Cassius Winston Ready To Lead #14 Spartans Against The Badgers
The #14 Michigan State Spartans traveled to Purdue over the weekend and got hammered. It not the end of the world, far from it, but it was a great learning moment for the younger players about life on the road in the Big Ten.
But now the Spartans fortunes turn back to the legendary Breslin Center and an old nemesis in Wisconsin. The team will return to the hard-court today. That game can be seen on FS1 at 7 PM.
Mex Carey the super MSU Men’s basketball SID gives us this quick look at the game:
Records
Michigan State had an eight-game win streak end at Purdue last weekend and enters Friday’s game with a 13-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the Big Ten. Michigan State is ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25, No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 6 per kenpom.com, No. 9 in the NCAA Net and No. 3 in the ESPN BPI. Wisconsin enters the game with an 11-6 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the league.
Lupe Izzo to Chair Food Drive on Friday Night
On Friday, January 17, Lupe Izzo will chair the 25th annual food drive held at the Breslin Center, prior to the men’s basketball game against Wisconsin ... Fans attending the game are encouraged to donate by bringing cans or monetary donations ... All of the proceeds benefit the Greater Lansing and MSU Student Food Banks ... If everyone who attends the game contributed just one dollar, then $15,000.00 would be raised for these worthy charities!
About the Spartans
• Senior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) leads MSU, and ranks third in the Big Ten, in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game … Winston is also fourth in the league in assists, averaging 6.2 per game, and first in free throw percentage, connecting on 86.7 percent of his shots (65-of-75).
• Winston is one of just six players in the country averaging at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game.
• Junior forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Christian) is second on the team with 13.9 points per game (T13th in the Big Ten) and tops the team, and is third in the Big Ten, with 10.1 rebounds per game, while adding 2.9 assists per game and 2.2 blocker per game.
• Tillman is one of only two players in the country averaging at least 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocked shots per game.
• Sophomore forward Aaron Henry (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) is third on the team with 9.6 points per game, while adding 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
• MSU has four other players averaging at least 4.0 points per game, led by sophomore forward Gabe Brown (Ypsilanti, Mich./Belleville), who is averaging 8.4 points and 4.5 rebounds.
• Freshman guard Rocket Watts (Detroit, Mich./SPIRE Academy [Ohio]) adds 6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
• Sophomore forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Catholic Central), who has started the last 12 games and collected career high’s in rebounds (12) and blocks (5) against Illinois on Jan. 2, is averaging 4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
• Freshman forward Malik Hall (Aurora, Ill./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]), who had nine points and eight rebounds against Duke, is averaging 4.8 points and 3.1 rebounds.
Series History
• Friday’s game will be the 147th meeting all-time between Michigan State and Wisconsin.
• Michigan State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 82-64, including a 49-14 mark at home.
• The Spartans are 19-11 in their last 30 games and have won seven-straight over the Badgers.
• Michigan State has won 10 in a row at home over Wisconsin.
About Wisconsin
• Wisconsin enters Friday’s game with an 11-6 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Big Ten.
• The Badgers are coming off a 56-54 win over Maryland at home on Tuesday night.
• Wisconsin has won its last two games and six of the last seven overall.
• All five starters for the Badgers are averaging between seven and 14.0 points per game, with junior forward Nate Reuvers leading the way with 13.7 points .. Reuvers is second on the team with 5.4 rebounds and leads with 35 blocked shots.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Kobe King is second with 10.7 points and redshirt junior forward Micah Potter, who scored 24 and had 13 rebounds against Penn State, is third on the team with 10.1 rebounds and leads the team with 6.0 rebounds.
• Junior guard Brad Davison adds 9.0 points and 4.5 rebounds (with 21 3-pointers) and redshirt junior guard D’Mitrick Trice is averaging 8.9 points and a team-best 3.2 assists.
• Redshirt junior forward Aleem Ford chips in 8.2 points and Brevin Pritzl averages 7.4 points and leads the team in 3-pointers with 27.
• The Badgers rank third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (59.8 points per game).
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