No. 12 Michigan State battles Washington. Can the Spartans' dominant defense and rebounding continue their winning streak on the road?
WHO: No. 12 Michigan State Spartans (15-2, 5-1) vs. Washington Huskies (10-7, 2-4)
WHERE: Hec Edmundson Pavilion — Seattle, WA
WHEN: Saturday, January 17, 6 PM EST
WATCH: Big Ten Network
Michigan State kicks off its west coast trip this weekend against Washington.
It’s still an odd phrase to register in my brain — west coast trip for the Michigan State Spartans. It feels more like a Pistons or Red Wings trip, but instead of my favorite professional team, it’s my favorite college team heading out west.
Despite my own trepidations about west coast trips, the games will happen — and they’re going to be good.
Michigan State and Washington have faced off six times in total, with the Spartans earning wins in five of those matchups.
Michigan State Overview
Riding a three-game winning streak and a 15-2 record, the 12th-ranked Spartans head west fresh off a 21-point victory over Indiana that highlighted Michigan State’s main strengths: defense and rebounding. The Spartans held Indiana to just 28 points in the second half and at one point went on a 28–2 run, including a 19–0 stretch. The defense tightened up after a first half that saw Indiana hit shots from deep.
Rebounding has been the backbone for the Spartans, led by Jaxon Kohler, who ranks 17th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 10.1 rebounds per game. As a unit, Michigan State averages 42.4 rebounds per game — second in the Big Ten behind Michigan (43.2). The Spartans lead the conference in offensive rebounds (13.6) and rank second in defensive rebounds (28.7).
Jeremy Fears Jr. took over against Indiana, scoring the first ten points for Michigan State and finishing with a career-high 23. Fears is the leader and quarterback of this team. As Tom Izzo said before the season even started, “This team will go as Fears goes,” and so far, that’s been spot on.
Fears can beat opponents in multiple ways — scoring when the rest of the team is cold, crashing the glass from the guard position, or doing what he does best: distributing the ball. He ranks second in the nation and the Big Ten with 8.8 assists per game, trailing only Purdue’s Braden Smith (9.6). As a team, the Spartans average 19.0 assists per game, third-best in the conference.
Because of the defensive style Michigan State plays, the offense doesn’t need to score 100 points every night. Sometimes scoring takes a back seat to the ground-and-pound style — not to Izzo’s delight, but it’s reality. That approach has the Spartans ranked 10th in the Big Ten in scoring at 79.0 points per game. It’s not alarming, but it’s still an area with room for improvement. I graded the shooting a B- in my midseason report.
Washington Overview
The Huskies are barely hanging on and find themselves in desperation mode with just over half the season to go. Sitting 14th in the Big Ten at 2-4 in conference play, Washington will throw everything it has at Michigan State while defending its home court.
The crowd will be loud and energetic, creating an atmosphere resembling a Pearl Jam concert — exciting for a few moments, but sad disdain for most of it. At least a Spartan fan can hope, this is the case.
Leading the way for Washington is Hannes Steinbach, who averages 17.9 points per game, eighth in the Big Ten. Washington has six players averaging double figures, compared to Michigan State’s four. Despite that, the Huskies average only 2.1 more points per game (81.1) than the Spartans.
Michigan State isn’t the only strong rebounding team in this matchup. Washington ranks fourth in the Big Ten at 38.8 rebounds per game, also led by Steinbach, who leads the conference and ranks fourth nationally with 11.2 rebounds per game.
Free throws could also favor the Huskies. Washington ranks third in the Big Ten at 78.1% from the line, while Michigan State has struggled, sitting 13th at 73.4%. If this game comes down to free throws late, the advantage leans toward the home team.
Prediction
This will be a battle.
Steinbach vs. Kohler — the matchup we’ve been waiting for. The top scorers and rebounders for each team going head-to-head in what feels like a celebrity death match. Well, maybe not that extreme — and if you don’t know the reference, you’re probably too young.
Still, it’ll be fun to watch these two big men go at it.
The Spartans are favored and should be, as they’re the better overall team. However, west coast trips are still relatively new territory for Michigan State, and the product on the road remains a question mark. The Spartans haven’t been dominant in true road games — edging Penn State by four and losing at Nebraska by two in a turnover-heavy game.
Expect a tight battle all night, but I believe Michigan State finds a way to escape Seattle with a win.
Michigan State - 73
Washington - 70