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Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for critical Illinois battle

By Connor Muldowney

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 22: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans looks for a call during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center on January 22, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 22: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans looks for a call during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center on January 22, 2018 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans drives on Tanner Borchardt #20 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – JANUARY 17: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans drives on Tanner Borchardt #20 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena on January 17, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

2. Nick Ward has his best game in a month

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the real Nick Ward who had been dominating to start the Big Ten season. He scored at least 20 points in each of his first four conference games and looked like a dark-horse candidate for player of the year — though it was unlikely he would have kept that pace.

Ward was averaging over 20 points per game in conference play until Purdue, Penn State and Nebraska each held him to 16 points per less and then Maryland blanked him. He then bounced back to score 21 with 10 rebounds in a win at Iowa, but totaled just 20 over the past two games, losses at Purdue and against Indiana.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the junior big man, but he’s not going to let this recent rough patch keep him down. He’s better than just a 10-point-per-game scorer and he’s going to show it at Illinois on Tuesday night, dominating the post.

Moreover, he’s going to have his best overall game in a month, shaking off that ugly performance against Indiana which was arguably his worst of the year — just look at the free throw shooting.

Ward will finish with 24 points and 11 rebounds, putting together his best performance since back in December.

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