The Spartans are inching closer and closer to the NCAA Tournament.
But the road leading to the first round still has sharp turns. One of those slick curves is Purdue.
MSU (15-11 overall, 7-6 Big Ten) will try to keep the field of 65 in sight when the Boilermakers (17-8, 8-5) invade Breslin Center at 2:34 p.m. Saturday.
Though the chance of taking home a fifth Big Ten crown in six seasons is still possible, the likelihood is slim to none. That is why senior forward Aloysius Anagonye and his teammates are focusing on making an NCAA Tournament bid a certainty.
"Right now, we're in a position where we have to win every game we play," Anagonye said. "We put ourselves in this position and we definitely have to dig ourselves out."
As far as MSU getting cocky or lax following its 71-61 win against Minnesota on Wednesday night, Anagonye said once the final buzzer sounded, the Spartans had already shifted their focus to the Boilermakers.
"Purdue is on our mind right now," he said. "We're going to try and enjoy this one as much as possible, but when you're in a position like we are right now, you can't enjoy it too long."
The last time the teams met, Purdue's defense was the story, resulting in a 72-60 Boilermaker win. That loss gave the Spartans their third loss in four games.
MSU grabbed an early 9-4 lead in that game, but the Boilermakers laced together a 19-2 run to go up 23-11, and the Spartans never could get back in the game. It didn't help that MSU shot a dismal 20-for-62 from the field.
Only one Spartan, freshman guard Maurice Ager, hit double figures in the game and he had 10.
"We just didn't get back on transition defense and we couldn't stop (guard Willie) Deane on the break," Ager said of Deane's 18-point and 12-rebound performance. "He was a big part of their big run. But Purdue was also a tough place to play."
After the Spartans contest with Purdue, they will have to gear up for a scrappy Iowa team. Tip-off for that game is 8 p.m. on March 5.
The Hawkeyes (14-10, 6-7) squeaked past the Spartans on Jan. 11 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 68-64 victory. Most of which could be attributed to lousy free-throw shooting. MSU finished 6-for-14 from the foul line, including numerous misses on front-ends of one-and-ones.
Three days later, the Spartans will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State (13-12, 6-8). The Spartans defeated the Buckeyes 66-55 to kick off the Big Ten season on Jan. 9 in a game that was highlighted by the Spartans' spectacular 29-for-30 foul-shooting.
But CBSsportsline.com college basketball expert Tony Mejia said MSU will need much more than baskets from the charity stripe to get wins this week, adding "they just need victories."
"I don't think they have to win them all, but their margin of error is so small," said Tony Mejia, a college basketball expert for CBSsportsline.com. "It would be in Michigan State's best effort to just go 3-0."
