Purdue Basketball: 3 keys for the Boilermakers against Michigan State

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – DECEMBER 29: Carsen Edwards #3 of Purdue basketball brings the ball up court as Kevin McClain #11 of the Belmont Bruins defends at Mackey Arena on December 29, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Purdue basketball struggled a bit in non-conference play but have seemingly turned things around. How can they keep playing well against Michigan State?

Matchup: Purdue Basketball (9-5, 2-1 Big Ten) at Michigan State (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten)

Date and Time: Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET

TV schedule: ESPN2

Location: Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI

Purdue comes into this game at Michigan State as winners of three straight, including a 16-point win against previously ranked Iowa. After starting the season just 6-5 including losses to Notre Dame and Texas before this winning streak, it looked like the Boilermakers might be in trouble. But they have played well the last three games and are looking to get back on track.

The only problem for the Boilermakers is that they are running into a red-hot Spartans team who has won eight games in a row and is one of two (Michigan) unbeaten teams left in Big Ten play. After losing in overtime to Louisville, Michigan State has played as good as any team in the country. They have quietly snuck back up to near the top-5 in the AP poll. Because of their two early losses, not many people have been talking about the Spartans and that is just fine with them.

Purdue has the talent to play with Michigan State but playing in East Lansing will be a tough task. The Boilermakers are big underdogs and if they could pull off the upset it would be a big win for them. While it will be tough for the Boilermakers to win on Tuesday night, it is not impossible. We take a look at three things Purdue will have to do in order to pull off the upset.

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