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  • Michigan State Men's Basketball Prepares to Host the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers Saturday

Michigan State Men's Basketball Prepares to Host the No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers Saturday

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Basketball

Michigan State plays its second-to-last home game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 26 against Purdue (noon, ESPN). The game will air live on ESPN, with Jason Benetti, Robbie Hummel and Myron Medcalf calling all of the action.

About the Spartans

  • Michigan State enters the game on Saturday with an 18-9 overall record (9-6 Big Ten).
  • The Spartans are ranked #24 in the ESPN Coaches poll and are receiving votes in the Associated Press poll (#26).
  • MSU is #36 in the NET Rankings (#17 in Strength of Schedule), #31 in the Basketball Power Index and #34 in the country by KenPom.
  • The Spartans are 10-3 at home (5-3 vs. B1G) and averaging 76.5 ppg while shooting 47.4 percent from the floor (39.2% 3FG).
  • The Spartans have been led this year by a stingy defense, which ranks among the leaders in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (No. 4, 41.7%), 3-point field goal percentage defense (No. 1, 31.3%), rebounding margin (No. 4, +3.56 rpg) and blocked shots (No. 1, 4.81 bpg).
  • Senior forward Gabe Brown leads the team in scoring with 11.4 ppg, while adding 4.1 rebounds and leads the team in 3-pointers made with 52.
  • Junior forward Malik Hall is second on the team in scoring with 10.0 ppg, while adding 4.9 rpg and 1.2 apg.
  • Freshman guard Max Christie is third on the team with 9.5 points and has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times.
  • Senior forward Marcus Bingham Jr. is averaging 9.2 ppg and leads the team with 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game.
  • Junior guard Tyson Walker is averaging 8.1 ppg and is second on the team with 4.3 assists.
  • Redshirt senior forward Joey Hauser adds 7.0 ppg and is second on the team with 5.6 rpg, while junior forward Julius Marble is averaging 6.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg.
  • In the last four games, Marble is averaging 9.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg while shooting 68.0 percent from the floor.
  • Sophomore teammate A.J. Hoggard is averaging 6.4 ppg and leads the team with 5.1 assists.

Scouting Purdue

  • Purdue enters the game on Saturday with a 24-4 overall record and a 13-4 mark in the Big Ten.
  • The Boilermakers are ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the ESPN Coaches poll.
  • Purdue is 5-3 on the road, all of those games in Big Ten play ... Their lone losses in conference play have come at Rutgers, Indiana and Michigan.
  • The Boilermakers have won their last three games and nine of the last 10 overall.
  • Purdue is second in the Big Ten in scoring offense (82.2 ppg) and 11th in the league in scoring defense (68.8 ppg).Tom Izzo is 34-13 in his career against Iowa.

Series History

  • When Michigan State and Purdue play on Saturday, Feb. 26, it will be the 128th meeting in program history.
  • Purdue leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 72-55, including a season sweep last year.
  • The Spartans are 33-27 in East Lansing against the Boilermakers, including a 16-9 mark at the Breslin Center.
  • The Boilermakers have won the last four meetings between the teams and seven of the last 10 overall.
  • Tom Izzo is 26-20 in his career against Purdue.