Day One​

Lu Tied for Eighth Place, Spartans Tied for 11th at the UCF Challenge​

East Lansing, Mich. – Junior Katie Lu fired a 2-under par 70 in the opening round and is tied for eighth place individually and Michigan State's women's golf team shot a 5-over par 293 to tie for 11th place among 18 teams after the first round of play at the UCF Challenge, being played at Eagle Creek Country Club in Orlando, Fla.

The tournament, being played on Eagle Creek's par-72, 6,367-yard course, was originally slated to start on Sunday, but inclement weather moved the first round to Saturday.

North Carolina leads the field at 9-under par 279, three shots of ahead of the College of Charleston, in second place at 6-under par 282. Kentucky is third at 2-under par 286, with Miami and Kansas rounding out the top-five teams, tied for fourth place at 1-under par 287.

First Round Results

Lu finished her round with four birdies, including three on the back nine, to finish at 2-under par 70 and tied for eighth place in the field of 95 golfers.

Sophomore Paula Balanzategui is tied for 32nd place at 1-over par 73, playing the front nine in 1-over par with a birdie, and then playing the back nine in even par.

Junior Brooke Biermann shot a 2-over par 74 and is tied for 43rd place. Biermann finished her round with a pair of birdies and 12 pars.

Junior Shannon Kennedy is tied for 62nd place at 4-overp ar 76 and senior Leila Raines is tied for 83rd place with a score of 6-over par 76.

Playing as an individual, freshman Ana Sofia Murcia is tied for 14th place at 1-under par 71. She played the front nine in even par with one birdie and finished the back with a trio of birdies and four pars.

Michigan State will tee off in Sunday's second round starting at 1 p.m. on the seventh hole, playing alongside Kentucky and the College of Charleston. The final round will start at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Spartans Notch Firsts on Day One at Paradise Classic​

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Michigan State softball got its 2024 season underway on Friday at the 2024 Paradise Classic, dropping both games on day one at Joan Joyce Field. MSU fell to Ohio (9-0) and Marshall (1-0), with both programs picked to finish highly in their respective conferences. A total of seven different student-athletes made their Spartan debuts on the day.

Game One – Ohio 9, MSU 0​

Junior Faith Guidry (0-1) started the season opener for MSU as one of the most tenured Spartans this season. Guidry struck out one before exiting the game in the second inning. Freshman Makayla Huddleston made her collegiate debut in relief, pitching the final 3.2 innings of the contest and striking out two.

Senior Alexis Ross, sophomore Britain Beshears and freshman Payton Conroy all recorded base hits for MSU, with Ross also drawing a walk to reach base twice. It was Conroy and Ross' first hits as Spartans. Senior Collette Allen reached on a hit by pitch.

Ohio took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before extending their advantage in the second with a grand slam and a two-RBI double. A two-run shot in the fifth inning put the Bobcats up 9-0.

Game Two – Marshall 1, MSU 0​

Senior Liv Grey (0-1) made her Spartan debut in game two, in what turned out to be an old-fashioned pitcher's duel. Grey tossed a complete game, striking out six in six innings of work and allowing just one earned run.

Freshman Jaeya Butler tallied her first career hit in the second inning and was joined by junior Mik Anthony, senior Jenae Wash and Ross with hits in game two. Butler and junior Macy Lee each drew walks.

A bases loaded third-inning single by Marshall's Rielly Lucas was the difference maker in game two as she drove in the lone run of the afternoon. Ross threw a strike from center field on the play to nab a would-be second run-scorer at the plate.

Michigan State's best opportunity of the day came in the fifth inning with bases loaded. Butler opened the inning with a walk before senior AJ Militello moved her over on a would-be sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by the Marshall defense. A bunt single by Wash put three ducks on the pond for MSU, who was unable to convert with runners in scoring position.

Up Next
Michigan State continues play at the 2024 Paradise Classic on Saturday, Feb. 10 facing No. 12/16-ranked Arkansas at 9:00 a.m. and Marshall for a second time at 1:30 p.m.

