Indiana faces tough test vs No. 11 Michigan State
No. 11 Michigan State (14-4, 6-1) vs. Indiana (14-4, 4-3)
Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: No. 11 Michigan State presents a tough challenge for Indiana. Indiana has won two of its three games against ranked opponents this season. Michigan State has moved up to No. 11 in the latest AP rankings following a win over Wisconsin last week.
SQUAD LEADERSHIP: The versatile Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and two blocks to lead the way for the Hoosiers. Justin Smith is also a key contributor, producing 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Spartans are led by Xavier Tillman, who is averaging a double-double with 13.9 points, 10 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
OFFENSIVE THREAT: Cassius Winston has made or assisted on 50 percent of all Michigan State field goals over the last five games. The senior guard has accounted for 33 field goals and 30 assists in those games.
LONG-RANGE THREAT: Michigan State's Winston has attempted 96 3-pointers and connected on 35.4 percent of them, and is 8 for 23 over his past five games.
ASSIST RATIOS: The Spartans have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Hoosiers. Indiana has 37 assists on 70 field goals (52.9 percent) over its previous three outings while Michigan State has assists on 47 of 73 field goals (64.4 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Indiana has attempted the most free throws in all of Division I. The Hoosiers have averaged 26.1 free throws per game.
