This week we had a chance to talk to the publisher of the Illinois Rivals site, Orange and Blue News about this Thursday's men's basketball matchup between Michigan State the and Fighting Illini. They asked us a series of questions about the current state of MSU program.

The first set of questions focuses on Michigan State and were asked to us by Blue and Orange News. The second segment are comments from Doug Bucshon about the current state of the Illini. The story on the Illinois Rivals site can be found here.

The predictions below are not-so-optimistic from a Michigan State point of view, but as we have learned from our friends down in West Lafayette, Purdue, life on the road in the Big Ten is tough.

The Spartans seemed to be putting it together before the loss to Northwestern. Was that a temporary hiccup, or are there some things they still need to work out?

Paul Fanson: I think that it was a temporary hiccup, but there are still things to work on. This version of the Michigan State Spartans has been frustratingly inconsistent. At times (like in wins over Baylor and over an underrated Indiana State team), the Spartans have looked like the top-five team Michigan State fans expected to see this year. But at other times (such as in the losses to Wisconsin and at Nebraska), the Spartans looked like they could miss the NCAA Tournament entirely.

In the first few games of the season, the Spartans were struggling to shoot the ball, and this frustration spilled over to a lack of focus on defense. The shooting has picked up recently, and with it the defense has been substantially better. As a result, Michigan State was on a five-game winning streak until Sunday’s trip to Evanston.

As for the loss at Northwestern, one could point to several factors. The defensive focus appeared to dip again. At the same time, Northwestern played harder and shot the ball extremely well. To make matters worse, Michigan State struggled with turnovers, which so far this year has not been an issue. The turnover problem felt like an anomaly, but defensive inconsistency is a concern.

MSU looks like a guard-oriented team. What kind of year is Tyson Walker et al having, and are they a matchup problem for Illinois?

PF: Michigan State is most definitely a guard-oriented team and the Spartans will generally go as far as the guards take them. Senior shooting guard Tyson Walker is having an outstanding season so far. He leads MSU in scoring at 20.6 points per game and is now shooting over 40% from deep.

Walker is the type of stone-cold killer on offense who can score at all three levels. Tom Izzo has rarely had a player with Walker’s combination of offensive skills. There have been times this year when Walker simply takes over on offense and when he seems literally unstoppable, at least for a few possessions.

Walker is also a terror on defense and leads Michigan State with almost two steals per game. Coach Izzo has referred to Walker as “Professor Gadget” on defense. (I think Izzo meant “Inspector Gadget.”)

That said, the Spartans function much better on offense when they spread the ball around. While Walker is Michigan State’s best player, senior point guard A.J. Hoggard is the most important player. When Hoggard is locked on both sides of the ball, he can get to the basket, he can distribute, and he can also get stops on the defensive end. The problem is, Hoggard is NOT always locked in, and this is certain to have resulted is several more gray hairs on Coach Izzo’s head.

Also on the perimeter is junior guard Jaden Akins. He is a solid Big Ten guard who has great potential, but who got off to a miserable start to the season shooting the ball. That also seems to have turned around as Akins is now averaging 10.7 points per game and shooting 37% from 3-point distance.

The Spartans are historically great on the glass. Statistically, this year it hasn’t been typical. Is that an advantage for the Illini? Who needs to step up for MSU?

PF: Coach Izzo has built his program around toughness, including rebounding, but this year’s team is far from vintage Michigan State in that area. It’s a problem. If Michigan State does not improve in this area, the Spartans will finish outside of the top-100 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate for the first time under Izzo.

So, yes, rebounding, especially offensive rebounding, could be a significant advantage for Illinois. However, Michigan State faced a similar challenge against Baylor last month and passed that test with flying colors. The Spartans can rebound but, again, they are inconsistent. A case in point was the first half against Northwestern where Michigan State allowed eight rebounds and eight second chance points.

For Michigan State to stay competitive on the glass, the Spartans’ two centers, Mady Sissoko and Carson Cooper need to be solid. But more importantly, the Spartans need strong rebounding performance from athletic guard Jaden Akins and power forward Malik Hall.

Hall has been inconsistent for his entire career and his no-show performance in Evanston also contributed to the upset loss. Hall finished the game with no points, no rebounds and two turnovers in 26 minutes. This performance was especially surprising considering he was coming off back-to-back games where he scored a combined 42 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Hall is an enigma, and he needs to return to form.

What are some keys to the game for Sparty on Thursday night?