Michigan State (14-9, 6-6) is looking to rebound after Tuesday's loss as the Spartans host No. 10 Illinois (17-5, 8-3).

The Fighting Illini have won five of their last six games. Also, Terrance Shannon Jr. will be in the lineup this time around. He didn't play in Illinois' 71-68 win over MSU earlier this season.

Tip off is set for approximately 2 p.m. on CBS.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Michigan State wrestling team concluded its road dual season at Maryland on Sunday afternoon inside Xfinity Center Pavilion, falling 28-15.



With a loss, the Spartans drop to 9-5 overall and 2-5 in the B1G. The Terps improved to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the B1G.



"The biggest thing about today was our veterans were able to step up," said Michigan State head coach Roger Chandler. "For our young guys, they just got caught up and adjusting to high level wrestling. In order to be successful in dual meets and team competition we need every guy in the lineup to contribute."



As action kicked off, Maryland would win three of the first four bouts at 125, 133 and 149 pounds. No. 29-ranked redshirt junioe 141-pounder Jordan Hamdan gave MSU its first points of the dual with a 6-1 decision over No. 21-ranked Kal Miller.



The Spartans would attempt to surge back with victories at 157, 165 and 184 pounds. At 157, No. 21-ranked senior Chase Saldate faced Michael North, pulling out a gritty 13-10 sudden victory for his fifth B1G victory. No. 9-ranked 165-pound senior Caleb Fish attacked early and often on AJ Rodrigues to a shutout 14-0 major decision. Fish improves to 4-2 in Big Ten duals. Graduate No. 15-ranked 184-pounder Layne Malczewski is now one win away from the 100-career win milestone after his 15-0 tech fall performance over Chase Mielnik.



Michigan State dropped the 174 in a sudden victory match as redshirt senior DJ Shannon and Dominic Solis were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Maryland took the final two matches of the afternoon at 197 pounds and heavyweight with bonus points.



MSU will be back on the banks of the Red Cedar River as they host No. 6-ranked Ohio State to close out the Big Ten season on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. The dual will be televised on the Big Ten Network.



BOUT-BY-BOUT

Maryland 24, No. 28 Michigan State 15

February 11, 2024 // College Park, Md.

125: Maryland wins by forfeit | Maryland leads 6-0

133: No. 17 Braxton Brown tech fall over Andy Hampton 16-0 | Maryland leads 11-0

141: No. 29 Jordan Hamdan dec. No. 21 Kal Miller 6-1 | Maryland leads 11-3

149: No. 13 Ethan Miller tech fall over Braden Stauffenberg 17-0 | Maryland leads 16-3

157: No. 21 Chase Saldate sudden victory dec. Michael North 13-10 | Maryland leads 16-6

165: No. 9 Caleb Fish major dec. AJ Rodrigues 14-0 | Maryland leads 16-10

174: Dominic Solis sudden victory dec. DJ Shannon 4-1 | Maryland leads 19-10

184: No. 15 Layne Malczewski tech fall over Chase Mielnik 15-0 | Maryland leads 19-15

197: No. 5 Jaxon Smith tech fall over No. 30 Kael Wisler 18-2 | Maryland leads 24-15

285: No. 26 Seth Nevills major dec. Josh Terrill 12-0 | Maryland wins 28-15

Dual recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Across three meets on Friday and Saturday 49 MSU Track & Field student-athletes recorded personal records across all events, also earning 10 podium finishes at the highly-competitive Windy City Invite in Chicago, Ill.

"We're seeing great progress because of our consistent behavior," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Lisa Breznau said Saturday. "We're consistently putting in the work, living the lifestyle and trusting the process. We're also consistently invested in one another, so you can see our team getting closer."

The Spartans were split up between the Windy City Invite, the Valentine Invitational in Boston, Mass., and the GVSU 'Big Meet' over the two days, with the vast majority of the varsity athletes competing in Chicago at the prestigious meet that featured several other Big Ten and Power-5 programs.

