Michigan State vs. Ohio State tipoff: Preview analysis, prediction, how to watch
• What: Michigan State vs. Ohio State
• When: 1 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing
• TV/Radio: CBS/Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 84
• Lupe Izzo Food Drive: Fans are encouraged to bring commercially packaged, canned, boxed or cellophane wrapped food items to the game. Cash donations will also be accepted. All the proceeds go to the Greater Lansing and MSU Student Food Banks.
• Records/Rankings: MSU is 20-5 overall, 11-3 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 8 on Graham Couch’s AP ballot. Ohio State is 16-8 overall, 6-7 in the Big Ten and unranked.
• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 594-230 in his 24th season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Ohio State — Chris Holtmann is 155-102 in his eighth season as a head coach, including 41-17 in his second season at Ohio State.
• Series: MSU leads 73-59 all-time. The Spartans won the first meeting this season, 86-77, on Jan. 6 in Columbus.
Ohio State
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (34) | Kaleb Wesson (6-9) | 14.5 |
F (25) | Kyle Young (6-8) | 6.8 |
G (24) | Andre Wesson (6-6) | 9.0 |
G (1) | Luther Muhammad (6-3) | 9.8 |
G (3) | C.J. Jackson (6-1) | 13.0 |
MSU
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (44) | Nick Ward (6-8) | 15.4 |
F (25) | Kenny Goins (6-7) | 7.2 |
G (11) | Aaron Henry (6-6) | 5.0 |
G (20) | Matt McQuaid (6-5) | 8.5 |
G (5) | Cassius Winston (6-0) | 18.8 |
• Ohio State update: The Buckeyes find themselves with work left to do to secure an NCAA tournament bid. They’d be safely in if the season ended today and there’s no shame in losing to Illinois these days — as they did at home on Thursday night — but Ohio State’s Big Ten wins are all against teams with sub-.500 Big Ten records. The Buckeyes will have had two fewer days to prep for MSU, plus the travel, though because these teams met in early January, it’s not as if the scouting report is brand new.
• MSU update: The Spartans appear to have regained their mojo with two straight wins, including Tuesday night at Wisconsin. MSU is two games away from the first of its much-anticipated matchups with rival Michigan — including a home date with Rutgers on Wednesday. The Spartans and Wolverines are tied atop the Big Ten, each at 11-3 in league play, with Purdue a half-game back at 10-3. MSU continues to lead the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.483) and field-goal percentage defense (.372), 3-point defense (.298), blocked shots (5.7 per game) and assists (18.4).
• About the matchup: The Nick Ward-Kaleb Wesson matchup should be entertaining again. Ward played well and with poise in the first matchup, with 21 points and eight rebounds in his hometown. His wide-bodied counterpart was even better. Wesson tallied 25 points and showed a completeness to his game that I hadn’t see before, scoring both on the block and from long range. Cassius Winston propelled a 50-point second-half from the Spartans, who trailed by seven at halftime but won rather comfortably. The Buckeyes are a piece or two short of being a Big Ten contender. Point guard C.J. Jackson is a talented player but hit-and-miss as a shooter and sometimes careless with the basketball.
• Prediction: Ohio State has traditionally given MSU fits with this length and playmakers. This Buckeyes team doesn’t quite measure up in those areas the way they have in recent years. This isn’t likely to be a runaway blowout, unless the Buckeyes’ show up with tired legs, but I’d be surprised if we saw a repeat of the Indiana game.
• Make it: MSU 78, Ohio State 68
RELATED: Couch: Michigan State is back on course on in the Big Ten. That's not what's most important.
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Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.