Big Ten Basketball: 2021-22 preview of Purdue at Michigan State matchup

Saturday, the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers will travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans in what is sure to be an intense Big Ten matchup.

Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans enter Saturday’s matchup looking to avoid falling to the bubble. After starting 14-2 and reaching as high as No. 10 in the polls, Michigan State has gone 4-7 since their devastating home loss to Northwestern. Now sitting in seventh place in the Big Ten with an 18-9 (9-7 Big Ten) record, the Spartans need a win now more than ever.

There will be a handful of players that Michigan State will need to rely on to win. The Spartans‘ leading scorer and one of their few seniors, Gabe Brown, will need to play his best to overcome a strong Purdue team.

Michigan State has a lot of young players on their roster. Notably, most of these young players also see significant playing time. Sophomore AJ Hoggard, one of Michigan State’s key players and the Spartans leader in assists per game, is one example of the young talent that Tom Izzo’s Spartans will be forced to rely on.

Michigan State will also likely be putting the ball in the hands of Max Christie, a freshman who averages over 31 minutes per game with the Spartans this season. If Michigan State wants a chance against Purdue, the Spartans will likely need grade A performances from their young corps to upset the Boilermakers.

For the first time since climbing their way up the polls, Michigan State is no longer ranked and trending towards the bubble. If the Spartans do not act fast, they will find themselves with their backs against the wall heading into the Big Ten tournament, a position that no team wants to be in as we approach March.

Michigan State’s strong point is their passing and rebounding. The Spartans average nearly 16 assists per game, which ranks 40th in the nation, as well as almost 38 rebounds per game, good for 89th in the nation. On average, Michigan State scores around 73 points per game while only allowing 66 points on the defensive end.

Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers head into Saturday’s game in the opposite position as Michigan State does. With a mere three games remaining on their schedule, Purdue is within striking distance of a Big Ten title. The Boilermakers are currently tied with Wisconsin atop the conference standings with a 13-4 conference record.

The first test of Purdue’s final three games will be in East Lansing against the Spartans. Once a top-10 team, Michigan State has lost five of their last six games and is trending towards the bubble. On the other hand, If Purdue wants to claim their fourth conference championship since 2010, they will likely need to knock off the Spartans.

Purdue is led by a deadly combination of players, stretching from one of the Big Ten’s best big men to one of the nation’s most elite all-around athletes.

Under the basket and in the paint, Purdue will rely on a combination of incredible big men.

Sophomore Zach Edey, the Boilermakers’ 7’2″ center, leads the team in many statistical categories including field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks per game. Yet the game does not get much more manageable when Edey checks out, as a new problem takes his place.

Trevion Williams, the Boilermakers’ leader in steals per game, stands at 6’10” and weighs in at 255lbs. One of the Big Ten’s most dominant forces under the basket, Williams can throw it down, rebound, and block shots as well as almost any other big man in the conference. This mismatch under the basket will be something that Purdue should undoubtedly look to exploit.

Even if Michigan State somehow finds a way to slow down the Boilermakers’ big men, one unsolvable problem will still remain: Jaden Ivey. Ivey is one of college basketball’s most talented players and has been an issue for all of Purdue’s opponents so far this season. Almost guaranteed to be a top-five pick in this year’s NBA draft, Ivey needs to be one of the Spartan’s main focuses heading into Saturday’s game. While Michigan State may not stop Ivey, they need to at least slow him down and force other Boilermakers to beat them.

Ivey averages 17.3 points per game, nearly five rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent on the season. Notably, Ivey is known for being an athletic play-maker, one that can put even the best defensive players on a poster with his high-flying and exciting style of play.

With tournament hopes at stake for Michigan State and a potential Big Ten title on the line for Purdue, expect Saturday’s game to be a thrilling Big Ten contest in East Lansing, MI.