Michigan State at Illinois tipoff: Preview analysis, prediction
•What: Michigan State at Illinois
•When: 9 p.m. (ET) Monday
•Where: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
•TV/Radio: FS1/Spartan Sports Network, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 81
•Records/Rankings: MSU is 17-3 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten and entered Monday ranked No. 9 in both major polls; Illinois is 10-10 overall, 0-7 in the Big Ten and unranked.
•Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 560-223 in his 23rd season, all with the Spartans. Illinois — Brad Underwood is 119-36 in his fifth season as a head coach. This is his first season with the Illini.
•Series: The series is tied 59-59 all-time. Illinois won the only meeting last year, 73-70 in Champaign.
Insider: Road schedule provides test of toughness for Michigan State basketball
Couch: Matt McQuaid was great for Michigan State vs. Indiana - so why isn't he more often?
MSU
Pos. | Name | PPG |
C (44) | Nick Ward (6-8) | 14.5 |
F (2) | Jaren Jackson Jr. (6-11) | 11.4 |
G (22) | Miles Bridges (6-7) | 16.9 |
G (1) | Joshua Langford (6-5) | 13.2 |
G (5) | Cassius Winston (6-0) | 12.6 |
Illinois
Pos. | Name | PPG |
F (43) | Michael Finke (6-10) | 10.6 |
F (12) | Leron Black (6-7) | 14.4 |
G (24) | Mark Alstork (6-5) | 6.1 |
G (20) | Da’Monte Williams (6-3) | 4.5 |
G (1) | Trent Frazier (6-1) | 11.0 |
•MSU update: The Spartans found their footing again in drubbing Indiana on Friday night. MSU is still the nation’s best defensive team in terms of field-goal percentage and blocked shots. MSU also leads the country in assists per game and is near the top in several other categories. But anyone who watched the Spartans play Ohio State, Rutgers and Michigan knows they weren’t among the best teams in college basketball over that seven-day span. “I just think that Ohio State, it shook us, it shook everybody, the coaches, everybody,” MSU assistant coach Mike Garland said Friday night.
•Illinois update: The good news for the Illini is that three of their seven Big Ten losses have come in overtime and another came by a single point on the road against a quality Nebraska team. More good news: They made a strong coaching hire in Brad Underwood, who will maximize whatever the Illini have while they rebuild. The bad news for Illinois is that it’s 0-7 in Big Ten play and this season isn’t going to get better. Unlike some other Big Ten teams, the Illini are not underachieving. This is the league’s least talented team offensively and, defensively — while they do speed teams up and take them out of their comfort zones — they have very little rim protection.
•About the matchup: Illinois has some good athletes and some decent pieces. Junior power forward Leron Black is a strong presence. Freshman guard Trent Frazier can score and create at a Big Ten level. Frazier and fellow freshman guard Mark Smith, who nearly came to MSU and averages 7.5 points for the Illini, should eventually be a nice backcourt. Junior big man Michael Finke is a savvy player who can stretch defenses. He’ll be a chore for Nick Ward on the perimeter. It could be that Jaren Jackson Jr. will deal with Finke and Ward will be on Black. In the end, it won’t matter a ton. The Illini just don’t have the players to hurt MSU, even on the road, as long as the Spartans are right mentally. It appears they are again.
•Prediction: Illinois has shown it can play with good teams. Ask Nebraska, which should have lost to the Illini at home and then turned around and thumped Michigan. If the Spartans are unfocused or not ready for Illinois’ defensive style, this could be a game for a while. My sense is the timing is bad for Illinois. MSU has been punched in the mouth a few times and is out to reestablish itself.
» Make it: MSU 82, Illinois 70
— Graham Couch