Michigan State Basketball: 3 bold predictions for important Penn State battle

Looking for its first winning streak since early-January, Michigan State basketball will host Penn State on Tuesday night.

There’s no better slump buster for a college basketball squad than facing two of the bottom four teams in the conference standings in back-to-back games.

Michigan State gets that luxury following a four-game losing streak which saw the Spartans lose a heart-breaker against Purdue after leading by 17, getting embarrassed by Rutgers, losing big to Ohio State and then falling just short at Iowa. A win against Nebraska ended that skid but it wasn’t pretty.

Adding a second straight win on Tuesday night with Penn State coming to town could do wonders for this team’s confidence and NCAA Tournament hopes.

Will the Spartans win their second straight for the first time in a month?

3. Gabe Brown scores in double figures

Gabe Brown made his way back to the court for the first time in about a month against Nebraska, scoring six points with seven rebounds and looking more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. He wasn’t just settling for long-range jumpers (although he was 0-for-2 from deep), but rather he utilized his athleticism to score his three buckets.

Tom Izzo needs that same Gabe to show up on Tuesday night and provide a punch off the bench.

When Brown is playing with confidence, he’s tough to stop — just ask the LSU team from a couple of years ago. When he’s lacking confidence, it’s not pretty. We saw a confident Gabe against Nebraska which was a great sign, especially after such a long absence.

Against Penn State, Brown will score in double figures off the bench for the first time since Jan. 2 against Nebraska and sixth time in 2020-21.