3 Keys to Victory for MSU against Wisconsin
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There are not many opportunities for Michigan State basketball to get better before it's time for March Madness. MSU is just past the three-quarters mark of the regular season, in fact.
The 10th-ranked Spartans (20-4 overall, 10-3 Big Ten) are getting another nice opportunity on Friday (8 p.m. ET, FOX) against Wisconsin (17-7, 9-4). Both of these teams are entering this one feeling relatively nice about themselves after both taking down Illinois in overtime in their last respective games.
MSU will have a rest advantage, with its game against the Fighting Illini having been this past Saturday, while the Badgers played them on Tuesday. Regardless, that schedule dynamic is likely wiped away and then some by the game being played at the Kohl Center in Madison, one of the tougher places to play in the conference.
Tom Izzo often says his team has a relatively small margin for error to consistently pull out victories. For Michigan State to get another one here, it needs to do these three things:
Make Life Difficult on Perimeter
Wisconsin is going to shoot a lot of three-pointers. No team in the Big Ten is averaging more three-point attempts than the Badgers. In UW's recent win at Illinois, it made a season-high 16 three-pointers.
During Wisconsin's 13 Big Ten games, it has made at least 10 threes in nine games. When the Badgers reached double digits against a conference foe, they've been 7-2. When they make nine or fewer, they're just 2-2.
Guards Defend without Fouling
Wisconsin has a pretty clear top two, with point guard Nick Boyd and shooting guard John Blackwell combining for nearly 39 points per game. Both of them are also quite good at getting to the line, with each of them shooting about six free throws per game and both of them making more than 80% of said free throws this season.
Michigan State needs its own guards, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jordan Scott, on the court. The Spartans can't put Boyd or Blackwell at the line too much. Firstly, because Boyd and Blackwell will convert those fouls into points. Secondly, because a reduction to Fears' and/or Scott's minutes due to foul trouble can be fatal in a game like this, especially with how valuable they have been lately.
More Solid Minutes from Wojcik
Denham Wojcik is still going to be a critical component of MSU's rotation moving forward. Fears cannot play 40 minutes every single game. He needs to get a breather once in a while, and Wojcik has to be somebody who can come in and maintain order for two-, three-, or four-minute stretches with Divine Ugochukwu now out for the season with a foot injury.
It should help that the Spartans have gotten five days of rest for this game, but the Spartans still need Fears' body to hold up for the Big Ten Tournament and March Madness down the line. Even during those games, there will have to be stretches where Fears takes a seat --- Wojcik has to be ready for those moments.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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