5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — Michigan State Spartans
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Another top-15 matchup is on the docket this week, with No. 13 Michigan State making the trip to Mackey Arena to play No. 8 Purdue. This Thursday night clash is hugely important in terms of the Big Ten standings, as both teams are battling for the second spot in the league.
Tom Izzo is bringing an athletic and scrappy team into West Lafayette, led by star guard Jeremy Fears Jr. It will be another major test for the Boilermakers, who are trying to secure a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Here are a few things to know about the Spartans ahead of Thursday's clash at Mackey Arena.
Fears is the nation's top passer
Thursday night's matchup between the Boilermakers and Spartans will feature the top two passers in college basketball this season. Fears is the nation's leader, averaging 9.2 assists per game. Purdue's Braden Smith is second, dishing out 8.7 assists per contest.
Fears is surrounded by players who can score in the post at a high level, including Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Coen Carr and others. He does an excellent job of feeding the post, but can also find teammates open around the perimeter.
What makes Fears such a dangerous player is that he's also capable of scoring at a high level. He's also scoring 15 points per game this season, leading the way for Michigan State in that department, as well.
Dominant on the boards
Keeping Michigan State off the glass has been a nearly impossible mission this year. The Spartans are averaging 41.1 rebounds per game this season and are plus-12.6 on the boards, a mark that ranks third-best in the country.
Everyone wearing a green jersey can rebound. The Spartans are led by Kohler, who is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game and has collected 10 boards or more in three of his last four games. Four different players are averaging at least 4.3 rebounds per game and seven are grabbing at least 2,0 boards per game.
Michigan State's ability to rebound the basketball is a big help on the defensive end, but Izzo's team also crashes the offensive glass. The Spartans rank 31st in offensive rebounding this season, creating plenty of second-chance opportunities for themselves.
Kohler is a true stretch four
At 6-foot-9, Kohler is a matchup problem for a lot of teams. He's capable of scoring in the post and has also been excellent as a catch-and-shoot player from the perimeter. The senior is the epitome of the stretch four position, capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor.
Kohler is averaging 12.3 points per game and is shooting the ball at a 50.4% clip. Even more impressive, he's Michigan State's most efficient three-point shooter, hitting at a 40% mark for the year. He has gone through a bit of a slump in recent weeks, making just 24% (12-of-50) of his attempts since Jan. 17.
Still, Kohler is capable of clicking at any given moment. He also provides the Spartans with a huge boost on the glass. Purdue's defense may have its hands full trying to contain the MSU forward.
Top 10 in KenPom's defensive efficiency
Michigan State's greatest strength this season has come on the defensive end of the floor. A lot of that has to do with its effectiveness on the glass, but the Spartans have the sixth-highest adjusted defensive efficiency rating in the country this season.
Opponents are scoring just 66.1 points per game and shooting only 39.7% from the floor. Both those numbers rank in the top 20 nationally.
The Spartans have a lot of athleticism on the floor at all times, making it difficult for teams to get open looks. This isn't a team that depends heavily on forcing turnovers, averaging just 5.3 steals per game. Opponents are also averaging fewer than 11 turnovers per contest against the Spartans. This is just a hard-nosed, tough Izzo defense.
Not a three-point shooting team
Several teams in the Big Ten live and die with the three-point shot, but that's not Michigan State's forte. The Spartans are averaging 21.7 attempts from long range this season, which ranks 236th nationally. They shoot a solid percentage, hitting at a 35.2% clip.
Michigan State wants to utilize its athleticism and get the ball into the paint and attack the rim. If the Spartans can't score on their first shot attempt, they're good enoug to collect the offensive rebound and give themselves second-chance opportunities.
Purdue can't fall asleep defending the three-point line against Michigan State, but trying to keep the Spartans out of the paint is going to be the real challenge for Thursday night's matchup.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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