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Two of college basketball's premier programs will square off in an exhibition matchup Tuesday night at the Breslin Center, as No. 6 Michigan State hosts No. 4 UConn. While the contest won't appear on either team's official record, it promises to be a more revealing benchmark than many of the Spartans' scheduled non-conference games.
This marks Michigan State's second of three exhibition games; the Spartans opened with an 89-59 victory over Incarnate Word on Oct. 2. UConn, meanwhile, tipped off its exhibition slate with a 72-52 win over Syracuse on Oct. 13.
The two sides have a recent history. Last October, MSU traveled to Hartford for an exhibition and fell to the Huskies, 76-69. The more memorable meeting came in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., where UConn built a large lead and held off a late Spartans surge for a 67-63 win.
Exhibitions carry a different meaning: the final score isn't the primary takeaway. There's a scenario where UConn wins and Michigan State still exits with encouraging signs. With that in mind, three areas will be under the microscope for the Spartans.
Positive First 10 Minutes
Against elite competition last season, Michigan State often dug early holes. In games versus Duke, Michigan, and UConn, the script was similar: the opponent jumped out to a lead, and MSU spent the rest of the night playing catch-up, even when it momentarily went ahead in the second half.
The NCAA Tournament start against UConn was especially rough. After the Spartans scored the game's first basket, the Huskies unleashed a 25-4 run to go up by 19. MSU clawed back and even took a 47-46 lead after halftime, but the energy expended in the comeback left little in the tank for the finish.
A similar pattern emerged when Michigan visited East Lansing. The Wolverines raced to a 15-5 advantage and led by 18 just before halftime. The Spartans rallied to take a 59-57 lead, but again faded down the stretch, as UM closed on a 26-12 run.
Mike Tyson's famous line comes to mind: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Michigan State needs to be the aggressor, metaphorically punching first. If the Spartans are playing on their toes rather than their heels, it will be a promising sign.
Limit the Turnovers
One of the few concerns from the Incarnate Word exhibition was ball security. The Spartans turned it over 18 times. While it's too early to label MSU a turnover-prone team, it was an issue last year, when its offensive turnover rate in Big Ten play was 17.7%, the third-highest in the conference.
Incarnate Word is a lower-tier opponent, though. KenPom ranks UIW 285th overall in its preseason ratings, with the No. 338 defense. The only team on MSU's schedule rated lower is Detroit Mercy at 291st.
Some of those turnovers seemed correctable with better chemistry and more practice time. Many could be dismissed as early-season rust or a team shaking off cobwebs. Tuesday will be the Spartans' first live action in 18 days, so more rust is possible. UConn won't have that excuse, having played its last exhibition just a week ago.
Positive Performances From Big Men
Center remains the biggest question mark for Michigan State. The Spartans lost both of last year's regular contributors at the five, Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, after their true senior seasons. Kohler is using the new 5-for-5 rule to stay in college but will play at No. 25 BYU. Cooper is pursuing a pro career and signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Most minutes at center this year will go to Anton Bonke, Ethan Taylor, and Jesse McCulloch. Tom Izzo has also indicated that Cam Ward could see time there in a "small-ball" lineup.
Bonke is the lone incoming transfer, having averaged 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds at Charlotte last season. Taylor is a true freshman who seemed like a project, but Izzo said last week that he's been a "surprise." McCulloch had a monster night against UIW, scoring a team-high 20 points while starting at the four (Ward was out with a minor ankle injury).
How each big man performs Tuesday should provide more clarity on the rotation at the five. Bonke has been the presumed starter since committing, but he struggled against Incarnate Word. If he has a similar outing against UConn and McCulloch and Taylor both play well again, Bonke's starting role won't feel completely secure.