Michigan State went to Purdue to play the nation’s top team. There was reason for optimism amongst the Spartan faithful after taking this team down to the last shot less than two weeks earlier, and that was without Malik Hall. Izzo and company knew what they needed to do, having done it previously. They just needed to do it a little bit better.
Early on, MSU gave its fans reason to believe that optimism was warranted. The two teams traded baskets and the lead in the first few possessions. The Spartan shooters looked engaged from the get-go, a rarity in recent times.