Michigan State Basketball – Page 283

Brad Davison suspended for Michigan State game on Saturday

Brad Davison is suspended for the MSU game

When it rains, it pours, and unfortunately, we’re not talking about the Wisconsin Badgers making it rain from 3-point land.

No, this is rain in a negative way. Bad news keeps pouring down on the Wisconsin basketball program.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kobe King announced he had left the program following his DNP on Monday against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Late in that loss — a game Wisconsin had led by double digits midway through the second half — Brad Davison was called for a flagrant foul.

Wednesday, the Big Ten suspended Davison for one game.

The Big Ten just announced that Brad Davison will be suspended for one game and issued a public reprimand for violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy.

Davison will miss Wisconsin's game vs Michigan State on Saturday.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) January 30, 2020

Here is a statement from Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren:

“We expect all of our student-athletes to compete and play hard; however, they must always do so in a civil manner that is consistent with the rules of the game and in the spirit of good sportsmanship. We will not tolerate behavior that compromises the health and safety of our student-athletes or crosses the line of aggressive, competitive play, especially when a pattern of similar behavior has been previously established.

“Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01 states in part that ‘The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials.’”

Now Wisconsin will be without both King and Davison against Michigan State. This guarantees that at least two players (maybe three) will have to play at least 10-15 more minutes than normal. King and Davison combined to play an average of 59 minutes per game (Davison 30, King 29). That is beyond the ability of one player to compensate for.

Lineup combinations which have not spent a lot of time on the floor together will have to be thrown into the fire this Saturday, against the one Big Ten team which has Final Four potential. This seems like a scenario made for disaster, but that point aside, Saturday’s game represents a huge challenge. A lot of Badger players who have not developed their games this season will have a chance to step up and prove themselves against Tom Izzo’s crew.

How to Watch Michigan State vs. Minnesota, NCAA Basketball Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Michigan State vs. Minnesota Live Online.

It has been a roller coaster ride so far this season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Arguably playing its toughest stretch of the season, Minnesota will definitely be tested when No. 11 Michigan State comes to town on Sunday. The Gophers are coming off a 62-59 comeback win against Ohio State, while Michigan State lost 67-63 to Indiana in its last game. Against the Gophers at home on Jan. 9, the Spartans won 74-58.

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Michigan State vs. Minnesota

When: Sunday, January 26

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Minnesota (11-8, 5-4) was down by nine points going into halftime vs. Buckeyes on Thursday but outscored OSU 34-22 in the second half to grab the win. It marked the team’s first win in Columbus since 2005. Marcus Carr led the team with 21 points and had seven rebounds. He was helped by the play of Daniel Oturu, who played closer to the basket that opened driving lanes for Carr. In the first game of the season vs. MSU, the Gophers were led by Oturo, who had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Alihan Demir and Carr also scored in double digits. Since that game, the Gophers have a 3-1 record in conference play.

The Spartans (14-5, 6-2) fell behind by 15 points in the opening 11 minutes at Indiana and could never come back, even though they had the chance to win late in Thursday’s loss. What kept the team close was the play of Cassius Winston, who had 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Michigan State rallied by making its first six 3-point attempts in the second half and took a 51-48 lead with 11:05 to go. It remained a one-possession game the rest of the way. In the first game against Minnesota, Winston led all scorers with 27 points and had six assists. The team also got great production from Xavier Tillman, who scored 19 points. MSU needs to play better in the opening minutes to win. If not, the team could fall to 1-3 over the last four games.

Now the Big Ten race begins, as Michigan State goes on the road

Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan State is not that problematic

Three takeaways from Wisconsin’s 67-55 loss to Michigan State

Wisconsin got dropped by Michigan State on Friday, falling 67-55. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.

Wisconsin got blown out of the gym against Michigan State on Friday night in East Lansing, falling to the Spartans in a 67-55 decision that is not indicative of just how soundly Bucky got beaten. Here are our top three takeaways from the game for the Badgers.

