EAST LANSING– Michigan State men’s basketball travels to Mackey Arena, one of the toughest road atmospheres in the country, to take on No. 8 Purdue on Thursday.
Since 1999, the Spartans have the series lead over Purdue, 26-21. However, Mackey Arena has been a house of horrors during that time, as MSU is 7-14 and hasn’t had a successful trip to West Lafayette, Ind., since 2014.
The Spartans are in need of a statement win. This is their penultimate opportunity to knock off a top-ten opponent on the road. Purdue is projected by many as a two or three-seed if the NCAA Tournament were selected today, while MSU is teetering between a three and four-seed.
These teams are knotted at 12-4 in the Big Ten standings, which is good for fourth place in the conference. The four seed in the Big Ten Tournament is a highly coveted position, as the beneficiary receives a double-bye, beginning its tournament run in Chicago on Friday, only needing three wins to secure the tournament championship.
This is a highly-anticipated matchup between two of the nation’s marquee guards. For Purdue, 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith has steadied the Boilermakers to yet another top ten season.
Smith is producing efficient shooting splits; 47 percent from the field, and 41 percent from three-point range.
MSU redshirt sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. is in the midst of a breakout season as he leads the college basketball in assists while also being the Spartans’ leading scorer, averaging 15 points per game.
Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has taken a sizable step back from last season where he averaged 20 points per game. This season, Kaufman-Renn is at 13 points per game and is only shooting 15 percent from three-point range.
Expect Spartans forward Coen Carr to get some of the defensive assignments on Kaufman-Renn. Carr has been the most consistent perimeter defender for MSU and should receive a few votes for All-Big Ten Defensive First Team.
Michigan State freshman Jordan Scott has six starts under his belt now and has proven he can fit right in with the four veterans. He will most likely be matched up on defense with a familiar foe for Spartans’ fans, Fletcher Loyer.
Loyer is a veteran player who has been through the wars of Big Ten basketball. It will be an interesting matchup to see what Scott can do against Loyer; he must stay on his feet and not fall for pump fakes, as Loyer knows all the tricks to beat a younger defender.
Tip-off in West Lafayette, Ind., is scheduled for 8 p.m. Catch Jack Stager and Joe Dez on the call for Impact 89FM here:https://impact89fm.org/listenlive/
