Michigan State is hoping to put a difficult stretch of the season behind them as they finish out the regular season and enter into conference tournaments. The No. 22 Spartans can wrap up the No. 2 seed for the Big Ten tournament with a win over Ohio State on the road.
The Spartans' season looked filled with promise until injuries derailed the early efforts. Michigan State was ranked No. 3 at one point after starting 18-1 on the season. However, Branden Dawson broke his hand, leaving the team without one of the conference's top rebounders. After Dawson went down, Michigan State went 5-6 . The rebounder returned to the lineup March 1 and the Spartans are hoping he can push a late-season run in the tournaments.
Not only did Michigan State lose Dawson, but Adreian Payne and Keith Appling went down and were forced to miss time with injuries. Appling was able to return to the lineup in Thursday's game against No. 24 Iowa. He put up 12 points in the game, his first time reaching double-digits since Jan. 28. Travis Trice has been thriving in his place. He put up 17 points off the bench as five other players also reached double-digit point figures.
The win over Iowa shows exactly what Michigan State is capable of with a healthy lineup. The team will need it facing Ohio State on the road. The Spartans could reach their first Final Four since 2010. Making their way through the Big Ten tournament will not be an easy task with how deep the conference is.
The Buckeyes will be shooting for a No. 4 seed in the tournament if they win on Sunday and Nebraska also loses. The two teams split the regular season. If they lose, Ohio State finishes no better than fifth which will not help them in tournament play. Ohio State has been very inconsistent this season. They lost four in a row before winning seven of nine games and then dropping two road games. Getting Michigan State at home will be a challenge.
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