Michigan State basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. No. 17 Indiana

In its first game back home since the tragedy last week, Michigan State basketball is going to face a tough test with No. 17 Indiana coming to town.

The Hoosiers have been red-hot lately, beating teams like Purdue, Rutgers, Michigan, and Illinois in its last five games. Their only loss in that stretch was at Northwestern who seems to be taking down everyone these days. The Hoosiers are in third place in the Big Ten at 10-6.

Michigan State is 8-7 and in desperate need of a win here if it wants to push for a top-four finish in the Big Ten standings and a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

Let’s get bold.

3. Malik Hall has second straight great game

Malik Hall had one of his best games of the season at Michigan on Saturday night. He finished with 14 points and three rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the floor. He looked like the confident player we’ve gotten used to over the past two years.

This was also his best performance since returning from his second injury of the season and I think he’s going to build on it against Indiana.

Hall missed the first Indiana matchup and that ended up hurting the Spartans but he’ll score in double figures again and have two big 3-pointers to go along with some nifty drives to the hoop against Race Thompson to inject life into the Michigan State offense.

And his defense and rebounding will be positives, too.