There has been a lot of discussion on the final play of the Duke/Clemson game last night:

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I have strong feelings on this situation. Frist, I do not see an obvious foul on this play. Was there some contact? Maybe. Did the Duke played actually initiate the contact? Maybe. Some people are saying that is it absolutely a foul Clemson. I am not convinced.

Some people like to argue that there should be no difference between a foul called with 0.4 seconds on the clock and one with 4 minutes left on the clock. In a perfect world where the games are officiated by an AI with perfect vision, I would agree. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we do not live in this world and therefore, this viewpoint, IMHO, is 100% wrong.

Officials are fallible, and I have seen contact like this let go on pretty much every drive to the basket by Hoggard and Walker this season. A call with 4 minutes remaining does not impact the result of a game. A call with 0.4 seconds on the clock does. It is not the same situation, and the refs need to be aware of this. The "burden of proof" to blow the whistle in this type of late game situation MUST be higher. This was a MAJOR screw up and these refs should be reprimanded. This crap is NOT acceptable.

And, of course, Duke benefits. The fact the Scheyer continues to get the Coach K white glove treatment is an embarrassment to the game. MSU did not get a fair whistle against those bozos in the Champions Classic. I am sick of it.

If I were the Clemson coach, I would have called a timeout after the Duke FTs, and absolutely given the refs a profanity laced earful. Earn the double technical. Pay the fine. This crap cannot be allowed to continue. I find it disgusting.

Also, if this is a foul, I would like to congratulate the 2010 Michigan State Spartans on a retroactive National Title in basketball.

Tom Izzo just had his press conference and several players are speaking at the podium today ahead of tomorrow's Michigan game at 9 p.m.

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The newest member of Michigan State's 2024 high school recruiting class is three-star wide receiver Jaylan Brown. The Texas native announced his commitment to the Spartans on Sunday.

Brown's pledge came after an official visit to Michigan State, which he took this past weekend (Jan. 26 through Jan. 28).

The Nacogdoches High School star saw everything he needed to see while in East Lansing, and knew that Michigan State is where he wanted to be throughout his college career.

"I made great connections with the players and coaches," Brown told Spartans Illustrated when asked why he committed to MSU. "And it totally feels like home!"

More here:

Michigan State is not yet done adding to its 2024 recruiting class, as three-star wide receiver Jaylan Brown committed to the Spartans on Sunday.

Brown, out of Nacogdoches High School was offered by Michigan State on Jan. 17, and quickly set up an official visit to check out East Lansing. Brown was on campus for his official visit this past weekend, Jan. 26 through Jan. 28.

We will have updated quotes later, but here is the story for now:

The sample is more than enough. I believe it is the center position. Cooper and Sissoko are not offensive threats at all. Neither can stretch out the defense because they lack a mid range shot much less a 3 point shot. Look at what Reese at MD and Crowl at W can do that we are not capable of doing.
The other issue is rebounding. I know that stats are not kept on rebound that we lose because those two lose the rebound when it is in their grasp but get it knocked out, or mishandle it and cough it up. Maddy has hands of stone at times and Cooper seems to lack a sense of where to be in order to corral the ball. How many times have we seen that? How many more boards would we have? That is an imponderable.
Jaxon may provide some answers because he could provide offense that the other two are not capable of. I would also like to see what Booker could do. He appears to hit 3 pointers.
What do you think?

I am still optimistic about this Michigan State basketball season and the month of February. But there is one thing that worries me:

The Tom Izzo Bermuda Triangle.

I wrote about this two years ago on The Only Colors, and former (?) member @Carl_N was the person who originally coined this phrase. We are in the middle of it...

Based on my analysis, late January and the first week of February is a period of 19 days (on average) when MSU historically underachieves. The MSU team has done plenty of underachieving already. They cannot afford to drop a few more stupid games...

Didn’t expect to see such a significant difference in the caliber of play. But this isn’t the first time. I find it quite shocking that I have watched so many games this season knowing early on in the game that MSU will not win.

After Friday’s loss at Wisconsin, it’s time to adjust expectations for the rest of MSU’s regular season. While MSU has not been mathematically eliminated from the Big Ten race, the odds of a title are now less than 1%. The only realistic way to hang a Big Ten banner is in the Big Ten Tournament (7.4%).

The events of the weekend also reveal the new “threat” to the Spartans is not the top three teams in the conference (Purdue, Wisconsin, and Illinois). Instead, MSU needs to worry more about staying ahead of Nebraska and especially Northwestern.

