Spartans Cannot Take Minnesota Lightly This Week

The Michigan State Spartans have another difficult task ahead of them as they host a dangerous Minnesota Gophers team that has gained traction over the past few weeks. This is not a game that the Spartans can take lightly at the Breslin Center.

Jan 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Dawson Garcia (3) celebrates his game winning three-point basket against the Michigan Wolverines after the game at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (17-2, 8-0) are preparing for another gritty Big Ten battle when they host the Minnesota Gophers (11-9, 3-6) on Tuesday night at the Breslin Center. Despite the Gophers' record, this is a team that has gained immense momentum since their last meeting.

If the Spartans want to continue their impressive winning ways, they must avoid underestimating certain teams. Coach Tom Izzo has always coached his players to value every opponent equally and with the recent success that Minnesota has found, this will be a tougher game than anticipated.

In their first meeting back in early December, the Spartans demolished Minnesota on the road, 90-72. It was the first of six-straight losses for the Gophers as they were the worst team in the Big Ten after the first few weeks. They have since turned a corner with three massive victories, two of them ranked.

The Gophers earned their first conference victory just over a week ago, upsetting the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer from fifth-year senior forward Dawson Garcia.

The winning would not stop there as they responded with a road win over the Iowa Hawkeyes with another upset victory coming against the No. 15 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night. They may be out of contention for a Big Ten regular season title, but their competition level has risen exponentially.

With two season-changing wins against top-25 teams, this Gophers group is a completely different team than what the Spartans faced almost two months ago. Home-court advantage will be a key factor along with the productive depth that the entire Michigan State roster holds.

The Spartans have done a great job this season of taking care of business against teams that they are projected to beat. They have handled business against the bottom half of the Big Ten and seek to maintain that narrative.

One outcome is certain for Tuesday night, either the Spartans will continue their undefeated record in Big Ten play and win their 13th-straight game or Minnesota will pick up their third ranked win in four games. Both teams are playing great, but one's winning streak will come to an end.

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