Minnesota @ Michigan State Game Preview (the Spartan Angle)

As we did with football, this hoops season 'GEHG' occasionally tries to give you a game preview from a fellow blogger or educated fan with allegiance to colors other than the beloved Maroon and Gold. The Gophs have another crack at building their currently rather weak NCAA Tourney resume this Wednesday evening, taking on Michigan State at the Breslin Center.

Enter once again, our friend 'Sparty Tom' - who did a great job previewing the wild Gophs vs. Spartans All Hallow's Eve game. Here's his take on the game:

The Minnesota Gopher program gained instant credibility in the eyes of Spartan fans when they hired Tubby Smith as head coach a few years ago. Teams around the Big Ten knew that all Tubby would need is 3-4 years before they are competitive with the conference’s top teams. Well, that time is now. However, in the world of college basketball some coaches just seem to have other team’s number. If Bo Ryan makes the Spartan faithful hold their collective breath (see Bo’s 11-5 record against Izzo), they usually breathe a little easier when Tubby is standing on the opposing sideline. Going back to his days in Kentucky, Tom Izzo has consistently beaten Tubby Smith in both regular season and NCAA tournament games (also see Tubby’s 2-9 record against MSU in his time at Minnesota). With that being said, this may be Tubby’s most talented team since his arrival to the Big Ten conference, and may have a good chance of leaving East Lansing on Wednesday with a resume-building win.

Now to the game at hand: Michigan State has come out of the gate with a 3-0 conference record, with wins over Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The Spartans boast a talented lineup that returns almost every guard from the 2009 National Title run. Their growing pains have come at the center and power forward position, where they are inexperienced and undersized when playing other elite-level teams. Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman have shown flashes, but they are freshmen…and freshmen are inconsistent. Sixth man Draymond Green (power forward) has been impressed everyone in his sophomore season with his passing ability and knack for getting the tough points in the paint; however he is undersized at 6’6”. At the guard spot, the Spartans boast as much talent as anyone in the Big Ten, with Kalin Lucas, Korie Luscious, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen. These guys love to turn the game into a track meet. On the Minnesota side, they are among the nation’s top teams in many defensive categories including turnover margin and scoring margin. These Gophers can score the basketball with anyone in the Big Ten, and Sparty better be prepared for it. Lawrence Westbook and Blake Hoffarber are dangerous and will be key to any Gopher upset, as they are both averaging double digit scoring numbers. As a team, Minnesota is averaging 84.1 points in their last nine games.

If Spartan fans are expecting an easy Izzo vs Tubby victory, they may be greatly disappointed. The Gophers are playing tough basketball, and the Spartans are having some attitude issues…aka Kalin Lucas being tossed out of practice last week for lack of effort and leadership. In the end, I believe talent will win out in this one. It may be a close game, but the Spartans are too tough to beat at the Breslin Center, and they may be just starting to hit their stride (or at least Spartan fans hope so).

Prediction: Michigan State – 76 Minnesota - 67

Thanks for that 'Sparty Tom' - well done as always. Check back for Gopher Bandanna Guy's take later today.

Michigan State at Minnesota Game Preview (the Spartan angle)

Once again, in trying to gain some perspective on our upcoming opponent, I've asked a friend from the wrong side of the tracks to give us their perspective. This week its my friend and MSU alum, 'Sparty Tom' who lends his writing talents to our blog, giving us his take on how he thinks the game will shake out. Here's his take:

It’s been an all too common occurrence this year to be writing for an upcoming game after a very close loss from the previous week. I’m a big believer in the three strike rule…meaning three heartbreaking last-second losses in one season, and I don’t think your kids can get off the mat. Yes, Michigan State rescued their season earlier this year with consecutive victories over Michigan, Illinois, and Northwestern. However, after a stunning last second loss to Iowa, a last minute loss to Notre Dame, and loss to Central Michigan on a last second field goal, this season has essentially turned into a salvage operation for the Sparties. It’s warm weather bowl, or bust.
Now to the game at hand. Minnesota looked impressive earlier in the season by winning the games they were supposed to win, taking Cal down to the wire, and making Wisconsin a very close game. However, with two blowout losses to Penn State and Ohio State (granted they were both on the road), they appear to be on the ropes. The situation got worse as reports have surfaced that Gopher star receiver Eric Decker will miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury. From a Spartan standpoint the greatest concern is that it’s a night game, the fans will be jacked, and there could be a big hangover from the Iowa heartbreak. For Michigan State on offense, Kirk Cousins has entrenched himself as the full time starting quarterback with the highest passer efficiency rating in the Big Ten conference. Freshman running backs Larry Caper and Edwin Baker continue to improve each week, and are due for a breakout performance. On defense, Spartan linebacker Greg Jones is a legitimate All-American; in my opinion, the surest tackler in the Big Ten. If the defense can duplicate the effort from the previous game, Minnesota could be in for a long night. If not, the Gophers can definitely win this one.
Combine the fact that this is a big game for both teams (in terms of eventual bowl eligibility) and it’s a Halloween night game in which the home fans will be nuts, this one is tough to call. The Spartans may have the edge in talent, and at the beginning of the year this game was circled as a win, but I believe the environment and the effects from last week’s stunner will be too much to overcome. Michigan State is wounded, and Minnesota is playing them at just the right time…

Prediction: Minnesota – 24 MSU – 17

Thanks for that take Sparty Tom, good stuff. I have heard about the excellence of LB Greg Jones, but have yet to watch him much this season. I'll be keeping a close eye on him all game, along with Blair White.