Many things and circumstances have changed since these two teams last played in New Jersey back in December. Will Michigan State Basketball get the win over Rutgers this time around?
The last time Michigan State Basketball played Rutgers, Nick Ward scored 20 and Joshua Langford scored 14. Fast forward to now and both players are injuired and will not play this time around. In December, the Spartans won 78-68 with only being up 2 at halftime. Cassius Winston played well against the Scarlet Knights scoring 22 with 6 assists and he will be asked to lead Michigan State against Rutgers, especially with Ward unable to play. Now to the three keys to victory.
Keep the momentum going and to not panic with Ward out.
When news broke that Langford was out for the season after the road loss to Purdue, the Spartans took a short nose dive losing at home to Indiana and on the road to Illinois. Michigan State can ill afford physiologically to panic and lose at home because they Ward is injuired. They must play with confidence and they absolutely have to be mentally strong.
The role and bench players must contribute and not be a liability offensively on the court.
The guard play beyond Winston and Matthew McQuaid are starting to contribute more and more. The biggest question mark with be at the big men positions. Xaxier Tillman should slide right on in to Ward’s starting position down low next to Kenny Goins. After that there are question marks. True freshman Thomas Kithier has shown flashes and the highly regarded fellow true freshman Marcus Bingham Jr. was a highly rated recruit will be asked to do much more as the Spartan frontline is thin without Ward. Michigan State is still hoping for a guard such as True Freshman Foster Loyer to step up and give Winston a break or two throughout the game. Time will tell if the role players will step up but the Spartans can not have a letdown at home against Rutgers.
Kyle Ahrens and Matthew McQuaid need to be able to space out the floor by hitting outside shots.
Rutgers with Ward not playing will more than likely focus on stopping Michigan State’s perimeter play. Winston will be the focus of the Scarlet Knights defensive plans so Ahrens and McQuaid need to make some three pointers and mid-range shots.
You can’t expect Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown to shot alot of outside shots, meaning Ahrens and McQuaid have to in order to get the Spartan offense going.