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Michigan State is nearing a game with this season's second top-five matchup. Their coach, Tom Izzo, hopes they'll approach the game right. He admitted that he'd be disappointed if they treated it like just another game. Yet, he went on to say that he also doesn't want it to be their year's biggest game since there's going to be a lot of big games this year.
The Michigan State Spartans are ranked number 5 and will be hosting Ohio State basketball, which is ranked number 3, on Tuesday night. The game's winner will move into first place by half a point.
Just two months ago Michigan State was ranked number 2 when they beat the then number 1 team, Kentucky. Since then the Spartans have gone on to win 6 straight. Their only loss was in a home game against North Carolina. On the other hand, Ohio State basketball has had the best start to their season since 2011.
How both teams' starting point guards perform will make a major difference here. Both teams have great starting point guards but both of them have different styles. It's Izzo's hope that Michigan State's Keith Appling won't worry all that much about trying to outplay Aaron Craft. Izzo said that this is something that Appling will sometimes do. However, he recognizes that Appling and Craft are 2 different types of players but that both of them are really good defensively. He went on to say that Appling can do some other things, like scoring the ball, that Craft can't do.
This will only be the second time that Izzo will see a matchup of top 5 men's teams in East Lansing. It is going to be a special event as long as the weather holds up for it to actually take place.