Michigan State Basketball: 5 keys to victory over Texas Tech in Final Four

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Nick Ward #44 and Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate their teams 68-67 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 28: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts after a foul is called on the Michigan Wolverines during the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

4. Put the clamps on Jarrett Culver

If there’s one player who Michigan State needs to pay extra attention to, it has to be Jarrett Culver. The former three-star underrated recruit in Texas Tech’s 2017 class has morphed into one of the best NBA draft prospects in the nation and he can be a matchup nightmare for many teams.

Culver is a lengthy 6-foot-5 guard who can create his own shot and burn teams from long-range even though he shoots just 32 percent from distance on the season.

The offense runs through Culver, the team’s leading scorer, and if the Spartans are going to advance to the national title game, they need to shut him down. This will be up to Matt McQuaid and Aaron Henry, the Spartans’ best perimeter defenders.

Although he hasn’t been shooting well from the field in the tourney thus far, Culver has drawn a ton of attention from opposing defenses. Michigan State can’t get caught doubling and leaving someone open, so McQuaid and Henry will need to step up and put the defense on their backs.

Keep Culver in check and good things will happen.

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