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Michigan State Basketball: Northern Illinois matchup important for momentum

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 03: AAron Henry #11 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 03: AAron Henry #11 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts to a call during a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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After starting the season 10-2, Michigan State basketball must finish non-conference play on a high note versus Northern Illinois.

Michigan State is riding high, posting a five-game winning streak ever since that loss to Louisville on the road in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Spartans’ offense has kicked it up a notch as they’re not averaging over 87 points per game, ranking ninth in the country.

The Spartans are also 14th in field goal percentage and 19th in 3-point percentage. The offense is clicking while the defense could always use some tweaking — just ask Tom Izzo.

After a short break for the holidays, the Spartans are back practicing and Saturday marks their third game in the last few weeks, but this one will close out non-conference action. With a win, Michigan State will head into conference play with an 11-2 record, six-game winning streak and momentum.

A strong win over Northern Illinois is imperative, especially with a matchup against Northwestern approaching on Jan. 2.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Northern Illinois vs. MSU game:

Date: Saturday, Dec. 29
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Breslin Center
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Cassius Winston needs to make sure Michigan State gets out and runs again. We saw against Oakland that a fast-break heavy team can wear down opponents and the Spartans will do just that to the Huskies, making the offense for Northern Illinois less effective as the game wears on. A quick offensive attack can actually work wonders for both sides of the ball. Winston must get out and run and the rest should take care of itself.

Defensively, the perimeter defense will need to lock the Huskies down as there are multiple players who can burn the Spartans from distance. Eugene German and Levi Bradley are both 45 percent-plus 3-point shooters. Oakland made the Spartans work from 3-point range a week ago and Izzo wasn’t all that pleased. Shut down German as well as the perimeter and the Huskies may not have much of a chance to make this one close.

Players to Watch

Northern Illinois averages over 80 points per game and is shooting over 52 percent from the floor. If there’s any team that could surprise the Spartans and give them trouble, offensively, it’s the high-scoring Huskies. They also have one of the highest-scoring players in the nation.

  • Eugene German — 21 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 51% FG, 45% 3-point
  • Levi Bradley — 16.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 59% FG, 50% 3-point
  • Dante Thorpe — 12.1 points, 2.8 assists, 54% FG

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Prediction

Michigan State is going to get out and run again in this one as the Spartans race out to a 15-point halftime lead and just extend on that in the second half all while playing solid defense. Holding Northern Illinois to under 70 points is actually impressive given the fact that German and Bradley are both strong scorers. The Spartans will finish non-conference play with a big win, beating the Huskies and former MSU assistant Mark Montgomery by 23 points, heading into the new year with an 11-2 record.

Final Score: Northern Illinois 67, Michigan State 90

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