It will be the second game in a row in which MSU will take on a borderline NCAA Tournament team after beating Purdue 76-62 Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. And as the Spartans learned Sunday, when they trailed the Boilermakers at the half, teams playing for a chance to be included in March Madness can be tough to beat.

“I’d rather play a team that’s not playing for (its tournament hopes),” head coach Tom Izzo said Monday. “Because anybody‘s got their backs up against the wall a little bit is going to be a fighter. And (Minnesota head coach) Tubby Smith’s team is going to be a hell of a fighter.”

MSU and Minnesota last met Jan. 25, when the Spartans beat the Golden Gophers 68-52 in East Lansing. Since then, MSU has taken sole possession of the top spot in the Big Ten by beating the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin, while Minnesota has lost four of its last six games.

“We’re really struggling with three straight losses,” Smith said during the Big Ten coaches teleconference Monday. “We’ve got to figure out a way to head in the right direction to finish up these last few games of the regular season.”

Senior forward Draymond Green said it’s the Spartans’ job to make sure that doesn’t happen Wednesday. However, he knows it will be easier said than done to take out a reeling Golden Gophers team on their home floor.

The key, Green said, is making sure he and his teammates come out with more intensity than Minnesota and not worry about anything other than beating the Golden Gophers.

“At this point in the year, everybody’s trying to win games for different reasons,” Green said. “And being No. 1 in the conference, everybody is going to come after you — you got that bull’s-eye on your back.
“But it really doesn’t matter what they’re playing for. It’s about Michigan State and what we’re trying to do.”

The Spartans are trying to win a Big Ten championship and find themselves in position to do so, boasting a one game lead on the Buckeyes and Wolverines with four games to play. But starting with Wednesday’s game, Izzo believes his team has the toughest schedule remaining of the top three teams on the conference.

Although Izzo doesn’t feel comfortable with MSU’s slim edge in the conference standings, he said it’s not something he or his team can worry about as they try to close out the season strong.

And, similarly to his senior leader, Izzo said he doesn’t expect the Spartans’ focus to be a problem because they understand what they’re playing for.

“I think we’re ready go to right now because I think we’re playing more for Michigan State than we are our opponent,” Izzo said. “We’re trying to get ourselves better, and I think this is one of the first teams I’ve had in a while that really looks at that and has improved as well as try to win games.”