Know Thy Enemy is a weekly Q&A where the perspective changes from the eyes of The State News to the eyes of the student newspaper of Michigan State basketball's opponent. This weekend State News beat writer Sara Tidwell spoke with Keaton Maisano of The Lantern ahead of Sunday’s game between Ohio State and MSU.
After a 30-point deficit and scoreless first quarter caused a heartbreaking loss against Rutgers in their first game back, Michigan State men's basketball has put it in park in Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
The Spartans enter the matchup at 2-5 in conference play and 8-5 overall.
This weekend, Tidwell posed several questions to Maisano to get more information on the Buckeyes.
Q: MSU has struggled with turnovers all season, and we may see that struggle magnified as the Spartans will be playing off a nearly two-week break from COVID-19 issues. How can Ohio capitalize on these Spartan mishaps?
A: Ohio State is a team that prides itself on the defensive end. They are holding Big Ten teams to 42.9-percent shooting on the season, so Michigan State turnovers will only reduce the margin for error for the Spartans to score with the Buckeyes. Ohio State also has one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, junior forward Justin Ahrens. His 50.7-percent shooting from deep is especially deadly when he can leak out into space while a defense is trying to get set in transition. However, the Buckeyes rank last in the conference in turnovers forced, so don’t expect the Buckeyes to gamble for steals at the risk of giving up easy buckets.
Q: With an overall record of 13-4, how does Ohio work to create opportunities for their leading scorers? Who are the stars on the team that the Spartans should watch out for?
A: When Ohio State is at its best, the offense runs through the post — specifically sophomore forward E.J. Liddell. The Illinois native has exploded onto the scene in his second season, pouring in 15 points per game to go along with a team-high 6.8 rebounds a game. With the emphasis on inside scoring, the Buckeyes have shooters on the outside to punish a defense for collapsing too hard. Junior guard Duane Washington Jr. is averaging 14.9 points per game on a streaky 37.3 percent from three, but when Washington gets rolling, he is as tough an assignment in the country.
Q: What is your score prediction and why?
A: Ohio State rarely blows Big Ten teams out, so I think no matter how rusty Michigan State is coming into the game, it should be a close contest. The Buckeyes are coming a season-high 17 turnovers in a gutsy win against Penn State, so I expect a cleaner performance on the offensive end. That being said, Ohio State is in too much of a groove right now, and I predict they will win 68-60.
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