Date: Sunday, Jan. 11, 2020

Time: Noom ET

Venue: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette)

TV: CBS

Radio: Purdue Radio Network

Purdue Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

More: Purdue primer and GoldandBlack.com coverage

Michigan State Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

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Purdue's 2-3 In the Big Ten, coming off back-to-back road losses of very different circumstances, the double-overtime loss at No. 19 Michigan being quite the opposite of the 63-37 loss at Illinois that preceded it. Michigan State, the preseason Big Ten favorite and believed to be a national title contender, represents one of the marquee games, if not the marquee game, of Purdue's Big Ten season.

The Spartans exited their usual daunting non-conference season with a trio of losses, but are off to a 5-0 Big Ten start and now ranked eighth nationally.

• Purdue played the final 30-plus minutes (out of 50) at Michigan without Matt Haarms after he hurt his hip, but the big man participated in practice Saturday and seems as if he'll play vs. the Spartans. Whether he'll start or not remains to be seen.

• The Boilermakers have been a markedly better shooting team in Mackey Arena than not. Granted the numbers are skewed to a certain extent by weaker competition of non-conference play, but Purdue is shooting 47.4 percent overall and 39-percent from three-point range at home, and 35.4 and 26.6, respectively, in road or neutral-site games.

• Coming off a 36-point, 20-rebound outing at Michigan, Trevion Williams is now Purdue's leading scorer for the season at 11.1 points per game, and averaging 11.8 boards through five conference games.

Michigan State Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

• Michigan State is ranked first nationally in offensive efficiency on KenPom, averaging 78.2 points through five conference games, shooting league-bests of 45.6 percent from the floor and 36.4 from three-point territory.

• The Spartans are 5-0 In the Big Ten but have yet to play away from the Breslin Center since conference play resumed late last month. And Michigan State's lone road win came by five points at Northwestern on Dec. 18, a game it led most of the way, largely by double-figures, but still won in a relatively narrow outcome.

• In the midst of a personally difficult season, Spartan point guard Cassius Winston remains one of the top guards in college basketball and the Big Ten's signature star.

The senior averages 19.4 points and 6.3 assists — making 39 percent of his threes — for the season, but has taken his productivity to another level lately, scoring 32 and 27, respectively, in wins over Michigan and Minnesota, with 15 assists against just four turnovers over those two games.

In five Big Ten games, Winston's averaging 24.8 points an 6.8 assists and shooting 50 percent from three, second to only Maryland's Jalen Smith but on more than twice the volume.

• The Spartans are 23rd in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, and sixth in effective field goal percentage defense (weighted for the added value of threes), as opponents are effectively shooting only 42.2 percent.

In Big Ten play, opponents are averaging 64 points per game vs. Michigan State, fifth in the league.

• Michigan State is its usual ferocious self on the glass, but also leads the Big Ten in shot-blocking, paced by Xavier Tillman, who averages 3.4 blocks In Big Ten play. Tillman also averages 10.8 rebounds.

Purdue is a better team at home, no question, and the Mackey Arena advantage is often a real thing for the Boilermakers. Michigan State, though, will fear nothing and the guess here is that it'll put a premium on taking away Trevion Williams, fighting him one on one with big, strong and active defenders. When Purdue's beaten the Spartans, it's often taken a special performance from someone. The Boilermakers may need one, because it'll be tough sledding at both ends of the floor here. Cassius Winston is a hard man to stop, and will be with the game on the line at the end should it get to that point, and that's were some terrific guards have been able to lead their teams past Purdue when it's mattered most, whether it's been Matt Coleman or Zavier Simpson.

GoldandBlack.com Prediction: MICHIGAN STATE 67, PURDUE 64

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