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Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Iowa in Week 14

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 31: Joshua Langford #1 of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Breslin Center on January 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 31: Joshua Langford #1 of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Breslin Center on January 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball will face off against Iowa on Tuesday night in Iowa City and here’s everything you need to know.

Winning on the road in the Big Ten is one of the most difficult tasks in the nation. While the Big Ten might not be the toughest conference this year, there isn’t an easy place to play. Fans of Big Ten basketball come out in droves to support their teams and it’s one of the reasons the conference has flourished over the years.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: Game-by-game predictions for February

Iowa City is an especially tough place. Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been tough on Michigan State (22-3, 10-2) and Tom Izzo over the years, but the Hawkeyes (12-13, 3-9)  are in the midst of one of their worst seasons under Fran McCaffery and will miss out on the NCAA Tournament barring a Big Ten tourney title.

A win on Tuesday night would be huge for the Spartans heading into a Saturday night showdown with No. 3 Purdue. The Boilermakers have yet to lose a game in conference play, but the Spartans are excited for the opportunity to change that.

Michigan State must get through Iowa first.

Here’s how to watch Tuesday night’s Michigan State vs. Iowa game:

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 6
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Iowa can score in bunches and that needs to be the most important aspect of the game plan heading into Tuesday night. The Spartans need to defend the 3-point line and push everything inside. We saw what happens when teams try to score on Michigan State inside the perimeter with the Indiana matchup, and it’s not pretty. Forcing Iowa to try and score from inside the arc will be key.

Offensively, just feeding the post and taking advantage of mismatches at just about every position is important. No one will be able to adequately guard Jaren Jackson Jr. and Nick Ward one-on-one, so the Spartans must feed the post as much as possible. Those two could finish with double-doubles. A more aggressive Miles Bridges is needed, too.

Iowa Players to Watch

Scoring isn’t a problem for Iowa as the Hawkeyes average over 80 points per game, but the defense has been poor this season. They do average 39 rebounds per game as well, but Michigan State will be crashing the glass much more effectively than it did against Indiana. Here’s who we should be watching for on Tuesday night.

  • Tyler Cook — 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 58% FG shooting
  • Jordan Bohannon — 13.6 points, 5.3 assists, 44% 3-point shooting
  • Luka Garza — 11.1 points, 6.6 points, 1.1 blocks, 55% FG shooting
  • Isaiah Moss — 10.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 38% 3-point shooting

Defending the 3-point line will be crucial for the Spartans.

Next: MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for February

Prediction

Iowa can put up points, and that should make the Spartans nervous heading into Tuesday night’s game at Carver-Hawkeye. However, the Spartans can also score at a high rate and have a much more effective defense. Michigan State had a rough offensive game, and rebounding performance, against Indiana on Saturday night, so don’t expect a repeat of that. Although this has the look of a trap game, Miles Bridges will rise to the occasion, with the help of each member of the starting five scoring in double figures, and put the Hawkeyes away.

Final Score: Michigan State 84, Iowa 71

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