Michigan State basketball is back in action on Saturday afternoon as it returns home from a short two-game trip out west to face Oregon and Washington.
That quick sweep has prepared Michigan State for what’s looming on the schedule at the end of the month: Michigan. The Wolverines will be in East Lansing on Jan. 30, looking to take the upper hand in the Big Ten standings with a head-to-head win. Michigan State will have one of the best home environments in college basketball on its side, however.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s focus on the 8-11 Terrapins who are coming to town as losers of 10 of their last 13 games.
As always, I’ve got your pre-game read with some bold predictions.
1. Coen Carr’s 3-point barrage continues
What we saw from Coen Carr against Oregon was both surprising and encouraging. The junior forward had several wide-open 3-point opportunities, and he didn’t take them for granted, hitting a career-high three 3-pointers against the Ducks.
That barrage continues on Saturday against a Maryland team that will also be daring to let him shoot. He’s going to take a handful of open threes, draining three more.
Six threes over two games might just force teams to start stepping out against him.
2. Trey Fort scores 10-plus
I’ve been sitting here, patiently waiting for that Trey Fort breakout game that leads him into a string of strong outings where his confidence just keeps growing until he’s playing at a starting-caliber level.
OK, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but I feel like it’s coming, and Tuesday’s performance against Oregon was a good indication that it’s almost here. He had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and looked confidence and efficient on the offensive end of the floor.
Fort’s going to build on that with his first double-digit scoring game since Cornell at the end of December — he also had one against Kentucky in November.
The senior transfer will finish with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
3. MSU out-scores Maryland by double figures in both halves
Michigan State has beaten five straight Big Ten opponents by at least 10 points, and not only will that number become six on Saturday afternoon, but the Spartans will out-score the Terrapins by double figures in each half.
The Spartans will go into halftime with a 40-30 lead, and then they’ll win the second half by 10, too, beating Maryland 82-62.
Another stress-free win for Michigan State.