Wisconsin’s good fortune on the road runs out

Jan 17, 2020; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Brad Davison (34) has the ball stripped by Michigan State Spartans forward Xavier Tillman (23) and Michigan State Spartans forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) during the second half of a game at the Breslin Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Road wins have been few and far between so far in Big Ten play, and Wisconsin was able to pick up two big ones against Ohio State and Penn State. In those contests, the Badgers were able to overcome the type of poor offensive outings we have grown to expect from them away from the Kohl Center this season by playing lights-out defense.

That didn’t happen tonight against the Spartans in the Breslin Center, a venue in which Wisconsin has struggled mightily in recent years.

Offensively, this was right up there with Bucky’s worst performances of the season to this point. Michigan State’s impressive length and athleticism caused the Badgers fits all night long, and the visitors ultimately shot just 21.1 percent from beyond the arc and 35.6 from the floor overall. Even those meager totals are a bit deceiving, as Wisconsin was able to get it going a bit in garbage time.

On the other end of the court, the Badgers’ defense was ok, but by no means was it enough to overcome such a poor shooting night against the team that is the class of the Big Ten right now on its home floor. The Spartans, who shot 46.6 percent overall and 37.5 percent from long-range, were hitting some pretty tough shots, but they certainly were able to manufacture plenty of easy ones as well.

In explaining Michigan State’s all-around dominance over Wisconsin in this one, Jim Jackson astutely observed near the end of the broadcast that it felt like the Spartans had an extra man on the court on both ends. I couldn’t agree more, as it was abundantly clear throughout the game that there are major disparities between these two squads in terms of athleticism, length/size, and just overall talent.

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How to Watch Wisconsin vs. Michigan State, NCAA Basketball Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Wisconsin vs. Michigan State Live Online.

Can Michigan State have a short memory after one of the toughest losses in program history or will Wisconsin continue its winning ways when the two sides meet for a Big Ten clash on Friday?

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Wisconsin vs. Michigan State

When: Friday, January 17
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

No. 15 Michigan State needs to forget its road game last Sunday against Purdue. The team got killed 71-42 by the Boilermakers, marking MSU’s first conference loss of the season. Michigan State (13-4, 5-1) suffered its worst loss ever as a top-10 team. The Spartans had never lost as a top-10 team by more than 22 points. Purdue relied on its tough defense to keep MSU in check, especially Cassius Winston, who finished with 10 points, but also had nine turnovers. It marked the Spartans first loss since Dec. 3.

As for Wisconsin (11-6, 4-2), the team is coming off a nail-biting 56-54 win over No. 17 Maryland. In the closing seconds, Brad Davison drilled a three-pointer from the corner that proved to be the game-winner. It marked the Badgers’ third consecutive win over a ranked opponent, the other two coming against Penn State and Illinois. The last time Wisconsin won three consecutive games against ranked opponents was during the 2015-16 season. Wisconsin held an opponent under 60 points for the seventh time this season. Junior Nate Reuvers scored in double digits for the 13th time in 17 games, finishing with a team-high 17 points and five rebounds.

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Three Michigan State players Badger fans need to know

Wisconsin heads to East Lansing to take on No. 15 Michigan State on Friday. Badger fans should be sure to know these three opposing players.

Wisconsin (11-6) is riding a wave of momentum after taking down two AP Top 20 teams in consecutive games, most recently defeating No. 17 Maryland in a thriller on Tuesday evening thanks to some late-game heroics from Brad Davison. However, they will be hard-pressed to keep the good times rolling with arguably their most difficult matchup of the season next on the schedule: a date with No. 15 Michigan State (13-4) in East Lansing on Friday evening.

It’s true that the Spartans are coming off of their worst performance of the season last Sunday, when they got destroyed by Purdue, 71-42, in West Lafayette. However, they had won eight games in a row prior to that loss. This team is loaded with talent, a fact that was recognized when the Spartans opened the year ranked as the No. 1 team in the land.

Though they weren’t able to hold on to that title for long, Tom Izzo still has a squad fully capable of a Final Four run.

With that said, here are the three players on the other side who Badger fans should keep a close eye on throughout Friday’s contest.

