Larry Ness
15* TV Game of the Week-CBB (12-3, 80% CBB run the last six days!)
My 15* play is on Michigan St at 7:00 ET
I went against Ohio St Saturday at Purdue and will come right back against them here. The Buckeyes lost at home to North Carolina on 11/28 and then at Butler on 12/1. OSU then ripped off EIGHT straight wins but only left the state of Ohio just once during that span, winning at Illinois (8-9 overall and 0-4 in the Big 10). The Buckeyes are still searching for an identity and they sure didn't find it at West Lafayette last Saturday, shooting 35.5 percent (just 6-of-24 on threes) against a talented but young Purdue team. Here, OSU gets Tom Izzo's 11th-ranked Spartans, still smarting after their 36-point effort last Saturday at Iowa. The team's top-two scorers, the 6-7 Morgan (17.6-7.1) and PG Neitzel (13.2-4.9 APG), a preseason All-American, shot a combined 9-of-26 in the loss. As a team, the Spartans shot 30.8 percent (3-of-12 on threes). However, expect MSU to bounce back in East Lansing, where the Spartans are 10-0 SU. Two 6-10 vets, Suton (9.3-8.6) and Naymick (2.9-3.6) will battle OSU's 7-0 freshman Koufus (14.4-7.1) inside, plus expect big bounce-back games from Morgan and Neitzel. MSU has the 6-8 Gary (6.2-4.8 adding depth up front plus three freshman contributing in the backcourt in Lucas (9.2-4.1 APG), Summers (7.1) and Allen (6.0). OSU seniors, guard Butler (14.8-4.1-6.2) and 6-8 forward Hunter (9.3-6.1) are solid players but OSU's freshman, guards Diebler (7.4) and Turner (7.0) plus Koufus, have been inconsistent vs top-notch opponents. MSU is a top-notch opponent coming off an embarrassing loss, which spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for the Buckeyes. TV Game of the Week 15* Michigan St.
