Pre-Tip Read: Michigan State vs New Mexico | NCAA Tournament Second Round

CLEVELAND - Michigan State’s depth - and the speed and effort with which that depth allows the Spartans to play - will be a major key in this game against New Mexico in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at Rocket Arena. Depth, and the strength in numbers movement, has been more than a slogan or mantra for Michigan State this season. It was a key in winning the Big Ten Championship, it was key in outlasting Bryant on Friday night and it should be a key difference-maker against the Lobos. The key within the key is taxing the fuel gauge of Lobos point guard Donovan Dent. He’s outstanding. My colleague Paul Konyndyk was exactly right when he compared him on Selection Sunday to former Spartan guard Tyson Walker. INSIDE NEW MEXICO’S PERSONNEL PG 2 DONOVAN DENT (6-2, 185, Jr., Riverside, Calif.) Dent was a Top 125 national recruit, Mr. Basketball in the state of California.  He and Tyson Walker are built the same, handle the ball similarly, get to their spots for pull-up jumpers, floaters and high-glassers the same, their hair is similar and they even wear the same number. One major difference is that Dent plays point guard. Walker played off guard for Michigan State. Dent is a good passer, sometimes a dazzling passer. He’s an all-day cookie. He’s a problem.  He is the only player in they country who averages 20-plus points and 6-plus assists per game, at 20.6 and 6.4. He shoots 40 percent from 3-point range, but doesn’t attempt many. That’s so strange. He’s such a great shooter and scorer from medium range, and his 3-point percentage is very efficient, but he doesn’t chuck from deep. He is 27 of 66 from 3-point range this year. By familiar comparison, Xavier Freaking Booker has more 3-point attempts this year than Dent. I don’t understand that, but New Mexico has won a boatload of games, so they are doing plenty right. HOW DO YOU CONTAIN DENT? More Inside...