What does a team get rewarded with for its best start in a decade? How about the No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils — a perennial thorn in the side of Tom Izzo.
The pair of unbeaten teams both have three wins against ranked opponents, rely on a rebound-first mentality and maintain a basketball culture that consistently carries them deep into March.
In a crucial test with plenty of implications for the NCAA Tournament, MSU will take on Duke on Saturday, Dec. 6, at noon. The game will be broadcast on Fox.
To this point, both teams have made defense the priority through the first month of the season. Duke averages 89 points per game and holds opponents to 59. The Spartans score 73 on average and allow 64. Most recently, MSU held 82-point-per-game Iowa to 52 in a physical, classic MSU brand of basketball.
"I think our guys are really focused in, dialed in," head coach Tom Izzo said. "That's what we have to be because we're not going to out-talent somebody, but I think you can outwork somebody."
After missing the entire game against Iowa with a strained wrist, freshman forward Cam Ward will return on Saturday.
"I expect him full go unless he gets hit some way or another and re-injures the sprain," Izzo said. "One thing good about Cam, he's tougher than nails."
Duke is the highest-ranked opponent to visit Breslin Center since the Blue Devils came in 2019. MSU has won two of the last five meetings, including an Elite Eight battle between Cassius Winston and Zion Williamson that sent the Spartans to their most recent Final Four.
Duke is led by a 24-point-per-game machine in Cameron Boozer. The consensus future top-five NBA draft pick is a likely candidate for the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward enters Saturday leading the ACC in scoring, efficiency and advanced impact metrics, while also ranking among the top five in rebounding, usage and offensive rating. On his own team, Boozer leads in points, assists, rebounds and steals.
On Thursday, Izzo spoke after practice about the matchup this weekend. Izzo was quick to compliment the athletic freshman, Boozer.
"The way that Boozer can handle the ball, he pops out, he can shoot it long, he can take it to the hole," Izzo said. "Paulo [Banchero] was unbelievable, and then [Cooper] Flag was very good, too. [Boozer] might be as good a passer as a lot of point guards. He can really pass the ball."
After falling to Houston by three in the Final Four, Duke is just as strong as it’s historically been. The Blue Devils haven’t dropped out of the AP top-25 since January 2023. Under Tom Izzo, MSU is 3-14 against Duke and 0-2 in games played at Breslin Center.
This will also be Duke’s first ranked test against a true road opponent. Following Boozer, Duke’s pure talent doesn’t drop off. 6-foot-11 center Patrick Ngongba II hits on 67% of his shots and scores 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Junior guard Caleb Foster will also be a point of emphasis, shooting at a 44.8% 3-point clip while averaging 25 minutes per game.
The game plan to beat Duke is simple in theory: contain Boozer however you can. The powerful freshman scores easily when he pushes downhill, swerving through defenders. MSU’s screen defense and physical, yet clean defense will need to be at its best.
On the other hand, the shooting guard position will be a telling sign of MSU’s success on Saturday. Sophomore Kur Teng and Senior Trey Fort haven’t yet found a way to consistently contribute on both sides of the ball. More glaringly, the pair’s perimeter defense has mostly been absent.
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