Preview: No. 2 men's hoops aim to sweep season series with Illinois

Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (13-15, 3-12 Big Ten)

When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Where: Breslin Center

TV/Radio: ESPN/94.9 WMMQ-FM (Lansing)

Line: MSU -16.5

Tuesday’s game against Illinois will be the last time the men’s basketball team will play at the Breslin Center this season, and for a few members of the team it will be the final time they will ever play there.

No. 2 MSU (26-3, 14-2) will square off against the Fighting Illini for the second time this season on senior night.

The first matchup between the two teams went in favor of the Spartans, who won the contest by double-digits despite turning the ball over a season-high 25 times. MSU shot 68 percent from the field while holding Illinois to a 43 percent shooting clip, and out-rebounded the Fighting Illini by 25 boards.

The Spartans haven’t lost since Jan. 13 and are on a 10-game winning streak, and are coming off of a short road trip in which they crushed Minnesota by 30 points and rallied from a 27-point hole to take down Northwestern. The comeback by the team was the largest in Big Ten history.

The Fighting Illini recorded a home win against Nebraska on Sunday, but were on a four-game losing streak prior to that and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.

Illinois has two players who average double figures in points, junior forward Leron Black and freshman guard Trent Frazier. Black and Frazier average 15.1 and 12.3 points per game, respectively, and both log more than 25 minutes per contest.

MSU is led, and has been led all season, by sophomore wing Miles Bridges, who averages 17 points per game and a hair under seven points per contest. Bridges ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in a number of statistical categories, including: points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage.

The Spartans lead the all-time season series between the two teams, but not by much. MSU is 60-59 against the Fighting Illini all time, and has won three out of the last five meetings.

Predictions:

MSU