Michigan State (17-12, 9-9) returns home after a hard-fought loss to Purdue on Saturday. The Spartans will be hosting Northwestern (20-9, 11-7) with tip off set for just after 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Northwestern is not at full strength with three guys either injured or coming off injury. Will get official confirmation on the Wildcats injury situation once the availability reports are released.

It's also senior night. Mady Sissoko's brother is in town. It's about as close to a must win game as you can get in the regular season.

Spartans Illustrated will have a strong representation inside Breslin tonight. @DavidHarns @KLuce98 @Dr. Green and White and I will all be there.

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It was a later night than usual in the Breslin Center as coaches and players lingered on the court for at least an hour following last night's game. Coach Izzo apologized to us when he finally made it down to the media room. He was clearly relieved that his team pulled the win out. Check out my full summary of his comments here:


He talked a lot about Senior Night, of course, and a little about his son Steven, but maybe not as much as you might expect. For me, I was listening for the signs that this team will turn it around, and I did hear some. To be brutally honest, this team has really stunk over the last few weeks. I guess they played OK against Purdue, but this is now 5-6 games in a row where they have underachieved. I am the external optimist, but at this point I would be shocked if they win at Indiana. Yes, they gutted out a win against NU, but that Wildcats are a shell of the team that we saw earlier in the year.

But that said, I agree with all of Izzo's observations.

Yes, MSU showed grit
Yes, MSU is rebounding better
Yes, MSU is defending at a high level
Yes, Tyson Walker looks much closer to 100%

Those are all good things. Izzo also said that the team is shooting well in practise. All of these factors combined tell me that there is a chance that the shooting gets better overnight. IF that happens, this team turns into an NCAA No. 3/4 seed-caliber team VERY quickly instead of the No. 10 seed/NIT caliber team that we have seen over the last few weeks. It's March. He's Tom Izzo. I just seems foolish to bet against him.

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Did you miss last night's senior night festivities or want to relive the special moments? We have you covered with a medley of our social media coverage from Michigan State men's basketball's 53-49 win over Northwestern on Wednesday.

Check it out here:

This game was back and forth for its entirety. It was a nail biter to say the least. Somehow, the Spartans found a way to win.

Full senior night ceremony (replay of our TikTok live stream)

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Full postgame press conference (Izzo, Hall, Walker)

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We are sucking for sure. If we lose tonight we do not deserve to be in the tournament.

This was a fun one.

I've gotten to know Ricketts over the years covering the teams and realized that everyone else should as well.

You don't get coverage of MSU's tuba section leader anywhere else! 😂

According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, the early signing period for college football in December will move up to earlier in the month — the Wednesday before conference championship games. It will also open before the winter transfer portal window does. It will be open for three days. This was previously reported, so it is not a surprise, but the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) has now approved the change, per Auerbach.

There are also discussions about adding a summer signing period as well, but that will be tabled until June. The traditional period in February is expected to remain intact.

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I strongly recommend that every Spartan listen to the "The Sparta MSU Show" with Jason Strayhorn & Sedric Irvin. It's on this Forum dated March 5th.

Sedrick Irvin is very entertaining to listen to.Try to listen to the entire podcast. I especially enjoyed it when he referred Steven Izzo as "Lil IZ"

Michigan State identified a talented quarterback in Georgia and offered class of 2026 signal-caller DJ Bordeaux on Tuesday.

Bordeaux, who is originally from Aurora, Colorado, moved to Georgia and originally played for Alpharetta High School. Now, ahead of his junior season in the fall, he has transferred to Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georgia.

The scholarship offer means a lot to the young quarterback, and Bordeaux is looking forward to getting to know head coach Jonathan Smith, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren, offensive analyst Aaron Pflugrad and the rest of the Michigan State staff as things move forward in his recruitment.

Following the offer, Bordeaux took some time to chat with Spartans Illustrated and provide his thoughts on MSU.

"All I currently know (about MSU) is their coaching staff used to be at Oregon State," Bordeaux explained. "They developed that school into a pretty successful program and I think they could definitely do the same at Michigan State and I would love to be a part of that process."

Much more here:

I will be on tonight's live episode of the This Is Sparta MSU Show as a guest.

It's a YouTube show hosted by former Spartan football players. Tonight's show will be hosted by Jason Strayhorn and Sedrick Irvin.

We will be discussing some of the recent action for various MSU teams. Additionally, we will talk about the two new coordinators in East Lansing, OC Brian Lindgren and DC Joe Rossi, and what they had to say to the media yesterday.

We will be going live at 8 p.m. ET at the link below.

The losses to OSU and Iowa seem bad but both teams are hot right now. Particularly if Iowa wins against Illinois at home and OSU wins their last game. It would have been nice to have both a month earlier, when both were struggling. Indiana is playing better too.

On the flip side, getting Northwestern at home who is cooling down may be a good time to get them. That may be the win needed to get a tournament bid.

