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3 reasons Michigan State basketball will bounce back to beat Michigan

By Connor Muldowney

From left, Michigan State's Julius Marble II, Gabe Brown, Tyson Walker, Max Christie and Malik Hall look on during a break in the action against Northwestern in the second half on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.220115 Msu Northwestern 131a
From left, Michigan State's Julius Marble II, Gabe Brown, Tyson Walker, Max Christie and Malik Hall look on during a break in the action against Northwestern in the second half on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.220115 Msu Northwestern 131a /
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Jan 25, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Trent Frazier (1) and Michigan State Spartans forward Malik Hall (25), right, wrestle Illinois Fighting Illini forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (13) for the ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2022; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Trent Frazier (1) and Michigan State Spartans forward Malik Hall (25), right, wrestle Illinois Fighting Illini forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (13) for the ball during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Michigan State will be the tougher team

If there’s one thing that will give Michigan State the advantage in this game, it’s toughness. Tom Izzo preaches toughness and, if nothing else, the Spartans will win the physical battle.

Michigan has struggled to hang with tougher teams this season and Michigan State usually fares well when it out-toughs opponents. If Michigan State wins the battle on the boards, plays a little bully ball, fights for 50-50 balls, and plays stingy defense, the Spartans will win.

When Michigan State is out-toughed, it’s usually playing some of its worst basketball.

Take the last couple of weeks, for example. The Spartans were out-toughed by Minnesota and Northwestern and nearly lost both of those home games but were lucky to go 1-1. They were tougher than Wisconsin on the road and won by 12 in a hostile environment. And then the Illinois game was a mixed bag. They struggled for a half, were down 14, and then out-toughed the Illini in the second half and out-scored Illinois by 13.

Michigan State will have a full game of toughness much like the Wisconsin game on Saturday afternoon. This is going to lead to a quality win.

dark. Next. Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2022

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