Finally, I took a closer look at the difference between “luck” and “grit,” both of which are measured by comparing expected wins to actual wins. My conclusion is that most (but not all) of what we measure is truly luck, but there is evidence that grit is a real thing as well. This is good news for MSU, and potentially bad news for the currently very lucky Northwestern Wildcats.


Also, don't forget to check out the odds and data tracker for all of the nitty gritty details.

EAST LANSING, MICH. – MSU Track and Field student-athletes will compete between two meets taking place on Friday, Jan. 26 and Saturday the 27th at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invite in Louisville, Ky. and the Michigan Invite in Ann Arbor, Mich..

Note: No Spartans will be competing in events at the Michigan Invite in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 26

The highly competitive PNC Lenny Lyles Invite will feature Michigan State sprinters, jumpers and a season debut of the Pentathlon and Heptathlon both Friday and Saturday while the distance squad will be in action Saturday at the Michigan Invite, with the throwers taking the weekend off from competition.

Simmons-Harvey Invite – Jan. 20, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
One meet, 14 PRs
At the first scored meet of the season last time out at the Simmons-Harvey Invite on Jan. 20, 14 Spartans from sprints and distance to jumps and throws recorded personal best times while the men finished third with 127.5 points as the women placed fourth with 59 points.

One win, seven second place finishes
MSU athletes recorded seven second-place finishes while junior Logan Allen was the lone Spartan event-winner at the Simmons-Harvey Invite, topping the 60m hurdles in 8.02.

Spartans were runners-up in each of the jumps events on the day: Gr. Heath Baldwin in the men's long jump, Brady Schultz in the men's high jump and Natalie Blake cleared 4.00m in the pole vault for the first time, missing out on first only to a technicality.

The distance squad made it's first impression of the season on both the men's and women's side with their own second place finishes in the mile. Junior Kate-Stewart Barnett finished only a second behind the mile race winner while senior Andrew Nolan also claimed a silver behind a 4:03.26 PR.

Senior Owen Huard was second in the 3,000m race, his 8:04.61 time a personal best and 24th fastest in the nation this season. Sophomore Tim Cherry also blitzed to second in the 800m.

Wolverine Invite – Jan. 13, 2024 | Ann Arbor, Mich.
Top of the morning
At the Wolverine Invite in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, Spartans placed first in both the first track and field events of the day.

To get things started, junior Elle Adrian was crowned weight throw winner with a 20.22m toss. In the 60m hurdles graduate senior Heath Baldwin saved his best sprint for the finals, besting the competition at 7.96, a PR.

Dashing through the snow
A winter storm with several inches of snow prior to the Wolverine Invite forced multiple teams to withdraw from competing at the meet. For MSU however, the sprinters traveled especially well, placing on the podium and racking up personal best times on numerous occasions.

In addition to Baldwin, also victorious during the morning events was sophomore Lexy Wilson, who finished the 400m sprint in 56.48. On the men's side, sophomore Alex Yon finished second with a 49.55 400 time. Sophomore Ian Thompson also had a career-day, placing second in the 60m dash with a PR of 6.78.

Competing for pole (vault) position
Spartans shined and landed finalists in both the men's and women's pole vault events. In fact, the last two women standing were Michigan State sophomores Natalie Blake and Sophia Mettes. Both cleared 3.95m but failed the next height, ceding Blake the winner as she completed previous feat in less attempts.

On the men's side, Adam Blue matched his PR of 4.90m despite using a shortened approach. The Potterville, Mich. native earned second in the event, only behind Olympian Steven Bastien who, competing unattached, only beat Blue as he cleared 4.90m in less attempts than the sophomore.

GVSU Holiday Open – Dec. 8, 2023 | Allendale, Mich.
Freshman sets school record in first career try
In her first career try, Jessica Stieb set an indoor shot put school record with a 16.60m throw. The record previously stood at 16.15m, set by Katelyn Daniels in 2018. The Loup City, Nebraska native wound up finishing second in the event at the GVSU Holiday Open on Dec. 8.

Several Spartans shine in debuts
Also having a standout performance from the throws squad was junior Elle Adrian, who topped the 20-pound weight throw event by nearly a whole meter with a 20.74m mark.

