Michigan State and Northwestern certainly put on a battle the first time these two teams met. Both known for strong defensive units, they limited shooting as much as possible. The Spartans are looking to keep their No. 9 ranking intact as Northwestern hits the road for a Big Ten rivalry matchup.
Michigan State has struggled recently, dropping three or their last five games. They are trying to avoid back-to-back losses after stumbling against Wisconsin. Tom Izzo's team suffered their second Big Ten loss against the Badgers after a buzzer-beating shot got Wisconsin the 60-58 win. Michigan State's defense was non-existent as the Badgers connected on 9 of 23 3-point shots.
Michigan State is encouraged going forward as the team gets back center Adreian Payne who missed seven games with a foot injury. His presence is welcomed considering Keith Appling is expected to be out a few weeks with a wrist injury. He was the team's second leading scorer putting up 15.0 points per game. The Spartans will also rely heavily on Travis Trice has averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 assists in consecutive starts.
Northwestern is coming off three-straight Big Ten wins before dropping a game to Nebraska. The Wildcats have struggled in conference play, averaging a Big Ten-low 53.8 points per game. In the home loss to Nebraska, Jershon Cobb led all scorers with 14 points but the team shot 37.0 percent overall.
Defense will be the headline of the matchup. Michigan State is holding opponents to just 39.4 percent shooting. Northwestern ranks first in opponent scoring with 62.4 while holding teams to a 40.1 shooting percentage from the field. Michigan State will have the home court advantage as Northwestern seeks a big road win.
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