Michigan State basketball vs. Butler tipoff: Matchup analysis and prediction
• What: Michigan State vs. Butler in the Gavitt Games (Big Ten vs. Big East)
• When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
• Where: Breslin Center
• TV/Radio: FS1/Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 195 (MSU broadcast); 381 (Butler broadcast)
• Records/Rankings: MSU is 1-2 and, for the time being, ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and 19 in the Coaches poll. Butler is 3-0 and unranked.
• Vegas Line: MSU -8
• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 688-282 in his 29th season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Butler — Thad Matta is 17-18 in his second season in his second stint as Butler's head coach. He previously led the Bulldogs, his alma mater, in 2000-01 to a 24-8 record. As a head coach at Butler, Xavier and Ohio State, Matta is 456-172 in his 19th season.
• Series: MSU leads 11-5 all time, including a 73-52 win at Butler in the 2021 Gavitt Games. Before that, Butler and MSU had only played once in 50 years — the Bulldogs' 52-50 win over the Spartans in the 2010 Final Four.
Projected lineups
MSU
C (22) Mady Sissoko (6-9) 5.7
F (25) Malik Hall (6-8) 11.3
G (3) Jaden Akins (6-4) 9.3
G (2) Tyson Walker (6-1) 23.7
PG (11) AJ Hoggard (6-4) 5.0
Butler
C (1) Jalen Thomas (6-10) 5.3
F (11) Jahmyl Telfort (6-7) 11.3
G (21) Pierre Brooks II (6-6) 13.3
G (4) DJ Davis (6-1) 13.7
G (5) Posh Alexander (6-0) 13.7
• MSU update: The Spartans are coming off a 74-65 loss to Duke on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic, during which they continued to struggle to hit outside shots, but at least did so at a more normal clip for a struggling team, making 6 of 19 3-point attempts. MSU is now 8-for-50 from beyond the arc this season. Defensively, the Spartans have been pretty stingy, holding their three opponents to 37% shooting overall, including 28% from long range. At 23.7 points per game, Tyson Walker leads the Big Ten in scoring early this season.
• Butler update: The Bulldogs are 3-0 with three lopsided wins, all by at least 34 points — over Eastern Michigan, Southeast Missouri State and East Tennessee State. Among Butler’s scoring leaders, MSU transfer Pierre Brooks II, who’s starting and averaging 13.3 points per game. He’s made 5 of 17 3-pointers thus far and has made 9 of 10 free throws. "I think he looks great," Izzo said of Brooks. "I can't say I hope he plays great (Friday), but I hope he plays great the rest of the year." The Bulldogs haven’t played the stiffest of competition, but they’ve been good defensively, among the best in the country in effective field-goal percentage defense and 2-point field goal defense.
• Inside the matchup: It’s hard not to feel good for Pierre Brooks, who appears to have landed at a program where he’ll play a large role. He never found a rhythm offensively or consistent playing time in two seasons in East Lansing. He’ll likely be matched up against his old roommate, Jaden Akins, out of the gate (though Izzo said A.J. Hoggard could defend him, as well). Athletically, that’s a win for MSU, though Brooks, when he uses his body to his advantage, can be a chore to handle.
Two other transfers make up Butler’s backcourt. Point guard Posh Alexander (St. John’s) and off-guard DJ Davis (UC Irvine) were both big gets for Thad Matta, even if neither is very big. Alexander averaged double digits in all three seasons at St. John’s and is a pest defensively. Davis was a first-team All-Big West guard last season. They’re a seasoned duo who can create offense.
Butler’s other two starters are also transfers, though center Jalen Thomas, from Detroit, played for the Bulldogs last season. He’s not much of a scorer, but he’s a decent rim protector. Butler forward Jahmyl Telfort, a Northeastern transfer, played with Tyson Walker for a season at their previous stop. Telfort was a good multi-level scorer at the mid-major level.
• Prediction: Butler appears to be improved from last season. No one thought Matta would be patient in remaking the roster. He’s done it quickly. Pound for pound, I like the matchups for MSU, but the Spartans’ struggles on the offensive end right now make it difficult to see them pulling away from anyone of a decent caliber. This Butler team looks talented enough to be annoying.
• Make it: MSU 72, Butler 66
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU basketball vs. Butler: Prediction, preview, TV info, betting line
