The No. 12 Michigan State Spartans (15-2, 6-0) will be featured in a pivotal top 25 Big Ten matchup as they host the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini (13-4, 4-2) at the Breslin Center on Sunday afternoon. For the Spartans to win their 11th-straight, they will need to accomplish these three keys.

Limit Illini Freshman Guard Kasparas Jakucionis

The Illini possess one of the top players in the country and projected first-round pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis is the real deal, leading the team in both points per game (16.7) and assists (5.4). He will be the one to cause issues against a strong Spartans defense.

Prior to joining Illinois, Jakucionis was the youngest person ever to play for the European powerhouse, Barcelona, of the ACB or Spanish Basketball Clubs Association. He holds strong experience overseas at the pro level and has the potential to be a star in the Big Ten and NBA.

It will be nearly impossible to silence the Illini’s best player, but slowing him down could be a factor in the game, especially with the lingering injury he may still have.

Jakucionis suffered a left forearm injury in the first week of January against Washington, missed the next two games, and quickly responded well with 21 points in their most recent game against Indiana. It will be telling in the first several minutes what his health status will be for the contest.

Spartans Three or More Scorers in Double Figures

The Spartans have thrived all season long in terms of scoring distribution and having multiple guys step up when they are needed. During their 10-game win streak, Michigan State has had three or more double-digit scorers in nine of those contests. They must find a way to get everyone involved.

The usual suspects have been senior guard Jaden Akins (14.2 ppg) and freshman guard Jase Richardson (9.6 ppg). It will be up to them to get the scoring started early and quickly work the rest of the roster into the scoring rotation, being effective all over the floor.

Keep Illini Under 80 Total Points

The biggest strength for this Illini team is its potent offensive attack. It is the No. 2 team in the conference in terms of average points per game at 87.3 and is the top team in the conference in point differential at +20. If the Spartans’ defense shows up, they will have a great chance to earn a win.

The magic number is 80 points for the Spartan defense. The Illini are 1-3 this season when scoring less than 80 points, the lone win coming against Oakland in a 66-54 final. They are an up-tempo group that must score big to win games.

With a Spartan offense that averages just over 81 points per game, they will need to hit their average while forcing a serviceable number of turnovers and keeping them off the board as much as. possible. Not to mention, the Illini are 14th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (45%).

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