Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions vs. Illinois in Week 12

Michigan State basketball has a tough road game against Illinois on Monday night in Champaign. It’s time for bold predictions.

No win in Big Ten play is guaranteed. Although if you look at what Purdue and Ohio State have done to this point in the season, you have to be impressed. Michigan State, though, has found that out the hard way, losing to those Buckeyes on the road and then to Michigan less than a week later.

What does this mean? A road trip to Champaign to face a 10-10 Illinois team with no wins in seven Big Ten contests isn’t a given. It might seem that way on paper, but that’s far from the truth.

Michigan State will have to grind out a win in Champaign, a place where the Spartans have won just three times in 10 years.

Here are five bold predictions for the Michigan State vs. Illinois game on Monday night.

5. Jaren Jackson Jr. finishes with six blocks

Only seven blocks stand between Jaren Jackson Jr. and the all-time single-season record at Michigan State — and there’s still a month and a half left of Big Ten basketball.

Against Indiana, Jackson Jr. blocked three shots to give him 65 total on the season, passing Deyonta Davis for the most of any freshman in Michigan State history. That record only lasted for two years and Jackson Jr. is on pace to potentially reach 100, smashing Davis’ record.

Ken Johnson is the next name on the list for Jackson Jr. to aim for and he will come within one of tying the all-time Michigan State single-season record as he swats six Illinois shots on Monday night. That might seem unlikely but he’s already blocked at least six shots in a game three times this season.

Illinois will poke the bear and Jackson Jr. will respond. We’ll have to wait until Friday against Wisconsin for him to break the record.