No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 UCLA: How to Watch, Preview & Prediction for Big Ten Quarterfinal Clash

WHO: No. 3 Michigan State Spartans (25–6, 15–5) vs. No. 6 UCLA Bruins (21–10, 13–7)

WHERE: United Center – Chicago, IL

WHEN: Friday, March 13 at approx. 9:00 PM ET

WHAT: Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals

WATCH: Big Ten Network

The Big Ten Tournament has been in full swing for the last three days, but things are only heating up now.

Eight teams remain in the quarterfinals. Four of them arrive after already securing a win in the tournament, while the other four — including Michigan State — have been resting and waiting for Friday’s action to begin.

The Spartans have been awaiting their opportunity to join the fun like one of the final entrants in a Royal Rumble. With more than half the field already knocked out, this is exactly why securing the coveted three-round bye was so important.Eight teams remain in the quarterfinals. Four of them arrive after already securing a win in the tournament, while the other four — including Michigan State — have been resting and waiting for Friday’s action to begin.

There was a lull in the season when it looked like the Spartans might not accomplish that feat. However, a strong surge at the end of the regular season didn’t just lock Michigan State into a top-four seed — they were even fighting for the No. 2 seed.

Unfortunately, the Spartans fell short in the final game of the season against No. 1 Michigan and were overtaken in the seeding by Nebraska. The trickle effect of that result has created an interesting bracket scenario. Nebraska will now face a hungry No. 7 Purdue team that looked sharp in its win over Northwestern, while Michigan State will take on the No. 6 UCLA Bruins, who earned a decisive win over Rutgers late Thursday night.

From Michigan State’s perspective, that may actually be the more favorable matchup. If the Spartans advance, they will face either Nebraska or Purdue — not both — on their path to the championship game.

But before getting ahead of ourselves, let’s keep the focus squarely on Friday night.

The Spartans and Bruins faced off less than a month ago during a two-game Midwest trip for UCLA that saw the Bruins play Michigan and Michigan State within a four-day span. With the Spartans being the second stop on that trip, UCLA simply couldn’t muster much energy against MSU.

On the other side, Michigan State entered that game having lost three of its previous four matchups and badly needed a “get-right” performance to reset the home stretch of the regular season.

The Spartans ultimately handled business in convincing fashion, defeating UCLA 82–59. The win sparked a five-game winning streak for Michigan State before the previously mentioned loss to Michigan to end the regular season.

However, if we dive deeper into that matchup, the final score might create a bit of false confidence for Spartan fans heading into Friday night.

That’s not because the Bruins were tired from their Midwest trip — in fact, they once again enter this matchup on short rest after finishing a tough game against Rutgers less than 24 hours before tip-off. Instead, the real reason is Michigan State’s unusually hot shooting from beyond the arc in the first meeting.

Jeremy Fears entered that game shooting just 1-for-10 from three-point range over his previous ten attempts. He then proceeded to knock down his first three shots from deep and finished the day with four made threes.

As a team, Michigan State hit eight three-pointers in the first half and finished the game with 14 made threes. That’s notable considering the Spartans average just 7.6 threes per game — which ranks them 199th in the nation.

If I were a betting man, that three-point surge likely came from the players-only meeting that preceded the UCLA game. This time around, I’d expect the Bruins to do a better job closing out on shooters and limiting Michigan State’s opportunities from beyond the arc.

Fortunately for the Spartans, three-point shooting wasn’t the only reason they won the first meeting.

Even if the outside shots aren’t falling, Michigan State can rely on its two big seniors — Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper — which has been the formula for Spartan victories most of the season.

In that first matchup against UCLA, Michigan State won the rebounding battle 37–27 but actually lost the offensive rebounding battle 8–7. The Spartans also committed more turnovers (14–11) and finished with fewer steals (6–5).

However, Michigan State will still have the best player on the floor in Jeremy Fears. Even if he doesn’t drain four threes again, “The General” has shown he can take over games in a variety of ways.

Fears currently sits just ten assists away from tying Cassius Winston’s single-season Michigan State record of 291 assists. He’s also within striking distance of the Big Ten record, needing 33 more assists to surpass Braden Smith’s mark of 313 set last season.

It’s worth noting that Smith closed the gap Thursday night after recording 16 assists against Northwestern — a Big Ten Tournament record — after trailing Fears by ten assists entering the game.

Fears also leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, while Kohler ranks second on the team with 12.8 points per game.

Still, Michigan State’s true superpower isn’t its offense — it’s the defense.

That defensive identity will need to be sharp the rest of the postseason, starting Friday night. In the first meeting, UCLA lost by 23 points, but Tyler Bilodeau — the Big Ten’s tenth-leading scorer — still managed to put up 22 points against the Spartans. He's coming off of a 21-point game against Rutgers on Thursday night.

Expect freshman Jordan Scott to be draped all over Bilodeau throughout the game.

But he’s not the only Bruin to watch. Donovan Dent is coming off a historic performance against Rutgers, recording the first triple-double in Big Ten Tournament history with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. It was also just the third triple-double ever recorded in a major conference tournament since the 1996–97 season and UCLA’s first triple-double since 2013.

This won’t be an easy game for either team.

In fact, I expect it to be tight throughout the first half and wouldn’t be surprised if the Spartans are trailing at the break. But as the game wears on, the tide should begin to turn in Michigan State’s favor.

Ultimately, rest will prove to be a major factor. UCLA’s short turnaround will catch up with them late, and fatigue will allow Michigan State to slowly take control.

The final score may look more comfortable than the game actually feels.

Michigan State – 76

UCLA – 69