Indiana Hoosiers vs Michigan State Spartans Prediction & Match Preview - March 2, 2021

The Indiana Hoosiers will travel to East Lansing to battle the Michigan State Spartans in a showdown that will impact this year's Big Ten Tournament's seedings.

In the two teams' first meeting this season, the Spartans earned a 78-71 victory over the Hoosiers. It is safe to say that Archie Miller and his side will be looking to even out the season series on Tuesday.

Match Details

Fixture: Indiana Hoosiers vs Michigan State Spartans - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date and Time: Tuesday, March 2, 8:00 PM ET

Venue: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State Spartans Preview

Aaron Henry #0 of the Michigan State Spartans lo

The Michigan State Spartans saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday night as they suffered a 73-55 loss to the Maryland Terrapins.

The Spartans seemed to have turned a corner offensively after defeating two top-five programs in a span of three days. However, they seemingly fell back into their odd shooting habits against the Terrapins on Sunday night. They went 19 of 57 from the field and had just two starters score above ten points.

Key Player - Aaron Henry

Aaron Henry is the key player for the Michigan State Spartans. The junior wing is the team's leading scorer and averaged an impressive 21.7 points on 54.4% shooting during the team's recent three-game winning streak.

Against the Terrapins, Henry's hot shooting came to an end as he finished with 11 points on a season-low 25% shooting.

Players are rarely going to admit they were gassed but Aaron Henry not exactly denying it. Said his shots were short. “Whether we’re tired or not, it doesn’t matter...I’ll never use it as an excuse, no matter how I feel.”
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) February 28, 2021

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Henry will need to get back to his high-percentage scoring as the Michigan State Spartans are once again in a must-win situation against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Michigan State Spartans Predicted Lineup

F Aaron Henry, F Gabe Brown, F Julius Marble II, G Joshua Langford, G Rocket Watts

Also Read - NBA G League 2020-21: Top 5 players with the most potential.

Indiana Hoosiers Preview

Aljami Durham #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers during a game against the Michigan State Spartans

The Indiana Hoosiers have shown signs of brilliance this season, sweeping teams like the Iowa Hawkeyes and taking both Wisconsin and Illinois into overtime. However, they have failed to pull out of games late.

The biggest point of concern for the Indiana Hoosiers has been their ability to convert from the free-throw line. This season, the Hoosiers are knocking down just 66.8% of their free-throws.

Key Player - Trayce Jackson-Davis

Trayce Jackson-Davis is the best player for the Indiana Hoosiers. He leads the team in three major statistical categories, averaging 19.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Jackson-Davis' performances this season has led to him being named as one of five finalists for the 2021 Karl Malone Award.

Congratulations, TJD! 👏A finalist for the @HoopHall #MaloneAward: https://t.co/80zc8Bl2tm. pic.twitter.com/PWs4zIrCaW
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) February 25, 2021

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We expect the sophomore forward to have a big game against the Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday. He scored a season-high 34 points in their first meeting earlier this month.

Indiana Hoosiers' Predicted Lineup

F Race Thompson, F Jerome Hunter, F Trayce Jackson-Davis, G Aljami Durham, G Rob Phinisee

Indiana vs Michigan State Prediction

With both teams coming off a loss, we expect to see high energy from the opening tip. The Indiana Hoosiers will have the best player on the court in Trayce Jackson-Davis. Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans will likely go back to the physical style of play that earned them their impressive wins over Ohio State and Illinois.

According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Michigan State Spartans have a 52.1% chance of beating the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday night.