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Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Houston Baptist

By Connor Muldowney

PISCATAWAY, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans takes a three point shot in the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on December 5, 2017 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans takes a three point shot in the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on December 5, 2017 at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball plays host to Houston Baptist on Monday evening and here’s everything you need to know for the non-conference bout.

An upset alert feeling creeped into Little Caesars Arena on Saturday afternoon as Michigan State struggled to put Oakland away for good. The Golden Grizzlies took the Spartans down to the final minutes before Michigan State found a way to win by 13, ending the upset bid.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: 5 takeaways from win over Oakland

Houston Baptist comes to town on Monday evening looking for the same type of luck. However, Tom Izzo won’t let his Spartans play down to another opponent. The Huskies are struggled defensively this season and that could play into Michigan State’s favor.

On top of that, the Huskies are three games under .500 and have lost to any team on their schedule with a pulse. Don’t expect that to change.

Here’s how you can watch Monday’s Michigan State vs. Houston Baptist game online:

Date: Monday, Dec. 18
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Breslin Center
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go

Keys to victory

The Spartans have an issue when it comes to playing down to opponents. It happened against an ailing, yet competitive, Oakland team on Saturday and also against teams like DePaul, Rutgers and Stony Brook before pulling away. Putting the foot on the gas and playing to potential and getting up for the game will be important. No taking plays off.

Defensively, just keeping the interior defense the same will be important. Houston Baptist averages over 83 points per game, but it hasn’t played a defense like Michigan State’s yet. Staying out of foul trouble will be important as will protecting the rim. Don’t let this team get to the rim without consequences.

Houston Baptist players to watch

The Huskies are just 4-7 on the season with no wins against teams with a pulse. Moreover, they’ve given up over 100 points two times already this season and Michigan State could take advantage and be the third. Here’s who you should be watching for.

  • Josh Ibarra — 16.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 55% FG
  • David Caraher — 15.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 40% 3-point FG
  • Ian DuBose — 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals
  • Jalon Gates — 10.2 points in just 13.8 minutes per game
  • Braxton Bonds — 9.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.2 steals

This team can put up points, but it might struggle against this tough MSU defense.

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

Prediction

Houston Baptist has been held under 60 points just once this season, but that was all the way back in the season opener. Expect that to change on Monday night as the Huskies will struggle to find anything offensively against the Spartans. Miles Bridges will score a season-high and both Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr. will record double-doubles. Yet another team shoots under 35 percent inside the arc against the Spartans.

Final Score: Houston Baptist 58, Michigan State 93

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