Driving and can’t link. $10 mil for women and men tennis

Full videos of Michigan State OC Brian Lindgren and DC Joe Rossi are below. The media met with the two today at a roundtable session.

Full story coming soon but the videos are linked below.

ROSSI
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LINDGREN
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Brian Lindgren on Aidan Chiles’ intangibles:

“Aidan’s got a really cool personality. Something that we’re always looking for in recruiting a QB is like that moxie. That ‘it’ factor to where he’s got that confidence, that kind of swagger to the way that he plays. He does a really nice job of, if he does make a mistake, flushing that play, moving onto the next. And when he gets hot and getting going, he’s one of the more talented guys that I’ve been around."

More:

First, the NIL , the transfer portal and the league consolidation has ruined college sports. A perfect example of pursuing the money till it kills you.

Then we have the a national champion of football. The top, of the pyramid and the ultimate . Except they cheated.

Who cares? Who doesn't lie on their expense accounts or taxes. Suckers I guess.

What is saddest about Michigan is what it says about us. Winning is all that matters.

How we get there doesn't.

Not good.

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The topic of the meeting will be the Miller & Chevalier report that was released this week. The board will need 6 votes to remove the chair, 5 votes (simple majority) for censure of a Trustee, and 5 votes for a formal referral to the governor. Questions to consider: Will Vassar step down? Will she force a vote? Will Denno accept a censure like Scott said she would do? More BOT drama in primetime tomorrow night, on Zoom.

Michigan State baseball dropped two of its three games this past weekend to fall to 4-7 overall on the 2024 season thus far.

@AmaniG08 recaps the games versus Western Michigan, Florida State and Illinois here:

The Spartans end the regular season with a 12-6 league record. Will play as the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.​

MADISON, Wis. - Michigan State women's basketball completed the regular season with a 78-52 victory over Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon in the Kohl Center.

The Spartans improve to 22-7 overall and 12-6 in Big Ten games, winning five-straight games. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season.

Michigan State had four players in double figures led by 20 from graduate guard Moira Joiner, who scored 15 in the second quarter alone. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was close to her second-straight double-double with 19 points and nine board. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann added 12 points, while sophomore guard scored 11.The 22 wins were also the most since MSU went 25-9 during the 2015-16 season.

The Spartan defense was stellar forcing 25 Wisconsin turnovers. MSU also ended the game with 14 steals, which was the most since having 14 against Minnesota on Feb. 5. It was also the Spartans' third-straight game with double-digit steals.

Wisconsin was led by 17 points and 15 boards from Serah Williams.

The Badgers used a 6-0 run to take their first lead 6-4 before Hagemann layup tied the game with six minutes left in the quarter. Both teams struggled from the field early on. The Spartans went 1-for-9 early on, but were able to stay in the game with defense. MSU went over three minutes without a field goal before an Abbey Kimball jumper stopped the drought. Despite the rough offensive start, the game was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans scored the first four points of the second period to take a 18-14 lead. MSU took advantage of three UW turnovers in a 1:14 span. Joiner also got hot scoring 10-straight as MSU went up 28-19, leading to a Wisconsin timeout at the 5:24 mark. Joiner out-scored the Badgers 15-12 in the second period, as the Spartans started to create some separation. At the break, MSU was on top 41-26.

Michigan State continued to apply the pressure on the defensive end in the third quarter. The Spartans also used an 8-0 run to take a palindromic 53-35 lead. MSU took its first 20-point lead with a Theryn Hallock layup 62-42 with under a minute left in the period. Ayrault led all scorers with seven points in the third period.

MSU went over three minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter, but the pressure defense and solid free throw shooting helped the Spartans maintain their 20-point advantage. Michigan State corrected its course and used a 9-0 run to take a 30-point lead 74-45. All seven nine active players scored for Michigan State as junior guard Lauren Ross and freshman guard Bree Robinson saw action in the fourth quarter.

Michigan State will now await the announcement of the Big Ten Tournament bracket.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Post-Game Notes
• Michigan State's starting five for Sunday's game made up of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault was MSU's 20th-consecutive game with those five Spartans on the court for tip-off. Michigan State has started a total of 26 games this season with that starting five, improving to 19-7 on the season. The only other two Spartans to start this season are sophomore guard Theryn Hallock and junior forward Isaline Alexander.

• With the win, the Spartans improve to 22-7 overall and 12-6 in Big Ten games, winning five-straight games. This is the first time since the 2015-16 season that MSU has exceeded the 10-win mark in league play, finishing 13-5 that season. The 22 wins were also the most since MSU went 25-9 during the 2015-16 season.

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner out-scored the Badgers in the second quarter 15-12. She was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including making three treys in the quarter. For the game, she led all scorers with 20 points. It was her sixth 20-point game of the season and her eighth of her career. The Spartans are 6-0 this season when Joiner reaches 20 points.

