Michigan State heads back to East Lansing on Wednesday night with momentum, defense and rebounding all working in its favor as Oakland comes in for a midweek matchup.
The Spartans and Grizzlies are set for a 6:30 p.m. EST tipoff on BTN+.
Michigan State has opened the season with two wins and has done it in a way that looks straight out of the Tom Izzo blueprint: tough defense, physical play and a clear edge on the glass. That showed up again in the road win over Toledo, and it has been a defining trait through the first two games.
Through those contests against Valparaiso and Toledo, the Spartans are giving up just 54.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. The offense has been productive, too, though there is still room to sharpen things up. Michigan State is scoring 85.0 points per game, a mark that sits 10th in the conference’s 18-team field.
Kennedy Blair has been the centerpiece. She is averaging 20.0 points per game, tied for 11th in the Big Ten, and she is getting it done without a single made three-pointer. Blair is the only player among the conference’s top 24 scorers who has yet to connect from deep while still sitting inside the league’s top 11 in scoring.
Theryn Hallock’s return has also mattered a great deal. She is the only other Spartan in double figures at 13.0 points per game, but her value goes beyond the box score. She has brought a nonstop energy to the floor, and after an injury last season nearly ended her college career eight games into her senior year, she is clearly treating this extra season like a gift.
Michigan State’s two freshman starters from overseas, Monique Bobongie and Emma Kathy-Otto, have also become important pieces early. Both are averaging 8.5 points per game and should keep growing as the season moves along.
The Spartans’ work on the boards has been just as important as their scoring. Blair leads the way there as well, pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game. Tabitha Betson is right behind her at 7.5, and Kathy-Otto is averaging 6.5.
My Prediction
Michigan State 85
Oakland 60
In Other News...
Tom Izzo Sends A Clear Message After Michigan State Stuns Duke
Michigan States win over No. 2 Duke in the Champions Classic gave the Spartans an early-season jolt, and Tom Izzo made sure to frame it as more than just a headline result. With his team off to a 3-0 start, the veteran coach spent his postgame media session praising Dukes quality while also crediting his own group for the way it handled the moment, a reminder that this was the kind of November test he has long wanted for his program.
Izzo also touched on individual performances from across the roster, using the night as a snapshot of where Michigan State is and where it still needs to grow. He even nodded to the football teams recent win over Michigan, tying the moment into a bigger stretch of momentum around campus, while leaving the larger question hanging on how far this basketball team can carry that early confidence. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces One Early Test After Its Duke Statement
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The matchup also offers a different kind of test, because Michigan State now has to handle the expectations that come with being ranked this high while still sorting out what kind of team it wants to be. Northern Iowa has already shown enough to suggest it can make things uncomfortable, so this is the sort of game that can reveal whether the Spartans are staying sharp or settling in after the Duke high. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Cooper Is Already Fighting For His NBA Role
Carson Coopers pro path has taken another turn, and this one gives him a clearer place to prove he belongs. The former Michigan State center has signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after previously being with the Memphis Grizzlies, setting him up to split time between the NBA roster and the teams G-League affiliate.
For a player trying to carve out a long-term role, the opportunity is as important as the jersey change. Cooper enters a crowded frontcourt as a backup center behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney, and he takes the spot vacated when Lawson Lovering was waived to make room for him. [Read more 🡒]