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Michigan State basketball faces pressure-packed showdown at Michigan

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 while playing the Purdue Boilermakers at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 while playing the Purdue Boilermakers at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The pressure is at an all-time high for Michigan State basketball and Tom Izzo to get a win over John Beilein and his No. 7 Michigan Wolverines.

Tom Izzo hates losing to Michigan. I mean, does anyone like losing to their rival? Probably not, but Izzo takes the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry personally.

The Spartans have lost three straight in this rivalry, all by double figures, and they are down Nick Ward and Josh Langford this season while Michigan is playing well and ranked No. 7 in the country. The two teams may seem to be headed in opposite directions, but the Spartans are on a four-game winning streak and haven’t feared road games in Big Ten play.

Michigan State recently won at No. 20 Wisconsin while the Wolverines struggled in Madison earlier in the season, losing their first game of the season against the Badgers.

This matchup on Sunday afternoon could be for all the marbles — or just positioning in the Big Ten race — as a win would knock one of these teams out of a first-place tie.

Here’s how you can watch Sunday’s big rivalry game in Ann Arbor:

Date: Sunday, Feb. 24
Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Venue: Crisler Arena
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

On the offensive end, it needs to be Cassius Winston sparking the scoring attack. Michigan State won’t win this game if Winston is off and he finally needs to overcome the Zavier Simpson roadblock. If he can get the offense out and running early and often, it will force the Wolverines to play the Spartans’ style and that’s not what Michigan wants.

Defensively, guarding the perimeter and forcing the Wolverines to get their points inside the arc will be important as well as keeping Michigan off the offensive glass. The second-chance points battle could decide the game if Michigan State can limit those extra opportunities. Win the rebounding battle, guard the perimeter and limit the Wolverines’ second-chance points and a win could be within grasp.

Players to Watch

Michigan’s offense isn’t going to blown teams away on a regular basis but the Wolverines do have a few guys who can hit double-digits and make teams work to get stops. Offense hasn’t been a strength, but this is still a team capable of scoring 80-plus points.

  • Ignas Brazdeikis: 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 46% FG shooting, 38% 3-point shooting
  • Charles Matthews: 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 44% FG shooting
  • Jordan Poole: 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 39% 3-point shooting
  • Jon Teske: 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 51% FG shooting
  • Zavier Simpson: 8.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals

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

Prediction

This one is going to be a defensive battle and for any non-Big Ten fans, this could be a snoozer only because the real storyline won’t be offense. It’s going to be intense either way but the Spartans and Wolverines will play a close back-and-forth battle all afternoon long until Jordan Poole hits a big 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to take the lead and Michigan State will foil its opportunity to tie it up as Cassius Winston misses on the other end.

Final Score: Michigan State 63, Michigan 68

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