There’s a massive Big Ten game on Friday night that’s going to have major bearing on Michigan State’s Big Ten and NCAA Tournament seeding — as well as something else being on the line.
Friday features the Michigan vs Illinois game that everyone has been talking about all week, and it follows up an instant classic between Michigan State and Purdue.
Michigan will be in Champaign to face what’s sure to be a hostile crowd… and also the Illini. The Wolverines are fresh off their second loss of the season, falling against Duke on a neutral floor. They’ll be hungry to get back on track, but they face a gauntlet to end the season in Big Ten play, starting with this game against Illinois at the State Farm Center.
Michigan State already took care of Illinois a few weeks ago, but the Illini are in a three-way tie for second place in the Big Ten standings.
Michigan, on the other hand, is in first place in the Big Ten by three games and the Wolverines have already clinched a share of the Big Ten title. There’s a small chance that Michigan State could share that crown at the end of the year.
It all depends on what happens on Friday night.
Michigan State fans should be watching this one closely
Tom Izzo and Co. will surely be tuning in to this top-10 showdown in Champaign on Friday because it’s going to affect Michigan State one way or another — and not in a bad way.
On one hand, a Michigan win would take Illinois out of second place and the Spartans would be tied with just Nebraska there. That would help Michigan State’s eventual Big Ten Tournament seeding, assuming the Spartans can find a way to win at Indiana and against Michigan to end the year.
On the other hand, an Illinois win would knock Michigan down to 16-2 with two games left, and one of those is against the Spartans. Michigan still has to go to Iowa, and Carver-Hawkeye is not an easy place to play, especially against a tournament team. If the Wolverines lose that one, too, they’ll face Michigan State with a share of the Big Ten title on the line for the Spartans.
Yes, there’s still a legitimate chance that Michigan State can win the Big Ten.
It’s improbable, but Illinois can help that goal on Friday night.