Tag: michigan state vs maryland

Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland: 5 Most Important Players

Michigan State Spartans basketball welcomes the Maryland Terpins to the Breslin Center. Here are the 5 most important players in this game.

The Breslin Center hosts a Big Ten matchup featuring Michigan State and Maryland. The Maryland Terpins have won their last seven Big Ten games against good competition. The Spartans have a tough assignment in this nationally televised game.

Here are the five most important players in this game:

1. Cassius Winston

Cassius Winston scored 12 points against Illinois, shooting 3/6 from the floor. This was not a poor performance from Cassius but rather, MSU needs more from the senior Guard. Especially given the current scoring slump amongst Spartan perimeter players. 25 points or more from Winston can lift Michigan State to victory.

2. Xavier Tillman

Xavier Tillman ended the game against Illinois with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Another quite double-double from the beloved MSU big man. Another double-double will be incredibly helpful against Maryland. Especially given Maryland Forward Jalen Smith’s tremendous rebounding ability. Tillman must battle hard in the trenches for each and every rebound in this Big Ten matchup against the Terpins.

3. Rocket Watts

Rocket Watts was on fire against Illinois, scoring a career-high 21 points. Most importantly, these points were incredibly meaningful. Watts scored bucket after bucket in crunch time during key moments. He is a crucial part of MSU’s success in this final stretch of games before the NCAA tournament. Let’s see if he can go for another 20-point game against an impressive Maryland defense.

4. Aaron Henry

Maryland has an absolutely elite perimeter player named Anthony Cowan Jr. Aaron Henry is arguably the best perimeter defender on MSU’s roster. As a result, he will likely matchup against Cowan more often than not. Henry must defend at the highest level possible. Cowan scoring more than 25 points is a recipe for disaster.

5. Malik Hall

Malik Hall is still a very young player and it shows on the court. He hustles hard and plays with energy but is still putting his game together. I think Malik Hall can certainly contribute significantly off the bench. Even if this contribution is just 10 points and five rebounds. Hopefully, Hall can ignite the Spartans with some high effort plays on the court!

Michigan State and Maryland play at 6 P.M. on ESPN tomorrow. Stay locked on SpartansWire for more plenty more coverage to come.

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3 Things To Watch: Michigan State Basketball vs. Maryland

Michigan State Basketball faces off against Maryland tomorrow in a nationally televised game. Here are 3 things to watch in this game.

Michigan State Basketball welcomes Maryland to the Breslin Center tomorrow at 6 P.M. for a nationally televised game. The Spartans are fresh off of a close victory over Illinois on the road, 70-69. Maryland, on the other hand, just beat Nebraska 72-70.

Here are three things to watch in this game:

1. Maryland On A Hot Streak

Maryland just won their seventh straight Big Ten game against Nebraska at home. This win streak includes victories over Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Iowa, Rutgers, and Illinois. Simply put, Maryland is a top player in the Big Ten conference. MSU now faces off against a team riding high in the Terpins. Watch for the Spartans to play incredibly aggressive in an attempt to end this winning streak.

2. Anthony Cowan Jr.

Boy oh boy, Anthony Cowan Jr. can score in bunches. He averages 16.3 points per game but can easily rise above this average. As a matter of fact, Cowan has scored 99 points in just the past five games. This includes an impressive 31-point performance against Iowa on Jan. 30. Watch MSU’s defensive strategy against this elite Big Ten Guard.

3. Michigan State Turnovers

Michigan State beat Illinois despite turning the ball over 16 times. The Spartans are fourth in turnovers per game with 12.68 TOPG. This is a consistent recipe for disaster even against lesser Big Ten teams let alone a powerhouse like Maryland. MSU must trim down the turnovers during this final stretch of the season. Watch for more discipline from this group.

The Spartans play the Terpins at 6 P.M. tomorrow live on ESPN. Tune-in and stay with SpartansWire for more coverage of this game and all MSU basketball news.

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Michigan State Basketball faces No. 9 Maryland: Preview/Scouting Report

Michigan State Spartans Basketball takes on the Maryland Terpins at the Breslin Center. Here is a scouting report of the Maryland Terpins.

Michigan State Basketball is back in action this Saturday on Feb. 15 against the Maryland Terpins. The Spartans are currently 17-8 overall and 9-5 in Big Ten Conference games. Maryland, on the other hand, is currently 20-4 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten Conference games.

Here is a scouting report of Maryland:

Placement In The Big Ten

Maryland is a dominant Big Ten team with conference losses only to Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Terpins score 71.7 points per game which ranks seventh in the Big Ten. Also, Maryland rebounds the ball extremely well with 39.2 rebounds per game which is fourth in the Big Ten. Most importantly, the Terpins boast two players who are top ten in Big Ten points per game.

Anthony Cowan Jr. & Jalen Smith

Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith are an absolutely lethal combination. Cowan ranks fifth in Big Ten points per game and Smith ranks ninth with 16.3 and 15.1 points per game respectively. So Maryland features a stellar offensive duo in Cowan and Smith.

Cowan leads his team in assists and steals with 4.6 assists per game and one steal per game. Jalen Smith also ranks third in Big Ten rebounds per game with 10.2 rebounds per game. Smith also leads Maryland in blocks per game with 2.3 blocks per game. Both players will be a huge part of MSU’s defensive strategy in this Big Ten matchup.

Potential Flaws

Maryland only shoots 42% from the field which ties the Terpins for the worst shooting percentage in the Big Ten with Nebraska. Also, Maryland does not average a high number of assists per game. Instead, the Terpins only average 13.1 assist per game which is second to last in the Big Ten. These are two flaws Michigan State can potentially exploit in this home game.

The Spartans and Terpins face off against one another on ESPN. The game starts at 6 P.M.

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