Highlighting the sprint events for the Spartans, sophomore Lexy Wilson broke her 400m PR with a blitzing time of 56.38 to finish second, while freshman Liz Anderson joined her on the podium in her collegiate debut at 57 seconds flat.

Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener – Dec. 2, 2023 | Boston, Mass.
Sage's win highlights season opener
Four Track and Field student-athletes opened the season at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener alongside national competition on Dec. 2 on what is regarded by many as the fastest track in the world, highlighted by an overall 400m win by junior Noah Sage.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Michigan State is adding to its 2024 roster as in-state linebacker Chris Piwowarczyk announced his commitment to the Spartans as a preferred walk-on on Saturday.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Piwowarczyk is a Michigan State legacy player. Both of his parents attended Michigan State.

"I've been a Spartan fan my whole life," Piwowarczyk told Spartans Illustrated. "My father played there from 1987 through 1991, winning two Big Ten titles and a Rose Bowl. My mother also went there from 1986 through 1991. It's always been a dream and goal of mine to wear the Green and White!"

More here:

Despite the Saturday night loss, the Spartans maintained their grasp on first place in the Big Ten thanks to their series split with the Gophers.

How is coming? Is he walking without crutches? Maybe back in May?

Michigan State players were visibly down, but avoiding discouragement, after the Spartans 81-66 loss to Wisconsin on Friday night in Madison.

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Following Michigan State's disappointing loss at Wisconsin on Saturday night, head coach Tom Izzo was very disappointed in his team's performance.

"I think the biggest disappointment for me was that we didn't get any loose balls," said Izzo after the game.

Read the rest of Izzo's comments here:

The Spartans will celebrate the 2014 Big Ten Championship team.​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball concludes its two-game home stand taking on in-state rival Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. It is also Alumni Day at Breslin Center with former players, coaches and staff being honored at half time. Zach Surdenik and Derrick Mitchell will be on the call for Big Ten Plus.

• The Spartans improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in B1G play with a 97-70 win over Purdue on Jan. 24. Michigan stands 14-6 overall and 5-3 in the B1G after an overtime win over Maryland.

• Moira Joiner topped the 1,000 career point mark Wednesday night with a 3-pointer at the 6:39 mark for her fifth point of the game. She becomes the 30th Spartan to join the MSU 1,000-Point Club and the first since Nia Clouden hit her 1,000th point on Jan. 7, 2021 vs. Maryland.

• The Spartans will also celebrate Alumni Day. Among the events scheduled is honoring the 10th anniversary of the 2013-14 Big Ten Championship team. That team went 23-10, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

• Theryn Hallock and Tory Ozment's 20-point outings against Purdue give the Spartans a total of 12 20-point performances this season. Hallock's 24 points is No. 5 on MSU's single-game scoring list, behind Ayrault's 32 points vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21), Joiner's 27 points vs. Central Michigan (12/17), Joiner's 26 points at DePaul (11/30) and Ayrault's 25 points vs. James Madison (11/23).

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
The Wolverines come to East Lansing with a 14-6 overall and 5-3 B1G ledger in tow. Michigan is 9-1 at home, 3-3 in away games and 2-2 on neutral courts. U-M has won two in a row and three of its last four, starting with a 76-52 win over Wisconsin on Jan. 13, before dropping a 62-43 loss at Nebraska on Jan. 17. The Wolverines bounced back with a 56-50 win at Rutgers on Jan. 21, then rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit for a 79-77 OT win over Maryland on Wednesday night.

Michigan was down 46-31 at intermission and a free throw in the first 15 seconds of the third quarter for a 47-31 score and a 16-point margin, before U-M out-scored Maryland, 19-11 the rest of the third stanza to close to 58-50 entering the fourth quarter. The Wolverines continued to claw away at the deficit, finally tying the game at 67-all with 49 seconds left on a free throw by junior guard Laila Phelia to send the game to OT. In the extra session, Phelia again came up big at the charity stripe, netting a pair of free throws with 0.3 on the clock to complete the comeback win. Sophomore forward Chyra Evans led five Wolverines in double-figures with 17 points.

The Wolverines lead the B1G in scoring defense, limiting the opposition to 58.8 ppg, while ranking 10th in the conference in scoring offense (70.0 ppg), to rank eighth in scoring margin (+11.2). U-M is also second in the league in offensive rebounds (14.3 pg), while 14th in defensive rebounds (23.7 pg), ranking sixth overall in rebounding (38.0), while also ranking third in the league in rebounding margin (+6.8).

