Spartans and Illini square off in Champaign

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/31/2012 - Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With his 400th career win in the books, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo now sets his sights on the next opponent, who in this case is fellow Big Ten Conference member Illinois tonight at Assembly Hall.

The Spartans, ranked ninth in the most recent poll, are enjoying a two-game win streak after losing two in a row to the likes of Northwestern and nationally-ranked Michigan earlier this month. Six nights ago, the Spartans dumped Minnesota at home rather easily, 68-52, giving Izzo his landmark victory in his 17th season of coaching. Following tonight's game, MSU gets a shot at redemption against the Wolverines on February 5 in East Lansing.

As for the Fighting Illini, they lost only three times through the first 19 games of 2011-12, but the squad has hit a number of bumps in the road and is now dealing with a three-game slide that has Illinois displaying a record of 4-4 in conference, which has the program stuck in the middle of the standings. Over the weekend, the Illini went to overtime against Minnesota and came out on the short end of a 77-72 final.

With respect to the all-time series between these two schools on the hardwood, it is deadlocked at 55-55 after they split their two matchups a season ago. When it comes to games played in Champaign, the Illini have a distinct 36-17 advantage.

Becoming just the fourth head coach to win his 400th career game with a Big Ten program, Izzo leaned on Draymond Green to get the job done as he led the Spartans in scoring (22 points), rebound (14) and assists (six) versus Minnesota last week. Branden Dawson accounted for another 16 points and blocked five shots for the hosts as they shot 54.2 percent from the floor in over to combat just 2-of-11 accuracy behind the three-point line and 14-of-23 at the free-throw line. Green leads the team in scoring overall on the season with his 15.3 ppg, shooting 45.2 percent from the floor along the way. Green is also the top man on the glass for the group with his 10.4 rpg and his 77 assists are second only to Keith Appling (12.3 ppg) who has handed out 83. But more than anything, it is the defense for the Spartans that has kept them riding high this season, limiting the opposition to just 60.2 ppg based on those foes converting just 38.0 percent from the field and 29.7 percent beyond the arc.

Brandon Paul erupted for another big game, this time dropping 28 points on Minnesota at Williams Arena, but he needed much more support in order to get the Illini over the hump. Paul also cleared nine rebounds and made three blocked shots, which for the most part offset his six turnovers, but still the team as a whole was guilty of 16 miscues and ended up converting a mere 3- of-21 shots from three-point range. Before fouling out, Meyers Leonard accounted for 17 points, 13 boards and four blocks, but no one else on the team made more than three field goals and the contribution from the bench was minimal. Overall this season Paul is producing 14.6 ppg, but when it comes to conference play he has bumped that number up considerably to 20.0 ppg which is one of the top averages in the league. Leonard (13.4 ppg), a 57.7 percent shooter from the floor on the season, has been planting himself in the paint in order to come up with eight rebounds per game and alter quite a number of shots from opponents.

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