Why Michigan State Shouldn't Overlook Northwestern

Even though the Michigan State Spartans are ranked No. 16 in the country, they can't overlook the Northwestern Wildcats.

Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans On SI

The Michigan State Spartans will travel to Northwestern with a chance to extend their win streak to nine games.

The Spartans enter Sunday's matchup with the No. 16 ranking in the AP Poll, and with a win, could propel themselves into the top ten in next week’s rankings.

The Wildcats may not be one of the top teams in the Big Ten, but they are a team that always plays ranked opponents tough, especially at home.

Earlier in the season, Northwestern took down the Illinois Fighting Illini, who were ranked No. 19 at the time.

On their home court, the Wildcats have a history of surprising the top teams in the nation. Last season, Northwestern outlasted the No. 1 team in the country, the Purdue Boilermakers, who finished the season as the national championship runner-up.

Over the past three seasons, the Spartans have struggled against the Wildcats, taking home just two of their last five matchups.

However, Northwestern doesn’t have the same firepower they had in the past with Wildcats guard Boo Buie no longer in college. 

Buie was the player that got the best of the Spartans over his five-year career. Last season, Buie scored 19 points on the way to beating Michigan State at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Without Buie, there are still Northwestern players that the Spartans will have to worry about. 

Northwestern junior forward Nick Martinelli has taken a huge jump from 8 points per game last season, all the way to 19.4 points per game. Martinelli was a key factor in the Wildcats' upset over Illinois, scoring 27 points and six rebounds.

Michigan State will also have to deal with Northwestern guard Ty Berry, who has hurt the Spartans in the past. Last season, Berry went off for 22 points, which crushed the Spartans' chances of pulling off the victory on the road.

However, Berry hasn’t been as efficient this season, struggling with his perimeter shot with his field goal percentage going down from 44 percent last season to 34 percent this season.

Michigan State can’t overlook the Wildcats, because of their history of upsets and how tough they historically play against the Spartans.

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