Michigan State Spartans Face Northwestern in Key Big Ten Matchup

The 14th-ranked Michigan State Spartans (13-2, 4-0) are set to face Northwestern (10-5, 1-3) in a pivotal Big Ten basketball game at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois, on Sunday. The Spartans, riding an eight-game win streak, are off to their best start in conference play since the 2021-22 season.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo expressed cautious optimism about his team’s performance. “I think we got a good team right now,” Izzo said. “Good teams are good, great teams are great, elite teams are elite. So we still got a long way to get where we want to get.”

The Spartans are tied with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings, with Purdue and Indiana close behind. Northwestern, despite a strong home record, has struggled on the road, coming off back-to-back losses at Penn State and Purdue.

Northwestern’s roster features two of the Big Ten’s top scorers, forward Nick Martinelli (19.4 points per game) and Brooks Barnhizer (19.3 points per game). The Wildcats also return 7-foot center Matthew Nicholson and guard Ty Berry, adding depth and experience to their lineup.

MSU’s schedule is set to intensify, with upcoming games against Penn State, Illinois, and a road trip to face USC and UCLA. The Spartans’ performance in these games could be crucial in determining their standing as the regular season concludes in March.

“Just going into this next game, we gotta play at an all-time high with confidence and swagger,” said freshman guard Jase Richardson. “But we also gotta stay composed and go out and execute.”

The game tips off at noon ET and will be broadcast on Fox. Michigan State leads the all-time series 95-42, but Northwestern has won four of the last six meetings, including two of the last three in Evanston.