Michigan State vs. UConn NCAA Tournament predictions
Connor Earegood, James Hawkins, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Friday's Michigan State vs. UConn NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game at the Capital One Arena in Washington (9:45 p. m.
, CBS). ▶ Connor Earegood: As much as Michigan State learned from an October exhibition against UConn, this version of the Huskies is unfamiliar. The Spartans haven't seen Tarris Reed Jr.
since he was a doughy underclassman at then-helpless Michigan. The guard rotation is complete with Silas Demary Jr. back at the point.
This one, each side expects, will be a slobber-knocker. The way Jeremy Fears Jr. and the core four starters are playing should be encouraging for Michigan State, but it needs a lot out of Jordan Scott and Cam Ward to win this game.
In front of a hometown crowd, the freshmen should be up to the task. The key will be for Jaxon Kohler to wage war on Reed, and the guards to hit some shots. Pick: Michigan State 64-62 ▶ James Hawkins: The Spartans and Huskies both defend and rebound at a high level, so maximizing possessions is going to be paramount in this one.