After capturing its first conference title since 2020, No. 7 Michigan State basketball will face a tough test in their Big Ten Tournament opener in Indianapolis. In pursuit of a potential jump to the 1-line in March Madness, the top-seeded Spartans will face No. 8 seed Oregon.
Oregon defeated Indiana 72-59 to launch Day 2 of the Big Ten Tournament, with sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad (18) and graduate transfer TJ Bamba (17) combining for 35 points.
In a word, the Big Ten Tournament is unpredictable, so as good as Michigan State has looked in recent weeks, a victory is far from a guarantee.
The most interesting aspect of this matchup is that both squads enter this one sizzling-hot. Michigan State has won seven in a row and Oregon has won eight straight, with the Ducks yet to lose since their most recent clash with the Spartans on Feb. 8 in East Lansing.
Not to mention the obvious appeal of two spectacular March coaches in Dana Altman and Tom Izzo, this could very well serve as a trap game for Michigan State.
In their last matchup, Michigan State topped Michigan 79-62 which saw Senior Day hero Tre Holloman lead the team with 20 points, though freshman marvel Jase Richardson racked up 18.
Last time these teams faced off, MSU downed the No. 23 Ducks 86-74 at the Breslin Center. Michigan State’s usually-stout defense faltered early, surrendering 50 first-half points in large part due to Shelstad who amassed 22 points and is averaging 15.7 per game across his last nine.
However, Richardson, in his first career start, dazzled in his own right. The Spartans outscored the Ducks 50-24 in the final frame, and Richardson posted 18 of his career-high 29 points in the second half.
While the offensive back-and-forth of Richardson and Shelstad will make for must-see TV, two of the Big Ten’s best perimeter defenders will also go toe-to-toe. Senior Jaden Akins and Oregon grad transfer TJ Bamba were both named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team.
Despite Jaxon Kohler and the Spartans holding Ducks senior big man Nate Bittle to just eight points in East Lansing, the 7-footer enjoyed a breakout performance in Seattle. Bittle recorded a career-high 36 points (and 12 rebounds) in Oregon’s regular season finale -- an overtime victory over Washington.
Both Richardson (coaches and media) and Akins (coaches) were named to the All-Big Ten third team, while Richardson was also named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman team.
Both of these teams are locks to reach March Madness, but the opportunity to improve seeding is surely intriguing. The Spartans are in pursuit of their first No. 1 seed since 2012, while Oregon (a projected 5-seed per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi) has its eyes set on its first Final Four since 2017.
The stakes are higher than ever in Indianapolis, as the hunger to hang another banner will culminate in an instant classic to kick off Day 3.