Three Things to Watch: Michigan State vs. Penn State

Coming off a win against Illinois at home last weekend, Michigan State (15-9, 7-6) is eager to prove that it is building toward March. To do so, however, the Spartans must bring the same effort, energy, and willful determination that helped lift them past the Fighting Illini at home on the road for a potentially tricky match-up at Penn State.

Penn State (12-12, 6-7) is a .500 ballclub, and the Spartans defeated this team by 31 points in early January. That record, however, means little as the Nittany Lions had won three straight Big Ten games before stumbling on the road at Northwestern last time out.

“We hit a Penn State team that has won three out of four,” Tom Izzo said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “They could have, and maybe should have beaten Northwestern on the road yesterday. They have been really good at home, and they have a couple of guys that have stepped up.”

Continue you below for Three Things to Watch when the Spartans face Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday evening.

1. Can Michigan State bring grit from Illinois win on the road to PSU?

Michigan State played solid defense, matched Illinois on the glass, and got enough out of its transition offense to earn one of the most important victories to this point in the season last weekend. Now, the Spartans travel to Penn State eager to build upon the momentum that was gained against the Fighting Illini. Consistency in performance is something that has been a struggle for this Michigan State basketball team, but that is exactly what the Spartans are seeking in Tuesday’s game.

“The mark of a good coach is to get as much out of his players as he can get out of them,” Izzo said. “The mark of a good coach is to gain consistency within a program. Over the years, I think that we’ve been consistent. I don’t think we’ve been as consistent this year, and that falls on me.”

The effort that Michigan State displayed on the glass against Illinois would serve it well on Wednesday at Penn State. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Spartans outrebounded the Nittany Lions and turned clean defensive rebounds into quality transition scoring opportunities.

“I am excited to see what we can do,” Izzo said. “We need to go on the road and bring the same kind of intensity that we did a couple of days ago. If we do, I like our chances. If we don’t, I don’t like our chances.”

A poor rebounding effort by Penn State on the road at Northwestern was one of the biggest factors in the Nittany Lions losing by six in Evanston last weekend. If the Spartans take care of business on the glass, they will put themselves one step closer to a road victory.

Penn State coach Mike Rhoades felt that Northwestern got more 50/50 balls than his team last weekend, and getting more effort and hustle plays from his team has been a point of emphasis this week.

“A lot of it is watching tape, emphasizing it when you do get it, giving up your body for the good of the team,” Rhoades said. “They are long games, and there are a lot of 50/50 balls. You’ve got to find a way to come up with them. To me, it’s the rebounding that turns into 50/50 balls. When we have it has helped us. When we haven’t it has really hurt us.”

2. Michigan State guards need to be better than their counterparts

When these two teams met in early January the primary objective for Michigan State was to contain explosive guard Kanye Clary, who had been averaging 18.4 points per game while shooting just under 50 percent prior to suffering an injury in a home loss to Minnesota in late January.

That injury sidelined Clary in wins over Rutgers and Indiana. Clary was back in the line-up, albeit in a diminished role, coming off the bench in a win at Iowa. Clary played 14 minutes without scoring a point last time out against Northwestern. As was the case in his first game back after injury, Clary did not start.

With Clary moving out of the role of go-to scorer, the Nittany Lions have managed to more balance in their scoring in recent games. That does not mean that Penn State is better without Clary than it was prior to the injury. Penn State is, however, less dependent on one guy to shoulder the scoring burden.

“Ace Baldwin has been really good,” Izzo said. “When the Clary kid got hurt, it kind of changed their team a little bit. They’ve got another kid named (Jameel) Brown, that hardly did anything against us, but is playing really well. Every one of their guys that are playing has improved and that speaks volumes about their coach.”

A point guard, Baldwin (6-1, 190, Sr., Baltimore, MD, VCU) has emerged as the primary playmaker for Penn State with Clary still working his way back from injury. He ranks second on the team in scoring (14.1) and first in assists (5.3) and steals (2.8). Baldwin is a threat from behind the 3-point line. He also leads the team in both free throws attempted and free throws made to this point in the season.

“He is averaging 18 in the last four or five games, so he is playing at an elite level,” Izzo said. “They have very good guards. It’s going to be a challenge for our three guards who played together maybe the best game that they have played.”

Prior to suffering an injury in a home loss against Minnesota in late January, Clary had been averaging 18.4 points per game while shooting just under 50 percent. Although Clary has yet to score in double figures in the two games he has played since returning from injury, he remains a potential problem for the Spartans.

“We need him because he is a talented player, but we need him to be at his best,” Rhoades said. “Some of the line-ups we’re playing are working, so that’s what you go with.”

When Clary is at his best, the Penn State backcourt is one of the best in the Big Ten.

“Those two guys, Clary and Baldwin are the real deal,” Izzo said. “They both can score it. They both can drive it. They are both strong and tough. They have some other guys too. Perimeter guys that we are going to have to guard.”

Baldwin was a non-factor for Penn State in the first meeting between these two teams. The VCU transfer scored just two points at Michigan State, shooting 0-for-7 on the night. During his weekly press conference on Monday, Penn State coach indicated that Baldwin is playing at a level he hasn’t seen him play since his days at VCU. The Spartans need to be ready for that.

Hoggard did nice job defensively last time out in a difficult match-up with Marcus Domask, a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder. Against Penn State, Hoggard could find himself matched up defensively on a smaller more explosive player. Will Hoggard be able to move his feet and stay out of foul trouble?

Against Illinois, Michigan State got impactful play from guards AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker. And while Jaden Akins didn’t do much scoring last weekend in a win over Illinois, he made up for a lack of points with solid defense throughout the game while also doing more than his share on the glass to finish with six rebounds.

“Guard play is what helps you win when you get to the tournament, when you get into big games,” Izzo said. “Why have we lost some of these two or three-point games at the end? Guard play and coaching. We are going to face a very good perimeter.”

Michigan State guards need to be better than Penn State guards in this game.

3. The Spartans need Hall to outplay Hicks

Arguably the one and the four are the two most important positions in the Michigan State basketball program. So, the Spartans are rarely the best version of themselves when they aren’t getting good production and consistency at either the point guard or the power forward positions.

In the first meeting between these two teams, Malik Hall was the X-factor for Michigan State. Hall got downhill at will against the Nittany Lions. He made high-percentage baskets. He made both 3-pointers he attempted in that game, and he also did damage at the free-throw line.

Michigan State could use a repeat performance from Hall in this game. The Spartans may also need Hall to clamp down defensively on Penn State forward Zach Hicks, who appears to have put his shooting slump behind him. Hicks has had three straight games scoring in double figures, and in each of those games he has shot well from behind the 3-point line.

Hicks is 10-for-21 from three over the span of the last three games.

“Zach practices well, and he is very coachable,” Rhoades said. “Even when he wasn’t shooting well he didn’t break away from his practice routine. He stuck with it. He believe in himself. We believe in him, and as you’ve seen lately the ball is going in. He is making plays.”

Hicks doesn’t attack off the dribble much, but he can get his shot off in a variety of ways. Michigan State needs to be ready. If Hicks outplays Hall in this game, chances are that the Spartans leave Happy Valley with a loss.

Although Hicks has shown improvement as a defender over the course of the season, Hall should be able to attack the Penn State junior.

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