Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions vs. Penn State in Week 13

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans looses control of the ball while going up against Mike Watkins #24 and Payton Banks #0 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center on March 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 19: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans shoots the ball over Devonte Green #11 of the Indiana Hoosiers at Breslin Center on January 19, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. Spartans catch fire from 3-point range

If you’re Michigan State, you have to feel good about the direction your team’s shooting has gone since hitting a three-game rough patch a few weeks ago. The Spartans have shot over 50 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from 3-point range in three of the four games since the loss to Michigan.

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Sunday’s win over Maryland wasn’t pretty as Michigan State made just 40 percent of its shots from the floor and 24 percent from beyond the arc, but it’ll improve drastically from that, draining over 55 percent from long range.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Spartans made something like 9-of-15 from 3-point range, bouncing back from a fatigue-filled win over Maryland. The poor shooting in that one seemed to be caused by fatigue but that’s not going to happen on essentially three days rest.

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Cassius Winston will go 2-of-4, Miles Bridges will add three of his own makes, Josh Langford will have a couple and both Matt McQuaid and Jaren Jackson Jr. will make one. The Spartans will catch fire from long-range and that could be a confidence-booster heading into February.

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