Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will beat Oakland in Week 6

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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 3: Evan Taylor #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers drives to the basket during the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 3, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. Michigan State’s defense is suffocating

Quite the opposite of Oakland, Michigan State has an elite defense. While Oakland’s defense ranks 302nd in the country in points surrendered per game, the Spartans are 13th in college basketball, allowing just over 61 points per contest.

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This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the aforementioned shot-blocking prowess of Michigan State which ranks first in the country. The length of Michigan State at just about every position has given opponents fits through the first month-plus of the season and it doesn’t look to be letting up any time soon.

Teams don’t dare drive against the Spartans because there is usually a duo of lengthy bigs waiting to swat their shots. Michigan State has the best two-point defense in the land, holding teams to under 32 percent from inside the arc. Although the 3-point defense could use some work, the stinginess inside the arc more than makes up for it.

Next: MSU Basketball: Game-by-game predictions for December

Add in the fact that Oakland is down its top scorer and has only two players left who average in double figures and you have a disastrous situation for the Golden Grizzlies thanks to an elite defense waiting for them in Detroit.

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