Phelia and Hansen are the only two Wolverines averaging double-figure points, with Phelia leading the way with 15.8 ppg, good for eighth in the B1G, while Hansen adds 11.3 ppg, just outside the league's top 25 scorers. Phelia has a team-best 1.3 steals per game, while Hansen leads Michigan in assists with 2.3 apg.

Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico is in her 12th season at U-M, posting a 255-125 record. Overall, Barnes Arico is in her 27th season as a collegiate head coach, amassing a 525-331 ledger.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE WOLVERINES
Michigan State leads the overall series with Michigan 73-25. The Spartans are on top at home 36-9, while the series is closer in Ann Arbor with MSU leading, 28-16. Michigan State leads on neutral territory, 9-0. The Wolverines have had the edge of late, winning six of the last seven meetings. U-M won both games last year, including a 77-67 win in Ann Arbor on Feb. 18.

LAST TIME VS MICHIGAN
Second-half scoring troubles hampered the Michigan State women's basketball team, falling to No. 18/19 Michigan, 77-67, in front of overall 9,000 fans at the Breslin Center on Feb. 5, 2023 on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

MSU's celebrated its field hockey, cross country/track & field, gymnastics, women's soccer, volleyball and cheer and dance teams at half time.

Three Spartans reached double figures led by 12 points from both senior guard Moira Joiner and sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh. Joiner also set a new career high with six steals. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann had another solid game with 11 points, a season-high nine assists and a career-high six steals.

WIRE-TO-WIRE
MSU led from start-to-finish Wednesday night, marking the second-straight home game and the fifth overall time this season that the Spartans have never trailed in the game, including the fourth time at home, joining Game 4 vs. Evansville (11/19/23), Game 10 vs. Central Michigan (12/17/23), Game 12 vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23) and Game 17 vs. Northwestern (1/17/24), with the neutral-court Coastal Carolina contest the lone game away from home in going tip to final buzzer never trailing.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. PURDUE
• Michigan State also tied a B1G-high with six blocks, matching six rejections vs. Penn State (12/30/23). It was MSU's seventh game with five or more blocks, improving to 6-1 when doing so.

• The Spartans distributed 24 assists, logging the eighth time this season they've registered 20+ helpers. MSU had just 10 turnovers for a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio, as the Spartans came into Wednesday leading both the B1G and NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.76).

• MSU swiped 12 steals, matching the most in a B1G game this season, also with 12 vs. Nebraska (12/9/23). The 12 steals was the Spartans' ninth game with double-digit steals and just the third B1G contest. MSU is now 8-1 overall and 2-1 in B1G action with 10+ steals in a game.

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner topped the 1,000 career point mark Wednesday night with a 3-pointer at the 6:39 mark for her fifth point of the game.She becomes the 30th Spartan women's basketball player to join the MSU 1,000-Point Club and the first since All-American Nia Clouden hit her 1,000th point on Jan. 7, 2021 vs. Maryland. Clouden finished her career in 2022 with 1,882 points. Joiner finished with 14 points Wednesday, giving her 1,009 career points, needing just three more for the No. 29 mark on MSU's scoring list, held by Jill Prudden (1974-78) with 1,012 career points.

LAST TIME OUT
Graduate guard Moira Joiner became the 30th member of the Michigan State women's basketball 1,000-point club early in the first quarter, as the Spartans rolled past Purdue, 97-70 Wednesday at the Breslin Center.

Overall, five Spartans reached double figures in the win. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock set a new career high with 24 points off the bench, going 10-for-12 from the field. Graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment also set a new career high with 23 points off the bench, also adding eight rebounds. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was just shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Abbey Kimball scored 10 points in the victory.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State wrestling team welcomed No. 17-ranked Wisconsin to Jenison Field House on Friday evening to cap off its three-match homestand. On a night led by three bonus point victories, MSU took five matches to upset the Badgers, 22-15.

For the Spartans, it was it's first victory over a Top 20 opponent since the 2021-22 season when they defeated then No. 14-ranked Rutgers, 20-14.

A win on Friday helped Michigan State snap a three-dual skid as the team improves to 8-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Friday's win over Wisconsin guarantees the Spartans a .500 or better finish for the third consecutive season. Wisconsin falls to 6-3 and 0-2 in B1G duals.

