Michigan State Basketball: 3 keys to victory against No. 4 Purdue

Michigan State basketball is trying not to lose its fourth game in a row when it takes on Purdue. It will have a lot to handle but can beat this team.

Michigan State basketball has a lot to prove when it takes on the No. 4 team in the country, the Purdue Boilermakers. Michigan State has had a rough month of February and they have another tough matchup here.

The Spartans have gone through an offensive slump and need to score to be able to keep up with this high-powered offense that Purdue has. With Jaden Ivey leading the Boilermakers the Spartans will have to shut him down while also trying to shut down the two big men in Zach Edey and Trevion Williams.

Michigan State has the capability to shut these players down with Max Christie and Marcus Bingham and they also have the weapons on offense to keep up with the Boilermakers if they make their shots.

What has to happen in this one to stop the skid and get back on track?

3. Get the shooters going early

This is a no-brainer. The Michigan State Spartans are so good when they can hit their shots. When they are producing on offense the defense gets better which in turn lets them get back out in transition making their offense better.

This is a big cycle that needs to work in the Spartans’ favor in order to pull off the upset.

The Spartans should also be able to hit their shots because this Purdue team is not good on the defensive end. The Boilermakers trail off shooters and give up space too much. They think their offense can outlast their defensive struggles so if the Spartans can hit their shots they have a very good shot at winning the game.

Michigan State has Max Christie who has been in a slump but if he can see a couple of shots go down, maybe he can score at least 15-20 points in this contest. He has the ability to pull up and shoot the deep three, he can stop on a dime and hit a mid-range jumper, and he can get to the hoop and get the layup. He just has to get in a rhythm.

Malik Hall has been inconsistent but when the game plan is to get him shots and he takes those shots he can also add another 15-17 points for the Spartans.

Michigan State has to get him the ball and let him find his shots whether it is a turnaround baseline jumper or getting to the rack. The offense needs to go through these two players.