Scouting: Michigan State at Northwestern

Michigan St. (9-4, 1-0) at Northwestern (9-2, 0-1)

When: 6:30 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena

TV: BTN

Radio: WYLL 1160-AM

The skinny: For the third year in a row, the Wildcats must face the perennial Final Four-bound Spartans in their Big Ten home opener. At least NU was able to push back the opener almost a week. That will allow NU's students to be in the stands for the first time in three years. The 20th-ranked Spartans “struggled” through their non-conference slate with losses to top-ranked Duke, No. 4 Connecticut, No. 5 Syracuse and No. 13 Texas. Senior PG Kalin Lucas (14.5 ppg, 3.6 apg), the Big Ten's preseason player of the year, is slowly but surely regaining his burst after ripping up his Achilles' tendon last March. NU's John Shurna, who still ranks 10th nationally with 22.2 ppg, remains less than 100 percent after suffering a high left ankle sprain Dec. 23.