Michigan State basketball takes on Oakland for the heart of Detroit. Can the Grizzlies pull off the huge upset?
TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2:00 p.m. ET. ESPNU
Arena: Little Ceasers Arena in Detroit, Michigan
The No. 2 Michigan State Spartans 9-1 (2-0) have been virtually unstoppable since losing to Duke in the Champions Classic. The Spartans have won eight in a row and already have a pair of conferences wins at the hands of Nebraska and Rutgers.
One of the biggest reasons has been the defense, anchored by arguably the best and deepest frontcourt in the country. The team currently ranks No. 1 in both two-point field goal percentage and overall shooting.
Besides the defense, the offense has more than carried their weight, with six players getting into double figures. After dealing with ankle issues earlier on, Miles Bridges is back into form, averaging 15.6 ppg. The biggest surprise offensively has been Cassius Winston, who puts up just under 13 ppg while shooting over 61% from three-point range.
Their in-state opponents will be testing the top-ranked defense with the highest scoring trio in the country coming to Detroit. The Oakland Golden Grizzlies (6-4) are led by three seniors in Martez Walker (21.2 ppg), Jalen Hayes (19.3 ppg and 9.3 rpg), and former Illinois guard Kendrick Nunn (22.7 ppg).
With the departure of the previous king of the Horizon Conference Valparaiso, the league is the Grizzlies to lose. The Player of the Year race is almost assuredly coming down to any of the three. For this game, in particular, Hayes will be the most important player for the team due to him dealing with Jaren Jackson, Nick Ward, and other bigs off the bench. If he gets into any foul trouble, this could get ugly.
This is part of a doubleheader called “The District Detroit Basketball Showcase” that also includes Detroit Mercy and Michigan in the other game. It’s similar to the Crossroads Classic that brings in all the top Indiana-based schools. This is the first of hopefully many years of an event that should get local basketball fans excited.
Next: Big Ten Power rankings (week 5)
The game will be a natural battle of a great defense versus a dangerous offense. The problem for Oakland is that they’ll need all three players to go off to have a chance to win this one — even then, there doesn’t seem to be an answer for the Spartans offense.
Prediction: Michigan State 91 – Oakland 78