Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Basketball: 3 things we’d like to see vs. No. 2 Michigan

By Connor Muldowney

Mar 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo and forward Aaron Henry (0) look on during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo and forward Aaron Henry (0) look on during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Michigan State basketball is gearing up for a monster game at Michigan on Sunday night and here’s what we’d like to see from the Spartans.

After getting smacked around by Michigan in Ann Arbor on Thursday night, Michigan State knows it needs to win on Sunday to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament field.

The Spartans dropped to 14-11 with the loss and it sewed up Tom Izzo’s first losing season in Big Ten play as head coach. It’s been a forgettable season, but a win in the rematch with Michigan would be a heck of a statement. If Michigan State finishes 15-11 overall and 9-11 in conference play, that would have to be considered a big win.

Two weeks ago, the Spartans were conceding an NCAA Tournament miss, but wins over Indiana, Illinois and Ohio State have changed the outlook of the season.

What do we want/need to see from the Spartans against No. 2 Michigan on Sunday?

3. Stingy 3-point defense

Forget the fact that Michigan State didn’t make a single 3-pointer against Michigan which was the first game without a long-range conversion since 2013, but the Spartans need to defend these shots better.

Michigan State may have been 0-fer from long range, but allowing Michigan to make 7-of-16 shots from deep was the difference here.

The Spartans have struggled on offense all season long but the defense has been pretty solid. Unfortunately, it wasn’t great at Michigan, especially on the perimeter and that needs to change. Michigan shouldn’t be picking up 21 easy points the way it did and I say “easy” because a lot of the shots were wide open.

Lock down the perimeter and force the Wolverines to take uncomfortable, contested shots.

Home/Spartans Basketball