Looking Ahead: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin In the B1G Tournament Semi-Finals

As Michigan State moves on in the Big Ten Tournament, they’ll face a very familiar foe, Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers. The Spartans will surely know what to look for when they face the Badgers on Saturday, as the Badgers are nothing if not consistent. Here are the most important things to watch for as the Spartans take on Wisconsin this Saturday.

Slowing it down: In its matchup against Indiana,Wisconsin followed its usual offensive formula. The Badgers worked the ball around the key until the shot clock had reached 15 or fewer seconds then either took a three or tried to penetrate into the lane. It’s a tried and true strategy that has served Bo Ryan, although not offensive minded basketball fans, well for years. Indiana actually did a fairly decent job of taking away interior passing lanes and dribble penetration from the Badgers, but Wisconsin was able to burn them with hot three point shooting. While Wisconsin is generally a good jump shooting team, they aren’t as good as they showed today, and it is extremely unlikely that they’ll shoot that well from distance again. If Michigan State can force the Badgers to settle for three point shots, especially contested threes, they will be well on their way to the Big Ten Championship Game.

Go to guys: Wisconsin also understands that its offense is limited by the weapons they have on offense. The only real scoring threats that they have are Jordan Taylor and Ryan Evans. MSU must concentrate on shutting these two players down, and forcing the Badgers to beat them with role players. Indiana wasn’t able to fully do this as both Evans and Taylor ended up with 12 points each. While this isn’t a terrible effort by the Hoosiers, it wasn’t enough to get the victory. Sure, Rob Wilson and his 3 points a game average went crazy and dropped a 30 burger on Indiana.  However, it isn’t exactly likely that he’ll shoot 7 of 10 from three again, so MSU probably doesn’t have to worry about him putting on a repeat performance. If you hold down Evans and Taylor,Wisconsin has no chance.

Toughen up: The Badgers aren’t going to shrink away from the Spartans’ physical style of play, they’ll revel in it. The Badgers, especially on defense, love to grab, tug, pull and shove their opponents into submission. The Spartans will have to be ready for this from the very start, or Wisconsin could gain a critical mental advantage early in the game. If the Spartans let the physical play get in their heads, and start whining to the referees to call fouls, worry, because then Wisconsin is playing the game it wants to play. The Spartans need to meet that physicality head on, and use it to their advantage. Getting the ball underneath to bruisers like Draymond Green and Derrick Nix will be critical in this game. These guys can match blow for blow with anything Wisconsin can throw at them and can not only take the foul, but turn it into an “and 1” opportunity.

Rebounding: This is important in every game, but against a scrappy team like Wisconsin it becomes critical. Wisconsin isn’t a prolific offensive team, and there will be plenty of defensive rebound opportunities. Michigan State has to get these rebounds and not give Wisconsin second chance opportunities. On the flip side, when facing a tough defensive squad like Wisconsin, the ability to get offensive rebounds can mean the difference between a win and a loss. Second chance points will be critical against the Badgers, and if MSU can get offensive boards, they should be able to back the Badgers into a corner.

There you have it, the keys to an MSU victory on Saturday and a shot at the Big Ten Tournament title. Remember, for the best analysis, news and information keep checking SpartanNation.com throughout the Big Ten Tournament.