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The No. 23 Michigan State Spartans will host the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday night. The Spartans bounced back with an impressive win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their first game of 2021 after losing three of their last four games.
Match Details
Fixture: Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan State Spartans - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Friday, January 8th, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing, Michigan
Purdue Boilermakers Preview
The Purdue Boilermakers are still looking for their first win in the new year, as they lost to the Illinois Fighting Illini on Jan. 2nd, 66-58.
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The Boilermakers went on a 16-0 run in the second half but ultimately were let down from poor shooting against the Fighting Illini. Purdue shot just 39 percent from the field and had three starters score under double-digit points.
If the Purdue Boilermakers, who is the all-time leader in Big Ten regular-season titles, wants to get back on track in a competitive conference and upset the Michigan State Spartans, they will need a proficient offensive effort from every position on the court.
Key Player - Eric Hunter Jr.
Eric Hunter Jr. is the key player for the Purdue Boilermakers. The junior guard put up a donut against Illinois in his last outing, going 0-for-6 from the field.
If the Boilermakers are going to have a chance against the Michigan State Spartans, Hunter Jr. will need to pick up his play on the offensive side of the ball and get back to the 11.8 points he was averaging before Saturday's game.
Purdue Boilermakers Predicted Lineup
F Trevion Williams, F Mason Gillis, G Sasha Stefanovic, G Eric Hunter Jr., G Brandon Newman
Michigan State Spartans Preview
The Michigan State Spartans will likely see themselves slide back into the top-20 in the AP Top-25 Poll after their dominating, 68-45, victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
In the game against the Scarlet Knights, the Spartans were excellent on defense. They held Rutgers to 30.5 percent shooting from the field.
Their phenomenal defense led to Michigan State controlling the boards. They outrebounded the Scarlet Knights 45-25.
If the Michigan State Spartans can remain disciplined on defense, they will have no issues against the Purdue Boilermakers, who are coming off a poor shooting night.
Key Player - Aaron Henry
The key player for the Michigan State Spartans is Aaron Henry. For the second straight game in a row, the junior guard led the team in scoring.
Here is what Michigan State coach, Tom Izzo, had to say about his starting guard after putting up back-to-back 20 point games,
Aaron Henry is playing about as well, other than turnovers, that I could ask for in the last two games.
If Henry can remain the best player on the court against the Purdue Boilermakers, the Spartans will move to 3-3 in Big Ten play.
Michigan State Spartans Predicted Lineup
F Thomas Kithier, F A.J. Hoggard, C Joey Hauser, G Joshua Langford, G Aaron Henry
Purdue vs Michigan State Prediction
The Michigan State Spartans will go to 3-3 in the Big Ten after beating the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday night. The Spartans' defense will cause the Boilermakers to struggle from the field.
Where to watch Purdue vs Michigan State
The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
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