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Michigan State Basketball: 5 keys to beating No. 7 Michigan on the road

By Connor Muldowney

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 12, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 02: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half at Breslin Center on February 2, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 02: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half at Breslin Center on February 2, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. Cassius Winston must win battle vs. Zavier Simpson

There’s one battle that has been looming over Cassius Winston’s head all offseason and heading into Big Ten play. It’s the one that he hasn’t won since the first game of his freshman season against the Wolverines and that’s the battle against defensive stopper Zavier Simpson.

Simpson had Winston’s number last season, forcing two poor games from the Spartan point guard which led to some questioning whether he could ever get over that hump.

Now that he’s playing his best basketball of his Spartan career, he’ll be aiming to take down the two obstacles that have stood in his way since he was a freshman: Michigan and Simpson.

If Michigan State wants any chance at winning this game, it’ll need Winston to out-perform Simpson and shake off his stingy defense, scoring 15-20 points in the process. He doesn’t necessarily need to shoot over 50 percent, but he can’t be making just 3-of-10 shots like he did in one of last year’s losses.

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

Winston needs to avoid the mental roadblock and piece together his best performance against the Wolverines since 2016-17, winning the battle vs. Simpson.

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