3 Keys for Michigan State Hoops to Win at Penn State
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A chance is near for ninth-ranked Michigan State to bounce back from last Saturday's loss to Duke.
The Spartans are set to play their first true road game this season against a Penn State squad that MSU should handle if it wants to be among the nation's and Big Ten's elite. Michigan State will enter this Saturday's game 8-1 overall, with a 19-point win over Iowa in its conference opener.
PSU is 8-2, but has played a really weak schedule and was completely blown out at Indiana during its first Big Ten game. KenPom rates the Nittany Lions as the third-worst team in the conference.
MSU has won four straight games against Penn State. These three things would be huge in getting it a fifth consecutive victory against a conference rival.
Build an Early Lead
Penn State is not regarded as a place where it is especially difficult to be a visiting team, but it may be a little louder than usual. It's a Saturday afternoon, MSU is the type of opponent fans want to see, it's PSU's conference home opener, and the Nittany Lions' new head football coach, Matt Campbell, is perhaps going to get introduced to fans there.
Allowing those fans (and players) to think they might see a Penn State victory is how things get dangerous. Michigan State would be wise to get off to a good start to quiet the crowd down and dampen the hopes of a Nittany Lion team that is coming off a humiliation.
Dominate Glass
One way MSU can get off to that type of start is by making another statement with its rebounding. Penn State's average rebound margin --- again, with a weak schedule --- is just plus-1.4, which ranks in the 200s nationally. Michigan State's average margin is plus-11.9, which is 10th nationally, as of Thursday.
The Nittany Lions have no clear rebounder, either. Five players are averaging between 3.6 and 4.0 rebounds per game, which is the highest anyone is averaging. Not only does MSU have four players averaging more than 4.0 rebounds per game, but there's a clear top two: Jaxon Kohler (9.6) and Carson Cooper (7.1).
Stress Mingo Out
This is the second consecutive game that the star player of Michigan State's opponent is a true freshman. Penn State's Kayden Mingo is not quite the player Duke's Cam Boozer is, but 15.4 points and 4.0 assists per game is still tremendous.
Mingo does not have a reliable three-point shot as of yet, shooting at 19.4% so far, so MSU is going to have to make things difficult on him while he drives to the basket. That could mean some smart double teams that force him into a difficult pass, which may lead to a turnover. Even though he's a dangerous freshman, he's still a freshman; make him frustrated.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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