Game Day Essentials: Game #15 at Michigan St

Michigan St Spartans

Head Coach: Tom Izzo

Location: East Lansing, MI
Conference: B1G
Nickname: Spartans

Mascot: Sparty

Line: Michigan St by 6.5
Typical Rotation Depth: 9+

KenPom rank: 46

A couple of Famous Alumni: Magic Johnson, Draymond Green

Other:  

• Blaise Keita is out
• Game #15 for Nebraska was also last year at Michigan St. Nebraska dropped that game 67-79.

KenPom Analysis: Michigan St. slower this season. Their gameplan is typical for an Izzo team where they pass the ball well on offense and they're all about sitting back on defense to try and force poor shots

Player to watch: Joey Hauser

Hauser leads the Spartan in scoring and rebounding and all four of MSU's losses line up with Hauser's worst 4 box scores of the year. The big stretch 4 is shooting 44.8% from 3. With Malik Hall back from injury Hauser will likely spend time playing the 5.

Player to watch: G Tyson Walker

I think that Bando spends more time on AJ Hoggard so look for the undersized Walker to try and get it going today. The combo guard can get hot from the outside and alternates with Hoggard as the PG.

KenPom most used lineup

Others to watch

• Jaden Akins is another guard in addition to Walker, Hauser, and Brooks who can knock down 3s. 6'6" Pierre Brooks is a 3pt shooting forward at the 3
• Mady Sissoko is there for defense and garbage points. If he can't stay with Derrick Walker he won't play much.
• 6'8" F Malik Hall is working his way back into shape from a foot injury that kept him out of 8 games. 3 level scorer. 
• 6'9" Jaxon Kohler and 6'11" Carson Cooper are freshman post depth
• 6'2" Tre Holloman is freshman PG depth

Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4

0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5

4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6

13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9

Bench

15   Blaise Keita C   6-11

30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2

32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10

10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3

12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6

33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0

31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4

35  Henry Burt  F  6-6

24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3

Injured

3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year

The Skinny: 

Michigan St comes into this game surviving one of the toughest schedules in D-1 plus a couple of key injuries with a respectable 9-4 record. Currently they project as a bubble team and how this roster gels down the stretch will determine whether or not Sparty makes the dance as there isn't a NBA prospect on their roster that will simply carry the team.

Michigan St defensively is built to guard the rim so expect Nebraska to test from the outside and look for this to be a Tominaga night. Keisei tends to fair well against shorter opponents and MSU trots out at least 1 small guard.  Defensively, Nebraska will be tested tonight against a Michigan St team that will pass the ball and can hit from outside. At some point a team has to get hot against the Cornhuskers and how will the defense respond?

Look for a couple of offenses to patiently hunt for shots and perhaps for Michigan State to be looking ahead to Saturday's matchup with Michigan. Who might pull out a close one at the end?

Prediction: Michigan St 69 - Nebraska 65