Michigan State and Minnesota enter their Big Ten opener Wednesday night in Minneapolis with different feelings about their non-conference results this season.
Michigan State comes in after a solid 2-1 performance at the Maui Invitational last week. The Spartans ended their appearance with a 94-91 overtime win over then-No. 12 North Carolina in the third-place game.
The only losses for the Spartans (6-2) this season have been to No. 1 Kansas and to No. 16 Memphis, so Michigan State enters the start of conference play this week feeling good.
Helping the Spartans’ cause on Wednesday should be the return of guard Jase Richardson, who has been an impact freshman.
Richardson missed the North Carolina game after taking an elbow to the head against Memphis but has been deemed good to go against Minnesota.
At 10.4 points a game, Richardson is one of three Spartans averaging in double figures in scoring. Jaden Akins is first at 12.9, and Frankie Fidler is at 11.4.
Michigan State lost its game at Minnesota 59-56 last season, so Spartans coach Tom Izzo knows his team will have to continue the momentum built in Hawaii.
“They’ve been in every game,” Izzo said of Minnesota. “They lost three games by 10 or 11 points (total). So, as you know, it’s not an easy place to play up there.”
Meanwhile, Minnesota (6-3) has yet to post a signature win in what has been an underwhelming non-conference portion of the schedule.
The Golden Gophers hope league play can give them a kick-start. Minnesota hasn’t had much time to prepare for Michigan State, given that the Gophers most recently played on Sunday, gaining a 79-62 home win over Bethune-Cookman.
The victory came on the heels of close losses at the ESPN Events Invitational in the Orlando area to Wichita State and Wake Forest, so Minnesota coach Ben Johnson said his team is starting to find itself.
“Guys are getting more comfortable,” Johnson said. “They’re understanding, and we’re getting a rhythm. We figured out some things defensively that we’re going to stick with that worked.”
Minnesota hopes veteran guard Mike Mitchell can return from a sprained ankle that has sidelined him for all but two games this season. Mitchell is questionable for the Michigan State contest.
Minnesota’s scoring leader this season is Dawson Garcia at 19.1 points a game.
–Field Level Media
