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Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions vs. Duke in Week 2

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 18: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during game action against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils at the Breslin Center on November 18, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 18: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during game action against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils at the Breslin Center on November 18, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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2. Michigan State holds Grayson Allen in check

Marvin Bagley, Trevon Duval, Wendell Carter Jr., Gary Trent Jr. Those are the young stars that will hurt the Spartans on Tuesday night. Each of them will approach double figures, leaving someone like Grayson Allen out of the mix. Sure, all could finish with 10-plus points, but Tom Izzo remembers what Allen did to the Spartans in the 2015 Final Four.

Izzo will make sure Allen doesn’t burn the Spartans again, forcing some smothering perimeter defense and making him drive the lane to meet Jaren Jackson Jr. for a block or two.

It’ll be one of those games in which the senior tries to forget and use as motivation to earn a rematch with the Spartans. Izzo talked about what happened in the 2015 Final Four with Duke and he knows what Allen is capable of and he’s not going to let the senior burn the Spartans again.

Michigan State will hold Allen in check, for the most part. He will get an early 3-pointer, or two, and finish with nine points and three rebounds with a couple of assists. It’s not going to be pretty for Allen on Tuesday night.

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