Michigan State basketball is set to host an upset-hungry Ohio State team on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are in need of a win for different reasons. Michigan State needs one because it wants to move up a seed line or two by NCAA Tournament time and Ohio State needs one to get off the bubble and head back in the direction of making the Big Dance.
Ohio State is fresh off a big win over Wisconsin and Tom Izzo and the Spartans just beat UCLA. This game will decide which side will have the momentum moving forward.
It’s time to get bold ahead of Sunday’s must-win for both teams.
1. Jordan Scott scores a career high
Not many freshmen are as confident as Jordan Scott, especially when it comes to conference play, but he’s been playing at a high level and Izzo said that he’s unfazed by the pressure.
Scott has scored at least 10 points in five straight games; his offensive game has perked up quite a bit. He’s shooting with much more confidence and he’s translated that into an average of 11.8 points per game since he became a starter four games ago. I think his best games are yet to come.
One of those best games will be against Ohio State.
Scott will get hot early and maintain that, scoring a career-high 17 points with three more big 3-pointers. He’s really raising this team’s ceiling.
2. MSU hits 10-plus threes again
Michigan State is coming off its best 3-point shooting game of the season, hitting 14-of-27 shots from deep. It was the most threes they’ve made all season and the last time the Spartans had 10-plus makes from 3-point land was in 2025.
The Spartans will make that two straight games of hitting 10-plus threes on Sunday.
Scott will hit three, Jeremy Fears will add a couple, Kur Teng will have a couple, and Jaxon Kohler will also add at least two. I’m also calling a three or two by Trey Fort.
I see Michigan State hitting 10-plus more threes and converting on nearly 50 percent again.
3. MSU leads wire-to-wire again
Michigan State found itself down five-plus points late in every first half leading up to the UCLA game, but the Spartans dominated from about the 12-minute mark on. They turned a 17-12 lead into a 33-12 advantage and the game was over at that point.
It had felt like an eternity since the last time Michigan State had a stress-free win, but we’re going to see two in a row. The offense will play well for a second straight game and the Spartans will be dominant on the glass again. The Buckeyes won’t be able to slow down Michigan State’s fast break.
The Spartans will jump out to a lead and hold it for about 30-35 minutes. We love stress-free wins.