Among the 49 personal bests set by athletes between the two days, 25/35 (71.4%) of distance runners set career best marks. In Boston, Mass. on Friday at Boston University's 'world's fastest track,' grad Lauren Freeland represented the four Spartan women running there well with a 4:33.92 mile time that is on the fringe of qualifying her for the NCAA Championships in March.

10 Podium Finishes at the Windy City Invite
- Grad Heath Baldwin was 1st in the Long Jump Friday with a PR of 7.36m
- Sophomore Brady Schultz was 2nd in the Long Jump Saturday, PRing for a second consecutive meet, now up to 2.09m
- Grad CarLee Stimpfel was 3rd in the presmier 5K invite with a blitzing time of 13:55.42, also a personal best
- Senior Aden Smith was 1st in the open 5K on Friday, also PRing
- Senior Andrew Nolan and sophomore Riley Hough were the first two to cross the line in the mile, seperated by tenths of a second at just over 4:02
- Sophomore Sophia Lucki was 3rd in the women's mile with a 4:45.73 PR on Saturday
- Junior Abbey Carvey and Sophomore Sarah Forsyth were 2nd and 3rd in the 800m race with PRs of their own
- Sophomore Timothy Cherry was 2nd in the in the men's 800, PRing for a second consecutive meet Saturday

Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Junior DeeDee Hagemann becomes just the ninth player in MSU history to reach the 400-assist mark.​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In the second meeting between the teams, Michigan State fell to No. 5/5 Ohio State 86-71 in its annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. OSU also won the first game in Columbus, 70-65 on Jan. 14.

For the first time this season, MSU has lost two-straight games, falling to 17-7 overall and 7-6 in Big Ten action. Ohio State improves to 21-3 overall and 12-1 in the Big Ten, now standing alone in first place.

Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann became just the ninth player in MSU history to reach the 400 career assists with four helpers today. She and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault both also added 10 points. Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock led the Spartans in scoring with 18 points off the bench.

Ohio State was led by 20 points from Celeste Taylor.

After a 3-pointer by Cotie McMahon the Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-6 lead midway through the first period. The Spartans took their first lead of the game after an old-fashioned three from Hallock to go on top 13-12. Despite McMahon being out of the game with three fouls, OSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 24-17 lead with under a minute left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, Ohio State took its first double-digit lead after a Jacy Sheldon bucket to go up 30-19. OSU went on to score the first eight points of the quarter, leading to an early MSU timeout. The Spartans responded with a 7-0 run of their own to make it an eight-point contest. Ohio State would not go away using a combination of an 11-0 run and a Spartan scoring drought to open up a 49-28 lead with under minutes left in the half. MSU went over four minutes without a field goal, as the Buckeyes led 53-31 at the break.

Ohio State remained efficient on offense and stingy on defense in the third period. Ayrault and Ozment combined for eight points in the third period to lead MSU.

Michigan State continued to fight in the fourth quarter. MSU forced five turnovers in a four-minute span. The Spartans went on to end the game on a 14-0 to show their resiliency. Ohio State took as big a lead as 33 points in the fourth, but the Spartans didn't back down getting it down to 15. MSU out-scored OSU 24-11 in the final 10 minutes, led by Hallock's eight points.

After some much-needed rest, the Spartans will travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan State Women's Basketball Notes
• Michigan State suffered defeat in back-to-back games for the first time this season after winning its previous four in a row. The Spartans have still won five of their last eight and 10 of their last 15 as part of 12 of the last 17, now 17-7 overall and 7-6 in B1G action.

• MSU's 71 points was its fewest in the last six games since being held to a season-low 50 points in a 69-50 loss at Minnesota.

• Sunday was just the eighth time this season that the Spartans have been held under 80 points, now 2-6 when doing so, compared to 15-1 when scoring 80 or more points.

• MSU made six 3-pointers Sunday, just the ninth game this season being held under eight 3-pointers, as MSU is 14-1 when making eight or more triples, compared to now 3-6 when making seven or less treys.

