Game Day Essentials: Game #27 vs Michigan St

[hhcmatt]

Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-14) vs Michigan St Spartans (16-11)

Date: Thursday Feb. 23

Time: 6:00 pm CST 
Arena: Breslin Center

TV Broadcast:  ESPNU

Michigan St. Info

Head Coach: Tom Izzo
Location: East Lansing, MI
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Spartans

Mascot: Sparty

Shirt not to wear: Green, Plate of Armor
Last time out: Lost to Purdue
Typical Rotation Depth: 10+
Line: Michigan St by 5.5
Tempo: "B1G slow"
Style: Very high assist, 3pt shot loving
4 Factors Good: Shooting, Defending (especially from 2)
4 Factors Bad: Losing in the Turnover Game

Four Factors
Effective FG%:	55.0 29	46.5 32	50.5
Turnover %:	21.5 322	16.7 295	18.7
Off. Reb. %:	28.3 210	27.8 107	29.4
FTA/FGA:	33.6 233	34.9 164	35.4

Most Frequently Used Lineup over the last 5 games

 

1

5 Glynn Watson 6-0  175  So

0 Tai Webster 6-4  195  Sr

11 Evan Taylor 6-5  206  Jr

12 Michael Jacobson 6-9  230  So

32 Jordy Tshimanga 6-11  275  Fr

8.3

 

3

5 Cassius Winston 6-0  185  Fr

20 Matt McQuaid 6-4  200  So

3 Alvin Ellis 6-4  210  Sr

22 Miles Bridges 6-7  230  Fr

44 Nick Ward 6-8  250  Fr

6.5

 

This is one lineup you might see to start the game with Senior SG Eron Harris out for the season.

 

 

 

Miles Presser

Miles opens with an 'everything is great' statement about his future at Nebraska

 

McVeigh Presser

 

Last time out

It was Tyronn Lue night though it was the Spartans who stole the show. The Huskers spent a lot of time doubling down on Nick Ward and Michigan St absolutely torched Nebraska on 11 of 17 3pt shooting (64.7%), many of them coming with less than 5 seconds on the shot clock. Down 20 points with 4 minutes to go, the 11 point margin of victory doesn't show how in control Michigan St was most of the game.  Nebraska played without Ed Morrow and Glynn Watson playing through a groin injury. Since that game the Spartans have lost SG Eron Harris.

 

 

The Skinny

Both teams will be hungry for a win tonight as Sparty is fighting for a NCAA tourney bid and Nebraska is fighting for a NIT/seeding in the conference tourney for NCAA bid position. Michigan St shooting lights out last time vs the Huskers wasn't exactly fluky as the Spartans have been shooting well all season.  Look for the Huskers to play Sparty more straight up this time with Jordy finding himself and Morrow able to play. The Huskers can help themselves by drawing contact on Ward though driving the paint is tough against a shot blocking team like Michigan St. Miles called the last meeting between the teams "their worst defensive game of the year" so look for some GATA on closeouts tonight.

 

Offensively you can exploit this smallish yet poor ball handling team for offensive put backs and steals. Thus, the Huskers have a chance to grab a road win here without needing to out shoot Michigan St. In the past when Nebraska has won here they've had 1 or 2 players go off. Who will catch lightning in a bottle tonight? Down big last time to Michigan St, the Huskers chose not to foul one of the more poor FT shooting teams in Div 1. Is that a strategy you might see tonight if needed?

 

How locked in is Michigan St? Are they peaking ahead at all to Wisconsin?  I think you could attribute some of these road wins to Michigan St to how we match up with what they run but part of it has been Sparty's habit of not taking Nebraska seriously. Will they tonight?

 

Prediction: Michigan St 72 - Nebraska 69

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[Silverbacked1]

If we do lose tonight, does this put more pressure on or will be that is okay didn't think we was going to win anyway?

[49r]

@Silverbacked1 Currently this is the third-most-likely game for us to win according to KenPom.  He's got the games looking like this:

 

Illinois - 59% win for Nebraska

Michigan - 42% win for Nebraska

Michigan State - 27% win for Nebraska

Minnesota - 17% win for Nebraska

 

For comparison sake, the Ohio State game was forecast as 30% win for Nebraska.  So...in summary, to call it a "must-win" is a bit of a stretch, but certainly is in the realm of possibility for us.

[Silverbacked1]

1 hour ago, 49r said:

@Silverbacked1 Currently this is the third-most-likely game for us to win according to KenPom.  He's got the games looking like this:

 

Illinois - 59% win for Nebraska

Michigan - 42% win for Nebraska

Michigan State - 27% win for Nebraska

Minnesota - 17% win for Nebraska

 

For comparison sake, the Ohio State game was forecast as 30% win for Nebraska.  So...in summary, to call it a "must-win" is a bit of a stretch, but certainly is in the realm of possibility for us.

 

Thanks but I was more in the fire get hotter for Tim frame of mind when I asked the question?  Sorry I didn't ask it that way.

[hhcmatt]

2 hours ago, Silverbacked1 said:

If we do lose tonight, does this put more pressure on or will be that is okay didn't think we was going to win anyway?

 

One game is just one game

[49r]

27 minutes ago, Silverbacked1 said:

 

Thanks but I was more in the fire get hotter for Tim frame of mind when I asked the question?  Sorry I didn't ask it that way.

 

Let me put it this way...I doubt the outcome of this game is going to change any minds...

[The Polish Rifle]

*SIAP

 

 

[hhcmatt]

1 minute ago, The Polish Rifle said:

*SIAP

 

 

 

All nude, but tastefully done

[The Polish Rifle]

5 minutes ago, hhcdimes said:

 

All nude, but tastefully done

[Silverbacked1]

33 minutes ago, hhcdimes said:

 

All nude, but tastefully done

 

Makes it tough to play an up close shut down man to man d on him.

[49r]

15 hours ago, hhcdimes said:

 

All nude, but tastefully done

 

15 hours ago, The Polish Rifle said:

 

this by the way, was hilarious...

 

However, he did dress and play a little.  Can we assume he's back to near 100% then?  Hope so, we're gonna need him for this stretch run.