"I'm happy to see the fruits of the labor coming out tonight for these guys with the work and the effort they put in," said Michigan State head wrestling coach Roger Chandler. "These guys never quit, they keep fighting and you can see it with no one hanging their head. Look at Andy Hampton, he's going through a rough spell, but you see he's fighting for the whole seven minutes and that's what we need out of him."

Starting the night at 157 pounds, No. 21-ranked senior Chase Saldate entered Friday's dual with with seven victories by fall to rank eighth in the country. Saldate would continue to add to that total as he pinned Wisconsin's Luke Mechler with at the 5:43 mark in the third period. With Saldate leading Mechler 5-0 going into the finals period, and taking the down position, the Gilroy, California, native reversed the position and roll Mechler to his shoulders for the fall. Saldate's eighth win by fall of the season ties his career high. It's Saldate's fifth win by fall in his last seven matches.

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In a top-25 showdown at 184 pounds, No. 21-ranked graduate Layne Malczewski squared off against No. 16-ranked Shane Liegel. Malczewski pushed the pace early on with a first period takedown, but Liegel was able to escape. After a tight two periods, Malczewski held a 3-2 lead going into the final two minutes of action. Taking the down position to start the third, Malczewski escaped the grasp of Liegel for the early escape and sealed the victory with a takedown in the final minute.

The redshirt freshmen duo of 197-pounder Kael Wisler and heavyweight Josh Terrill continued adding to their breakout seasons as each earned important bonus points for Michigan State on Friday night. Wisler controlled Wisconsin's Josh Otto from the start maneuvering a single leg takedown in the final minute of the first period. After an escape to begin the second period and a point for Otto's stalling, Wisler led 5-0, a third. Wisler used a third period takedown and 1:27 of riding time to pick up the major decision, picked up his sixth bonus point dual victory of the season.

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Terrill, who leads Division I in victories this season, increased his win total to 24. After a slow first period with no action against Gannon Rosenfeld, a Terrill escape got the action started before he was caught for a takedown. The local Holt, Michigan, native recovered and tossed Rosenfeld to his back to secure the fall with two seconds remaining in the second period.

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Heading into the 141-pound bout, Michigan State was looking to secure the upset with a 19-12 lead. No. 30-ranked redshirt senior Jordan Hamdan scored an early takedown and his 2:29 riding time against Felix Lettini en route to a 5-2 victory to secure the upset victory for MSU.

The Spartans dropped matches at 165, 174, 125, 133 and 149 pounds, but were never out of the fight as each bout ended by decision. No. 9-ranked 165-pound senior Caleb Fish faced his fourth top-10 opponent in his last five outings as he went head-to-head with the Badgers No. 5-ranked Dean Hamiti. Fish put up a valiant effort as he dropped to Hamiti in a 5-3 decision.

Michigan State's wrestling team will be back in action next weekend, hitting the road to face No. 26-ranked Illinois on Friday, Feb. 2, before heading to No. 28-ranked Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 4.



BOUT-BY-BOUT:

Michigan State 22, No. 17 Wisconsin 15

Jan. 26, 2024 // Jenison Field House // East Lansing, Mich.

Attendance: 518

157 | No. 21 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over Luke Mechler (UW) 5:40 | MSU leads 6-0

165 |No. 5 Dean Hamiti (UW) dec. No. 9 Caleb Fish (MSU) 5-3 | MSU leads 6-3

174 | No. 12 Max Maylor (UW) dec. DJ Shannon (MSU) 5-0 | Tied 6-6

184 | No. 21 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. Shane Liegel 8-2 | MSU leads 9-6

197 | No. 29 Kael Wisler (MSU) major dec. Josh Otto (UW) 9-1 | MSU leads 13-6

HWT | Josh Terrill (MSU) fall over Gannon Rosenfeld (UW) 4:58 | MSU leads 19-6

125 | No. 3 Eric Barnett (UW) dec. Tristan Lujan (MSU) 4-2 | MSU leads 19-9

133 | Nicolar Rivera (UW) dec. Andy Hampton (MSU) 10-6 | MSU leads 19-12

141 | No. 30 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) dec. Felix Lettini (UW) 5-2 | MSU leads 22-12

149 | No. 23 Joseph Zargo (UW) dec. Braden Stauffenberg (MSU) 10-5 | MSU wins 22-15

Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Had a couple fall backs in recovery. Having torn my meniscus as well as braking the same hip at once sucked. Now after surgery and sufficient time my one leg is shorter that the other making walking on a slide slope. Still have to have knee done and my new MRI's will tell me if I need more om my hip. Anyone else come out of broken hip surgery with a shorter leg?
I know I've joked here for years but truthfully I just came back from the dentist where he had to pull all of my back teeth, guess I should have taken dental health.
Basketball is an adventure against anybody. I really enjoy seeing these guys and imagine what it would be with Feers and healthy Kohler. When they are are on their A game they can beat anyone and that means hitting 3 pts. by a number of players. Alos listen to Izzo rebounding and strength is seen in moments, they can do it.
Hollohan has become a player and with room to improve. Hall mostly playing like a 5 year senior. Hoggard gives me ulcers, he can be so good and so bad too. If we can get him near 100% would be championship level. Aikans can do so much good but could be so much more on offense. It seems he doesn't want to shoot leaving it to Walker to do which he does in spades. If we had a team of Walkers we'd be looking down on all ofthe other teams. A true Spartan and a gift to us. Izzo need go get others in the portal like others do in both sports.
Football with the transfer of Childs has me sky high or still the drugs from yesterday.
Really though what's not to like. Not a big name like Tuck but impressive credentials with the same for As coaches. I think their will be a better coached team from all ends. Childs gives us a QB that could be equal to the OSU championship QB's of past. This recruiting class is no worse than some of MD's classes and you all loved what he accomplished here, be honest. I admit I did. Is see this as close to that situation with a higher back end. MD became tired and could retire, me too so that's fair.
I expect the BBall team to make the tourney and with Fears back a Final Four.
Football 8 & 5 thankls to good talent staying and portal.

Hot shooting, bench points, and offensive rebounding lifts the Wisconsin Badgers over the Michigan State Spartans, 81-66, despite a season-high 19 points from A.J. Hoggard. Check out the game recap here:


I personally felt like Wisconsin hit an awful lot of OK to bad shots while MSU was cold. It felt like Bo Ryan was still on the sidelines. After a while, they just got frustrated. My math says that MSU has already played 6 of the 8 toughest games on the Big Ten schedule. Next up is Michigan. MSU needs to pound them by about 40.

Sydney and I are live in Madison tonight for MSU vs. #13 Wisconsin! Tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

(Fews days late on the news, sorry)

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Michigan State gymnasts Skyla Schulte and Gabi Ortiz earned Big Ten women's gymnastics weekly honors, with Schulte being named Co-Gymnast of the Week while Ortiz took home Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Schulte, a native of Bolingbrook, Illinois, collects her first Big Ten Gymnast of the Week award since March 8, 2022, and her second overall. She is the first Spartan to earn the award this season and first since current junior Gabrielle Stephen on March 15, 2023.

The junior put together an impressive night in MSU's 197.475-195.950 victory at Penn State to open the conference season, capturing at least a share of four out of five possible event titles. Schulte competed in the all-around at Penn State for the first time this season, scoring a 39.600 for the event title and second-best all-around score in the conference in 2024. She also won shares of the bars (9.900) and beam (9.950) titles, posting season highs in both events, while winning the floor title outright with a 9.900. Schulte shares this week's Gymnast of the Week award with Ohio State's Payton Harris.

Ortiz wins MSU's first Freshman of the Week award this season and is the first B1G Freshman of the Week for the Spartans since now-sophomore Nikki Smith on March 15 last season. The Tampa, Florida, native made her debut in the beam lineup at Penn State, scoring a 9.875 to finish fifth overall. Her 9.875 tied for the highest score on any event by a freshman in the Big Ten last week.

Schulte and Ortiz helped MSU to season highs on vault (49.300), beam (49.450) and team overall score (197.475) at Penn State.

MSU hosts Iowa in its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. in Jenison Field House. The meet will stream on B1G+.

Courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Hosting Minnesota at Munn, they score the game winner with 4 seconds to play.

Newly-hired Michigan State cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin has wasted no time jumping on the recruiting trail. One of Martin's latest offers was to 2026 safety Isaiah Williams.

Williams is out of Fort Bend Marshall in Missouri City, Texas. Martin made the trip to the Lone Star State and stopped by Williams' school to connect with his coaches and send the offer out to the young defensive back.

Following the offer, Williams provided his thoughts about Michigan State, Martin and his recruitment to Spartans Illustrated.

"It felt great," Williams said about the Michigan State offer. "It was a blessing to receive that offer."

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On this day in 1837, Michigan officially became the 26th state.

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