MSU Holds Advantage Over Washington in Key Area
The Michigan State Spartans are set to continue their Big Ten Conference play against the Washington Huskies on Thursday. While the Huskies are no team to take lightly, MSU may have some advantages over them that could keep it undefeated in conference play.
MSU, going into the game against Washington, sits eighth in the Big Ten in average points made per game with 81.1, while Washington has averaged 74.4 points per game, which already seems to give the Spartans a larger advantage than others would think.
Tom Izzo's Spartans have been on the cuffs of greatness this season, as MSU is just one of two teams still undefeated in Big Ten play. The Spartans would love nothing more when it comes to adding to its win total, especially if it propels them into the sole position of No. 1 in the conference.
As for Washington, the Huskies have allowed 69.4 points on average against its opponents, a number that also bodes well if you root for MSU. While the Huskies may have their backs against the wall, especially in hostile territory, they have shown fight all season, which cannot be overlooked.
Lucky for Washington, the team has put up a 33% success rate on 3-point shots, which towers over MSU, which sits at the bottom of the conference when it comes to the 3-point shooting category.
After not performing strongly in its 3-point efforts against Ohio State, it would be smart for the Huskies to put more defense beyond the line in hopes that MSU will continue its cold spell when it comes to successful threes.
The Huskies have not performed well when it has come to Big Ten play thus far, going into the game with a 1-3 record. It will come down to the typical difference makers for both Washington and MSU, who will lead their respective team to victory.
Great Osobor will likely be MSU's greatest threat, as he leads the Huskies in both average points and rebounds per game. As for MSU, the team possesses more threats from both a shooting and defensive standpoint.
While still early in the season, early conference games such as this could build or break the direction of the program for the remainder of the season.
Thursday's game is set for 8 p.m. at the Breslin Center.
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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