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Indiana basketball vs Michigan State: Game info, preview and prediction

By Alec Lasley

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with his team during the second half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with his team during the second half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The Indiana basketball program heads to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, looking to end a seven game losing streak.

The Indiana Hoosiers haven’t won since Jan 3, against Illinois, losing seven games in a row to drop to nine losses on the season.

Michigan State on the other hand, had won 13 in a row before losing at Purdue over the weekend, dropping their first Big Ten game of the season.

With both teams having different expectations for where the season will go from here, this will be an interesting game considering College GameDay will be there as well.

For the Spartans, they just got the news that they will be without junior guard Joshua Langford for the rest of the season with a foot injury. Though he hadn’t played in about a month, he was a crucial member to the team on both ends of the floor, averaging 15.0 points and about 1.0 steals per game.

Having said that, everything starts and ends with the Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, Cassius Winston.

The 6-foot guard is averaging 18.5 points, 7.3 assists (7th in the NCAA) and shooting 46 percent from three. Not only is he a tremendous scorer, but he is the classic Tom Izzo point guard floor general, getting it done on both ends, as he leads the Big Ten in assists, offensive rating and three point shooting, amongst others.

On the inside, Nick Ward has come into his own this season, averaging 15.6 points and 6.9 rebounds a game.

Shooting 62 percent from the field, the 6-foot-11 forward ranks second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage and the Spartans utilize that to their advantage by making sure Ward always gets a touch, with a usage rate of 34 percent.

Kenny Goins, Matt McQuaid, and Xavier Tillman all are crucial members of the team, scoring above seven points per game, while Goins and Tillman are first and second on the team in rebounding.

Keys to the game

There is no doubt that the Hoosiers need a lot to go there way in order to even keep this game close, but if they want to do that, they need to get off to a quick start, as slow starts have been a real issue for Indiana this season.

Beyond that, the Spartans shoot 50 percent as a team from the field, good enough for 10th in the NCAA, and they combine that with 42.9 rebounds per game, ranked 4th in the country, neither of which boding well for the Hoosiers.

Next. Sleeper Guard in the 2019 Class. dark

In order to keep pace with the Spartans, Indiana needs to limit the turnovers and maximize each possession. With both teams below 70 possessions a game, according to KenPom, the Hoosiers may need to make this even more of a half court game, limiting the amount of possession the Spartans get.

What you need to know

What? Indiana 12-9 (3-7) at Michigan State18-3 (9-1)
When? Saturday, February 2 – 6:00 pm EST
Where? Breslin Center – East Lansing, Michigan
TV? ESPN
Radio? Indiana Radio Network
All-Time series? Indiana leads series, 65-54
Prediction? Michigan State 79, Indiana 63

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