Please see the links on our front page to remember 2/13/23 and the three Spartan lives which were lost.

Michigan State announces that football season tickets can now be renewed for the 2024 season and - for the ninth consecutive year - season ticket prices will remain at $49 per game ($343 for the seven-game home season) plus the applicable scholarship seat premium.

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Michigan State’s basketball season has not gone according to plan. Based on preseason expectations, this team was supposed to contend for a Big Ten title, be a top 10 team and be a legitimate National Championship threat.

That has not been the case. The Spartans are likely one more bad loss away from being on the bubble.

So, to my question, what marks a successful season for this team?

If they make the tournament and advance to the Sweet 16, is that a successful season in your book?

Or do they have to go all the way to the Final Four?

Or is the season already a failure based on regular season performance so far?

I know everyone will have a different answer so that’s why I’m curious to see what people say.

Thoughts?

... was the welcome press conference for Mel Tucker.

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Minnesota's P.J. Fleck already getting mentions as a potential candidate by some national pundits.


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It was a busy week on the personal side of things last week and I was not able to get as many updates out as I would have liked. That said, MSU's overall position is not that different than it was two weeks ago. As you can see from the article, MSU has been bouncing between an expected win total of 11 and 12 wins for a long time. It is enough to make one slightly nauseous.

That said, now is the time for MSU to make their move. The late January/early February "Tom Izzo Bermuda Triangle" is now past, and the schedule is very favorable down the stretch. The road games at Penn State and at Michigan are still a little scary, but if MSU gets both, there is no reason that they should not be 11-6 in conference play with a week to prep for the road game at Purdue.

The other point that I explore a bit here is the following. Is MSU's defensive rebounding getting better while the field goal percentage defense is slipping? Maybe so.

Check out the full article here

According to a report from FootballScoop.com, Michigan State has hired Joe Begnal as a special teams quality control coach.

Begnal's Twitter bio seems to confirm this, as it now reads "Special Teams Analyst - Michigan State University." Based on his likes and retweets, it appears he posisbly joined MSU last week. As of press time, he is not listed on Michigan State's coaching staff/support staff page, however.

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Begnal most recently served as a special teams quality control coach for Memphis. It appears he has also spent time at Idaho, University of New Haven (Division II), Lincoln University of Missouri (Division II) and elsewhere.

Begnal's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachBegnal

Friday​

MSU Women’s Tennis Grounds the Rockets 5-2​

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State women's tennis team won its second-straight match, defeating Toledo inside the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility on Friday afternoon 5-2.



The Spartans improved to 3-2 overall, while the Rockets fall to 3-2. MSU extends its perfect record against Toledo in the all-time series to 23-0.



"We started a little nervous and emotional," said Michigan State head coach Kim Bruno. "The girls worked through it and fought for the win. After securing the doubles point, it was nice to have an early lead in some of our singles matches. It's a great start to our homestand."



Action began on the doubles court with the tandem of sophomore Issey Purser and freshman Ria Bhakta dominating on court three, as they worked past the rockets 6-0 to be the first court to finish. Courts one and two were in tighter battles, junior Liisa Vehvilainen and sophomore Matilde Morais took down Toledo's pairing of Gaby Rondon and Cassie Alcala in a back-and-forth battle on court two, 6-4, to lock in the doubles point. On court one, Ayshe Can and Nicole Conard paired together for the second time in their career and trailed 6-5 but the match went unfinished.



Heading into singles action, Toledo didn't take long to tie the action as Purser fell in two sets 6-3, 6-0. The Spartans would surge taking the next three matches on courts five, three and two. Ria Bhakta put an early explanation point on her match sweeping Shalini Tallamraju 6-1, 6-1 on court five to win her second straight singles match and extended MSU lead to 2-1. Next up on court two, Vehvilainen kept the winning going as she went to defeat Sanjana Tallamraju in two sets 6-1, 6-2. On court two, Can found herself in an early battle against Gaby Rondon as the first set went into a tiebreaker. The Weston, Florida, native had the upper hand and took the first set 7-6 [7-2] and did not let up with a commanding 6-1 second set to seal the Spartan victory.



Sophomore Matilde Morais was in a battle against Cassie Alcala, as two of three sets went into a tiebreakers. Morais owned the first set 7-6 [7-2] before falling in the second set 6-3. In the third and final set, the Cascais, Portugal, native came back from being down 5-3 to win 11-9.



Michigan State will have a quick turnaround as it returns to the courts for a doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 11 when it takes on Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

RESULTS

Michigan State 5, Toledo 2

Singles competition

1. Matilde Morais (MSU) def. Cassie Alcala (TOL) 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 1-0 (11-9)

2. Ayshe Can (MSU) def. Gaby Rondon (TOL) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1

3. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) def. Sanjana Tallamraju (TOL) 6-1, 6-2

4. Sloane Teske (TOL) def. Issey Purser (MSUW) 6-3, 6-0

5. Ria Bhakta (MSU) def. Shalini Tallamraju (TOL) 6-1, 6-1

6. Audrey Moutama (TOL) def. Natalie Stasny (MSU) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)



Doubles competition

1. Ayshe Can/Nicole Conard (MSU) vs. Julia Kuszynski/Sanjana Tallamraju (TOL) 5-6, unfinished

2. Liisa Vehvilainen/Matilde Morais (MSU) def. Gaby Rondon/Cassie Alcala (TOL) 6-4

3. Issey Purser/Ria Bhakta (MSU) def. Sloane Teske/Audrey Moutama (TOL) 6-0

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.