Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for Indiana battle in Week 13

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 21: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket while defended by Ivan Bender #13 of the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Breslin Center on January 21, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to pass against Isaac Copeland Jr. #14 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

4. Xavier Tillman notches a double-double

If you haven’t been aboard the Xavier Tillman bandwagon, don’t try to jump on after Saturday night when he puts together an inspiring performance, scoring 12 points with 10 rebounds and adding a couple of and-ones in the process.

The sophomore big man has had a rough few weeks, dating back to Jan. 13 in a win over Penn State in Happy Valley. Before that game, he had been playing as well as any sixth man in the conference and there were some who believed he might be the next star in the making for the green and white.

That’s still a decent possibility, but he’s struggled to near his usual double-double caliber self, scoring 10 points just once in the past five games with a high in rebounds of just seven. He has looked rather pedestrian, under his standards, and it’s time for things to trend back in the right direction.

Michigan State is going to need him to step up with one scorer out for the season and he’ll do so with 12 points and he’ll reach double-double status with 10 rebounds.

This double-double has been a long time coming.

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