Big Game, Big...Heart?

MSU vs Purdue 9pm ESPN This is a battle for first place in the Big Ten. It's a battle for a possible 2 seed, or better, come tourney time. It's the chance to end a two game losing skid for MSU, or for Purdue to extend it. All this with the added ankle twist from Lucas. Yeah, it's big.

I've been pouring over the analysis and it is as varied as it is abundant. A brief compendium of web wisdom condensed into one written shot of diarrhea:

-Can Purdue lay off the 3s and get the ball to JaJuan Johnson?

-Purdue's ability to create to's vs. MSU's propensity to give it away like the Chili Peppers ?

-Will Lucas play/is he 100%?

-Will MSU sag off the perimeter too much and let Hummel and Moore rip into them?

-Is Korie Lucious a liability at the point?

-The Spartans dominance on the boards vs. Purdue's lack there of?

-Can Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green guard Hummel without getting into foul trouble?

On, and on and on ad nauseum. This game has been looked at from every angle. Me, I like Draymond Green's angle the best: "It's not going to be about xs and os at all. It's just gonna be a dogfight."* I think that pretty much sums everything up. You have two hard nosed, desire driven Big Ten contenders stepping into the ring tonight. Who wants it?

*http://www.greenandwhite.com/article/20100209/GW0201/2090314/1026/GW0201&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL