Contender or Pretender: Michigan State enters Big Ten gauntlet

The Spartans next four games will determine whether this team is a contender for the 2022-23 Big Ten championship...

After enduring an up and down start to the 2022-23 season, Michigan State is finally healthy again and is off to a good start in Big Ten conference play.

The Spartans (11-4 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) have won back-to-back league games to keep themselves near the top of the Big Ten standings. However, MSU is about to enter a treacherous stretch which will reveal if this team is a contender or pretender in the hunt for a Big Ten title.

It begins tonight with a road trip to No. 18 Wisconsin (11-3, 3-1). The Spartans and Badgers have had more than their fair share of battles over the last two decades, as each of these programs is a fixture atop the Big Ten standings. The basketball series between Michigan State and Wisconsin is one of the most underrated in the country, in my opinion. Since 1949-50, the Spartans have played the Badgers 139 times – more than any other opponent.

After the trip to Wisconsin, Michigan State will travel to Illinois before returning home for a matchup with current Big Ten favorite, No. 3 Purdue. The Spartans finish up this four-game stretch by hosting a scrappy Rutgers squad.

While the Boilermakers (15-1, 4-1) are the favorite to win the conference, even they have shown to be vulnerable with a home loss to the Scarlet Knights, as well as close victories over Ohio State and Nebraska. Still, Purdue is led by one of the most dominant players in college basketball in 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, who has given Michigan State fits in the past and likely will again this season.

The Spartans are one of four teams tied for second place in the current conference standings, and a half-game behind Purdue. While this is familiar territory for head coach Tom Izzo, the only player on MSU’s roster which has been part of a championship-contending team is senior forward Malik Hall, who was a freshman on Michigan State’s 2019-20 team that shared a Big Ten title.

Hall’s return from injury has provided the Spartans with a boost heading into the heart of league play. The senior small forward was arguably Michigan State’s best player during the win over Michigan last Saturday. Hall is MSU’s best frontcourt defender, and he came up with a pair of timely baskets to end a scoring drought which helped the Spartans seize control of that game.

Michigan State is an older, experienced team in 2022-23. Hall is one of three seniors who are part of the regular rotation, joining shooting guard Tyson Walker and power forward Joey Hauser. Throw in juniors A.J. Hoggard and Mady Sissoko, and an experienced sophomore in Jaden Akins and this is a group that has played a lot of basketball together.

Years playing under Izzo has hardened this group into a tough, defensive ball club. Michigan State has not allowed 70 points in a game since the Nov. 4 loss to Northwestern. Good defensive teams usually carry that with them on the road, and we’ll see if MSU can do that this week at Wisconsin and Illinois.

Offense is where the Spartans need to improve. Michigan State has been plagued by scoring droughts this season, and its inability to frequently get to the free throw line compounds that problem.

The Spartans are one of the better free throw shooting teams in the country at 74.2 percent, but are averaging just 10.5 free throw attempts per game in Big Ten play. Getting to the charity stripe more often will be an emphasis this week at Wisconsin and Illinois, both of which are good defensive teams.

On any given night in the Big Ten, any team can win or lose. While the conference may not have the strength at the top like it did in years past, the Big Ten remains one of the deepest leagues in the nation. Michigan State’s fate could be decided by its ability to stay healthy, and what sort of offensive improvement it gets as the season progresses.

The Spartans have won three Big Ten games in a row since opening with a loss to Northwestern, but that positive momentum can change in a hurry as Michigan State hits the road. These next four games will reveal the Spartans as either a contender or pretender in the Big Ten championship race.