Tom Izzo and Michigan State are entering the Big Ten Tournament looking for some revenge.
Michigan State will have the opportunity to exact some revenge on a couple of top-10 teams that beat the Spartans in the regular season, but that means they’ll have to win their first game, at least, to earn those rematches.
Michigan State doesn’t play until Friday and the opponent won’t be known until Thursday evening after the Rutgers vs. UCLA game, but let’s get bold ahead of the Big Ten tourney.
1. Jeremy Fears averages over 10 assists
How many games will Jeremy Fears Jr. play in the Big Ten Tournament? You’re going to have to stick around for that prediction but I will say that it’ll be at least two, and the sophomore point guard is going to inch even closer to that Big Ten single-season record for assists. He’ll crack 300 for the season by averaging over 10 per game in the Big Ten Tournament.
I’m going to predict that he has a 14-assist game in the tournament.
History is approaching for Fears.
2. Six Spartans average double figures
Considering Michigan State’s rotation is down to 7-8 guys, having six guys average over 10 points per game would be incredible balance. The Spartans have some guys who can get hot (Jordan Scott and Kur Teng) who averaged under 10 points per game during the regular season, but I could see both breaking that mark in the Big Ten Tournament.
I believe the obvious ones are Jeremy Fears and Jaxon Kohler, but Carson Cooper, Coen Carr, and Jordan Scott will also average in double figures.
The entire starting five averages 10-plus, and I think Teng gets hot again and averages in double figures off the bench.
Will this be enough to capture the crown?
3. Michigan State gets revenge on 2 teams
The Big Ten Tournament is a perfect time for some teams to exact revenge for regular-season losses. With the expansion of the Big Ten, most teams will see each other just one time. That means that Michigan State has lost to a couple of teams once that it might not see again. Nebraska is one of those teams.
Michigan State is going to get that rematch with Nebraska in the semifinals and the Spartans are going to find a way to win this time after losing that regular-season battle in Lincoln.
The Spartans will then get Michigan in the Big Ten title game. Beating a team three times in one season isn’t each, and the Wolverines will find that out in the conference championship game. The Spartans are going to pull a 2013-14 Michigan State and beat the Wolverines in the Big Ten title game after getting swept in the regular season.
Michigan State will win the Big Ten Tournament with an instant classic against Michigan.