The Spartans are back at the Breslin Center as they are set to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 6:30pm ET on Fox Sports One. The Spartans were able to get a 73-55 win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Sunday. Minnesota has dropped their last two games to Iowa and Indiana, but this Minnesota team has outperformed their preseason ranking thus far and have been playing some good basketball.
Michigan State: Depth Chart and State of the Team
1 - A.J. Hoggard (6’4” Sr.), Tre Holloman (6’2” So.)
2 - Tyson Walker (6’0” Graduate Sr.)
3 - Jaden Akins (6’4” Jr.), Coen Carr (6’5” Fr.), Gehrig Normand (6'5" Fr.)
4 - Malik Hall (6’8” Graduate Sr.), Xavier Booker (6'11" Fr.)
5 - Mady Sissoko (6’9” Sr.), Carson Cooper (6’11” So.), Jaxon Kohler (6’9” So.)
Injured: Jeremy Fears Jr. (6'2" Fr.)
Rankings & Ratings: No. N/A, RV (AP), No. N/A, RV (Coaches), No. 21 (NET), No. 18 (Kenpom), No. 11 (Barttorvik)
The Spartans were able to hold serve in their last game, defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Graduate forward Malik Hall added 15 points and had six rebounds and two assists to lead the Spartans, while graduate guard Tyson Walker added 13 points and four assists. Junior guard Jaden Akins finished with nine points and four rebounds and senior guard A.J. Hoggard had 7 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.
The Spartans played a very balanced game and used a massive second half run to pull away in a game that was capped off by graduate guard Steven Izzo, son of head coach Tom Izzo, scoring his first collegiate basket on a late 'and-one' drive. The Spartans did a great job shooting and sharing all while taking care of the ball. The vibes were extremely high after the game given the big win and play of the team collectively; it will be important that the Spartans carry that energy into this game.
Minnesota: Depth Chart and State of the Team
1 - Elijah Hawkins (5'11" Jr.)
2 - Mike Mitchell (6'2" Jr.)
3 - Cam Christie (6'6" Fr.), Braeden Carrington (6'4" So.)
4 - Joshua Ola-Joseph (6'7" Jr.), Parker Fox (6'8" Sr.)
5 - Dawson Garcia (6'11" Jr.), Pharrell Payne (6'9" So.)
Injured: n/a
Rankings & Ratings: No. N/A, RV (AP), No. N/A, RV (Coaches), No. 95 (NET), No. 93 (Kenpom), No. 94 (Barttorvik)
Minnesota was dominant throughout non-conference action and looked good early in conference play. They beat Michigan and Maryland earlier this month but have cooled down since.
Dawson Garcia is capable of big numbers. The junior forward has been hit or miss recently, scoring 13 or fewer points in three of his last five games. The junior forward has recorded an average of 17.4 PPG and 7.4 RPG. Joshua Ola-Joseph is in a groove, sinking at least 50% of his field goals in five consecutive bouts. The sophomore forward scored 15 points on Monday and has recorded an average of 11 PPG. Cam Christie has shot below 43% in four of his last five bouts. The freshman guard is posting an average of 10.5 PPG on 42% shooting.
When healthy, Pharrell Payne is one of the best post players in the conference but he has been hindered by nagging injuries throughout the season. More important than record and numbers is that head coach Ben Johnson has his team bought in and engaged which gives them a fighting chance on most nights.
Game Breakdown and Prediction
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are due to regress. They had won three straight Big Ten games but lost by 12 points to Indiana on Saturday and nine points to Iowa on Monday. Michigan State is the stronger team offensively and defensively and they are also playing at home. That is a recipe for a Spartan win.
Prediction: Michigan State 79, Minnesota 62
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