Michigan State welcomes the Iowa Hawkeyes to the Breslin Center this Tuesday for another Big Ten basketball game. The Spartans just beat Nebraska, 86-65, on the road. Iowa most recently beat Ohio State, 86-76, at home.
Here are three things to watch in this game:
1. The Luka Garza Matchup
Luka Garza is probably the best Big Ten basketball player this season. Some may even say he is the best NCAA basketball player this season as well. Nonetheless, he is a serious matchup issue for every Big Ten opponent including Michigan State. Garza is an extremely skilled big man who can shoot threes, grab boards, and dominate the paint.
Luka Garza stands at 6’11” and weighs 260 pounds. Marcus Bingham Jr. is also 6’11” but has not played significant minutes for Michigan State the past few games. Xavier Tillman is 6’8″ and Malik Hall is 6’7″. Iowa is a top-tier three-point shooting team in the Big Ten, so double teams are not really an option. Watch for how MSU schemes against Luka Garza on defense.
2. Turnover Control
MSU ended their last game against Nebraska with a season-high 22 turnovers. Big Ten basketball is really good this year. The Spartans cannot expect to win any game with 22 turnovers. Especially against an elite offensive like Iowa. The Hawkeyes will capitalize on every single Michigan State turnover. Watch for some more discipline from the Spartans in this game.
3. Michigan State’s Depth
The Spartans have not gotten a lot of contributions from their bench players this season. Against Nebraska, Gabe Brown and Kyle Ahrens combined for 31 points off the bench. Both set a season-high for scoring totals in one game. Michigan State could use another 30-40 points from the bench again this time around. Look for some bench scoring from the Spartans in this game.
MSU and Iowa play at 7 P.M. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 on ESPN2.
