The Indiana Hoosiers and the Michigan State Spartans are two of the best teams in the nation and they will face off in East Lansing on Tuesday night in a matchup of top five teams.
The two are tops in the Big Ten and have 11-2 records, while the Hoosiers are 23-3 and are number one in the nation. The Spartans are 22-4 and are coming into the game after a 73-64 win against Nebraska. The Spartans have done excellent against the Hoosiers in East Lansing, defeating Indiana 17 straight times at home.
The Spartans have been one of the best defensive teams in the nation this year and are ranked 112th in points per game with 70 points. The team is 53rd in rebounding with nearly 40 per game and ranked 112th in assists. The team has been one of the top shooting squads in the nation, ranking 33rd with 47 percent from the field.
This game marks the third time top-four teams have faced off this season and the second for Indiana. It is the fourth with teams from the Big Ten since 1997, according to the AP.
"It's another very big game and right now at Indiana, and I'm sure it's this way at Michigan State, every game is a big game," coach Tom Crean said to the Associated Press. "Not just because it's a great league, but because of where you sit in the league and where you sit nationally.
The last time Michigan State lost was in January in a 75-70 defeat to Indiana and has won five in a row. The Hoosiers come into the game after an 83-55 blowout against Purdue and will be looking for their fourth straight win since losing 74-72 against Illinois.
Magic Johnson will be announcing the game with Mike Tirico in a special presentation, as he is a former player for the Spartans.
"What I'm going to preach to my guys is, these are opportunities that 99 percent of America never get to be a part of," coach Tom Izzo said to the Associated Press.
The Hoosiers have been one of the most impressive scoring teams in the nation, averaging nearly 83 points per game, ranked second in the nation. The team is at 20th in rebounding with nearly 40 per game and are ranked 34th in assists with 15 per game. The team has been excellent shooting the ball, ranking fourth with over 50 percent from the field.
