We’re on to Purdue.

Take a deep breath Spartan Nation. Michigan State beats Minnesota 77-67 today to advance to the Big 10 Tournament quarterfinals against Purdue tomorrow. This win also almost guarantees that the Spartans will be making their 26th straight NCAA tournament appearance trailing only Kansas in that department. This was a grind it our type of win for the Spartans that was full of runs, something that March is all about.

The Golden Gophers scored the first 7 points of the game and I was already nervous. My nerves were calmed because MSU responded with their own 14-3 run. The teams exchanged runs again in the first half before Minnesota took a small 2 point lead into the half. The second half started with the teams trading some buckets. After a few minutes Minnesota went up 5 because of a controversial goaltending call on Mady Sissoko. I would say this fired the Spartans up because after this they went on a 15-2 run and took a 59-52 lead. This run by the Spartans was a kill shot as they grew their lead to as many as 13 before winning by 10. There was definitely some things to like from this performance. The first was Jaden Akins, Akins had an efficient 9 points on 66% shooting today which is a good sign because he has been struggling to shoot it. Another thing I loved to see was MSU getting contributions from everyone: Booker had 6, Kohler had 7, Holloman had 9. These guys stepping up when a guy like Malik Hall is in foul trouble means so much for their confidence and Tom Izzo’s.

Michigan State now gets a rematch with the Purdue Boilermakers tomorrow at noon. The Spartans only lost by 6 points when they played at Mackey Arena earlier in the season. Purdue has not lost since that game a few weeks ago and have been a top 5 team ALL season. To do this in a sport with as much parity shows the dominant force Purdue is this year. Although the Boilermakers are playing great currently, I love Michigan State’s chances at an upset. For starters I think it will help MSU having played today and just having that familiarity with the arena and all of that. It also helps that this game is on a neutral court and not on Purdue’s home court. Purdue did not lose a game there this season meaning all 3 of their losses were on the road. Michigan State is going to have to bring their A game tomorrow if they want to have a shot. It’s going to be crucial to try as hard as possible to not take any stupid fouls. Do not foul Zach Edey when he’s not shooting it, and yes I know that is a lot easier said than done. Michigan State let Purdue’s core outside of Edey shoot over 50% last matchup which is a recipe for disaster vs Purdue.

As of now Michigan State is back into a 9 seed slot for March Madness according to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi. The win against Minnesota earlier should secure them a spot though. The Spartans can play like they have nothing to lose and pull an upset. Hot take: MSU hands Purdue its 4th loss of the season tomorrow.