MSU-Auburn Freshmen Could Steal the Show

The Michigan State Spartans basketball program fought tooth and nail against the Ole Miss Rebels in Sweet 16 action, advancing to their first Elite Eight since the 2019 season. Now that the Spartans have turned their focus to their new opponents, there's a strong chance the youth could take over the game.

Freshman guard Jase Richardson has been MSU's not-so-secret weapon down the stretch in both the regular season and the NCAA Tournament. After going quite against the New Mexico Lobos, where he only dropped six points, Richardson stole the show back in leading the Spartans to where they are now.

Going into the game against Auburn, the Spartans are going to need to have Richardson to have a repeat performance if the program wants to find their way to the Final Four. While Richardson is not the only major threat for MSU, it has been abundantly clear that when Richardson is on, so is the rest of the team.

All that being said, the Tigers have their own freshman weapon that could easily go toe to toe with Richardson in terms of game impact, and that is freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford.

Pettiford had a strong season for the Tigers, ranking third among the rest of the program in average points scored per game with 11.8. Primarily used off of the bench, given he only started one game during the regular season, Pettiford is still a player that can't hurt the Spartans if they aren't careful.

In Auburns' victory over the Michigan Wolverines, Pettiford dropped 20 points. It wasn't just that game that stood out for the Tigers and Pettiford, as he has averaged 19.7 points this NCAA Tournament alone.

In back to back games for Pettiford, he has draining 50% of his shots, seven for 14 in each game. If MSU can limit Pettiford off the bench, the chances of winning are slightly more in its favor. But Pettiford isn't the only major threat, similar to Richardson, that can make a name in the game.

The Spartans and the Tigers are set to play at State Farm Arena with tip off scheduled for 5:05 PM EST.

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