Wisconsin Badgers vs No. 8 Michigan State Spartans
There might not be a hotter team in college basketball than the Wisconsin Badgers. Bo Ryan retired right before Big Ten play and the Badgers were just 8-5. After losing four of their first five games in conference play, the Badgers have since won seven consecutive games and went from serious bubble team to near-NCAA Tournament lock, barring a meltdown.
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Nobody talks about Nigel Hayes as a Big Ten player of the year candidate, but the reality of it is, the Badgers would not be where they are right now if it weren’t for the junior forward. He’s averaging 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but his shooting could use some improvement. Bronson Koenig is another name to watch as he’s a dangerous shooter.
Michigan State is a tough team to really figure out. Many consider the Spartans the best team in the conference, but far too often they have fallen to opponents they shouldn’t have — including the first matchup against Wisconsin. Tom Izzo’s team has three one-point losses in conference play. Yes, Michigan State is just six points away from a 24-2 record.
Denzel Valentine is probably the leading candidate for conference player of the year and might even be one of the top-two or three players in the country this season. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting about 45 percent from long-range. Matt Costello has been a monster as well, averaging 10.3 points and 8.3 boards per game.
Details for Thursday’s Wisconsin vs Michigan State game are below:
Date: Thursday, Feb. 18
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Breslin Center
Stadium: East Lansing, MI
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Wisconsin radio affiliates, click here. For Michigan State radio affiliates, click here.