Michigan State vs. Gophers
THREE THINGS TO WATCH:
NO BRIDGES– Michigan State freshman star and leading scorer Miles Bridges is out for his sixth straight game Tuesday with an ankle injury. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound former McDonald's All-American averaged a team-best 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds through the first eight games. Bridges hasn't played since the Nov. 29 loss at Duke. The Spartans have started sophomore Kyle Ahrens (3.6 points per game) and senior Matt Van Dyk (1.6 ppg) in his place.
BATTLE ON BOARDS– A typical Tom Izzo team is tough to keep off the glass. Michigan State was seriously undersized this year even with Bridges. But the Spartans still rank sixth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin at plus-four. The Gophers are taller and longer, but they are 11th in the conference in rebounding margin at plus-2.8. After a 20-rebound edge against Northern Illinois, Minnesota has been outrebounded the past two games against smaller teams in wins vs. LIU-Brooklyn (38-32) and Arkansas State (34-27).
LYNCH AND COFFEY– The Gophers' top newcomers Amir Coffey and Reggie Lynch were at the forefront of the 12-1 start through nonconference play. But both have missed games with injuries and haven't played as well heading into the Big Ten season. Coffey is averaging just eight points on 33 percent shooting (14-for-42) in his last six games, which includes only one game in double figures. Lynch still leads the Big Ten with 3.3 blocks per game, but he saw his streak of 28 straight games with a block end last week against Arkansas State. The 6-foot-10 junior center has just eight points and four rebounds combined in the two games since his 18-point, 11-rebound effort against Northern Illinois on Dec. 11.
GAME INFO
Time: 8 p.m. CT, Tuesday. Where: Williams Arena. Line: Gophers by 5. Series: Michigan State leads 56-58; Minnesota lost last meeting 69-61 at home Jan 2, 2016. TV: ESPN2. Online/Live video: BTN2go. Radio: 1500ESPN.
PROJECTED STARTERS
