Michigan State is coming off of a huge home win against the rival Michigan Wolverines this past weekend, 59-53, to improve to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. The Spartans travel to Madison on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern time to take on the No. 18-ranked Wisconsin Badgers on ESPN.
The Badgers (11-3, 3-1) are coming off a 79-69 loss at the hands of the Illinois Fighting Illini to suffer their first loss in the Big Ten. The Spartans are currently on a six-game winning streak and in a four-way tie for second place in the Big Ten. The Kohl Center is one of the toughest road arenas in the Big Ten, so the Spartans are in for battle.
Michigan State: Depth Chart and State of the Team
1 - A.J. Hoggard (6’4” Jr.), Tre Holloman (6’2” Fr.)
2 - Tyson Walker (6’0” Sr.)
3 - Jaden Akins (6’4” So.), Pierre Brooks II (6’5” So.)
4 - Joey Hauser (6’9” Sr.), Malik Hall (6’8” Sr.), Jason Whitens (6’6” Sr.)
5 - Mady Sissoko (6’9” Jr.), Jaxon Kohler (6’9” Fr.), Carson Cooper (6’11” Fr.)
Injured: None
Rankings & Ratings: RV (AP), RV (Coaches), No. 52 (NET), No. 43 (Kenpom), No. 49 (Barttorvik)
Coming off of the most recent home win against Michigan, the Spartans are looking to keep pace with the leaders of the Big Ten as they head to the Kohl Center for a battle with the Badgers. The Spartans didn’t necessarily put on an offensive clinic against the Wolverines, but at the end of the game, Michigan State found itself with more points than the other team and a win.
Point guard A.J. Hoggard continued his stellar play with 15 points, six assists, four rebounds and only one turnover. Hoggard has been such a consistent player for the Spartans this season. Coach Tom Izzo has seemed to trust his point guard more and more during this current win streak, and Hoggard is rewarding that trust with his play.
With Malik Hall back in the rotation, and Jaden Akins seeming to get healthier and healthier, the Spartans are ready to make a run in the Big Ten and let the chips fall where they may.
This is a unique challenge for the Spartans. After a long stretch of games at home, Michigan State is back on the road to play in Madison. Whenever you ask anyone about what it is like to play at the Kohl Center, they always seem to say the same thing: “It's tough." Whether it be the students, the temperature, or the mystique of the Kohl Center, it is not easy to win there.
The Spartans will go into this game healthy for the most part (Malik Hall tweaked his ankle a bit against Michigan, but should be good to go against Wisconsin), and are looking to grind this game out on the road.
Wisconsin: Depth Chart and State of the Team
1 - Chucky Hepburn (6’2” So.)
2 - Max Klesmit (6'3" Jr.), Connor Essegian (6'4" Fr.)
3 - Jordan Davis (6’4” Jr..)
4 - Carter Gilmore (6’7” Jr.), Markus Ilver (6'8" So.)
5 - Steven Crowl (7'0" Jr.)
Injured: Tyler Wahl (6'9" Sr.)
Rankings & Ratings: 18 (AP), 18 (Coaches), No. 56 (NET), No. 51 (Kenpom), No. 63 (Barttorvik)
All Big Ten fans are familiar with Wisconsin and its style of basketball, this team is no different. The Badgers are methodical, balanced, and somehow they just find a way to win basketball games.
The Badgers will likely be down a huge piece in this game as it has been reported that forward Tyler Wahl will miss this game with an ankle injury.
Wahl, who leads this team in scoring at 13.2 points per game, is a player who is a Swiss army knife for this Badgers. He often gets compared to Michigan State's Malik Hall with his style of play and role for this team. Wahl also is second on the team with 6.4 rebounds per game.
With Wahl out, the Badgers will look to their sophomore point guard Chucky Hepburn to pick up the slack. In Wisconsin last game against Illinois, Hepburn did that in a losing effort, scoring 22 points and dishing out seven assists.
The Badgers will also look to Wahl's front-court mate, Steven Crowl, to step up as well. The junior is one of the most under-appreciated front-court players in the Big Ten. Having a 7-footer who averages 12.5 points and close to seven rebounds per game, all while shooting 50% from the field, is a luxury any basketball team would love to have.
Last but not least, Wisconsin has a secret weapon off the bench in freshman guard Connor Essegian. One word describes Essegian on the court... "KILLLER." He is a three-level scorer who has a great combination of skill and confidence that is rare to see from a freshman. Wisconsin is a team that started the year unranked, but now finds itself firmly in the top-20 of the Associated Press Poll, and is looking to make a run in the Big Ten.
Game Plan and Prediction
Despite Wahl being out, this is a game that Michigan State cannot overlook. Alhough Wahl is a major part of Wisconsin's success, the Badgers' system and style of playe makes it more suitable to endure the loss of a player of Wahl's caliber.
In games like this against teams that play at a slow pace like Wisconsin, you must value every single possession if you're the Spartans. The Badgers want to limit possessions, so taking care of the ball will be monumental in this matchup. Hoggard and the Spartans have been excellent at taking care of the ball lately, which will need to continue in order for Michigan State to get a win.
I think this game will come down to free throws and whichever team wins the turnover battle. Michigan State (the better free throw shooting team) will make enough down the stretch, and the Spartans' back-court will continue to protect the ball en route to a close win on the road in Madison.
Michigan State 66, Wisconsin 60