Tom Izzo said that Michigan State would be taking the time on the way home from West Lafayette to celebrate the win over Purdue at Mackey, and that Indiana is not on the mind just yet.
Spartan fans are hoping that celebration doesn’t lead into a hangover against the Hoosiers in Bloomington because Assembly Hall hasn’t exactly been nice to MSU over the past decade (2-5).
A win for Michigan State essentially locks up a top four seed in the Big Ten Tournament which equates to a coveted triple-bye, and it also likely means a top three seed in the Big Dance.
There’s a lot on the line on Sunday, so let’s get bold.
1. Jaxon Kohler heroics
The last time that Jaxon Kohler had one of his good games was when Indiana came to the Breslin Center on Jan. 13. That was the last time he scored 15-plus points in a game and he’s only shot 50 percent or higher from the floor just two times since. He’s been in a bit of a slump and it might just take a rematch with the Hoosiers to break him out of it.
That’s what I’m calling.
Kohler is going to snap out of that 1.5-month “slump” and score over 15 points with 10 rebounds. He’ll record his first double-double since Feb. 7 and his first road double-double since Jan. 2.
Kohler finishes with 17 points and 11 rebounds, making some clutch shots down the stretch.
2. Jordan Scott holds Lamar Wilkerson under 15
Jordan Scott has been tabbed with guarding a lot of teams’ best scorers over the past few weeks, even for stretches during games. He may not be matched up with these guys 100 percent of the time, but he’s going to find his way to that matchup at some point or another.
So with shooting guard Lamar Wilkerson averaging 21 points per game, he’s going to be matched up with Indiana’s star player and one of the Big Ten’s top scorers — and he’s going to cook.
Much like he did against Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Scott is going to suffocate Wilkerson and hold him under 15 points. That’s going to really limit this Indiana offense and force them into some uncomfortable situations. Hopefully it’ll be enough to secure the win.
3. Michigan State trails at half, wins by 10+
Michigan State has a bad habit of getting off to slow starts, and while I don’t think Sunday’s will necessarily be a “slow” start, I do see Indiana getting hot from deep to start and putting the Spartans on the ropes right before halftime.
The Spartans will weather the storm like they did at Purdue when the Boilermakers went on that 9-0 run early, and punch back to pull within four at the half.
The second half will be all Michigan State much like it was down the road at Mackey. It’ll quickly take the lead back and then extend on it thanks to some aggressive play by Jeremy Fears and some huge dunks by Coen Carr. We’ll also get a little Carson Cooper solo run and a Jordan Scott three to really put Indiana back on the ropes.
Michigan State will end up winning by double figures against a pesky Indiana team that will make a run, but ultimately run out of gas.