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GAME NOTES: The third-ranked Purdue Boilermakers have lost one of their best players for the season, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds in today's critical Big Ten Conference showdown with the 14th-ranked Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State carried a modest two-game win streak into last Sunday's matchup with Ohio State, and that resulted in a disappointing 74-67 setback. The Spartans, who have been idle since that tilt, are now 21-7 overall and 11-4 in league action. They are still very much alive in the race for the Big Ten regular season crown, but can't afford a setback today.

The Boilermakers were dealt a crushing blow with the news that star forward Robbie Hummel will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Still, Purdue has posted its fourth straight 20-win season for just the second time in program history, and there is still plenty of talent on the roster. The Big Ten leaders are 12-3 in league play and 24-3 overall, including a 13-1 mark at home.

Purdue beat Michigan State by a 76-64 final earlier this month and owns a 63-44 series advantage over the Spartans.

Michigan State is a balanced offensive team that features four double-digit scorers. Kalin Lucas is tops with 15.4 ppg, and he has dished out 110 assists. Durrell Summers (10.5 ppg), Raymar Morgan (10.3 ppg) and Draymond Green (10.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg) are all solid contributors for the Spartans, who are posting 74.0 ppg while limiting foes to 64.6 ppg on 40.9 percent field goal efficiency. MSU is a strong rebounding team that grabs 8.5 rpg more than the opposition on average. Summers scored 16 points to lead his team in last week's loss to Ohio State, while Chris Allen and Green tallied 11 points apiece. The Spartans were actually outrebounded in that tilt by three boards and were also outscored by seven points from the foul line. Clearly, the MSU starters were outplayed by the first five of OSU.

Hummel was second on the team in both scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 ppg), so there is no doubt he will be missed. Still, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson are capable of picking up the slack. Moore is scoring 17.0 ppg to go along with 78 assists, and Johnson provides 14.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 54 blocks. The Boilermakers are generating 73.4 ppg this season while holding foes to 61.1 ppg on 40.2 percent shooting. They have committed 123 fewer turnovers than the opposition, and the solid decision-making has been a major key to success. Hummel scored 11 points in just 12 minutes of action against Minnesota before suffering the knee injury. Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's win for Purdue, which finished with 19 assists against seven turnovers.

A victory over the Spartans would make this group of Boilermakers the first in program history to defeat six ranked teams in a season. Everyone will be picking against the Boilermakers because of the loss of Hummel, but this is a proud and well-coached club.