Michigan State basketball will get a chance at revenge against the Michigan Wolverines in Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
Every season that Michigan State and Michigan are robbed of two matchups is bad for fans. Luckily, the 2017-18 campaign has been salvaged by a rematch in the Big Ten Tournament with much more on the line than in the first meeting in East Lansing.
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The Wolverines are playing for a second straight appearance, and eventual victory, in the conference tourney title game and also a top-three seed. Michigan State is playing for both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2012. Also, a No. 1 seed is on the line for the Spartans.
The Big Ten Tournament semifinal on Saturday afternoon will draw eyes from just about everywhere, but can the Spartans exact revenge?
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s rematch with Michigan:
Date: Saturday, March 2
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: New York City, N.Y.
Venue: Madison Square Garden
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live
Keys to victory
Honestly, this one might come down to how well the Spartans defend the 3-point line. Michigan likes to surround the perimeter and get up 20-30 shots per game from beyond the arc. Although Mo Wagner is going to be a critical figure in this one, Jaren Jackson Jr. will fare much better on him than Nick Ward. If Michigan State can shut down the 3-point line and force the Wolverines inside, the Spartans will force Michigan to play their game.
Offensively, Michigan State needs to be aggressive. Michigan is a strong defensive team, but the Spartans need to utilize their effective ball movement to break the Wolverines down. It’s not going to be easy, but Miles Bridges needs to be more of a driver and less of a settler for outside shots. He could be the difference in this one, along with Cassius Winston.
Michigan players to watch
We all know the Wolverines have plenty of scoring options. Michigan can keep up with just about anyone in the country on the offensive side of the ball, but who leads the way?
- Mo Wagner — 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 54% FG shooting, 40% 3-point shooting
- Charles Matthews — 13.1 points, 5.5 points, 50% FG shooting
- Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman — 12.2 points, 3.4 assists, 37% 3-point shooting
- Duncan Robinson — 9.4 points, 39% 3-point shooting
- Zavier Simpson — 7.0 points, 3.6 assists, 48% FG shooting
- Jordan Poole — 6.7 points, 39% 3-point shooting
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Prediction
This is a toss-up. On one hand, Michigan State wanted this rematch ever since that January home loss and on the other, the Wolverines are playing for back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles. The Wolverines were able to out-tough the Spartans in the first battle, but this time around will be much more evenly matched. Mo Wagner will have another 20-point game, but Miles Bridges will put together his second solid game in a row. Don’t sleep on Cassius Winston who will put the bad memory of his first showing against Michigan behind him to score 15, including a late 3-pointer to seal the win.
Final Score: Michigan 73, Michigan State 76