Michigan State basketball’s toughness will be tested at Seton Hall
Playing at Seton Hall won’t be easy for Michigan State basketball as its toughness will be tested on the road against the Pirates.
Welcome to the Prudential Center, how tough are ya?
Michigan State’s first true road game of the season won’t be an easy one as the Spartans travel to Newark to face off against the No. 12 team in college basketball, Seton Hall.
The Pirates may be without their best player in this one as he injured his ankle in the team’s second game, a win against Stony Brook. Myles Powell is the team’s best player, a senior and a potential All-American. He’s been ruled “out” for this game, but that may be a ploy by the Pirates, especially since he lightly practiced this week. It would benefit all fans if he played in this one.
On the other side, Michigan State is led by star senior Cassius Winston who is coming off his first double-double of the season in an emotional contest against Binghamton, less than 24 hours after losing his brother Zachary.
The Spartans played much better against Binghamton than they did against Kentucky and they may just need to build some confidence. With early-season jitters still there, this is a chance to rid them for good and prove just how tough they can be. A win here would open some eyes, with or without Powell.
Here’s how you can watch the game:
Date: Thursday, Nov. 14
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Newark, NJ
Venue: Prudential Center
TV: FOX Sports 1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go
Keys to Victory
If Powell plays, Michigan State needs to make sure they contain him as much as possible. He can score in a variety of ways. Don’t let him get to the foul line as much as Tyrese Maxey got there, but also, no free buckets. The easiest way to defend him will be with Aaron Henry on him and hoping he can stay out of foul trouble. He’s the Spartans’ best defender right now and doesn’t give up anything easy. If he doesn’t play, making sure the bigs rotate and stay fresh, locking down the wealth of Seton Hall post height. Staying out of foul trouble will be huge.
Offensively, not settling for threes and distributing the ball like thy did against Binghamton will be key for the Spartans. Cassius makes the offense go ’round and if he’s passing it well and not turning it over, the offense follows suit and flourishes. Basically, play unselfish basketball and move the ball around. Get the ball into the post and let Xavier Tillman dish it back out for open shots or make moves of his own to get Seton Hall’s bigs into foul trouble.
Betting Odds
Courtesy of The Action Network
Line: Michigan State -5.5
Over/Under: N/A
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Prediction
Personally, I think Powell has a 30 percent chance of playing because, well, I don’t think the coaching staff wants to risk a further injury to that ankle. If that’s the case, I believe Michigan State should win this one away from home. The first road game of the season is always interesting to see how players respond, but the Spartans have plenty of vets who have played in tougher arenas. This won’t be an easy game and it’ll come down to the wire, but Cassius will make the plays when they matter most and the defense will step up big-time.
Final Score: Michigan State 73, Seton Hall 69