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Michigan State Basketball: 3 bold predictions for play-in game vs. UCLA

By Connor Muldowney

COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 28: Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans handles the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on February 28, 2021 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - FEBRUARY 28: Rocket Watts #2 of the Michigan State Spartans handles the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on February 28, 2021 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball opens the NCAA Tournament with the premier play-in game on Thursday night against UCLA. Will the Spartans advance?

Kicking off the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, Michigan State was a victim of a money ploy by the selection committee.

Tom Izzo and the Spartans have embraced the play-in game and haven’t spoken ill of the selection committee, but they know that they should probably be safely in the tournament over a team like Syracuse (OK, no more venting, I promise).

Either way, the Spartans are gearing up for a big matchup with UCLA in a battle of the blue bloods. The Bruins are riding a four-game losing streak and probably shouldn’t be in this game either but they have played in a really poor Pac-12 this season. Michigan State needs to get off to a quick start and assert its dominance.

Time to survive and advance.

3. MSU grabs 15 offensive rebounds

Michigan State ranks just 101st in the country in offensive rebounding with just under 11 per game, but the Spartans are going to make a living on the offensive glass against the Bruins who have struggled a bit this season in that category.

UCLA ranks 211th in the country in rebounding, grabbing just around 35 per game while the Spartans are in the top 85 in a Pac-12 that isn’t exactly known for aggressive play.

Tom Izzo is going to have his guys ready to crash the paint and dominate UCLA on the glass. The Bruins have decent size on the wings but not a ton in the post as they have just one guy who stands at least 6-foot-10. That’s music to Michigan State’s ears as they have been dealing with monsters in the paint all year (Trayce Jackson-Davis, Luka Harza, Kofi Cockburn, Hunter Dickinson, etc.).

All of that practice is going to make perfect against the Bruins on Thursday night as the Spartans haul in 15 offensive rebounds and turn them into 15-20 second-chance points.

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