The Michigan State Spartans have been working through unexpected circumstances all season and that will continue when the Duke Basketball team enters East Lansing.
It didn’t take long for the Michigan State Basketballs season to go awry, but in recent weeks things took a turn from a focus to bad luck on the court to a horrible tragedy off the floor.
Ranked No. 1 in the Preseason Associated Press Top-25 Poll, head coach Tom Izzo announced before the season opener against the Kentucky Wildcats that the Spartans would be without Josh Langford who injured his foot in the preseason.
More from Ball Durham
- Duke basketball: The architect behind digital dominance
- Duke basketball prioritizing frontcourt prospects in 2025
- Duke basketball: Unmasking the hate for the Blue Devils
- Duke basketball: Countdown to Craziness lands another huge visitor
- Duke basketball fills final open scholarship
Langford was also sidelined last year with a foot injury and the team isn’t expecting to get senior back this season.
After a loss to Kentucky in the opener, tragedy struck the Spartan program.
Just hours before its home opener against Binghamton, it was reported that the brother of star point guard Cassius Winston, Zachary Winston, was struck by a train and killed.
Despite the tragedy, Cassius Winston did not miss a game for the Spartans but you could tell the passing of his brother was affecting his play on the court, and rightly so.
Michigan State rolled Binghamton by 53 points and then the Spartans hit the road to face the then No. 12 Seton Hall Pirates and a late comeback led by Winston gave Sparty a 76-73 win.
A final tune-up before the Maui Jim Maui Invitational resulted in a 48-point victory over Charleston Southern but once arriving in Maui, Michigan State was upset by the Virginia Tech Hokies, 71-66.
The Spartans were guaranteed three games in Hawaii and in its first consolation game Michigan State led the Georgia Bulldogs by 30, but saw that lead dwindle all the way to one before Sparty held on for a 93-85 win.
In the final game on the island, Michigan State cruised over UCLA, winning 75-62 but still dropped from No. 3 to No. 11 in the latest Associated Press Top-25 Poll.
ALSO READ: Duke remains in Associated Press Top 10 after loss to Stephen F. Austin
Winston has been the leader for Michigan State this season, averaging 17.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 43.2% from the field, 36.4% from 3-point range, and 87.1% from the free throw line.
Junior Xavier Tillman is second of just three players to average double-digits on the Spartans as the forward is putting up 12.3 points per game. The 6-foot-8 big man is the only player on the team avenging a double-double and double-digit rebound with 10.0 per game.
Tillman also averages 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the floor but just 21.4% from 3-point territory and 65.5% from the free throw line.
Aaron Henry is the only other Spartan to average double-digits with 12.2 points per game and the 6-foot-6 sophomore does most of his damage from behind the 3-point line, shooting 46.7% from 3-point range, and a scorching 56.5% from the field.
ALSO READ: Just a few weeks into season, Duke basketball is at a crossroads
Henry also averages 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
Tom Izzo has several other key players on his team such as Rocket Watts, Gabe Brown, and Kyle Ahrens and returns four of the seven players that played in the Elite Eight matchup between Duke and Michigan State; Winston, Tillman, Henry, and Brown.
With both teams losing a game last week to what appeared to be inferior opponents, Duke and Michigan State will look to avoid another loss as the teams will tipoff from the Breslin Center in East Lansing at 9:30pm EST and the game can be seen on ESPN.