3 Players From Minnesota MSU Must be Prepared For
The Michigan State Spartans have played well to begin their season, starting off with a 6-2 record through the first eight games. With conference play just around the corner for MSU, here are three Minnesota Golden Gophers that the Spartans will look to contain when the two squads meet.
The first Golden Gopher that MSU will need to keep quiet on offense is forward Dawson Garcia. Garcia, now in his third year with Minnesota has kept up with his production over the years, and so far on the 2024 campaign, he cannot be stopped.
Leading the Gophers in average points per game with 18.6 and rebounds per game with 7.2, Garcia has shown opponents that he can be a powerhouse for Minnesota if teams are not careful. Averaging 34 minutes of court time, MSU will surely get their fair share of Garcia's time on the court.
Of Garcia's 18.6-point game average, that totals 29.7% of Minnesota's average points per game, which comes in at 62.6. With MSU averaging 80.5 points on average, it is in prime position if it can find ways to minimize Garcia's offensive production.
The second player MSU will need to silence from Minnesota is forward Parker Fox. Fox is averaging 7.5 points per game, but what makes Fox dangerous is his success rate. Going into the MSU game, Fox has a 67.6 percent field goal success rate and a 50% 3-point success rate.
While Fox has not taken a majority of the shots this season, he has showcased an area of his game that can elevate Minnesota past their opponents. Every team needs a player like Fox, and if MSU wants to walk away with the victory, there are aspects of Fox's game that need to be isolated.
The last player that should be on MSU's radar is guard Lu'Cye Patterson. In his first year with the Gophers, Patterson has been a part of the one-two punch that Minnesota provides in Garcia and himself. Averaging 33 minutes of game time, Patterson is good for 10.1 points per game.
While the fear should lie in the production of Garcia, there are a multitude of men that, if not taken seriously, will walk all over MSU. Coach Tom Izzo will look to get his team off on the right foot against their first conference opponent.
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Dominic Minchella holds a communications degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is a former MLB writer and joins our team ad an NFL/College team reporter on Sports Illustrated