• Sunday's Spartan starting line-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 Michigan State's 15th-straight game with those five Spartans on the court for tip-off. MSU has had those five starters in 21 total games this season, now 14-7 with that starting five.

• Three Spartans scored in double-digits, marking just the sixth time that fewer than four posted double-figures ... sophomore guard Theryn Hallock led the way with 18 points off the bench, while junior guard DeeDee Hagemann and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault tallied 10 points apiece.

• Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock's team-high 18 points was her fourth-straight game in double-figures as part of the 12th time this season and 13th of her career ... the 18 points is also her third-most of the season behind a career-high 24 points vs. Purdue (1/4/24) and 21 points at Penn State (12/30/23).

• Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann's 10 points was her third game in a row in double-digits points, posting her 16th double-figure scoring outing of the season and 38th of her career.

• Hagemann dished out a team-high four assists, which put her over the 400-career assists mark, now with 403, becoming the ninth player in MSU program history to reach the 400-career assists plateau, and vaulting to tie for No. 7 on the Spartans' career assists list with Tamika Matlock (1995-97) with 403 helpers, passing Brittney Thomas (2007-11) with 401 assists.

• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault's 10 points was her sixth-straight game with double-digits in the scoring column, tying her season and career-long for consecutive games in double-figures, matching six in a row from Dec. 17, 2023 - Jan. 9, 2024.

• Ayrault now has 18 double-digit scoring outings this season and 31 for her career.

• Ayrault now has 363 points this season, maintaining the Spartans' scoring lead this season, just ahead of fellow graduate, guard Moira Joiner, who is at 356 points on the season.

• With the 363 points, Ayrault needs just 71 more points to equal the combined sum of her previous three seasons in a Spartan uniform, as she had a combined 434 points in the 2019-23 seasons.

• Ayrault added one block for her 53rd block of the season and 124th of her career.

• The 53 blocks are the most by a Spartan in a single-season since 2009-10 when Allyssa DeHaan had 101 rejections ... now with 53 blocks, Ayrault has moved up to tie for the No. 6 spot on MSU's single-season blocks list, matching Kristen Rasmussen (1999-2000) with 53 rejections.

• Ayrault's 124 blocks is at No. 5 on MSU's career blocks list, just 10 shy of the No. 4 spot held by Kelli Roehrig (2001-05) with 134 blocks.

• Ayrault led MSU with a game-high tying seven rebounds, as she has snared five or more rebounds in six of the last seven contests, as part of 18 games this season with five or more boards.

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner netted nine points, marking just the second time in the 24 games that she has been held to single-digits ... Joiner made a pair of 3-pointers for her 15th game this season with multiple triples.

• Joiner's two treys gives her 59 3-pointers for the season, needing just nine more 3-pointers to crack the top 10 of MSU's single-season 3-pointers list, as Tori Jankoska (2014-15) and Lindsay Bowen (2005-06) co-hold the No. 9 spot with 68 3-pointers.

• Joiner now has 186 career 3-pointers, now just 14 away from becoming the fifth player in Spartan women's basketball history with 200 career triples.

Head Coach Robyn Fralick

Opening statement...
First of all, I think that the pink game is a great thing that we have in our game, with honoring Kay Yow. It was so instrumental, not only from a basketball perspective, but from a breast cancer awareness perspective and all the good that has come from that. Thinking of all the people currently impacted by that, being able to have a game for that is really special. From a game perspective, it was a total stinker. Credit to Ohio State, they are a very, very good team, very experienced, very talented. Tonight, I thought it was the most disconnected basketball we've played on both ends of the court. We have a little bit of time right now to zoom back in on ourselves and figure these things out. We have to be able to stay on the same page consistently.


On what felt different against one of the top teams...

We have some work to do with composure and continuing the play even if things don't go our way. I think we will learn and see, but credit to Ohio State, like I said they are a very good team. But I also know that we can play much better basketball.


On the second quarter...

We turned it over more than we have, they said 27 points of turnovers is something we haven't really had this year. For the most part, we have been able to win the turnover region, and it was that second quarter when we had the most turnovers, and they got some easy baskets. Or maybe we would take a bad shot and they would steal it back and find a way to score a basket.


