Michigan State basketball: 5 questions for the Spartans against Michigan
Michigan State needs a big performance this Saturday against rival Michigan after a couple of bad games earlier in the week. Here are five important questions that will determine the outcome of the game.
1. How many shots will Miles Bridges take?
This is an important question not only for this game but for the rest of the season as well. Last game, the star forward didn’t score til around eight minutes left in the game, allowing a team like Rutgers to stay close with them, eventually forcing overtime at home.
In the post-game interviews, head coach Tom Izzo challenged his top player to be more “selfish” when it comes to finding his own shot. Sometimes it’s easy to let other players take the reins during the game, and you never want to take shots just for the sake of doing it. But Michigan State will not be a Final Four team unless their star gets involved more, rather than just be a decoy.
Related Story: Latest Big Ten Power rankings
2. Will Nick Ward be aggressive this game?
90% of the time, the sophomore center has the size advantage on any given night. That means that he should touch the ball as much as possible, even if he doesn’t shoot it.
On average, Ward takes about 7.8 field goal attempts a night, which, for me personally, it would be preferable if he can get to double-digits. In the loss against Ohio State, he took just one shot in 26 minutes, which is never okay. Sometimes Ward can disappear in games, which hurts the team’s prospects at winning.
3. Which point guard for Michigan will the Spartans be dealing with?
The Wolverines are a solid team all-around, but still don’t have a primary ball-handler. At the beginning of the season, the hope was that the University of Ohio grad transfer Jaaron Simmons would be able to fill in that void left by Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. But head coach Jon Beilein has felt otherwise, limiting him to 10 mpg off the bench.
Two freshmen have battled for the starting nod, with Eli Brooks getting the most starts, but lately, it’s been Zavier Simpson playing well. He led the team with 15 points in the close loss to Purdue.
4. Which Spartan guards Moritz Wagner?
The Wolverines center is the team’s second-leading scorer and has elevated his stock since last season’s late run. What makes him a tough match-up is his versatility, as he’s just as comfortable on the three-point line as he is in the post.
For Coach Izzo, he’ll have to choose between the more experienced Ward and the young, yet talented freshman Jaren Jackson. who can defend out on the perimeter better. Off the bench, Kenny Goins is a good option to have as well.
5. Can Michigan State regain its momentum?
The Spartans have looked dominant in the past month, but this week is a cause for concern. The Big Ten as a whole is down, and that has an effect on Michigan State‘s seeding, as they won’t have the tier-A wins needed to be a one seed.
Next: Should there be a cause for concern with Michigan State?
That means that they’ll have to beat as many solid teams in the league as possible, and that includes Michigan.