The Michigan State Spartans and Northwestern are playing in the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Friday and the game comes live online and on TV from the BTN Big 10 Network from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and MSU comes in looking to get on a nice run into the semis before the NCAA tournament and the game starts up at 9 pm ET.
The Spartans have been one of the most consistent teams in the nation, but they have suffered some tough losses in the second half of the year and they could salvage all of that with a nice performance in the conference tournament. Tom Izzo has his team prepared and Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Adreian Payne have their hands full as things go on Friday and they will be the main focus for Michigan State and Northwestern in the matchup. The team comes into the game after losing to Ohio State in the regular season finale and everyone finished behind Michigan in the conference standings.
The Spartans had a share of the conference title with Michigan a couple years ago and now they are hoping to get the chance to face the team again now in the tournament and winning the conference title in the tourney could put the team in much better position for March Madness. The team lost by two to the Buckeyes to finish the season and in that game Payne led the way in points and rebounds with 26 and eight, while Appling finished leading with six assists.
Michigan State comes into the game ranked sixth in the nation in assists per game and they are shooting over 47 percent and that has the team ranked in the top 40 and now they have a chance to come out on top in the deep Big Ten and the conference has been one of the strongest all season and there is a chance that the national champion comes out of here after the way some teams have played and they have depth with ranked teams as well, with Iowa and Michigan along with Wisconsin and MSU and Ohio State.
Gary Harris is leading the team in scoring and he will be the primary player on offense for the team and eh is averaging nearly 18 points per game, while Payne is next with 16 points per game and he is shooting over 50 percent while coming in second in rebounds with almost eight per contest. Appling is tops in assists with nearly five per game and the MSU roster is experienced and talented and they could make a run here in the conference and NCAA tournaments.
Michigan finished first in the conference this season with a 15-3 record and they came out on top of Wisconsin by three games and at the end of the season Michigan state was tied in conference record ahead of Nebraska and Ohio State along with Iowa and now all those teams arte in the mix in the tourney. Michigan State had a tough stretch in the second half of the season and they lost five of eight games down the stretch, including to OSU and Michigan and now they have the chance at some revenge, as they lost to the Wolverines twice this season already and could get another shot in the finals of the tournament.
Check here for the Michigan State and Northwestern live coverage from the Big Ten Network.
