Tipoff: Michigan State vs. Nebraska
•What: MSU vs. Nebraska
•When: 7 tonight
•Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing
•What to wear: MSU is asking fans to where green for a Green-Out.
•TV/Radio: ESPNU / Spartan Sports Network, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM.
•Records/Rankings: MSU is 16-11 overall, 8-6 in the Big Ten and unranked. Nebraska is 12-14, 6-8 and also unranked
•Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 540-216 in his 22nd season, all with the Spartans. Nebraska — Tim Miles is 358-301 in 22 seasons, including 75-81 in five seasons with the Cornhuskers.
•Series: MSU leads 13-9, including a 72-61 win on Feb. 2 in Lincoln. However, Nebraska did win the three meetings before that, twice at Breslin Center.
Nebraska
Pos. | Name | PPG |
F (30) | Ed Morrow (6-7) | 9.6 |
F (12) | Michael Jacobson (6-9) | 6.3 |
G (11) | Evan Taylor (6-5) | 4.7 |
G (5) | Glynn Watson Jr. (6-0) | 14.0 |
G (0) | Tai Webster (6-4) | 17.7 |
MSU
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (44) | Nick Ward (6-8) | 12.9 |
F (22) | Miles Bridges (6-7) | 16.1 |
G (3) | Alvin Ellis (6-4) | 6.6 |
G (1) | Joshua Langford (6-5) | 6.1 |
G (11) | Tum Tum Nairn (5-10) | 3.8 |
•MSU update: The Spartans find themselves probably needing a couple wins in their last four games to secure a 20th straight NCAA tournament appearance. Nebraska at Breslin tonight is one they’d be smart not to let get away. MSU hosts Wisconsin on Sunday and then finishes on the road next week at Illinois and Maryland. This will be the Spartans’ first game without senior Eron Harris, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Saturday at Purdue. Senior Alvin Ellis is likely to get the start in Harris’ place and deservedly so, though Izzo likes the zest and toughness Ellis brings off the bench. Harris’ injury could also mean more minutes for Joshua Langford and Matt McQuaid, and perhaps more of the backcourt pairing of Tum Tum Nairn with Cassius Winston.
•Nebraskaupdate: The Huskers haven’t quit on this season. They’re coming off a win at Ohio State on Saturday, which crippled the Buckeyes’ NCAA tournament hopes. Nebraska is a different team with a healthy Ed Morrow Jr. in its frontcourt. In the three games since his return, the Huskers have wins over Penn State and Ohio State and lost to Wisconsin by a single point. Morrow is sort of Nebraska’s version of former MSU forward Antonio Smith. The Huskers are still playing for a potential NIT bid, given their middling RPI ranking of 72 and solid wins over Purdue, Maryland and Dayton. A win at MSU would greatly aid that cause.
•About the matchup: When these two teams met three weeks ago, MSU won by 11 points in part because it made 56 percent of its shots, including 11 of 17 3-point attempts. If the Spartans do that again, they’ll likely coast to the finish again. Otherwise, this is likely to be a battle, especially with the rugged Morrow available in the paint. In the first meeting, MSU had trouble with Jordy Tshimanga inside and, if paired with Morrow this time, that’s a physical duo on the glass. Keeping Tai Webster in check and out of the lane as much as possible is the key for the Spartans. The senior guard makes Nebraska go.
•Prediction: Nebraska is 5-2 in the Big Ten when Morrow plays. Eight of the Huskers’ Big Ten games have been decided by four points or less. This is a team no one will want to see in the Big Ten tournament – desperate, talented enough and with a motivated senior guard in Webster. The MSU-Wisconsin game should be fun to watch Sunday, but MSU would be wise to be focused on the Huskers tonight.
» Make it: MSU 73, Nebraska 68
— Graham Couch