“It’s an interesting team to prepare for, different from what you’d think only because their percentages don’t add up to their record,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said.

The No. 10 Spartans (20-3 overall, 8-2 Big Ten) defeated the No. 19 Boilermakers (19-5, 10-1) on Jan. 8, 78-75, and Izzo said Purdue was his sleeper pick in the Big Ten at that point. At his weekly news conference Monday, Izzo stood firm on his prediction and called the Boilermakers “the most physical team in the league.”

“If it’s a fistfight tomorrow night,” Izzo said, “we better be ready for a fistfight.”

On paper, Purdue certainly is a surprise, featuring two freshmen and two sophomores in its starting lineup. Freshman forward Robbie Hummel, who did not play in the teams’ first meeting because of an injury, leads the team in both rebounds and assists per game.

In comparing the two teams, particular statistical matchups are significant. Purdue’s 72 percent free-throw shooting ability could hamper the Spartans if MSU continues to be plagued by foul trouble in conference road games.

MSU leads the conference in field-goal shooting percentage at 49 percent, while the Boilermakers are eighth in field-goal percentage defense.

MSU also leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounding and rebounding margin, while Purdue is 10th and ninth in those categories, respectively. The Green and White are 19-1 when they outrebound their opponent.

“(The Boilermakers) haven’t rebounded the ball exceptionally well,” Izzo said. “They do create a lot of turnovers. That’s one area where they’ve been superb.”

The Boilermakers lead the conference in turnover margin, while the Spartans are 10th and have been turnover-prone in conference play, though they averaged 10 giveaways per game in the last two contests.

Last season, the Spartans went to West Lafayette and scored a dismal 38 points in a 62-38 defeat, tallying only 12 points in the second half. In that game, MSU had 21 turnovers and only eight assists.

“We understand what happened down in Purdue last year,” senior center Drew Naymick said. “They have a group of freshmen that play as hard as they can. We have to get tougher, be mentally focused and go down there and play hard.”

Lucas bothered by knee

MSU’s own impact freshman, guard Kalin Lucas, was hindered by a knee injury in the second half of Saturday’s Northwestern game and did not practice late Sunday night, but Izzo said Lucas said later that he felt better.

“It’s not going to hurt it to play,” Izzo said. “But depending on how he hits it, it could hurt his production.”

Tough week ahead

This week, the Spartans will face the tall order of overcoming a “disappointing” track record of playing to the level of their opponents. In the case of road trips to sub-.500 Penn State and Iowa this season, the Spartans were sent home with upset losses.

“In theory, you get up for every game,” Izzo said. “In reality, that’s not true — for anybody at any level. I am disappointed in the two losses. But the problem is there have been 20 top-10 teams with just as many close games and they have found ways to win. Did they really play any better?”

It’s a make-or-break week for MSU’s conference championship hopes, as the Spartans travel to No. 13 Indiana (20-3, 9-1) on Saturday.

“At this point, we know how good of teams they both are and we’ve got to respect them, otherwise we’re going to get blown out,” junior center Goran Suton said.

“We’re going to go north or south depending on what we do this week.”