IU Hoosiers (17-8, 8-5)
Floor Leader: Earl Calloway\nThe Hoosiers’ senior guard has been sidelined the past two games after sustaining a shoulder injury against Purdue on Feb. 15. Calloway, one of Sampson’s on-court leaders, is fourth on the team in minutes played and third in points per game, with 9.8. Calloway is on a day-to-day basis and must be cleared by the IU medical staff before he can rejoin the Hoosiers. Sampson said Wednesday night that, if he was cleared, Calloway would have played against the Gophers.\n“We would like to have Earl in there,” Sampson said. “I think our team would have been a lot different against Michigan and we would have been different tonight with Earl. Sometimes you have to take lessons when they come and the blessing is that (IU guard) Armon (Bassett) is getting to play point now.”
X-Factor: Newfound bench depth\nNewfound bench depth – Sampson is confident in his bench depth; the coach has willingly played numerous combinations of guards Rod Wilmont, A.J. Ratliff, Earl Calloway, Armon Bassett, Joey Shaw and Errek Suhr throughout the season. Where the Hoosiers previously seemed to lack depth was in the frontcourt, where D.J. White has averaged 30.6 minutes per game. In the past two games though, the Hoosiers have received quality minutes from both a resurgent Ben Allen and a steady Mike White, giving IU unexpected and advantageous frontcourt options.
Coach: Kelvin Sampson\n In his first season at IU, Sampson has implemented an entirely new style of play for the Hoosiers. Their hard-nosed defensive approach and patient offense have combined to create a Hoosier squad that is more competitive in close games and plays with a little more swagger than in past years.
Big Ten road woes:\n IU has only one road win in Big Ten play this season. That win came against last-place Penn State on Jan. 13. Since then, the Hoosiers have dropped four straight Big Ten road games and have seen their production in those games dwindle. After a 6-2 start in which the Hoosiers averaged 71.2 points per game, IU has scored 65.8 points per game in its last four games.
MSU Spartans (20-8, 7-6)
Floor leader: Drew Neitzel\nNeitzel has led the Spartans in scoring in 20 of the team’s 28 games this season. The senior guard averages 18.5 points per game, shoots better than 41 percent from the three-point line and hits nearly 90 percent of his free throws. Neitzel was instrumental in the Spartans’ most recent win against Wisconsin, when he tallied 28 points on 6-of-11 three-point shooting in the contest.\n“It was a total team effort,” Neitzel said in a statement following the Wisconsin win. “I’m just happy for all of us, we just kept fighting. We went through that tough stretch, we bounced back, and that just shows what kind of character this team has.”\nEarly in the season, Sampson used the Michigan State guard as an example of what he saw as a true team leader.\n“You know, I watched Michigan State the other day and their guard (Drew) Neitzel, he just exudes (leadership),” Sampson said on Nov. 19, 2006. “With his familiarity, he just knows exactly what to expect.”
X-Factors: Newfound confidence/momentum\nNewfound confidence/momentum – The Spartans appeared to be down and out in the Big Ten after suffering a four-game losing streak late last month. But Michigan State stormed back into the top tier of the conference with three straight wins, including a 64-55 upset of No. 1 Wisconsin on Tuesday night. Neitzel is leading a potent Spartan attack, and with coach Tom Izzo at the helm, it appears as though Michigan State is prepped for a strong drive toward the postseason.
Coach: Tom Izzo\nIzzo is now in his 12th year at Michigan State. During that time he has led the Spartans to an NCAA Championship, four Final Four appearances and has garnered National Coach of the Year honors four different times. The Spartans got off to a quick 13-2 record this season, but hit some bumps along the road. They’ve recently experienced another string of success though and are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight time, which is tops in the Big Ten.
The Breslin Center:\nThe Spartans have enjoyed 12 straight wins against IU on their home floor – 15 straight years of success to be exact. The last time the Hoosiers won at the Breslin Center was on Feb. 28, 1991. The Michigan State student section, the “Izzone”, is considered one of the best in the country and will provide a very hostile and raucous atmosphere for the Hoosiers come Saturday night.
