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Both Indiana and Michigan State are riding two-game losing streaks into Saturday's matchup in East Lansing.

The Hoosiers have dropped games to Illinois and Northwestern and the Spartans have lost back-to-back games to Rutgers and Wisconsin.

Mike Woodson said all five suspended players who missed Tuesday's game vs Northwestern would be 'available to play' on Saturday. That means IU should get two starters in Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart back in the lineup.

And that comes at a good time facing a good defensive team in Michigan State.

"They're pretty good defensively," Woodson said. "They get up in you, and they really make you have to work to score the basketball. That's everybody, all five guys that are on the floor kind of on a string from a defensive standpoint."

The Spartans come in ranked No. 50 nationally per KenPom with a defensive efficiency rating of 95.6. On the season, they are holding opponents to just a 46.2 true shooting percentage.

That defense is anchored by 6-foot-11 forward Marcus Bingham. He currently holds the highest block percentage in Big Ten history at 13 percent. Per game, he blocks 2.5 shots, just behind IU's Trayce Jackson-Davis in the Big Ten. In total, Michigan State ranks No. 11 nationally with a block percentage of 15.3.

That matchup is one to watch - Jackson-Davis vs Bingham. Jackson-Davis has had his struggles against some of the better defensive bigs in the conference and his struggles overall in the last few games. In the past two games, he is averaging just 9.5 points on 31.8 percent from the field.

Getting Stewart back in the lineup will help open up the floor, however. He is shooting 45.1 percent on 1.9 made 3s per game. He will try to make up for the lack of success Indiana has on the perimeter especially in a matchup where the Spartans allow opponents to shoot just 30 percent from deep.

"Offensively we've had our struggles in terms of making the long ball and just completing offensive plays over the course of a 40-minute game," Woodson said. "It's kind of been a roller coaster ride in that regard, but we're going to have to find some offense, and our defense has got to stay consistent if we're going to beat Michigan State."

On the flip side, Indiana's defense is still one of the tops in the Big Ten and the country. And it will need to be on full display to slow down Michigan State's offense which currently ranks No. 31 nationally in offensive efficiency (112.3). The Spartans shoot 38.8 percent from three and have an effective field goal percentage of 52.7.

"The thing about their offense is they put so much heat on you when you score, they try to get it in as quick as possible, and then they push it back at you," Woodson said. "We've really got to focus in on getting back in transition and make sure we're matching to the point where they're not just running it up our backs.

"Well, Tyson (Walker) and Max (Christie), Max is a young freshman that's very lively that knows how to play. He's not your typical freshman. That's kind of how I look at it. He's long and rangy and athletic that can put it down and shoot it, as well."

While Walker and Christie hold down the backcourt, they have had their inconsistencies this year. Both are first-year players for Tom Izzo and have a lot of responsibility. Walker averages 7.0 points and 4.4 assists per game but shoots just 39.3 percent from the field and turns it over 2.3 times a game. Christie averages 9.9 points per game and shoots 39.4 percent from the field.

Wing Gabe Brown is the leading scorer at 12.8 points per game. Malik Hall averages 10.1 points and Joey Hauser is at 7.2 points. All three are 6-foot-7 and above and will put pressure on IU in pick-and-pop situations.

"In our pick-and-roll coverages, we've got to be sharp in what we're doing," Woodson said. "When that ball is thrown back, we've got to make sure that we're getting back to shooters, and our schemes when we're switching and things of that nature you're going to have to switch up and make sure we're not giving these guys their shots where they're comfortable in making threes."

Michigan State is the start of a three-game stretch against ranked opponents for Indiana. In total, IU is playing five teams projected in the NCAA Tournament field coming in. It's the key stretch for Indiana to cement itself in the postseason.

"We've got seven games left. We can basically control our own destiny," Woodson noted. "We've got to win out. That's kind of how I look at it, starting at Michigan State.

"But again, I think our team can beat any team in the Big Ten if we commit ourselves. The Big Ten has kind of shown that this season, that anybody can beat anybody."

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