Your MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS vs the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
WELSH-RYAN ARENA -- EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14th, 2012, 3:00 PM EST
TV: BTN
ONLINE RADIO FEED: Spartan Sports Network
Northwestern's been the same team for several years -- a perimeter-oriented team that will beat a couple of lesser BCS Conference teams early, play some Big Ten teams tough, score a couple upsets due to hot outside shooting, but will inevitably finish 7-11/8-10 in the conference due to a lack of inside play and rebounding. This year's version looks no different. John Shurna and Drew Crawford rank 1st and 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring; all MSU needs to do is win is limit one of the two.
There's also been talk about this being a "blackout" game for Northwestern. The Wildcats will be wearing black jerseys and are imploring their fans to wear black as well. However, 346 tickets have been sold through the MSU Chicago alumni club, and the Izzone's coming down as well. They'll be wearing white, and I expect Welsh-Ryan arena, 8,117 seats strong, to look like TV static today. Getting into this game will cost you $169 on average per TiqIQ, with the cheapest seat selling at $108. Expect a rowdy MSU contingent today.
This is the game thread. You know the drill -- no links to illegal game streams, no slurs, and be cool to one another. Enjoy the game everyone.
GO GREEN, GO WHITE, BEAT NORTHWESTERN.