If you’re itching for some Michigan State basketball action this week, you’re in luck because you’re about to get more than one serving of it before Thanksgiving.
In fact, the Spartans will be in action on Monday evening at 5 p.m. ET against Colorado as the two teams square off in the first round of the Maui Invitational. This is one of the most loaded fields Maui has ever seen with four top-10 teams in the tournament, led by UConn, Iowa State, Auburn, and North Carolina. Dayton, Michigan State, Memphis, and Colorado round out of the rest of the field, but Spartan fans want their team to prove they belong with the top teams mentioned above.
After a 4-1 start to the season, a 2-1 week in Maui would have fans more than pleased. A title would have everyone drinking the Kool-Aid.
Let’s dive into some of my boldest predictions for the Monday evening battle.
1. Xavier Booker builds confidence back
Through the first four games of the season, Xavier Booker’s confidence was shot. He had 14 total points in the first four games and just didn’t look like the guy we all expected before the season. And then his performance against Samford sparked a huge run that led to a big win for the Spartans.
Booker had seven points and a rebound in 10 minutes against Samford.
That was a huge confidence-booster for the sophomore big man. He is going to build on that against Colorado on Monday evening with 10 points and six rebounds, making a couple of huge threes. Let’s hope this play continues after Monday.
2. Michigan State makes 10 threes
Michigan State was the worst 3-point shooting team in the country through the first four games of the year and the Spartans started out 0-for-9 against Samford last week before making 7-of-15 to end the game. I see the Spartans carrying that finish over into Monday’s game, hitting 10 shots from deep.
The Spartans have been awful from deep this season but they are taking good shots. They’re open most of the time so they just need to capitalize and they’ll do that on Monday evening. Colorado is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country and Michigan State will be able to keep pace, and then some.
I’m predicting 10-for-24 shooting from Michigan State basketball from deep.
3. Jeremy Fears leads MSU to win with double-double
While Booker and the 3-point shooting will both be nice boosts, Jeremy Fears Jr.’s double-double will truly be the difference on Monday night as he finally reaches 10-plus assists for the first time this season and he’ll learn that he can get to the rim with ease, converting on six easy shots from the paint, including a breakaway dunk.
Fears will finish with 11 assists and he’ll score 13 points to go along with it.
If Michigan State could get similar production from Fears every night, I would bet that it would be going far in both the Big Ten and in March this season.
BONUS: Michigan State holds Colorado under 70 points
Michigan State basketball defenses in recent years have been solid and this year’s is no different. While the Spartans allow 68 points per game, they have played the No. 1 team in the country as well as one of the best mid-majors in college basketball. And in both instances, Michigan State held them to their lowest point totals of the season thus far.
The same will happen on Monday against Colorado.
The Buffaloes are averaging 84 points per game this season and they’re shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three, but Michigan State’s defense will step up and hold them under 70 points. In comparison, they’ve only scored under 80 once through four games and it was a 76-56 win over Eastern Washington to start the year. Michigan State will hold Colorado to 68 while scoring 80.
