Three Trends for Michigan State vs. Illinois
The No. 11 Michigan State Spartans are in Champaign, where they will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday.
The Spartans protected home court against the Illini in their first matchup of the season, winning 80-78. Michigan State junior guard Tre Holloman had a standout performance, scoring a team-high 17 points.
Here are three trends for the rematch of Michigan State and Illinois:
Michigan State’s response
This season, the Spartans have responded well to disappointment. Coming off losses, they have a record of 3-1.
A reason for Michigan State’s ability to not let losses compile is Hall-of-Fame Coach Tom Izzo. Izzo made it clear that the Spartans will be ready if they are hit with a 2-3 zone against Illinois on Saturday.
"Nobody is going to zone us because of one game or something like that," he said while addressing reporters on Thursday. "And if they do, bring it on."
After losing to UCLA in heartbreaking fashion, Michigan State responded with a win against the Oregon Ducks, which was one of its best performances of the season.
After losing to the Indiana Hoosiers at home, the Spartans need to put that game in the past and focus on the Fighting Illini.
Illinois’ quick tempo
According to KenPom, the Illini run one of the fastest offenses in college basketball, ranking No. 13 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
The Spartans will have to force Illinois into playing half-court offense because the Illini struggle when they go slow.
In its last game against UCLA, Illinois had a 16-point lead with 5 minutes remaining. With the lead, the Illini slowed its pace, trying to run out the clock.
However, its offense went scoreless for most of crunch time, allowing the Bruins to cut the deficit to one possession. Illinois still came away victorious but showed weaknesses in its half-court offense that the Spartans can take advantage of.
Spartans’ floor general
For Michigan State to execute in a tough road environment, Spartan redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. needs to make an impact.
When Fears tallies over seven assists, the Spartans are an impressive 8-0. However, Fears has struggled as of late. In his last two games, he has totaled only seven assists while committing five turnovers in that span.
Fears is a crucial member of the Spartans because of his ability to find open scorers and create offense at a high level.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