On Ohio State's Full-Court Press...

Well, I actually thought if we made a shot our full court pressure was okay. They didn't really break it to score, they broke it to reset. I think we need to do a better job finishing, even after our press getting matched up and then finishing possessions.


On the focus in the week going forward...

I think I will learn more as I watch, but one thing right now is to get a little bit of rest. Defensively, we need to be tougher to score on. I think consistently we have to find ways to be more resistant.


On the schedule...

"It is what it is, you play the schedule that is in front of you and you use the time that you have. I think we will be excited to get to practice and to get to film. This week our games came pretty quickly, with quick turn-arounds, but I'm excited and it'll be good for us to zoom back in on us.


On Theryn Hallock...

Theryn has really come on between her freshman and sophomore year. She has a dynamic burst of speed, and I thought that in the second half especially she found some creases and crevices. Regardless of the score, there is a pride to playing the right way and getting better. I thought Theryn engaged in that. You can feel any way you want about a score, but the reality is that when you get to play, you get to play and when you play, you get a chance to get better at things or break habits. I thought she took advantage of that especially in the second half."


On any other factors...

I don't know. It's the first time we've had someone at home. I thought we played outstanding basketball at Indiana, and you want to see your team continue to go forward and we didn't tonight. But so much of playing well is preparing well, and I think that'll be a good challenge for us. The amount of consistent focus it takes in this league.


On whether what Ohio State did is what they want to do...

Yeah, they got twenty-seven points off of turnovers. That is really helpful. For the most part this year, we haven't done that, we've just played basketball. But it is good learning for going forward.


On whether Ohio State's defense is the best they've played against...

Probably, they just have really good size and athleticism in all the spots. I thought the first time around we handled it much better. So, we just have to look at it closely, we have to learn and if we play them again, we have to be better.

Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Recapping the weekend of Michigan State Hockey as the Spartans swept Michigan:

Top 1% in the NBA in defense, getting traded to the Celtics with a chance at a ring. At least one MSU hoops player is finding success.

Oh, Miles dropped 40, two games in a row.

Meanwhile, Max is washing LeBron’s car in LA.

Izzo be slipping

During the week, Tom Izzo and the staff had long meetings; Izzo even had time to do some self-reflection.

It wasn’t just Izzo that had some reflecting to do after the loss. A.J. Hoggard and Malik Hall were the subjects of much of the social media criticism, after combining for 10 points against the Gophers.

Hoggard knew that he needed to do a better job down the stretch of games, including getting better shots for the team around him.

He needed to prove it on the court.

My column on Michigan State's big victory over No. 10 Illinois:

With its back against the wall, the Michigan State men's basketball showed some grit and resiliency in an 88-80 win over the No. 10-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday.

Following a disappointing loss on the road at Minnesota on Tuesday, and then finding themselves down 72-64 with 7:38 left to play against Illinois on Saturday, the Spartans responded in a big way to earn a much-needed Quad One win for its NCAA Tournament resume.

Following the victory, several Spartans spoke with media members in the locker room, including how the aforementioned stretch of play affected the outcome of the game.

"Our backs were against the wall, we knew that coming in," Hoggard said after the Illinois win. "The motto was to play desperate, so I think we came out and we did that tonight, no matter if they may go on a run or not. So, I think we did a good job of responding, everyone across the board."

More here:

A.J. Hoggard ahead of a visit from No. 10 Illinois:

“We gotta be on top of our A-game in everything that we do,” Hoggard said. “Gotta focus on the transition defense and focus on rebounding, definitely want to keep them off the offensive glass.”

