Saturday, April 01, 2000
Wisconsin vs. Michigan St.: The keys
BY MIKE DECOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
1. Charlie Bell's defense against Wisconsin shooting guard Jon Bryant. In the regional final win against Purdue, Bryant burned Boilers guard Jaraan Cornell for three 3-pointers in the first three minutes. Bell is better at slipping screens and should not be an easy mark.
2. Michigan State's running game. The Spartans need to push their transition offense even if they can't get fast-break scores. Wisconsin needs to guard against MSU's early offense.
3. Morris Peterson's mental state. Two days after his grandmother's funeral, Peterson plays his biggest game. His clutch shooting is crucial to Michigan State.
4. Mark Vershaw's touches. Wisconsin needs to get the ball in Vershaw's hands more often; he's the best pure passer and generates more positive offense than any of the Badgers.
5. The officiating. The game is likely to be called closely because of the teams' reputation for physical play. That favors the Spartans, who have greater depth and more ability to play creative basketball.
DeCourcy's prediction: Michigan State 66, Wisconsin 54.
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