans to victory against Louisville and into Tom Izzo’s seventh Final Four, every Michigan State fan should take a deep breath, smile and enjoy exactly where this team is and how they got here. A month ago, there was legitimate fear of them not making the NCAA Tournament and now they are a win away from the Final Four. They play together and for each other and are a true pleasure to cheer for as a Spartan fan.

Of course, as wonderful as it is that they made it to the Elite Eight, Michigan State does not hang banners in the Breslin Center for Elite Eights, they go up for Final Fours. The Spartans are going to have their hands full with Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals squad, so let’s dive into the five keys the Spartans will need in order to hang that banner in Breslin and leave their own footprint in the sand.

1. Rebounding

Louisville is not an offensive powerhouse like Oklahoma was, they are physically though. It is going to take an all hands on deck effort to win the rebounding battle, which will go all long way toward victory.

Michigan State gave Oklahoma more extra chances on the offensive end by not rebounding, which kept Oklahoma close when the Spartans could have put some separation between them and the Sooners after taking the lead.

Louisville is not a great shooting team, but they will get after it on the boards. If the Spartans can limit second chances and continue their tight defense they could make it very difficult for Louisville to score.

On the other end it will be in Michigan State’s best interest to get those second chance points. The Cardinals also play tough defense, any second chance points off misses will greatly aid Michigan State’s chances of victory.

2. Limit Turnovers

As stated earlier Louisville will play tough and stingy defense. Rick Pitino is not afraid to mix his defense from man to man to matchup zone. Michigan State will need to adapt as the various defenses will come toward them and take care of the basketball.

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Louisville will also throw in a press. Unlike West Virginia they will not run it the entire game but they will make you bring the ball up full court and force you to make the right decision in pressure situations.

Michigan State has done a great job lately limiting their turnovers and taking care of the ball. They however have not faced a press or matchup zone like Louisville’s. Points will come at a premium in this game so it will be imperative that Michigan State values their possessions but does not give Louisville extra or easy chances to score.

3. Energy

Mar 14, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. (11) reacts during the first half in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament against the Maryland Terrapins at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State and Louisville are very similar teams. They each play tough defense, are a physical rebounding team, have great coaching and have just enough offensive to pull away from teams when their defense is locked in.

When you have teams that are so evenly matched and play similar style basketball it will come down to who brings more energy and who wants it more.

There should be no bigger motivation than knowing you are one victory away from reaching the college basketball pinnacle. It was apparent though, at the start of the game last night against Oklahoma the Sooners brought more energy and were more locked in.

The Spartans went into 10-point holes more than once but were able to fight their way back. They may not be so lucky in the Elite Eight and would not want to tempt fate again. Michigan State needs to set the tone with their energy from the tip and get out to a fast start so they are not the team playing from behind and can set the tempo of the game to their liking.

4. Shooting

Mar 20, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Bryn Forbes (5) reacts after making a basket during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

This may be an obvious one, something that everyone has known since they watched their first basketball game. In order to win the game you must score more than your opponent, in order to score more than your opponent you must put the ball through the net and shoot well.

Last night the Spartans started off dreadful shooting. The ball was not going through the net despite getting great looks at the basket. If Michigan State continues with the great ball movement that they have had all year-long they will get open shots, both from the perimeter and the big men down low. The Spartans will need to take advantage of every good look they are given and cannot afford to have to long droughts of not scoring.

It will be much more difficult for Michigan State to dig themselves from a large hole against a team that has the defensive capabilities that Louisville does. On the flip side if Michigan State can shoot well and build a lead they can then lean on their defense to suffocate a Louisville offense that can sometimes struggle.

5. The Three Amigos

Mar 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan State Spartans players Travis Trice (20) , Branden Dawson (22) and Denzel Valentine (45) react during the second half in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s take out Kentucky, because I am not even sure if I could narrow down who their three best players are at this point, but I would put Michigan State’s three best players of Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson against anyone with how well they are playing right now.

When they met in the NCAA tournament in Branden Dawson’s freshman year the Spartans did not have an athlete that could match the Cardinals because he was out with injury. Dawson will be in this matchup and needs to be the force that he is capable of. The Spartans will need his maximum effort, for the full game not a half like against Oklahoma, on the offensive end, rebounding, defensively and in transition. When Dawson is fully engaged, as seen by anyone who has ever watched Michigan State, he is a difference maker that not many teams can account for.

There is not much more that can be asked from Trice and Valentine. The shots that Trice is hitting, the defense and shots that Valentine is providing, and how cool each of them has stepped to the foul line at the end of games in this tournament has been phenomenal. This has to continue in order for Michigan State to keep marching on. The two guards will need to push the offense and provide the leadership they have during this post season run.

If these three players can play at their highest level tomorrow afternoon in the Carrier Dome Michigan State will have every opportunity to get to the Final Four in Indianapolis and give us at least one more game to enjoy their play.