The Michigan State Spartans are set to play their first game of the new year as they welcome the Penn State Nittany Lions into the Breslin Center for a Big Ten matchup.

This game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday and will be streamed on Peacock.

The Spartans come into this game on a four-game win streak, most recently beating a feisty Indiana State team by a final score of 87-75. The Nittany Lions are coming off a 90-63 win versus Rider.

Michigan State is looking to get its first win in Big Ten play for the 2023-2024 season.

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 - Carson Cooper (6’11” So.), Mady Sissoko (6’9” Sr.)

Injured: Jaxon Kohler (6’9” So.), Jeremy Fears Jr. (6'2" Fr.)

Rankings & Ratings: No. N/A, RV (AP), No. N/A, RV (Coaches), No. 28 (NET), No. 20 (Kenpom), No. 11 (Barttorvik)

Michigan State has been playing some really good basketball as of late, and, as mentioned, is coming off a win against a very good Indiana State team. The Sycamores came to East Lansing with just one loss through 12 games before falling to the Spartans.

MSU must now must carry this momentum into this game with Penn State on Thursday in order to get back on track in Big Ten play, where the Spartans currently sit at 0-2.

In their last game, the Spartans once again got major contributions from their back-court trio of Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins. But there was a front-court player who joined in on the scoring party as well, and that player was forward Malik Hall. Hall poured in 18 points and added eight rebounds in one of his best games of the season.

As a team, Michigan State shot over 47% from the field and made 23 out of 27 free throws. The Spartans also dominated the glass, led by center Mady Sissoko’s 12 rebounds (including four on the offensive end), as MSU out-rebounded the Sycamores 41-27.

It was the defense that down the stretch really won the game for the Spartans against the Sycamores as they were able to limit Indiana State to one field goal over the final eight minutes of gameplay. That stifling defense combined with the timely shot making from the guards and Hall were enough to secure victory for the Spartans.

After a slow start, it seems that Michigan State is now hitting its stride. If MSU can play that level of defense and get production from multiple players, the Spartans can be a dangerous team moving forward.

Penn State: Depth Chart and State of the Team

1 - Ace Baldwin Jr. (6'1" Sr.), D'Marco Dunn (6'5" Jr.)

2 - Kanye Clary (5'11" So.), Nick Kern Jr. (6'6" Jr.)

3 - Puff Johnson (6'8" Sr.), Leo O'Boyle (6'7" Sr.)

4 - Zach Hicks (6'8" Jr.)

5 - Qudus Wahab (6'11" Sr.)

Injured:

Rankings & Ratings: No. N/A, RV (AP), No. N/A, RV (Coaches), No. 116 (NET), No. 111 (Kenpom), No. 101 (Barttorvik)

The Penn State Nittany Lions are a team that has been inconsistent so far this season, but they do have a Big Ten win versus Ohio State, which currently puts them ahead of Michigan State in the conference standings.

The Nittany Lions offense is one that uses a fast tempo to score 77.5 points per game. They shoot 43.9% from the floor, 32.0% from deep, and 73.0% at the free-throw line.

Penn State also have one of the best sophomore guards in the conference that no one really talks about in Kanye Clary. Cleary has had some massive scoring games this season and currently leads this Penn State team in scoring with 18.9 points per game. Cleary’s back-court mate, Ace Baldwin, is the table-setter for this PSU squad. He leads the team in assists with 4.5 assists per game, but he is also very active defensively, as he averages 2.7 steals per game.

Down low, the Nittany Lions are led by a player who is very familiar with the Spartans in Qudus Wahab, who formerly played for Maryland. Wahab leads the Nittany Lions with 8.8 rebounds per game and also averages just over one block per game.

The Nittany Lions are a team that likes to play fast, but that doesn’t always lead to pretty basketball. Nonetheless, they have a certain style that they play and live with the outcome.

Given their records in the Big Ten, the Spartans should be the more desperate team as they look to finally get in the win column in the conference.

The Michigan State defense should give Penn State trouble, and look for the Spartans to use PSU's high-tempo offense to their advantage by causing turnovers and getting out on the fast break for easy transition baskets.

Defense and rebounding will be key in this one, especially with the way Penn State struggles on the glass.

Prediction: Michigan State 77, Penn State 65

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