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Michigan State basketball must maintain focus for Ohio State round two

By Connor Muldowney

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans attempts a shot while being guarded by Nate Reuvers #35 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans attempts a shot while being guarded by Nate Reuvers #35 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball is tough to beat when it’s focused, but it needs to maintain that level-headedness in Sunday’s rematch with Ohio State.

The first time Michigan State met Ohio State this season, the Buckeyes were ranked and looking like one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Since then, the Buckeyes have fallen off a bit and now look like a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State went into Columbus and avenged last year’s loss to Ohio State. It was one of those gritty performances on the road that we’ve come to expect from the Spartans, but just because the Buckeyes aren’t playing at that same level this time around doesn’t mean Michigan State should take them any lighter.

The Spartans are riding a two-game winning streak after losing three straight previously while the Buckeyes are fresh off a tough home loss to suddenly red-hot Illinois.

Michigan State must remain focused and take care of business to avoid a letdown loss like it had at home versus Indiana just a couple of weeks ago.

Here’s how you can watch Sunday’s game:

Date: Sunday, Feb. 17
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Breslin Center
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Shot selection is so important in games like these. While Ohio State isn’t playing its best basketball of the season, the Spartans have a tendency to settle for long-range shots when it would be more beneficial to get the ball into the post, move it around the perimeter or just pass to find an open man. It happened in the loss to Indiana where the Spartans just settled for lazy, contested jump shots. That can’t happen here or they will let Ohio State hang around.

Contain Kaleb Wesson and let the Buckeyes find offense from another source. He leads the offense with 14.5 points per game and can be dominant in the post, but if Nick Ward can play the same defense he did against Ethan Happ on Tuesday, the Buckeyes are going to struggle to score. If Wesson isn’t putting up 15-20 points, Ohio State is usually on the losing end of things.

Players to Watch

We all obviously know about Kaleb Wesson, but which other Buckeyes could give the Spartans fits on Sunday afternoon in East Lansing?

  • Kaleb Wesson: 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 52% FG shooting, 39% 3-point shooting
  • C.J. Jackson: 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 41% 3-point shooting
  • Luther Muhammad: 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 44% 3-point shooting
  • Andre Wesson: 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 47% FG shooting

dark. Next. MSU basketball: Game-by-game predictions for February

Prediction

This is a game Michigan State absolutely needs to win not because the Spartans are on the brink of missing out on the NCAA Tournament (which is far from true) but rather because they need to stay in the Big Ten title race by winning out. Ohio State has some pieces that could put together an upset, but the Spartans will remain focused, Nick Ward will out-duel Kaleb Wesson and defense will steal the show once again.

Final Score: Ohio State 65, Michigan State 78

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