The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (17-2, 8-0) are preparing for another gritty Big Ten battle when they host the Minnesota Gophers (11-9, 3-6) on Tuesday night at the Breslin Center. Despite the Gophers’ record, this is a team that has gained immense momentum since their last meeting.

If the Spartans want to continue their impressive winning ways, they must avoid underestimating certain teams. Coach Tom Izzo has always coached his players to value every opponent equally and with the recent success that Minnesota has found, this will be a tougher game than anticipated.

In their first meeting back in early December, the Spartans demolished Minnesota on the road, 90-72. It was the first of six-straight losses for the Gophers as they were the worst team in the Big Ten after the first few weeks. They have since turned a corner with three massive victories, two of them ranked.

The Gophers earned their first conference victory just over a week ago, upsetting the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer from fifth-year senior forward Dawson Garcia.

The winning would not stop there as they responded with a road win over the Iowa Hawkeyes with another upset victory coming against the No. 15 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night. They may be out of contention for a Big Ten regular season title, but their competition level has risen exponentially.

With two season-changing wins against top-25 teams, this Gophers group is a completely different team than what the Spartans faced almost two months ago. Home-court advantage will be a key factor along with the productive depth that the entire Michigan State roster holds.

The Spartans have done a great job this season of taking care of business against teams that they are projected to beat. They have handled business against the bottom half of the Big Ten and seek to maintain that narrative.

One outcome is certain for Tuesday night, either the Spartans will continue their undefeated record in Big Ten play and win their 13th-straight game or Minnesota will pick up their third ranked win in four games. Both teams are playing great, but one’s winning streak will come to an end.

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