Today’s  Match Up of the Day is the Duke Blue Devils vs the Michigan State Spartans. This game is on CBS at 9:45 ET. I choose this game because they are two historic programs with coaching legends. Both of these teams are used to winning and have the talent to go all the way and cut down the nets. I think this is going to be a battle for the ages, so you should check it out.

Michigan State’s Keys:  In this game MSU needs to take advantage of their big men and work the ball into the paint. The keys for the Spartans are Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne. They have  a huge advantage in size. I don’t think that Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly can handle them. Also if Izzo and the Spartans want to advance point guard Keith Appling needs to have a big game. He is very inconstant and tends to struggle in the spot light, and when he struggles usually MSU does too.

Duke’s Keys:  If Duke wants to win, Mason Plumlee needs to have a big game. He has to contain Michigan State’s tough big men. He needs to toughen up and control the paint. Plumlee will have to step up his game, BIG TIME! Also if the Durham Devils want to come out of the win column point guard Quinn Cook needs to take advantage of Appling’s inconsistency. Cook is very young and inexperienced but he loves the spot light. There is also one more thing I would like to add, in Tournament play Tom Izzo is 1-6 against Coach K.

Prediction:  It is clear that Coach K knows the formula to beat Izzo’s Spartans and I think Appling is going to choke in Crunch Time. That is why I have Duke barley escaping against Michigan State.