PF: As mentioned above, Michigan State needs to keep Illinois off the offensive glass, and they need to be locked in on defense like there were during the five-game win streak in December. The Spartans had ascended into top-10 of Kenpom adjusted efficiency prior to giving up 88 at Northwestern.

It would also be helpful if Michigan State could get into transition to get some easy points before the Fighting Illini get the defense set. Look out for freshman Coen Carr on the break. He is a freak athlete who might just be the best dunker in the country at the college level.

The Spartans will also need to get off to a good start (as this has been another issue), keep shooting the ball well, and they need to avoid another no-show performance by any of the top-four players on the roster (Walker, Hoggard, Akins and Hall).

Prediction? How do you see this game playing out?

PF: Assembly Hall (the State Farm Center) in Champaign has historically been one of the toughest buildings for opponents in the entire Big Ten conference. The Spartans have lost three of the last four games there and I see this trend continuing.

The Spartans have yet to win a game outside of the state of Michigan this year and I don’t see the first road win coming against (at least according to Kenpom) the second-best team in the league. Illinois has a notable size advantage over the Spartans, and I can easily imagine that size frustrating the Spartans on offense.

When Michigan State gets frustrated on offense, the defense and rebounding is likely to suffer. Kenpom picks Illinois to win by seven points, and that feels about right.

That said, I still really like the potential and roster construction of this Tom Izzo squad. If this team can find a level of consistency, they will be a tough out in March. Izzo still has time to mold this team into the proper form for a possible Final Four run, but a few more humbling nights are on the menu before they get there. Thursday night will likely be one of them.

SHANNON SUSPENSION

Doug Bucshon: The elephant in the room for Illinois is the suspension of star wing Terrence Shannon Jr. The Illini are 2-1 in one without Shannon, who was averaging 21.5 points per game, including a drubbing of Northwestern at home and the 83-78 loss at Purdue last Friday. Fans continue to monitor that story as Shannon goes through legal proceeding this week.

DOMASK RISES

DB: In the absence of Shannon, Brad Underwood has turned to senior wing Marcus Domask for points, and the grad transfer from Southern Illinois has responded.

Domask was just named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 29 points per game last week, including a 32-point outburst in the win over Northwestern. He's was efficient and scored from all three levels, shooting 59.4% from the field, 66.7% from 3-point range.

Illinois is big on the wings, and Underwood will run a lot of isolation plays to try to back down the smaller Michigan State guards. Domask is also an excellent passer out of the post if you double down on him, so MSU will need to guard the 3-point line against kick-outs.

DOMINANT ON THE GLASS

DB: This is a unique matchup in the Illinois-Michigan State series. Always a good rebounding team under Tom Izzo, the Spartans are typically more physical and quicker to the ball with its bump-and-go style and aggressiveness.

This season, Illinois has taken on the blue collar personality, while the Spartans are more of a perimeter-oriented team. The advantage they should have on the glass is a big key for Illinois. They must exploit it. They were uncharacteristically out-rebounded by Purdue. Marcus Guerrier is a high-level rebounder to keep an eye on.

One guy who scares me for the Spartans is Mady Sissoko. The Illini may have some issues with his athleticism and length. He has 12 rebounded against Penn State.

MATCHUP PROBLEMS

DB: As mentioned above, I think the backcourt trio of Walker, Hoggard and Akins are a matchup problem for Illinois. The Illini have the size advantage with Domask and sophomore Ty Rodgers, so MSU has to match that, but Illinois doesn't have the same type of quickness in the backcourt.

Illinois emphasized slowing down Purdue sharp-shooters Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer last Friday. They also got All-American big man Zach Edey in foul trouble. And yet the Boilers got a career-high 23 points from forward Trey Kaufman-Renn.

MSU may need an similar game from Akins or someone else in the supporting cast if Illinois keys on Walker and Hoggard as expected.

PREDICTION

DB: Despite a different style of play from MSU this season, this game is always a slugfest. I expect Tom Izzo to emphasize physicality against a very physical Illini squad. I can't see Izzo accepting another performance like we saw against Northwestern when the Spartans gave up layups and a whopping 34 points in the paint.

It's ultimately going to come down to shot-making, particularly at the end of possessions. Both teams shoot the ball well, but Illinois has a better field goal percentage defense, and they are a slightly better 3-point shooting team.

I will also essentially agree with Kenpom and take Illinois by single digits in what promises to be a great game in front of a sold-out State Farm Center crowd.

ILLINOIS 78, MICHIGAN STATE 73

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