Michigan State basketball faces quick turnaround vs. Oakland on Monday

Michigan State basketball just beat Baylor handily but the Spartans can’t celebrate for too long as they face Oakland on Monday.

That’s the Michigan State basketball team we all have been waiting for. The Spartans came out and dominated the sixth-ranked and undefeated Baylor Bears on Saturday afternoon in Detroit. It was a blowout from the jump as Michigan State went on to win resoundingly, 88-64.

Normally a win of this magnitude calls for celebration, but we won’t have much time to celebrate this win. The 24-hour rule, a common phrase in sports allowing a team to celebrate a win for 24 hours before they turn the page to their next game, may be too long this time. Michigan State has only one day’s rest before their next opponent comes to East Lansing.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies

On Monday night, Michigan State will welcome in-state foe Oakland to the Breslin Center. Tom Izzo usually puts Oakland on the schedule every year, but this year feels a little different. With only one full day of rest before this game, the Spartans have to turn their attention fast.

This could cause some issues for our team, especially after the emotional win against Baylor. This is a perfect “letdown” or “trap” game that so many teams have fallen to before. Coming off a big win might cause a team’s ego to be too high, causing them to underperform in their next game. This could very well be the case against Oakland, especially with such little rest.

But this quick turnaround can be good for many reasons. First of all, this fast turnaround is how the NCAA Tournament is played. So these two games can prepare us for what it will feel like come tournament time. This short rest, if handled correctly, can also be beneficial because there is no time to celebrate the Baylor win if you get your full attention on Oakland.

We also have to consider the start this team has had as well. The Baylor win is massive, but there is still work to be done. We are only 5-5 even after this win. We can’t afford to lose a game to an opponent like Oakland. So hopefully that fact will get our team focused and ready to go against Oakland.