"We're excited. We had a good week of practice. I think the week off, you never know how it goes, but it was as good as it could go for me and for us," head coach Tom Izzo said at a Thursday press conference.

But for Izzo, the challenge of his team overcoming rust is less concerning than the challenge of facing a Bison squad MSU has not played since 2003. 

"They really do have maybe the ultimate balance," Izzo said. "They've got inside/outside. They've got a guard. They've got a forward. They've got a center. The center was MVP last year. The forward is MVP this year. The center is defensive player of the year this year. The point guard is quick and can do a lot of things. So they've got a lot of pieces right there."

The three Bucknell players Izzo was referring to is Bison guard Stephen Brown, forward Zach Thomas and center Nana Foulland. All three players are seniors and average at least 15 points per game. Thomas averages a near double-double with just over 20 points and a hair over nine rebounds per contest.

The Bison pushed West Virginia to the limit in the first round of the tournament last year as a No. 13 seed, losing by just six points. Thomas said unlike last year, the Bison have higher aspirations this go around. 

"This year's a little bit different for us. Last year is was fun to take in everything," Thomas said. "This year I'd say we're a little bit more focused. Still enjoying it, but definitely want to play as best we can and hopefully give ourselves a shot to win."

Sophomore point guard Cassius Winston has had his defense tested against explosive guards at different times this season, most recently against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. Winston will face a similar type of challenge on Friday against Brown, who averages two points more than him.

"Their guards have a lot of experience and they're playing with a lot of confidence," Winston said. "They're going to make and take tough shots. We gotta keep funneling them into tough shots. Don't let them get their rhythm going."

Unlike the Bison, the Spartans do not have three players who average 15 points or more per game, but they do have five players who average in double digits. Every player in MSU's starting lineup: Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford, Miles Bridges, Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr., average 10 points or more and have pretty much done so all season.

The Spartans took the only other meeting between the two teams back on Nov. 21, 2003 at the Breslin Center, where MSU won, 64-52. 

Predictions

Michael Duke MSU 70 Bucknell 58

Casey Harrison MSU 76 Bucknell 70