Michigan State vs. LSU in NCAA tournament: Scouting report, prediction
Chris SolariDES MOINES, Iowa — Breaking down Friday’s East Region Sweet 16 game between No. 2 Michigan State basketball and No. 3 Louisiana State in the 2019 NCAA tournament:
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Records: No. 2 seed Michigan State (30-6, 16-4 Big Ten); No. 3 LSU (28-6, 16-2 Southeastern Conference.
Fast facts: Friday (time/TV TBD), at Capital One Center, Washington, D.C. Winner plays next Sunday in the Elite Eight against the regional semifinal winner of Duke/UCF vs. Virginia Tech/Liberty.
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About MSU
Tournament record: 67-31, 32 years (last appearance, 2018).
Scoring: Team (78.5 ppg); Cassius Winston (18.9); Nick Ward (13.7); Matt McQuaid (9.9); Xavier Tillman (9.8); Kenny Goins (8.1); Aaron Henry (5.6).
Rebounds: Team (40.9); Goins (8.9); Tillman (7.2); Ward (6.2); Henry (3.8); Winston (3.2).
Assists/turnovers: Team (18.6/13.0); Winston (7.5/2.9); Goins (2.3/1.6); McQuaid (2.2/0.9)
3-pointers: Team (.381); Winston (77); McQuaid (68); Goins (52); Kyle Ahrens (20); Henry (12); Gabe Brown (12).
Last 10: 9-1.
Overview: The Spartans defeated 10-seed Minnesota 70-50 on Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa, to advance to coach Tom Izzo’s 14th Sweet 16 in the past 22 seasons. It is their first trip to the second weekend since the 2015 team went on a Final Four run. Though MSU’s depth has been tested with foot injuries keeping Joshua Langford and Kyle Ahrens on the bench, the Spartans had six players score between 9 and 13 points apiece against the Gophers. MSU outrebounded Minnesota, 42-19, and held the Gophers to just 2 of 22 shooting from 3-point range and 21.9 percent overall. Turnovers, though, once again became an issue as the Spartans committed 22 that led to 26 Minnesota points, the highest totals in both categories since a loss at Illinois on Feb. 5 and their third 20-plus turnover game of the season. MSU averaged 10.8 giveaways in its past eight games, including a season-low six against Michigan on Feb. 24 and nine in each of its past two games.
[ Inside Cassius Winston's yin, yang bond with Tom Izzo. And why it works ]
About LSU
Tournament record: 26-24, 22 years (last appearance, 2015).
Scoring: Team (80.9 ppg); Tremont Waters (15.0); Naz Reid (13.7); Skylar Mays (13.6); Javonte Smart (11.4); Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.8).
Rebounds: Team (38.9); Reid (7.2); Bigby-Williams (6.7); Emmitt Williams (5.4); Darius Days (4.0).
Assists/turnovers: Team (13.1/13.1); Waters (5.9/3.5); Smart (2.4/1.9); Mays (2.1/1.2).
3-pointers: Team (.320); Mays (54); Waters (52); Smart (41); Reid (28); Days (25); Marlon Taylor (15).
Last 10: 8-2.
Overview: No team entered the NCAA tournament in a more precarious position than the Tigers, whose head coach Will Wade was suspended indefinitely after being linked to the FBI wiretaps into corruption in college basketball. Wade reportedly has refused to talk to school officials since the suspension was handed down March 8 after LSU won the SEC regular-season championship. The Tigers beat Vanderbilt then lost to Florida in the conference tournament under interim coach Tony Benford, then pulled off two close wins in the first two rounds in Jacksonville, Florida — 79-74 over 14-seeded Yale on Thursday and then eking out a 69-67 victory over 6-seed Maryland on a Waters driving layup with 1.6 seconds to play. The Tigers advanced despite shooting just 36.9 percent against the Terrapins and making only 7 of 24 3-point attempts while getting outrebounded 42-34. Mays, a 6-4 junior guard, scored 16 on 4 of 12 shooting, while 6-10 freshman Waters added 13 points and 5-11 sophomore guard Waters added 12 points. LSU went eight players deep in the game, with each playing 12 or more minutes.
Pick: MSU 73, LSU 69
[ Our writers give their final score predictions for MSU vs. LSU ]
[ Tom Izzo loves this MSU team, but here's why it surprises him when they win ]
Contact Chris Solari at csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.