MSU head coach Tom Izzo picked Northwestern as his sleeper team this year in the Big Ten.
Although the Wildcats (14-13 overall, 6-8 Big Ten) have struggled with injuries and chemistry, they still are fighting for an NIT spot.
"We've been hit by injuries and a lot of other things," Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody said. "We haven't had the kind of production by the newcomers that we thought."
Northwestern will be without 6-foot-10 center Mike Thompson, who is out with an injured foot, when MSU faces the team today. Thompson scored a team-high 16 points when MSU won Jan. 8.
Although Thompson gives a big post presence for Northwestern's Princeton-style offense, Wildcats center Vince Scott has been hitting long shots that might open up the lanes more, Izzo said.
"They're a different team without him: in some ways good and some ways bad," Izzo said.
The Spartans are looking to recover from a loss Sunday at Indiana, where Izzo said he was disappointed in the lack of big games from his players.
But to keep focused and fight for a higher NCAA Tournament spot, MSU must keep winning.
"We know we gotta come in and bring our A-game," senior guard Kelvin Torbert said.
MSU plays at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 8 p.m.
Wrapping up
No. 1 Illinois (28-0, 14-0) can wrap an undefeated season this week with wins over Purdue (7-18, 3-11) on its senior night and at Ohio State (18-10, 7-7).
The Fighting Illini officially won the Big Ten Championship on Sunday when MSU lost to Indiana.
"We're pretty proud of that accomplishment, but I hope the kids are still hungry because we have a lot more to accomplish as the season progresses," said Illinois head coach Bruce Weber.
But possibly the biggest debate for Illinois is how many players make the First Team All-Big Ten team. Although many say all three starting guards (Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron Williams) have a shot, Weber said the MVP already is picked.
"When we have our banquet, all three are going to be MVPs. We already decided that," he said.
Another one bites the dust
Purdue forward Carl Landry will miss the remainder of the season with a ligament tear in his knee. Landry, the conference's second-leading scorer, will have surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament, said Purdue coach Gene Keady.
Keady said center Charles Davis also will miss Thursday's game against Illinois because of a death in the family.
"We're gonna have nine guys available probably," Keady said. "Give me a lineup, and I'll play them."
