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Michigan State basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. resurgent Illinois team

By Connor Muldowney

MADISON, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 10: Tyson Walker #2 of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during the second half of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Kohl Center on January 10, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 10: Tyson Walker #2 of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during the second half of the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Kohl Center on January 10, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball will get yet another big test on Friday night. The Spartans will be in Champaign for a big battle against a resurgent Illinois team that looked dead in the water not too long ago.

Skyy Clark just announced he would be stepping away from the program and that felt like it might break the team, but Illinois is on a two-game winning streak.

Illinois seems to be playing its best basketball in quite some time while the Spartans are on a seven-game winning streak and coming off a huge road win at No. 18 Wisconsin.

Will the Spartans extend their winning streak to eight?

Here are some of the boldest predictions for Friday’s game.

3. Joey Hauser stays hot

We saw Joey Hauser get back on track against Wisconsin and while this is another hostile environment, I think we’re going to see him stay hot against Illinois.

The Fighting Illini have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten, but Joey will run through more terrific Mady Sissoko screens to get open for threes and I could see him grabbing close to 10 rebounds again.

I’m going to say Hauser finishes with 17 points and nine rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the floor for a second straight game while hitting three 3-pointers.

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