Cassius Winston – Guard

Current stats: 18.8 ppg, 6.6 apg, 2.2 rpg, 1.3 spg, 43.2 FG%, 36.6 3P%

Winston is one of the all-time great players in the history of Michigan State’s storied program, and he’s putting together a senior season to remember.

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year is a candidate for that honor once again in 2020, but he’s also sitting at or near the top of the discussion for the Naismith and Wooden Awards as well based on his play to this point. Winston has been nothing short of spectacular for the Spartans, even as he and his family suffered an unimaginable tragedy at the beginning of the season with the loss of his brother, Zachary.

The senior point guard is fourth in the Big Ten in both points and assists per game, and he has reached double figures in all but two of Michigan State’s contests. Winston has given opponents headaches on the other end as well and sits No. 7 in the conference in steals per game.

The Badgers have not beaten the Spartans in any of the six matchups between these programs since Winston arrived in East Lansing and he’s certainly been a big reason why, averaging 18 points per game against Bucky throughout his career.

Xavier Tillman – Forward

Current stats: 13.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.2 bpg, 55.6 FG%

Nov 18, 2019; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Xavier Tillman (23) reacts during the first half of a game against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Breslin Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Anyone who has followed Big Ten play closely this season knows that it’s the Year of the Big Man in the conference, and Tillman is among the very best it has to offer.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year in the Big Ten is a bench player no longer, and if not for Winston, he would unquestionably be Michigan State’s best player. Tillman is one of three players in the conference (Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu and Iowa’s Luka Garza being the others) averaging a double-double with his 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and he also contributes 2.2 blocks.

If Tillman gets the ball down low against a Wisconsin squad that has struggled defending physical post players so far this season, he’s probably going to convert: his 60.5 percent shooting clip inside the arc is the No. 8 mark in the Big Ten.

Aaron Henry – Forward

Current stats: 9.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 44.8 FG%, 34.0 3P%

Winston and Tillman are the stars on this team, but how far the Spartans advance in March could very well depend on what they get from Henry. The 6-6 sophomore’s numbers aren’t going to blow you away, but there’s a reason he’s thought of as a potential NBA draft pick this year.

There’s a great deal to like about Henry’s game, but his most valuable trait for Izzo is his versatility: most nights, he’s going to make a significant impact just about everywhere.

Offensively, he’s an excellent slasher and capable long-range shooter, possessing the ability to go out and get Michigan State around 15 on any given night. Henry is also adept at finding open looks for his teammates, ranking second on the team in assists per game.

That being said, defense will probably always be his calling card: he’s one of the Big Ten’s more talented players on that end of the floor with his toughness and exceptional size and length that allows him to guard nearly position on the floor.

Against the Badgers, there’s a strong chance Henry’s main assignment will be to take Kobe King out of the game.

Wisconsin needs to beat Michigan State… before Super Sunday

Wisconsin-Michigan State in context

Do the Wisconsin Badgers need to beat the Michigan State Spartans? They do… but it doesn’t have to be this Friday night in East Lansing. Yes, Wisconsin can’t view itself as a top-tier team in the Big Ten if it doesn’t walk away with one win against Michigan State this season. Yes, Wisconsin can’t let the same MSU team which just lost by 29 at Purdue to walk over the Badgers this season.

However, Friday night is not a win-at-all-costs game, especially after Wisconsin defeated Maryland. (THAT was the especially important game of the week for UW.) The bigger picture involving Wisconsin and Michigan State is that after Friday’s game, the Badgers and Spartans will do it all over again two weeks later, on Saturday, February 1 in Madison at the Kohl Center. Two games, 15 days apart, all before Super Bowl Sunday.

Wisconsin would love it if it could sweep the Spartans, but the main (reasonable) goal is to split these two upcoming games with Michigan State. It is highly unlikely that any Big Ten team will sweep a two-game set from Tom Izzo’s team. Wisconsin, by splitting, would gain on most of the Big Ten — instead of falling behind — if it can split two against Michigan State.

