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Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Bucknell in 2018 NCAA Tournament

By Connor Muldowney

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 03: Miles Bridges #22 (L), Cassius Winston #5 and head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans have a conversation in the first half during semifinals of the Big 10 Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 03: Miles Bridges #22 (L), Cassius Winston #5 and head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans have a conversation in the first half during semifinals of the Big 10 Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 3, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball is gearing up for a 2018 NCAA Tournament run and first up on the schedule is 14-seed Bucknell.

The two-week waiting period is finally over. Michigan State will be playing basketball again on Friday evening in Detroit as the Spartans take on 14-seeded Bucknell at Little Caesars Arena.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans can make the Final Four

Earning the 3-seed, Michigan State earned the right to play close to home and will have a chance to make it to the Sweet 16 in front of a ‘home’ crowd. The Spartans will get a tough draw, though, in Bucknell, the runaway Patriot League champ.

Michigan State is looking to bounce back from a Michigan loss in the Big Ten Tournament in order to earn Tom Izzo his eighth trip to the Final Four. The talent is there, but the Spartans need to put it all together quickly.

Here’s how you can watch Friday’s Michigan State vs. Bucknell game:

Date: Friday, March 16
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Location: Detroit, Mich.
Venue: Little Caesars Arena
TV: CBS
Live Stream: March Madness Live

Keys to victory

In order to avoid the vaunted first-round exit, Michigan State must stick to its game plan and not let the Bison dictate how the offense will be run. Settling for outside shots is not Michigan State’s game, although the Spartans can hit those threes, but feeding Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the post will be important. Also, Cassius Winston must protect the ball.

Defensively, guarding the perimeter to shut down any prayer 3-pointers and locking down Zach Thomas and Nana Foulland in the paint will shut down the Bison offense. Michigan State matches up fairly well with Bucknell, but the Spartans just have to play like the better team that they are. It’s really as simple as sticking to the game plan.

Bucknell players to watch

The Bison have suspended sixth man Burce Moore for this one, but it doesn’t look like he will make much of a difference as he averaged just 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds. It does take away from the depth a bit, which could play into Michigan State’s favor. Here’s who to watch for.

  • Zach Thomas — 20.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 46% FG shooting
  • Nana Foulland — 15.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 60% FG shooting
  • Stephen Brown — 14.9 points, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals, 48% FG shooting
  • Kimbal Mackenzie — 7.9 points, 2.2 assists, 34% 3-point shooting

Next: MSU Basketball: 5 biggest concerns before NCAA tourney

Prediction

This isn’t going to be an easy matchup for the Spartans, but that doesn’t mean struggles will be caused by overlooking the 14-seeded Bucknell Bison. Tom Izzo knows this team is just as good as Middle Tennessee was a couple of years ago, or so he said, and he’s not ready to take anyone lightly again. Bucknell will still put up a fight and this one will go back-and-forth until the final buzzer sounds. However, the post play will be the difference as the Bison won’t be able to slow down the duo of Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Final Score: Bucknell 68, Michigan State 73

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