Michigan State basketball: 3 bold predictions for big Michigan matchup

Saturday is the day. Michigan State basketball will host Michigan for yet another installment in one of the best rivalries in the country.

The Spartans are hosting a Michigan team that struggled to start the season and recently lost to Central Michigan but is suddenly 3-0 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines have been lightly tested in conference play, beating Minnesota, Maryland, and Penn State, but the Spartans haven’t exactly had a gauntlet in the league thus far and have lost to Northwestern.

The winner of this game will have the upper hand in the Big Ten standings but also have bragging rights in the in-state rivalry.

Let’s get bold ahead of Saturday’s big game.

3. Mady Sissoko holds Hunter Dickinson under season averages

Mady Sissoko has been playing good basketball lately and it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s putting up big numbers. He usually gets somewhere in the ballpark of 5-6 points and 8-9 rebounds per game, but his defensive presence is what makes him such a valuable asset to the Spartans.

In his last game against Nebraska, he held Derrick Walker in check when he was on the floor guarding him and the Cornhusker big man got most of his production against Jaxon Kohler.

Sissoko is a plus defender and he’s getting better. He also seems to play up to his competition as he did well against Drew Timme and Oscar Tshiebwe earlier in the season before going quiet in the stretch that followed against weaker competition.

Against one of the best bigs in the Big Ten, he’s going to rise to the occasion again. Hunter Dickinson averages 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Mady will keep him under those averages on Saturday which will help the Spartans’ chances.