The moment you’ve all been waiting since that first loss that sparked the football team’s six-game losing streak is finally here: the Colgate vs Michigan State basketball game tips off the regular season on Monday night in East Lansing.
The Spartans will host the Colgate Raiders who finished last season 14-19, but who are normally considered one of the more solid mid-majors. In fact, before last season, Colgate had three straight seasons with at least 23 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth. The Raiders have made five of the past six NCAA Tournaments under head coach Matt Langel.
Colgate is no pushover.
Still, this is a game that should be a simple win for the Spartans and a way to conjure some momentum before that first ranked matchup of the season against Arkansas.
Let’s get bold ahead of the season opener.
1. MSU makes 10-plus threes
Last season, it felt like Michigan State couldn’t hit threes no matter the situation. The Spartans had plenty of shooters on the roster, but no one seemed to be able to consistently make the deep ball other than Jase Richardson. We saw glimpses of that same issue in preseason action, but I think it was just rust being shaken off.
Michigan State steps up and hits 10-plus threes on Monday against Colgate, starting the season on the right note with some sharpshooting from deep.
2. Coen Carr double-double
Hearing plenty of criticism for his lack of rebounding against UConn, Coen Carr is going to take that personally and have himself a game against the Raiders.
Carr will kick the game off with an alley-oop from Jeremy Fears Jr., and then he’ll coast to a 17-point outing with 10 rebounds. He’s going to live on the glass and make it his mission to crash the boards and then get out in transition. Carr’s motor is going to turn everyone’s heads and Colgate just won’t have the answers for him.
3. Colgate makes it uncomfortable
While Colgate may not have answers for Carr, the Raiders will find ways to get points and keep things closer than any Michigan State fan really wants.
The Raiders enter the game as 22.5-point underdogs, and I just don’t see the Spartans covering. That’s a hefty line for the first game of the season, especially with the Spartans showing signs of rust against UConn and Bowling Green. Colgate keeps it within 10 at the half, and then Michigan State builds on that lead, but it never balloons past 20.
Michigan State wins by 19 and Colgate covers.