This brings us into a conversation about college basketball which emerges every year. The terminology might not be familiar or constant, however, so let me use my own terms and expressions to convey these larger ideas:

When a team such as Wisconsin — likely to make the NCAA Tournament, but hardly a lock — goes about its business, there are different kinds of games it must deal with.

There is the “don’t lose” game. What do I mean by that? Simple: Don’t take a huge hit to your resume. This season, that means don’t lose to Nebraska or Northwestern. Those are the two biggest resume-killing losses a team can have. Avoid them. There isn’t any benefit to be found from a win. Beating Nebraska doesn’t improve a resume. Losing, though, drags the resume down, so this is defined in terms of “avoiding a loss” rather than “winning.”

There is the “battleground” game, a game against a team in a similar situation. Winning means more leverage, losing means less leverage, but the cost of losing isn’t catastrophic (unless we’re in the first or second week of March and there are no more opportunities to improve a resume). The cost of losing isn’t enormous because the opponent is good and won’t drag down the resume.

There is the “resume improvement” game, in which a team lacking a complete resume needs to significantly boost the quality of its profile. This is generally reserved for situations when a bubble team or a team near the bubble gets a top opponent at home and has a chance to relieve any and all remaining bubble pressure by securing a win. The team’s bubble situation might not be terrible, but it is a “remove all doubt” situation in which winning removes bubble pressure once and for all.

Finally, a college basketball team might encounter an “opportunity” game. This is for teams which have solidified NCAA Tournament positioning and won’t get penalized at all for losing, but can move up multiple seed lines with a win. There is no cost to losing, but a chance to improve one’s tournament odds with a win.

Friday’s game in East Lansing fits somewhere between a “resume improvement” game and an “opportunity” game for Wisconsin. One could make the argument from either side. I personally lean toward the latter. I think that when UW plays Michigan State on the road, it’s purely an opportunity to grow. A loss would not represent a backward step in any way.

Here is the nuance, however: If Wisconsin does lose to Michigan State and then picks up another loss in the coming two weeks, that February 1 reunion game with Michigan State in the Kohl Center would very clearly become less of an opportunity game and much more of a resume improvement game.

We come back to the basic reality that Wisconsin doesn’t need to sweep two games from Michigan State, but it needs to get one. The Badgers don’t have to win on Friday, but they do have to beat MSU before Super Sunday, February 2. That’s life in the Big Ten in 2020.

Michigan State will be angry, so Wisconsin must be ready

Michigan State vs. Wisconsin

It is tough enough to beat the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, but when the Wisconsin Badgers go to the Breslin Center on Friday night, they will also have to deal with the fact that Michigan State will be ticked off.

Michigan State’s most recent game was this past Sunday in West Lafayette against Purdue. The Boilermakers pummeled the Spartans by 29 points, flexing their muscles on defense. Michigan State scored only 42 points, making only 2 of 16 3-pointers and earning only six free throws the whole game. Michigan State generated only seven assists in 40 minutes, compared to 18 turnovers. It was a disaster for the Spartans, who were playing their first Big Ten road game in a month. Their previous road game was at Northwestern, one of the two genuinely bad teams in an otherwise deep and robust Big Ten. In other words, it was their first moderate test of any kind in Big Ten play away from East Lansing… and they completely flunked it.

Yes, Michigan State will be angry when Wisconsin plays the Spartans on Friday. This means Wisconsin won’t just need to be better; it will need to be a few notches better. The Badgers won’t get an MSU team which is overconfident or lacking vigilance; just the opposite. UW will play an opponent which has been soaked by a bucket of cold water and ice, given a major wakeup call about its level of preparedness for the rest of the Big Ten season.

This isn’t just a Michigan State home game, which is a tough-enough assignment for any Big Ten road team; this is a Michigan State home game in which the Spartans legitimately have something to prove to themselves and the rest of the conference.

The bad news: Wisconsin figures to get Michigan State’s best shot on Friday night. The good news: If Wisconsin is able to take that best shot and leave the Breslin Center with yet another league road win, we will know this team — in addition to being safely in the NCAA Tournament — can do some real damage in a college basketball season which is completely up in the air at the moment.

Tag: Michigan State Basketball