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Michigan State Basketball: Staff score predictions vs. Minnesota

By Connor Muldowney

Mar 9, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) dunks the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Josh Reaves (23) looks on in the first half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Verizon Center. The Spartans won 78-51. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) dunks the ball as Penn State Nittany Lions guard Josh Reaves (23) looks on in the first half during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Verizon Center. The Spartans won 78-51. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State basketball faces a tough matchup with Minnesota on Friday and here’s what the Spartan Avenue staff predicts the score will be.

Tom Izzo talked about how his team was prepared for the one-and-done part of the season. Heck, the Michigan State basketball coach called the Big Ten Tournament and the Big Dance the real season — and he’s right.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for Big Ten Tournament

Every team plays for this time of year and the Big Ten Tournament is sort of a litmus test for the NCAA Tournament. If Michigan State can make a deep run in the conference tourney, who knows how far it’ll go in the Big Dance, assuming the Spartans are in.

However, Minnesota stands in the way of a semifinal appearance as the Spartans are looking to defend their crown in the Big Ten tourney.

Take a look at the staff score predictions for Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal matchup with Minnesota.

Connor Muldowney: Michigan State no longer needs to win to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans were taken off the bubble on Thursday with an emphatic win over Penn State, but Tom Izzo won’t be satisfied with the bare minimum. The Spartans will come out hot yet again and take a nice lead early, but Minnesota will cut away at it before halftime. Nick Ward and Miles Bridges will have solid games yet again, but Josh Langford will only take four shots, which will hurt Michigan State more than you think. Nate Mason has a big game as Cassius Winston and Tum Tum Nairn struggle to defend the All-Big Ten point guard.

Final: Michigan State 71, Minnesota 78

Adam Zdroik: The good thing about the Penn State win is that the Spartans didn’t have to exude as much effort as normal. Miles Bridges played 28 minutes, his fewest since a Jan. 11 win over Minnesota. It’s hard to beat a team three times, but there’s a reason MSU won the first two. Minnesota has solid bigs, but they can’t deal with Nick Ward, it’s that simple. And if Josh Langford stays in attack mode, the Gophers will need to play much better than the two previous meetings, most notably Nate Mason.

Final: Michigan State 71, Minnesota 65

Michael Briggs: Michigan State has taken down a good Minnesota squad twice this season, but beating any team three times in one year is a formidable task. The Gophers can definitely beat MSU, but won’t if Nick Ward stays aggressive and out of foul trouble. The Spartans move on with another resume-building victory and gain momentum for the NCAA tournament.

Final: Michigan State 76, Minnesota 70

Brooks Hepp: What’s the hardest thing to do in sports? Beat a team three times. Although MSU has shown it is the better team and have a more balanced lineup from top to bottom, I don’t see the Spartans getting over the hump of beating a team three times.

Final: Michigan State 68, Minnesota 76

Ryan McCumber: The Spartans swept the Gophers in the regular season. One in an incredible comeback against the Gophers without Miles Bridges and another game in a blowout at home with Bridges. Since then, Minnesota has been one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. It’s very difficult to beat a team like Minnesota three times in one season. Minnesota presents some problems for MSU in the post with their size and length. Nate Mason is also one of the top point guards in the conference. I expect Minnesota to win this game.

Final: Michigan State 61, Minnesota 65

Stephen Robb: Michigan State turned in a complete game against Penn State and I believe it will continue this trend against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers, like the Spartans, have struggled in Big Ten play. They lost to the Spartans twice this season and I believe that MSU has Minnesota’s number. It’ll be a closer game than Penn State.

Final: Michigan State 76, Minnesota 73

Related Story: MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for March

Joe Clifford: Michigan State probably punched their ticket to the big dance yesterday against Penn State; however they will look to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament and to do that they will need to beat Minnesota for the third time this year. A big game defensively by Tum Tum and a huge games by Nick Ward and Miles Bridges will lead the Spartans into the Semifinals, and a rematch against Michigan.

Final: Michigan State 75, Minnesota 68

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