Michigan State at GOPHERS
Three things to watch:
BIG VS. SMALL – The last time the Gophers played a team with as much size as Michigan State, they lost to Purdue by 34 points, which was the largest margin of defeat in Williams Arena history. The Boilermakers won the rebounding battle 46-29. During the seven-game losing streak, Minnesota has been outrebounded six times. The Spartans, who start 6-11, 242-pound freshman Jaren Jackson Jr., 6-8, 245-pound sophomore Nick Ward and 6-7, 225-pound sophomore Miles Bridges, rank first in the Big Ten and third nationally in rebounding margin (plus-10.1 per game). The Gophers beat the Spartans in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals last season. But Bridges and Ward (combined for 35 points and 17 rebounds) had a close battle with Minnesota's Jordan Murphy and Reggie Lynch (26 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks) in the paint. This time around, Michigan State has added Jackson, who will likely win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Meanwhile, the Gophers have a 1-10 record without Lynch, who has been suspended for the last month. The rank 13th in the conference in rebounding margin (minus-3.6). Murphy leads the Big Ten in rebounding per game (10.9 in league games), but he's playing center at 6-7. And his supporting cast in the frontcourt has struggled to produce consistently. Starting forwards Michael Hurt and Davonte Fitzgerald combined for just three points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field. Hurt did have five rebounds in 36 minutes, but the Gophers struggled as a team to defend the paint (Indiana shot 64.9 percent from inside the arc in Friday's 80-56 win in Bloomington).
SUPER MILES – Bridges scored a game-high 20 points, including the last-second three-pointer in a 68-65 win against No. 3 Purdue on Saturday. Watching some of Bridges' dunks during his career reminds many people of the college-version of Vince Carter. This high-flying forward can dunk with the best rim rattlers in Big Ten history, but Bridges is showing off even more of his perimeter game this season. After deciding to wait on the NBA for another year, the Flint, Mich. native arrived with an improved jump shot and offensive game. He's shooting 41.6 percent (32-for-77) from beyond the arc in Big Ten play. He's made 2.3 threes per game in conference games, which leads all forwards. Bridges having a more all-around game makes him even tougher to contain. He's averaging 18.4 points in league play, but Bridges scored 20 or more points six times in the last eight games. Jackson's currently projected as the No. 5 best prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft, according to ESPN.com. Bridges isn't far behind at No. 10, which is the second highest rated Big Ten player. All the way down to No. 26 is Ohio State's Keita Bates-Diop, who is the frontrunner for Big Ten player of the year.
TURNOVER MARGIN – In Richard Pitino's first couple seasons, the Gophers were one of the top teams in the country in steals and turnovers forced. A lot of their success offensively came from forcing mistakes by the opposition and getting transition baskets. That hasn't been the case in recent years, especially with the lack of depth and injuries this season. Minnesota ranks only seventh in the Big Ten in steals (5.3) and ninth in turnover margin (opponent's average just 10.6 turnovers per game). If the Gophers want to have a chance to compete at all Tuesday night, they need to pressure Michigan State into coughing up the ball early and often. The Spartans are 13th in the Big Ten in turnover margin, mostly because they commit 13.7 turnovers per game. That's third highest in the Big Ten behind Illinois' 14.5 and Maryland's 14.1.
GAME INFO
Time: 8 p.m. CT, Tuesday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Michigan State by 10. Series: Michigan State leads 68-60. Last meeting Gophers won 63-58 in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on March 10, 2017. TV: ESPN2 Online/Live video: WatchESPN Radio: 100.3 FM and 1130 AM
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