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Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions vs. Minnesota in NCAA Tournament

By Connor Muldowney

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives with the ball against the Bradley Braves during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives with the ball against the Bradley Braves during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Beating Minnesota for a second time this season won’t be easy, but Michigan State basketball will be motivated with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

Bradley put up a fight and nearly became the second No. 15 seed to upset Michigan State in the past three years but the Spartans came up in the clutch and made the necessary adjustments to finish with an 11-point win.

Tom Izzo got into his players for not playing loose and turning the ball over in the worst situations and taking bad shots, but the Spartans overcame a rough performance to survive and advance. Heading to the second round with a matchup against Minnesota isn’t a comfortable feeling because no wins are given, especially with an elusive Sweet 16 on the line.

Can Michigan State advance to its first Sweet 16 since 2014-15?

5. Michigan State out-rebounds Minnesota by 10

If there’s one team that has the length to make Michigan State sweat out a victory, it’s Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have size from the guard spots to the center and that can cause some havoc when it comes to the rebounding battle.

Amir Coffey is a guard with length and can rebound, Jordan Murphy is one of the biggest beasts on the glass in the country and Daniel Oturu averages 7.1 per game in the post. Those three guys can cause some problems for the Spartans, but Michigan State’s bigs, and even guys like Aaron Henry and Matt McQuaid, will win the rebounding battle.

Not only will Michigan State win the battle on the glass, but they’ll do so emphatically, winning by at least 10 rebounds.

Usually the team that wins the battle on the boards has a good chance of winning the game. We’ll see if that’s the case on Saturday night.

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