Tip off: 7 PM EST
Spread: MI ST -18.5
Total: 130.5
M/L: n/a
Odds taken from bookmaker
MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State really couldn’t have been dealt a nastier hand for their first two games, facing powerhouses UNC and Duke. Since then, however, the Spartans have taken advantage of a much more favorable schedule and have reeled off 8 conscutive wins, the last of which was a 74-67 win over the #22 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Spartans have been rebounding the ball extremely well. Ranking 9th in the nation in rebounds per game, they pull down 41.9 a game. Draymond Green is, of course, the main culprit, as both the leading scorer and leading rebounder. The athletic 6’7″ senior is averaging 16.3 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game, and even pitches in 3.1 assists per night. He ripped down 18 rebounds in the loss to UNC opening night, and has recorded four double doubles in the 10 games, a number you would expect to be higher given the fact he nearly AVERAGES a double double.
Green went absolutely nuts against Gonzaga last game, hitting 11 of his 13 field goals and 8 of 9 from the line to score nearly half of Michigan State’s points. No one else even reached double figures. That may work against Gonzaga, but to beat the truly premier teams Tom Izzo is going to have to get more varied contributions. Green is good, but he can’t pull the Spartans to the Final Four on his own.
BOWLING GREEN
Last season, Bowling Green finished 14-19, while posting a .500 conference record and losing to Western Michigan by 11 in the MAC quarterfinals,
They return 9 rotation players, though, and are off to a 5-4 start, so there is reason to expect better from the Green Falcons this season.
Leading scorer A’uston Calhoun used 29% of their possessions while on the floor last season and is scoring 12.4 points per game this season. He put up 25 last game against Valpo, a game in which the Green Falcons lost by 3. He scored 20 the game before that against Malone U, but that certainly doesn’t say much. He got off to a rough start, scoring only 5 points in the first two games combined, but now appears to be hitting stride, so expect his scoring average to continue to rise. He also leads the Green Falcons in rebounding with 6.1 boards per game and he had 11 rebounds in the loss to Georgia on November 13th.
Scott Thomas, a 6’7″ senior from near by Ashley Ohio, is putting up nearly identical scoring and rebounding numbers as Calhoun, with 11.7 & 6.0. He has been a lot more consistent, but also less impressive. Thomas has scored in double figures in all but one Bowling Green game, while he has not posted more than 16 in any one game. So you basically know what you’re getting from Thomas. If he can step it up a little and Calhoun can become more consistent, the Green Falcons may be able to make a difference in the weak MAC this season.
