Michigan State Faces Washington in Big Ten Basketball Showdown

EAST LANSING – No. 14 Michigan State (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten) will host Washington (10-5, 1-3) on Thursday night at Breslin Center, marking the Spartans’ first matchup against one of the four new West Coast additions to the Big Ten. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. EDT, with the game broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo acknowledged the challenges posed by the former Pac-12 teams, including Washington, UCLA, USC, and Oregon, which joined the Big Ten this season. Historically, West Coast basketball was perceived as less physical, but Izzo believes the new members are ready to compete in the rugged Big Ten. “I don’t know if there’s as much difference,” Izzo said Monday. “Now, they’re players from all over the country, more with the transfer portal. So it’s different.”

Washington, led by first-year head coach Danny Sprinkle, has shown resilience despite a rocky start. The Huskies have won four of their last six games, including a victory over previously ranked Maryland and a narrow loss to No. 15 Illinois. Sprinkle, who previously coached at Utah State and Montana State, revamped the roster with 10 new players, eight of whom are transfers. The team is anchored by 6-foot-8 forward Great Osobor, who averages 14.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Michigan State enters the game on a seven-game winning streak, with strong performances from sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and junior forward Jaxon Kohler. Fears ranks third in the Big Ten with 6.0 assists per game, while Kohler averages 8.5 rebounds. The Spartans lead the all-time series against Washington 4-2, with their last meeting in 2010 resulting in a 76-71 victory for MSU.

Thursday’s game will test both teams’ adaptability to new conference dynamics. “It’s a West Coast team, we don’t usually play Washington,” Fears said. “It’s new to the coaches, it’s new to us. We don’t know who they have, what they have quite yet, and they don’t really know what we have.”

Michigan State will face the other new Big Ten members in quick succession, with road games against USC and UCLA in early February followed by a home game against Oregon. The Spartans’ ability to handle the physicality and pace of these matchups will be crucial as they aim to maintain their momentum in conference play.