Guards

Being named the Big Ten Player of the Week officially solidifies senior guard Drew Neitzel’s return to MSU prominence.

Putting junior co-captain Travis Walton on the opponent’s best backcourt player and throwing freshman guard Kalin Lucas into the mix for a sure 10 points gives the Spartans a generous amount of weapons. With the loss of Penn State’s Mr. Everything, Geary Claxton, for the rest of the season, the Nittany Lions are left without many options.

Advantage: MSU

Forwards/Centers

Junior forward Marquise Gray had his breakout performance of the season, showing his capabilities — eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of play — but the real task is consistency. As MSU head coach Tom Izzo has said all season, a main goal for the team is to have the big men play consistently. With a matchup that works in junior center Goran Suton’s favor, look for him to have one of his almost regular double-doubles. Not including Claxton, Penn State has five forwards that they throw into the mix that can contribute at least a few points. But without a consistent double-digit scorer, it won’t pose enough of a threat.

Advantage: MSU

Bench

Izzo recognizes that he needs to find a way to incorporate freshmen Durrell Summers and Chris Allen into the rotation off the bench. With each of them proving they can score in double digits on any given night, they add an additional element to MSU’s already strong arsenal. Penn State’s bench isn’t capable of stepping up big. This is a big situation.

Advantage: MSU

Intangibles

Penn State put all its eggs in the Ohio State basket this week by losing to the Buckeyes by 12 at home. They’ve lost six in a row going into Saturday’s contest. MSU, on the other hand, has won five straight — including a big home victory against the always dangerous Fighting Illini. The momentum is only in one team’s corner.

Advantage: MSU

Coaching

Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis has been around the block, including 15 seasons with the Nittany Lions. However, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been around the game, but how well you succeed in it — something Izzo knows a whole lot about.

Advantage: MSU