Michigan State hasn’t lost to the Falcons since 1990 and is 11-3 overall in the series. Saturday will mark the first game between the teams since 2012. 

It will be a reunion of sorts for Bowling Green associate head coach Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr., who played point guard for MSU under head coach Tom Izzo from 2014 to 2018 and was a three-year captain. 

Scouting MSU

The Spartans are ranked 11th in the Big Ten with 82 points per game with and allow 64.7 points per game. They’ve shot 45.2% from the field, including an abysmal 20% from beyond the arc. Against Kansas, MSU shot 3-for-24 from the three-point range (12.5%), which hindered the Spartans’ chance to upset the Jayhawks in a neck-and-neck contest for almost all 40 minutes.

MSU is shooting 76.7% from the free-throw line and has gotten to the line 73 times on average over 24 times per game. It averages 45.3 rebounds per game, second in the Big Ten only behind Illinois, with 31.3 of those on the defensive end.

The Spartans are averaging 18 assists per game. Redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. has 22 of the team’s 54 total assists.

MSU has a deep roster compared to previous seasons. Standouts thus far have been junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who’s leading the team with 12.3 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. Though not in Izzo's starting lineup through three games, he recorded two consecutive double-doubles against Niagara and Kansas in just 19.3 minutes per game. MSU’s bench has scored over half of its points. 

Senior forward Frankie Fidler and senior guard Jaden Akins, two of the team’s leaders, have combined for 23.4 points per game and 10.3 rebounds. However, they’ve shot a combined 3-for-22 from beyond the arc. The shaky start from two of MSU's better shooters have been emblematic of the Spartans' shooting struggles.

"Gotta make open shots," Izzo said after practice on Thursday. "We have a lot of things to work on."

Izzo praised his team’s ball movement and fast-break play. In three games, the Spartans have combined for 71 fast-break points and 136 points in the paint. 

Scouting Bowling Green

The Falcons are averaging 86.7 points per game, ranked first in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), while allowing 70.3 points per game.

Bowling Green has shot 49.2% from the field, ranked second in the MAC. It's also shot a conference-leading 45% from three.

Bowling Green is led by junior guard Javontae Campbell and senior forward Marcus Johnson, who combine for 36 of the team’s 86.7 points per game. Campbell also leads the team in free throw attempts and conversions, 14-for-18 through three games. 

Sam Towns, the Falcons' 6-foot-9 senior forward, leads the team with 9.7 rebounds per game.

Izzo said Bowling Green can play with two completely different rosters. It can play with smaller teams and also go big when needed.

"There are some adjustments we have to make," Izzo said. "We’re more concerned about this game because of what those guards can do."

Michigan State and Bowling Green will tip off at 6 p.m. at Breslin Center on Saturday, Nov. 15. Big Ten Network will air the game.