More reaction from the Minnesota loss, Tyson Walker's status and how the Spartans are preparing for the Fighting Illini:

Michigan State picked up a big victory Saturday with an 88-80 win over No. 10 Illinois

A.J. Hoggard led four Spartans in double-figures scoring as MSU notched an important Quad-1 resume boost. Catch Evan's full recap here:

This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams.​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball will conclude a busy week, taking on No. 5/5 Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. MSU will also celebrate its annual Pink Game for breast cancer awareness. This is the second meeting between the Spartans and the Buckeyes with OSU taking the first in Columbus, 70-65 on Jan. 17. Jason Knapp and Meghan McKeown will be on the call for the Peacock.

• The Spartans had their four-game winning streak halted at No. 14/13 Indiana on Thursday in a 94-91 track meet. MSU is now 17-6 overall and 7-5 in league contests. No. 5/5 Ohio State defeated Minnesota on the road 71-47 on Thursday.

• The Green & White's 53 points in the first half against IU was their most in a Big Ten game this season and their second-most overall in the first 20 minutes of the season since 57 in first half vs. Coastal Carolina (12/21/23).

• DeeDee Hagemann now has 399 assists for her career, needing just one more to become the ninth MSU player with 400 assists, and just three more to take over the No. 8 spot on the Spartans' career assists list, currently held by Brittney Thomas (2007-11) with 401.

• With the 353 points, Julia Ayrault needs just 81 more points to equal the combined sum of her previous three seasons in a Spartan uniform, as she had a combined 434 points in the 2019-23 seasons.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
No. 5/5 Ohio State comes to the Breslin Center with a stellar 20-3 record and are 11-1 in Big Ten play. The only loss the OSU has suffered in league contests was to Michigan, 69-60, in Ann Arbor. Ohio State is the only team in the conference to defeat Iowa this year.

The Buckeyes are second in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing only 62.4 ppg, while standing fifth in scoring offense (80.7 ppg). Ohio State is stellar on the defensive end of the court, leading the league with 10.3 steals per game.

Jacy Sheldon is fourth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 17.6 ppg, while also standing first in steals with 2.3 spg. Cotie McMahon is 17th in the B1G in scoring with 14.1 ppg, and 15th in rebounding (6.4 rpg). Overall, OSU has three players in the top 15 in the league in steals, along with Sheldon Celeste Taylor is fourth (2.0 spg) and Taylor Thierry is tied for sixth (1.7 spg).

Kevin McGuff is in his 11th season at the helm of the Buckeyes with a 192-101 record. Overall, he is in his 22nd season at Ohio State with a record of 447-200.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 61-29, including 27-11 in Columbus, while leading 22-14 in East Lansing and 12-4 on neutral courts. OSU has won the last five meetings in the series, as MSU's last win in the series was on Jan. 16, 2020, winning 68-65 in East Lansing. This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams. First time out in Columbus on Jan. 14, the Buckeyes came out on top 70-65.

LAST TIME VS OHIO STATE
Despite a season-high 18 points from graduate guard/forward Tory Ozment, the Michigan State women's basketball dropped a defensive battle with No. 17/16 Ohio State, 70-65, at Value City Arena on Jan. 14.

Both teams came into Sunday's contest averaging nearly 90 points per game in a match-up that saw both teams shoot well below their season averages under tough defensive pressure.

The Spartans fall to 12-4 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten action. The Buckeyes improve to 13-3 overall and 4-1 in league contests. MSU falls to 0-2 against ranked teams this season after being defeated 76-73 against No. 4/3 Iowa. Both losses were by five points or less.
For the first time this season, Michigan State had only two players in double figures led by Ozment's season-high 18 points. She was just one shy from tying her career high of 19 set against Virginia on Nov. 28, 2018. Graduate guard Moira Joiner continued her streak of reaching double figures in all 16 games this season with 13 points, to go along with a season-high five assists.

Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Michigan State is taking on Clemson in East Lansing today.

@DavidHarns and I are in attendance.

Some bigger picture thoughts on MSU’s program trajectory and the looming offseason that has perhaps the largest implications of any year for the remaining time left in the Izzo era

"I've talked to almost the whole coaching staff and they were all amazing."

