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Michigan State vs Purdue: 2022-23 college basketball game … – Busting Brackets
Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) defends Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the second half Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 at Breslin Center in East Lansing. Msupur 011623 Kd 3775
For Michigan State (14-7), the season has had its fair share of positives and negatives. The Spartans looked great early in the season and had a decent winning streak at the beginning of New Year’s, but have now dropped three of their last five games. Among those losses was a heartbreaker at home against this Purdue squad less than two weeks ago, sandwiched between disappointing performances at Illinois and Indiana.
A crew of seniors is leading the way for the Spartans, who are leaning heavily on senior guard Tyson Walker (14.1 ppg, 2.7 apg) and senior forward Joey Hauser (13.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg). Walker had 30 points in that loss to the Boilermakers, and the Spartans will hope for a similar effort from him in round two. Fortunately, after missing time with injury, Michigan State will have senior forward Malik Hall (10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) this time around, as he marked his return in Thursday’s win over Iowa.
Nationally unranked, the Spartans sit 40th in the NET rankings and 41st in KenPom. They’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and their defense (33rd in efficiency) has been specially tested this season. The Spartans play a slow and effective offense, but they don’t really force turnovers on the defensive end, and it’s fair to wonder if their size can match up with the early favorite for national player of the year.
On the other side, a 1-point loss at home to Rutgers is the sole blemish for Purdue (20-1) this season. The Boilermakers have had some close calls in conference play, including that win at Michigan State a few weeks ago, but they’ve taken care of their business and deserve the top spot in the nation.
That aforementioned favorite for the player of the year awards is the junior Zach Edey (21.4 ppg, 13.0 rpg), the 7’4 center who has a chance to lead the nation in rebounding this season. He had 32 points and 17 rebounds in round one against the Spartans and matches up well against this frontcourt, as he does against most of the conference’s bigs. Don’t underestimate the role of freshman guards Fletcher Loyer (13.0 ppg, 2.5 apg) and Braden Smith (9.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg), who are certainly playing better than expected in their first collegiate seasons.
The metrics aren’t as friendly to the #1 Boilermakers, who sit atop the AP Poll, but are just 4th in the NET rankings and 5th in KenPom. Purdue actually rates pretty similar to the Spartans, as a slow-paced team that doesn’t force turnovers, but they take care of the ball and usually find themselves winning the rebounding battle. Having a 7’4 elite piece in the middle of the defense certainly helps with that.
Anything goes in college basketball, and Michigan State came so close to upending this Purdue squad, with bitter revenge on their minds this time. With Malik Hall back in the lineup, the Spartans certainly have a boost. Last time, Michigan State shot 47% from the field and actually won the rebounding battle; they’re going to need similar results to have a chance on the road this time.
It’s hard to pick against Purdue, especially with the way the Boilermakers have been playing this season. They’re comfortably at home in front of their fans, and face a desperate Michigan State squad that hasn’t fared well on the road in recent weeks. An early burst of shooting on either side could set the tone, but it’s likely that Purdue would have the answers early or late. Expect a close game once more, but the Boilermakers once again pull it out at the end.
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