Following a third loss in four games, Michigan State basketball returns home on Tuesday night to face a familiar face as Xavier Booker and the UCLA Bruins will be in East Lansing.
Michigan State is fresh off a blowout loss at Wisconsin and UCLA just got its doors blown off by Michigan. Both teams are in need of a bounce-back win after forgettable weekend performances so that just means Tuesday night’s game is just going to mean a little more.
UCLA was playing solid basketball until losing at home to Indiana and also losing by 30 to Michigan after trailing by just two at half. Outside of Purdue, the Bruins haven’t truly beaten anyone they weren’t expected to beat this year. Their best non-conference win is Arizona State and their best Big Ten victory outside of that huge Purdue win has probably been Washington.
This is a game Michigan State has to win.
Let’s get bold.
1. Trey Fort redemption arc begins
I just wrote about how I believe that Trey Fort’s best basketball at Michigan State is still ahead of him, and I am going to lean into that by predicting the start of his redemption arc.
Fort has played just 13 minutes over the past two games with just three points, but the Wisconsin loss showed everyone that the Spartans need more offense. Fort may struggle a bit defensively, but he can more than make up for that with some really strong offensive bursts. I think those begin coming in consistently on Tuesday night.
Fort’s going to see 15-plus minutes and he’ll finish with 10 points and two big threes.
2. Jaxon Kohler has first 15/10 game in a month
It’s hard to believe, but the last time that Jaxon Kohler had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a game was Jan. 13 against Indiana. He hasn’t had a 15/10 game in over a month after it felt like he was doing that every other night. Kohler had recorded that line in about 30 percent of the Spartans’ first 17 games.
The senior big man has hit a bit of a wall in recent weeks, but he ends the mini-slump against UCLA.
Kohler is going to draw some matchups with Xavier Booker, and that’s one that he’s used to and I’d bet that he would win that battle. I see Kohler bullying Booker and UCLA on the glass and also finding that shooting touch again. He’ll hit three big threes, and finish with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
3. Michigan State has its best shooting game since Maryland
The last time Michigan State shot over 50 percent from the floor was the Maryland blowout three weeks ago and all was right in the world.
Since then, the Spartans have shot 45 percent or higher just twice. That number becomes three on Tuesday night against UCLA. We’ll see Fort perk up, Kohler bounce back, Jeremy Fears be Jeremy Fears, and the freshmen have a nice game.
Michigan State shoots over 50 percent from the floor against UCLA and that’ll get fans believing in that deep March run again. Spartans win 81-68.