Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Louisville in Week 4

Michigan State basketball faces another tough task on Tuesday evening as it travels to Louisville for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

After handling No. 17 UCLA and Texas (which is now ranked No. 17) to win the Las Vegas Invitational, Michigan State has moved up to No. 9 in the AP Top 25. It’s not a major jump, but it’s the highest the Spartans have been all season and with a win at Louisville, that could improve even more.

The Spartans are looking like one of the nation’s premier teams while Louisville is on a two-game losing streak after dropping to Marquette and Tennessee.

Playing in Louisville won’t be easy for this year’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge, but this matchup should be a favorable one for the green and white despite the tough venue. Michigan State has gotten the better of the Cardinals in the most recent matchup, but this has been one of those back-and-forth non-conference matchups that has brought great games over the years.

No longer is Rick Pitino roaming the sidelines for Louisville, though, as former Xavier head coach Chris Mack has taken over. He has the program headed back in the right direction.

Here’s how you can watch Tuesday night’s MSU vs. Louisville game:

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 27
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: KFC Yum! Center
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For Michigan State to win this one, the turnovers need to be cut in half. No, I’m not talking about the season average which before the Texas game was about 12. I’m talking about what happened against the Longhorns never taking place again. The Spartans coughed the ball up 24 times and that can’t happen on the road against the Cardinals. They don’t force a ton of turnovers, so protecting the ball and making smart passes should be enough.

What seems to kill Michigan State on the defensive end is its perimeter defense. Lock down that perimeter, don’t allow open shots and force the Cardinals to try and score in the post against an aggressive Spartan attack, and things will work out. Also, limit second-chance points by the Cardinals by keeping them off the offensive glass.

Players to Watch

Louisville is averaging a healthy 86 points per game and shooting 47 percent from the floor but just 36 percent from behind the arc. Rebounding isn’t a major strength either as the Cardinals are averaging just 35.8. Moreover, they average just 13 assists to 12 turnovers per game which is not the best ratio.

• Jordan Nwora: 18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 51% FG
• Darius Perry: 11.2 points, 3.0 assists, 67% FG, 54% 3-point
• Steven Enoch: 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 59% FG

Prediction

Louisville is a proud program, so even with the off-court issues over the past year with Rick Pitino, don’t expect the Cardinals to let that carry over and cause them to lay an egg against the Spartans. Jordan Nwora could give Michigan State some issues, but Kenny Goins and Nick Ward will defend him fairly well, yet he’ll still give Louisville a shot to win this one. Cassius Winston has another good game as he cuts turnovers and Ward finishes with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Langford has another 20-point outing. For the first time this season, Michigan State wins a game and it’s not by double figures.

Final Score: Michigan State 80, Louisville 73