Michigan State’s one of the best defensive teams in college basketball, with two NBA first-rounders-in-waiting in its frontcourt alone.
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The shot sent the arena into a frenzy, as the No. 4 Spartans won their most anticipated conference game over the No. 3 Boilermakers in thrilling fashion. It hasn’t been the best though. We’re in position to win the Big Ten still. The loss to Ohio State was Purdue’s first since November. And that would set up advantageous seeding for the Big Ten Tournament to follow. The difference though is that the Boilermakers game against the Buckeyes was an instant classic. MSU beat then-No. 5 Notre Dame, 81-63, on December 3.
Michigan State is led by a plethora of talented Sophomore’s mixed in with a talented freshman in Jaren Jackson Jr.
Twice in the game on Saturday against No. 3 Purdue, Miles Bridges had said in the huddle that he wanted the ball. He’s a player of the year candidate in both the Big Ten and the country.
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Ohio State is favored at home in this game, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -14.5 points against Iowa.
For Ohio State, this sound was supposed to be years away. Nick Ward has to step up for the Spartans to win. If you have that five out on the court, that’s the guy you want shooting it.
The Spartans also rank sixth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. Point guard Cassius Winston added 10 points and 10 assists.
As a whole, teams around the Big Ten will have their eyes on this game. No way Purdue wins without shooting well from beyond the arc.
McCaffery said the play of Nunge was unquestionably the highlight for his team. Vincent Edwards was fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Bridges scored 20 points, hitting 9 of his 14 shots, most of which came from midrange or deeper. Iowa scores well, averaging 80.7 per game.
DirecTV Now: There are four different channel packages, and ESPN is included in all of them. The Boilermakers saw a 19-game win streak snapped and lost their stranglehold on the league thanks to a pair of heartbreaking defeats this week. “You wish have some possessions back and you get it corrected and hopefully you’re a better player because of it”. The senior guard has hit 47 three-pointers this season and leads the team with 36 steals.
It was the option Michigan State chose, and it used all that depth.
Andre Wesson chipped in a career-high 13 points to help the Buckeyes beat Purdue. They’ll have to figure out how to stop Isaac Haas and that will most likely be through double teams.
-Iowa’s next game is Wednesday on the road at MI. They left with heartbreaking one-point loss, 64-63.
A regular schedule would allow the Buckeyes four days to recover from a win Thursday over Rutgers and prepare for a game Tuesday at IL, but instead Ohio State faces a wrinkle that coach Kevin McGuff acknowledged is “odd”.
The Buckeyes claimed their 30th national championship last spring, making it the most successful sport at Ohio State in that measure. On the ensuing possession, Jerome hit a jumper from the right elbow with 9 seconds left, forcing overtime. Ryan Cline is their wing man off the bench who has knocked down 32 three-pointers this season. The Buckeyes are averaging 76.9 points per game this season while allowing just 66.1 per contest. The Spartans are one of the many teams still fighting for a top seed overall in the NCAA Tournament. “I think that’s a staple with his teams”.
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Per usual the Spartans’ collective toughness is a defining characteristic, especially so now that post depth has gone from fatal flaw last season to consistent luxury now. The Buckeyes do not play either team in their four remaining games. They have a nice balance of upper and underclassmen.