Rising 2025 LB Charles White (Orchard Lake St. Mary's) recaps his Junior Day visit to Michigan State, where the Spartans stand in his recruitment, and more:

Most of the heavy lifting for Michigan State's 2024 recruiting class was done during the early signing period in December, but with the traditional signing period opening on Wednesday, Feb. 7, the Spartans used the opportunity to further improve the team's 2024 roster.

MSU signed 18 players to its 2024 high school class during the early signing window in December of 2023.

The Spartans have also added 13 transfer portal additions to the 2024 roster thus far, with many of those players already enrolled at Michigan State and preparing for spring practices, which begins next month. MSU will likely look to add a couple more transfers in the spring window as well.

Head coach Jonathan Smith, his assistant coaches and the recruiting staff, led by general manager Cole Moore, director of recruiting and player relations Michael Doctor and others, have officially added two more scholarship players to the team now during the traditional signing period, and one who is expected to be on scholarship in the future. The Spartans have also gained several preferred walk-on players.

Michigan State did lose one commit on Wednesday, as three-star in-state linebacker Jadyn Walker elected to sign with USC over the Spartans.

Below is a recap of Michigan State's newest official additions, including the two who signed National Letters of intent on Wednesday, with quotes from three Jaylan Brown, Mikeshun Beeler and Martin Connington.

A source told me over the weekend that Michigan State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren would be visiting 2025 four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery in Ohio on Thursday.

Adam Gorney, the national recruiting director for Rivals, is hearing the same.

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This is the most disappointing team in regular season play in many years for me. The preseason expectations were so high given the talent we had coming back as well as one of the top recruiting classes in a long time. Even Izzo who is not given to hyperbole was expecting big things. But the reality is that it is not a good team, and Izzo usually gets his teams performing at a high level in February.
The biggest disappointment is the generally poor play and lack of improvement from Cooper and Sissoko. In the last two games, they have combined in 78 minutes to score 12 points and grab 19 rebounds. Our opponent's strategy is to ignore our centers because neither is an offensive threat and double up on Malik and /or Walker. It is playing 5 on 4. Hall didn't do much because he was double teamed. Add our inability to make free throws and thus a very disappointing loss.
What I can't understand is the lack of playing time for Booker, Carr and Kohler. Last night they combined for 12 minutes and 3 points. In the MD game, they combined for 10 minutes and 4 points. Yes, they might not play the best defense, but we need offense and they might provide a spark. Give them some leash and watch them grow.
My opinion.

Could be more disappointing than the loss last night

This is the only meeting between the two teams during the regular season.​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball will hit the road for a tough road test, taking on No. 14/13 Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. This is the only regular-season meeting between the Spartans and the Hoosiers. Sloane Martin and Aja Ellison will be on the call for the Peacock.

• The Spartans have won four-straight games after a 76-65 win over Minnesota on Monday. Michigan State is 17-5 this season and 7-4 in Big Ten action. Indiana is 18-3 overall and 9-2 in league contests. Last time out, the Hoosiers suffered just their second loss conference loss of the season, falling to No. 5/5 Ohio State, 74-69 on Feb. 4.

• The Spartans improved to 17-5 overall, surpassing last season's win total, when MSU was 17-14. The 17 wins are the most by Michigan State since the 2018-19 when the Spartans were a palindromic 21-12.

• Julia Ayrault's season-total of 52 blocks on the year, the most in a single-season since 2009-10 when Allyssa DeHaan had 101 rejections. The 52 blocks moved Ayrault up to No. 7 on MSU's single-season blocks list, passing the 50 blocks by Kelli Roehrig (2004-05), and now just one shy of the No. 6 spot held by Kristen Rasmussen (1999-2000) with 53 rejections.

• With 334 points this season, Moira Joiner has passed her season high for single-season points. for her career, she has 1,052 points scored.

SCOUTING INDIANA
Indiana holds an 18-3 overall record and stands 9-2 in Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers are third in the B1G standings, behind Iowa and Ohio State, who both hold 10-1 records. Indiana had won four-straight games before losing to Ohio State in Columbus, 74-69, on Feb. 4. The Hoosiers only league losses came against Iowa and Ohio State.

