Michigan State basketball vs. Nebraska tipoff: Matchup analysis and prediction
• What: Michigan State vs. Nebraska
• When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
• Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing
• New COVID-19 vaccination / testing policy for fans: To enter, fans ages 12 and older must have proof of vaccination for COVID-19 (either a vaccine card or digital photo of it) or have proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours. Fans 18-up should also be prepared to show their ID. Fans 17-under with adult supervision will not be required to show an ID. The mask requirement remains in effect. Also, concessions will be open, but limited to beverages.
• TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 195 (MSU broadcast)
• Records/Rankings: MSU is 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten, ranked No. 10 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches poll. Nebraska is 6-8 overall, 0-3 in the Big Ten and unranked.
• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 655-256 in his 27th season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Nebraska — Fred Hoiberg is 135-109 in his eighth season as a collegiate head coach, including 20-53 in his third season with the Huskers
• Series: MSU leads 20-9 all-time, including 13-3 since the Huskers joined the Big Ten. MSU has won eight straight meetings. MSU has twice lost to Nebraska at Breslin Center in recent years, both in 2014 and 2016.
• Betting line: MSU -15
Lineups
MSU
C (30) Marcus Bingham Jr. (7-0) 11.0
PF (10) Joey Hauser (6-9) 7.2
SF (44) Gabe Brown (6-8) 14.6
SG (5) Max Christie (6-6) 9.5
PG (2) Tyson Walker (6-0) 6.5
Nebraska
C (13) Derrick Walker (6-9) 9.4
F (11) Lat Mayen (6-9) 4.8
G (5) Bryce McGowens (6-7) 15.8
G (30) Keisei Tominaga (6-2) 8.4
G (1) Alonzo Verge Jr. (6-3) 15.6
• MSU update: The Spartans are coming off a 73-67 win at Northwestern, which puts them tied atop the Big Ten standings at 3-0. MSU’s leading scorer, Gabe Brown, has scored 24 and 20 points, respectively, in the last two games — his first 20-plus-point outings of the year, though Brown has reached double figures in all but one game this season. He’s hit 9 of 20 3-pointers over the past two games and 18 of 40 from long range over his past five to bring his 3-point shooting average for the year up to 39.8%. Wednesday's game is the annual Izzone student section alumni game, which is usually the best crowd of the season, though, this time it coincides with a COVID-19 outbreak across the country and new vaccinations and testing requirements for entry, so it’s unclear what the atmosphere will be.
MORE: Couch: Gabe Brown has been just what the doctor ordered for MSU's basketball team and program
• Nebraska update: The Huskers are coming off a good effort at home against Ohio State on Sunday, before losing 87-79. Nebraska was thought to be improved and even underrated coming into this season, but it hasn’t played out that way. Some of that is due to a bad break three games into the season, when leading scorer Trey McGowens (averaging 20 points per game) suffered a broken foot. The Huskers clearly don’t have the depth of talent yet to overcome that, Trey’s younger brother, Bryce, the first five-star recruit in program history, is having a nice freshman season and has become the team’s leading scorer. Minus the older McGowens, the Huskers have had some OK performances and also some duds, like back to back 30-plus-point losses to Michigan and Auburn in December.
• Inside the matchup: Bryce McGowens should eventually be a star in the Big Ten, if he sticks around long enough for it to happen. He’s not yet an efficient player, partly because his role is too big for this point in his career. He’ll be guarded by Gabe Brown and Max Christie. Arizona State transfer Alonzo Verge is quick and explosive, but doesn’t play like he values possessions. He’ll be a tough guard, though, for Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard. I’d expect we might also see Jaden Akins on Verge, as well. Outside shooting and rebounding are the two biggest weaknesses of this Nebraska club, which doesn’t bode well for an upset.
• Prediction: MSU usually outperforms Las Vegas’ expectations for the point spread during the annual Izzone alumni game — the Spartans have done so by nearly 10 points per game over the past six such games. It’s an incredible atmosphere most years, the one time a bunch of 30- and 40-somethings get to scream like college kids. If it’s like that again Wednesday, despite the new COVID requirements for entry, expect the same result. I’m just not sure what Wednesday night will look like at Breslin.
Make it: MSU 85, Nebraska 64
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU basketball vs. Nebraska: Prediction, preview, betting line, TV
