Michigan State basketball: Predicting the 2023 Big Ten Tournament

Big Ten Tournament title game

• Michigan State Spartans vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, Chicago changes its name to South Evanston or West Lansing depending on the winner.

Rules are rules.

By the last two minutes of the game, there will have been 13 lead changes (Northwestern by as much as 11, MSU by as much as eight).

After going back and forth, Tyson Walker drives to the bucket and gets the and-one to fall. He makes the free throw to go up three with 10 seconds left. This is it. Tom Izzo’s time to shine. He orders AJ Hoggard to foul to send Chase Audige to the line. All of Spartan Nation is in shock, tears of joy flood the streets.

He makes the first. Two-point game. The second free throw clangs off the back iron, rebounded by Clarkston’s own Matthew Nicholson. Dishes it out to Boo Buie for three. Swish. Buie rips our hearts out for the last time.

Northwestern takes the Big Ten Tournament title for the first time in school history. Three people flood the streets of Evanston because everyone else is studying.

But the Spartans secure a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament so everyone is happy.

Prediction: Northwestern 71, Michigan State 70