Michigan State Basketball: 3 keys to victory against unbeaten Butler

1. Turnovers battle wins the game

Both of these teams have their turnover woes. This has been a Spartan fan’s nightmare the last few seasons and it has continued into this year with the team averaging 14.5 per game.

Butler, in its first three games, has had a little worse of a time controlling the ball and has turned the ball over 15 times per game. Whoever can win this battle will get the victory in this game.

Most of Michigan State’s turnovers come from running the floor and making an errant pass. If they are not in transitioning turning the ball over because of the speed of the game then it’s a late pass by trying to get the ball down low. So many times, the Spartans look to get the ball to the big men but at the last second they are hesitant with the pass. This lets the defense get a better position on the ball and they can tip the ball away.

If Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard, and Gabe Brown can just feel the game and not hesitate with those passes, the turnover ratio will start to improve.

Joey Hauser is the culprit of a decent amount of turnovers. Most of his turnovers are not from passing the ball but when he is simply handling the ball. There are times when he brings the ball down the court and a guard steps out and picks his pocket. Hauser is not quite quick enough for him to be bringing down the ball. Walker and Hoggard need to see that and come back to him to get the ball out of Hauser’s hands so he can run off the ball which is where he thrives.

This will be a big game for both of these programs. The Spartans are in somewhat of a rebuilding type of year and still figuring out the dynamic of this team. A win here will show that they will still compete and have a fruitful year.

The Bulldogs are on the rise. They have not been threatened the last few years and haven’t made the tournament since 2018. This is a young team though filled with tons of talent. A win against an MSU squad will prove they are here to compete.

If the Spartans can contain these Bulldog guards and get an early presence down low this will be a great game for the Spartans. It will be an even better game if they can control the ball and keep those turnovers to a minimum.