The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.513) and fourth in scoring margin (+18.0). IU is also second in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 39.9 percent from long range. Indiana also stands third in assists, averaging 18.6 apg.

Mackenzie Holmes is second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20.1 ppg, while standing in first in field goal percentage (.660). Sara Scalia is also second in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 44.0 percent from beyond the arc. She is also second in 3-pointers made per game with 3.1. Holmes is sixth in rebounding (7.5 rpg). Sydney Parrish has been out indefinitely with a foot injury that was sustained in practice on Jan. 19.

Teri Moren is in her 21st season at the helm of the Hoosiers with a 417-226 record. She is in her 10th season at Indiana with a record of 218-96.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE HOOSIERS
Michigan State leads the overall series with Indiana, 50-32. Despite the success, the Hoosiers have won four of the last seven games. In Bloomington, MSU holds a slight 21-18 advantage, while the Spartans lead in East Lansing, 24-11. Last season, Michigan State took the regular-season meeting in East Lansing, 83-78, when the Hoosiers were ranked No. 3. In the second round of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, Indiana came out on top 85-94. MSU's last win in Bloomington came on Dec. 28, 2017, 68-46.

LAST TIME VS INDIANA
Despite a 32-point performance from graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel, the No. 9-seeded MSU women's basketball team was unable to hold off top-seeded Indiana, falling in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, 94-85, at the Target Center on March 3, 2023.

McDaniel set a MSU school record for points in a Big Ten Tournament game with 32, which is also a season high. She previously scored 29 at Wisconsin on Feb. 8. McDaniel also added seven rebounds. Sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann had her fourth-straight double-digit scoring performance with 18 points, going 13-for-14 from the free throw line. Senior guard Moira Joiner also added 16 points with a team-high nine rebounds.

Indiana was led by 27 points and five boards from Mackenzie Holmes.

BEATING THE BEST
Michigan State is still looking for its first win over a ranked team this season. The Spartans are 0-2 this year with losses to then-No. 4/3 Iowa and then-No. 17-16 Ohio State. MSU's last win against a ranked team came against Indiana. On Dec. 29, 2022, the Spartans upset No. 3/3 Indiana, 83-78 in East Lansing.

NET RANKING
Through Feb. 5, Michigan State holds a NET ranking of No. 19, which is fourth-best in the Big Ten. Iowa is first at No. 5, followed by Indiana at No. 13 and Ohio State at No. 14.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
With a 17-5 start, the Spartans are off to their best start the 2018-19 season. During that season, MSU also started 17-5, en route to a 21-12 finish, which was the last time that Michigan State reached the 20-win mark. The Spartans ended 9-9 in Big Ten action. Michigan State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament that season.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. MINNESOTA
• Monday was Moira Joiner's fourth-straight game in double-digits, as her streak of scoring 10+ points was halted at 19-straight games in last month's loss at Minnesota for the first and only time this season that Joiner has been held to single-digits. Joiner has now netted double-figures in 21 of the 22 games this season and 24 of her last 26 career games. MSU improved to 17-4 when Joiner scored in double-digits, and 4-1 when she leads the team in scoring.

• Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock's 10 points was her third double-digit outing in the last four games as part of the 10th time this season and 11th in her career.

• The four Spartans in double-figures improved MSU to 8-1 when four score in double-digits.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Michigan State hosted a long list of prospects on its campus for junior day this past weekend.

Many high school football players from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and all over the country arrived in East Lansing on Feb. 3 for a fun-filled day.

Following junior day festivities, Spartans Illustrated connected with many of the recruits who were on campus to get their thoughts on the event and Michigan State in general.

Note that while the majority of prospects mentioned in this article do not yet have a scholarship offer from Michigan State, many of the players mentioned here have at least one offer, while some are still working toward their first. Regardless of offers list or where they stand in their recruitment, though, everybody who came to Michigan State felt welcome and seemed to truly enjoy the experience.

Below, in no particular order, are reactions from nearly 30 of the junior day visitors.