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Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Minnesota in Week 15

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 10: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates with Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans late in the second half during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Breslin Center on February 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 10: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates with Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans late in the second half during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Breslin Center on February 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Just three days after beating No. 3 Purdue, Michigan State basketball will hit the road to take on a struggling Minnesota team.

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Richard Pitino and Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were one of just a handful of Big Ten teams to make the preseason AP Top 25, but they struggled from the get-go. Now, they’re hoping for a miracle Big Ten Tournament title to make the NCAA Tournament.

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

Michigan State, on the other hand, is coming off its best win of the season, beating No. 3 Purdue in East Lansing. The Spartans needed the entire 40 minutes to pull off the win, but a big 3-pointer by Miles Bridges with 2.7 seconds left ended the game the way Tom Izzo had hoped.

The Spartans are now 24-3 and Minnesota is sitting at 14-13, but the Gophers aren’t easy to take down at home — just like the rest of the Big Ten, home-court advantage is huge.

Michigan State will need an comfortable win to start impressing the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

Here’s how you can watch Tuesday night’s game:

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 13
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Venue: Williams Arena
TV: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Minnesota could be down three players — Amir Coffey, Dupree McBrayer and Reggie Lynch — but that doesn’t mean the Spartans will have an easy path to victory. Defensively, the focus needs to be on Jordan Murphy in the post. Not just slowing down his scoring attack, which Gavin Schilling showed he can do off the bench, but also keeping him off the offensive glass. The Spartans need to crash the boards to starve the mediocre-shooting Gophers of second-change points.

On the offensive side of things, ball movement will be key. Minnesota has a poor defense, ranking 240th nationally in points allowed, so facilitation is important. The Gophers struggle to slow down potent offenses and Michigan State has one of the best in college basketball. As long as the Spartans can cut turnovers and swing the ball around with smart passes, scoring won’t be an issue.

Minnesota Players to Watch

Although the Golden Gophers are just 3-11 in conference play, they have talent across the roster, but injuries and suspensions have changed the outlook of the season. Here’s who we should be keeping an eye on Tuesday night.

  • Jordan Murphy — 17.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 53% FG shooting
  • Nate Mason — 16.5 points, 4.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 41% 3-point shooting
  • Amir Coffey (if healthy) — 14 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 48% FG shooting
  • Dupree McBrayer (if healthy) — 9.5 points, 2.5 assists, 36% 3-point shooting
  • Isaiah Washington — 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Next: MSU Basketball: 5 takeaways from win over No. 3 Purdue

Prediction

This is one of those “must-win” games for Michigan State if it wants a chance at a 1-seed come March. Minnesota is reeling right now, having lost seven in a row and 10-of-11 which makes this win even more crucial for the Spartans. Coming off a huge victory over No. 3 Purdue, the Spartans must win out in order to keep those Big Ten title hopes alive. They’ll take care of the Gophers on Tuesday night thanks to big games from Miles Bridges, Nick Ward and Josh Langford. Bench production will be crucial, too.

Final Score: Michigan State 81, Minnesota 74

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