• Michigan State recorded 14 steals against Wisconsin, which was its third-straight game reaching in double figures. This was the most steals MSU has had in a game since recording 14 against Minnesota on Feb. 5. Michigan State has had at least 10 steals 15 times this season.

• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault has now scored in double figures for 11-straight games, including scoring 19 against Wisconsin on March 3. She is second on the team in double-figure games with 24 just behind Moira Joiner's 26. The Spartans are 20-4 when she scores in double figures this season. For her career, she has 38 double-digit scoring games with MSU standing 30-9 in those games.

• For the second-straight game, sophomore guard Theryn Hallock tied her career high with four steals. She has registered four steals five times in her career.

Game recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Nick Samac is in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. He is not working out but it does appear that he did his measurables. On NFL.com, he is listed at 6'4", 307 pounds. His arm size is 32 3/4" and his hand size is 9 3/4".

A full transcription of his media session from the combine is below.
(credit: Samuel Daugherty)

Q: How has your time at the combine been so far?

A: I had a great experience. Life long dream. Something that I've dreamed about my whole entire life so just soaking it all in. Taking the interview process, just having a good time with it.

Q: What have you learned being at Michigan State for 5 years?

A: Going there I had two coaching staff changes, technically three with the interim this year. I got really close with our DB coach, learned some really good lessons. How to fight through adversity with injuries this past year. I felt confident in each year more and more, getting a relentless effort and attitude and I feel like I've really made some good connections with people everywhere,

Q: What are you trying to sell to these coaches as a pitch of yourself?

A: I'm a good guy that's going to fight at the end of the day. I've fought through injury, I've been through a lot this year at Michigan State, so I'm a guy that's just a student of the game, learning everything that's been thrown at me and at the end of the day, I'm going to work.

Q: Are you going to be working out here this weekend?

A: No, I will not be working out.

Q: How are you going to show yourself to coaches without going through those workouts?

A: It's just going to be the interview process. I'm showing my sharp mind, what I can do, my personality, show that I'm a good guy that everybody can bring into their facility and just really crush the interview process.

Q: Asking about how he started playing football.

A: I started as a running back and played that a few years until my last year of little league where they told me I was too big to be a running back anymore, so I switched to O-line and that was kinda my calling.

Q: Who was the toughest matchup you had in college?

A: Daviyon Nixon I think is what his name was, Iowa #54. Man, he was a dog. He got me a couple times with his twist game. I was sitting too lateral and he got my hips, so he was an athletic dude and it's always cool to see what those guys can do and he's a great player.

Q: Where do you feel most comfortable and see yourself playing in the NFL?

A: I played my whole career at center with Michigan State, but I can also bounce out to guard. I'm knowledgeable in both the left and right guard and center, so wherever a team needs me, they can use me.

Q: Who's your favorite O-line player of all time that you look up to?

A: Jason Kelce for sure.

Q: What is it about his game?

A: So my game, I like to get out in space and move. You know, I try to get off the ball quick. That's something that I try to do every single play and every single game, so Jason's Kelce get-off, second to none. I've never seen somebody move so fast. I just always try to play like him and get out in space and get players to move.

Q: What was it like having to go through multiple coaching changes?

A: They tried to all kinda keep the culture the same. With Mark Dantonio, he was a legendary and we kept a lot of the culture. When Mel Tucker came in, he tried to keep a lot of that culture, but still do different things and with Harlon Barnett stepping up, he was similar to Mark Dantonio with the type of culture and yeah, it changes a lot with adversity with different coaching changes and staffs.

Q: What's your favorite Michigan State memory?

A: My favorite memory, personally, is beating Michigan in 2020. That was an awesome game for me personally. I had a really good block that game that kinda blew up a little bit so that was pretty cool for me.

Q: How did Michigan State prepare you for this moment?

A: With the coaching changes and a string of injuries that I have had at the end of my career, I've gone through a lot of adversity, but that's really what has helped me the most getting to this point. A lot of things going on, you're meeting new people, top people in the NFL, so it's nerve racking no doubt, I'm sure it feels that way to everyone, but it's definitely prepared me to come into this place and give it my best shot.

Q: Something about growing as a player in college.

A: I give a lot of praise to my O-line coach, he did a great job teaching me the fundamentals of O-line play, great technique and all that stuff and I was just prepared going in there to the weight room early on and our strength coach, he did a great job keeping me right in the weight room, great technique in all my lifts, so it definitely helped me a lot.

Q: What do you think you can show these teams on the tape and in meetings?

A: Just my tenacity and my athleticism. My athleticism is a big thing in my game, getting out in space, moving around, getting off the ball quick and just taking control of an offense, I'm very capable of doing that and I'm going to try to finish blocks every single time and get out in space, chase the ball.

Q: What's some advice you were given by your coaches before coming?

A: Really just to be myself. Be myself and be professional and don't change a thing. I'm meant to be here. This is my calling, so just be myself and just give your everything every single play.




© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Izzo is set to have a presser here at Breslin in a few minutes.

Stay tuned here for some news and notes.