Michigan State Faces Minnesota in Big Ten Tournament Thursday

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 8 seed and will face No. 9 seed Minnesota on Thursday, March 14 (noon, BTN). The winner advances to face No. 1 Purdue on Friday, March 15 ...

The game will air live on BTN, with Brandon Gaudin, Stephen Bardo and Rick Pizzo calling all of the action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard state-wide and on the web at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling the play-by-play and Matt Steigenga serving as the color analyst, and Blake Froling is the studio host. The game can also be heard on channel 383 on SiriusXM and on the SiriusXM app.

About the Spartans

Michigan State enters Thursday's Big Ten Tournament with an 18-13 overall record (10-10 B1G).
MSU has won six Big Ten Tournament titles overall ... The Spartans have won four tournament titles and reached the finals in five of the last 11.
The Spartans have won nine of the last 15 games and 14 of the last 22 games overall.
MSU is No. 24 in the NET rankings, including No. 18 in NET Strength of Schedule.
The Spartans are No. 19 in KenPom and No. 19 in the ESPN College Basketball Power Index.
Per KenPom.com, MSU has faced the nation's No. 5 toughest slate of opposing offenses in the country and ranks No. 12 overall in strength of schedule.
The Spartans are No. 14 in the BartTorvik.com tempo free stats, No. 29 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 16 in defensive efficiency.
MSU ranks No. 37 in the country in FG% defense (41.0%) and No. 25 in scoring defense (65.9 ppg), No. 27 in assists (16.3 apg) and No. 10 in assist/turnover ratio (1.68).
The Spartans have four players scoring in double figures, and 10 with at least 3.0 points, while nine players average at least 10 minutes per game.
Through 31 games, graduate guard Tyson Walker leads the team in scoring with 18.4 points per game, connecting on 44.8 percent of his shots ... In Big Ten games, Walker averaged 17.6 ppg and 3.0 assists, while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor.
Graduate forward Malik Hall, who has scored in double figures in 14 of the last 16 games and 16 of the last 18 overall, is second on the team with 12.7 points, while grabbing 5.7 rebounds (a team-best) and 2.1 assists ... In league games, Hall averaged 14.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 2.1 apg.
Senior guard A.J. Hoggard is third on the team with 10.9 points, while adding 3.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists, which ranks fifth in the B1G ... Hoggard is third in the Big Ten, and No. 21 nationally, in assist/turnover ratio (3.04).
Junior guard Jaden Akins, who scored a career-high 23 points against Michigan and has been in double figures in 14 of the last 21 games, is fourth on the team with 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Tre Holloman is averaging 5.6 points and is third on the team with 2.5 assists.
Freshman forward Xavier Booker is averaging 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds.
Sophomore center Carson Cooper adds 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds (in four starts, he is averaging 3.0 points and 7.3 rebounds).
Senior forward Mady Sissoko adds 3.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Freshman forward Coen Carr contributes 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds.

Against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament

Michigan State is 1-3 all-time against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.
The last time the teams met in the tournament was in 2017, a 63-58 loss in the quarterfinals.
Minnesota has won the last two meetings in the tournament (2010).
MSU's last win was a 64-56 decision in 2009.

Series History

The game on Thursday will be the 139th meeting all-time between Michigan State and Minnesota.
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 76-62 and has won three of the last four games in the series and eight of the last 10 overall.

Michigan State Faces Minnesota in Big Ten Tournament Thursday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jaden Akins

Xavier Booker

Coen Carr

Carson Cooper

Malik Hall

A.J. Hoggard

Tre Holloman

Mady Sissoko

Tyson Walker

Michigan State Faces Minnesota in Big Ten Tournament Thursday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jaden Akins

Xavier Booker

Coen Carr

Carson Cooper

Malik Hall

A.J. Hoggard

Tre Holloman

Mady Sissoko

Tyson Walker

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