Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for battle at Penn State

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans loses control of the ball next to Aaron Wheeler #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans loses control of the ball next to Aaron Wheeler #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 03: Nicholas Baer #51 of the Iowa Hawkeyes box out Kyle Ahrens #0 of the Michigan State Spartans during a free throw attempt during the first half at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 03: Nicholas Baer #51 of the Iowa Hawkeyes box out Kyle Ahrens #0 of the Michigan State Spartans during a free throw attempt during the first half at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

4. Kyle Ahrens will come up clutch again

It’s already happened a couple of times this season. Kyle Ahrens can be one of those clutch players who puts teams away with daggers from long range or drives and dunks in crunch time. You’ll see more of the latter on Sunday evening as he’ll extend the lead against Penn State late in the second half.

Ahrens will finish with 12 points and six of them will come on 3-pointers late in the second half to put the Spartans up comfortably on the Nittany Lions.

Without Josh Langford, other players have had to step up and Ahrens is one of them. He’s already come up big against teams like Ohio State and Florida and now we’ll see him with a big-time performance against the Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.

Beating Penn State isn’t exactly a big-time victory but this will be one of those pesky games where the Spartans will need some of their role players to step up. Ahrens will be that guy.

Ahrens will be clutch once again, proving the Spartans’ depth could be a major difference this March.