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Michigan State Basketball: Predicting each round of 2018 Big Ten Tournament

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 13: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Isaiah Livers #4 of the Michigan Wolverines at Breslin Center on January 13, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 13: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Isaiah Livers #4 of the Michigan Wolverines at Breslin Center on January 13, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 13: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Isaiah Livers #4 of the Michigan Wolverines at Breslin Center on January 13, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – JANUARY 13: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Isaiah Livers #4 of the Michigan Wolverines at Breslin Center on January 13, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Semifinal (March 3)

No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 1 Michigan State (2 p.m. ET)

This is the matchup everyone was hoping for — at least for Michigan and Michigan State fans, coaches and players. The Spartans lost the regular season matchup against the Wolverines in East Lansing, which shocked just about everyone. Michigan State didn’t seemed prepared in that battle and the Wolverines were just mentally and physically tougher.

Miles Bridges felt demoralized after that loss, especially since he came back for his sophomore year and hoped to get revenge for last year’s thumping in Ann Arbor. He’s going to have his best game of the season in this one while Jaren Jackson Jr. presents plenty of matchup problems. Nick Ward will struggle slightly with Mo Wagner again, but Cassius Winston’s defense won’t be as much of a liability. This one will go down to the wire.

Final Score: Michigan 71, Michigan State 76

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Purdue (4:30 p.m. ET)

Just about everyone is predicting these two teams to come out of the other side of the bracket, and I’m going with that same notion. Purdue and Ohio State are heads and shoulders better than the bottom half of the bracket’s teams and they’ll get a rematch after only facing each other once during the regular season, just like Michigan State and Michigan.

The Buckeyes took the first meeting, but just like the Michigan State will do to Michigan, the Boilermakers will exact revenge on Ohio State. Carsen Edwards is going to be a problem for the Buckeyes and Isaac Haas will put up 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The game will be close, but Purdue will slowly pull away at the end.

Final Score: Ohio State 72, Purdue 79

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