The Loyola Chicago Ramblers will travel to East Lansing, Michigan, on Tuesday, December 6th, to face the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans in a highly anticipated non-conference matchup. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2010.
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers, fresh off a thrilling victory over the No. 20 Dayton Flyers, will face their toughest test of the season when they travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to face the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday, December 6th. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2010.
The Ramblers, led by the dynamic duo of Lucas Williamson and Braden Norris, are coming off a 2022 NCAA Tournament run that saw them reach the Sweet 16. They are currently 5-2 on the season with wins over Northern Illinois, UIC, Indiana State, and Dayton, and their only losses coming to the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers and the Missouri State Bears.
Loyola Ramblers to Face No. 5 Michigan State for First Time in Over a Decade
The Spartans, meanwhile, are off to a 6-1 start to the season with their only loss coming to the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs. They are led by All-American candidate Joey Hauser and a talented supporting cast that includes Malik Hall, Tyson Walker, and Jaden Akins.
The Spartans enter the game as a heavy favorite, but the Ramblers have a history of upsetting higher-ranked opponents. In 2018, they shocked the college basketball world by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and reaching the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.
The matchup between Loyola Chicago and Michigan State is sure to be a competitive one. The Ramblers have the talent and experience to make a game of it, but the Spartans have the home-court advantage and a higher level of overall talent.
* Strengths:
* Dynamic backcourt duo of Williamson and Norris
* Strong defense that forced 20 turnovers in their win over Dayton
* Experienced team with several key players from their Final Four run in 2018
* Weaknesses:
* Lack of size in the frontcourt
* Struggles to shoot the three-pointer consistently
* Can be turnover-prone at times
* Strengths:
* All-American candidate Joey Hauser
* Talented supporting cast of Hall, Walker, and Akins
* Strong home-court advantage at the Breslin Center
* Weaknesses:
* Young and inexperienced team with several freshmen in the rotation
* Struggles to rebound the ball at times
* Can be vulnerable to teams that play physical and aggressive defense
This is a tough matchup to predict, as both teams have their strengths and weaknesses. Michigan State is the clear favorite on paper, but Loyola Chicago has the experience and the talent to make this a competitive game.
If the Ramblers can control the tempo of the game and limit their turnovers, they have a chance to pull off the upset. However, the Spartans should be able to wear down Loyola Chicago in the end and win the game by a score of 75-65.
