EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State women's tennis team is back in action for the first time in 2024 as they travel out west to Tucson, Arizona, to compete against a trio of teams, Arizona, Missouri and Brigham Young in a two-day event on Friday, Jan. 19-20.

The Spartans are competing for the first time since Nov. 5 in a hidden dual event.

Live Video | Live Stats

Weekend Slate:​

Friday, Jan. 19​

10 a.m. Missouri v. Michigan State

2 p.m. Arizona v. BYU

5 p.m. Arizona v. Michigan State (Doubles)

5 p.m. BYU v. Missouri (Doubles)

Saturday, Jan. 20​

9 a.m. BYU v. Missouri (Singles)

11 a.m. Arizona v. Michigan State (Singles)

2 p.m. Arizona v. Missouri

4:30 p.m. BYU v. Michigan State

Spring Debuts:

Three athletes will be making their debut in the Green and White: Freshmen Ria Bhakta and Natalie Stasny and sophomore transfer Matilde Morais will all take the court for the first time representing the Spartans.

• · MSU takes on Arizona for the second time in program history. The last time these two teams met was back in 2022 in East Lansing that went in the favor of the Spartans edging out the Wildcats, 4-3.
  • · There are some familiar faces on the MSU coaching staff, leading the charge is eighth year head coach Kim Bruno. She holds a record of 81-73, her .526 winning percentage is the best among all Spartan women's tennis coaches.
  • · Associate head coach Tyler Faulkner enters year 13 with the Spartans.
  • · A familiar face returns to the Spartans with new assistant coach, Mary Lewis. Lewis played under coach Bruno she was a two-time All-Big Ten Selection and was a two-time team captain for Michigan State.

Up Next:

The Spartans will be going from the sunny west coast to the northeast when they travel to Hanover, New Hampshire, for a pair of duals against Dartmouth and Boston College in a two-day event Saturday, Feb. 3-4.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, MICH. – The Spartans will return to Ann Arbor Saturday for the second time, this time for what will be the Spartans' first scored meet of the season at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational, scheduled to span from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m..

The meet is expected to feature just a handful of Big Ten teams and their top athletes in what will be a mini-preview of the Big Ten Indoor Championships that will take place on Feb. 23 in Geneva, Ohio.

Top of the morning
Last time out 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.

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 at Holiday Open
Also having a standout performance from the throws squad at the GVSU Holiday Open was junior Elle Adrian, who topped the 20-pound weight throw event by nearly a whole meter with a 20.74m mark in her first performance of the season.

On the men's side, junior Josh DeVries and freshman Xavier Griffiths put up solid results in the weight throw and shot put respectively, also in their season debuts.

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.

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.

Meet preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State wrestling team is back in Jenison Field House this weekend with a pair of Big Ten matchups as they host No. 14-ranked Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m., and defending 2022-23 National Champions, No. 1-ranked Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. Both duals will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

MSU Notes | Rutgers Notes | Penn State Notes | B1G+


Words From Coach Chandler

"Every one of these guys came to Michigan State because they get to compete in the best conference in the country. We told them in the locker room after the Michigan dual, now you got a feel for Big Ten competition. You're going to see that week in and week out for the next seven weeks and we're looking forward to the challenge."



FISHING UP BIG WINS

No. 10-ranked 165-pound senior Caleb Fish defeated Michigan's No. 5-ranked Cameron Amine for the first time in his career. Fish notched his second-straight victory over a Top 10 opponent (defeated Ohio's No. 9-ranked Garrett Thompson in the dual against Ohio). The Eaton Rapids, Michigan, native is a two-time national qualifier and is the highest ranked Spartan in the latest InterMat individual rankings. Fish has started all eight duals and has a perfect 8-0 record.



B1G DEBUTS

· Four Spartans - redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Andy Hampton, redshirt freshman 149-pounder Braden Stauffenberg, redshirt freshman 197-pounder Kael Wisler, and redshirt freshman HWT. Josh Terrill - all made their first Big Ten dual start against Michigan.

· Wisler made his Big Ten dual debut earning his third ranked victory of the season by defeating No. 29-ranked Bobby Striggow in a 5-0 decision.


FOUR IN A ROW

· No. 21-ranked senior 157-pounder Chase Saldate has won four-straight matches that resulted in a fall with three coming in the first period. His seven falls on the year ranks eighth in the country.

· It is the second time in Saldate's career to win four-straight matches via fall. The last time came in 2022 where he began the season 4-0 at the MSU Open.

· The Gilroy, California, native has started 7-0 in dual matches for the first time in his career.



RANKED SPARTANS

The Spartans feature five ranked wrestlers by InterMat: 141-pound redshirt junior Jordan Hamdan at No. 33, Saldate moved up one spot to No. 21, Fish cracked the top-10 entering at No. 10, 184-pound graduate Layne Malczewski slides up to No. 22, and 197-pound redshirt freshman Kael Wisler continues to climb up to No. 29.



Know The Foe: Rutgers

· Rutgers enters the weekend 9-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big Ten, and ranked No. 14 in the InterMat poll and No. 13 in this week's NWCA Coaches Poll.

· The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2-0 weekend where they defeated No. 21-ranked Indiana (30-11) on Jan. 12, and Purdue (26-13) on Jan. 14.

· 174-pounder Jackson Turley was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday.

· Rutgers has six wrestlers ranked by InterMat. Dean Peterson is No. 13 at 125, Dylan Shawver is No. 8 at 133, Mitch Moore is No. 11 at 141, Turley is No. 19 at 174, John Poznanski is No. 9 at 197, and Yaraslau Slavikouski is No. 7 at HWT.



Know The Foe: Penn State

· Penn State enters the week with a perfect 4-0 record, 1-0 in the Big Ten, and ranked No. 1 in both InterMat and NWCA Coaches Poll.

· In their last outing, the Nittany Lions pounced on Indiana on Jan. 14 blanking the Hoosiers, 46-0.

· All 10 of Penn State's projected lineup are nationally ranked with the lowest ranked slotted at No. 14 and four wrestlers ranked No. 1 in their respective weight class.

· The Nittany Lions have won 10 of the last 12 national championships winning each of the last two seasons.

Match previews courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball hits the road for another tough test, taking on Minnesota on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Williams Arena at 3 p.m. ET. The Spartans improved to 13-4 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten action after a dominating 91-72 win over Northwestern at home on Jan. 17. Andrew Cornelius and Gianna Richie will be on the call for Big Ten Plus.

• Minnesota holds an identical 13-4 overall record and 3-3 mark in league play. Last time out, the Golden Gophers lost to a tough Indiana squad on the road 85-62.

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With 14 points against Northwestern, she now has scored 988 points in her Spartan career. With four 3-pointer against the Wildcats, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 174 treys.

• The Spartans' are off to the best start since beginning the 2018-19 season with a 13-4 record. MSU ended that year with a 21-12 record and a 9-9 mark in Big Ten play. That season was the last time that Michigan State reached the 20-win mark. The Spartans reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament during the 2018-19 season before falling to Notre Dame in South Bend.

• Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann tallied 10 points and tied a season-high with eight assists. Hagemann's eight assists matched her season-best vs. Wright State (11/12/23). It was her 13th game with three or more helpers, as part of the ninth game with five or more assists.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers have an 13-4 overall record and an even 3-3 B1G ledger. Minnesota is 2-2 in its last four games, losing to Maryland (72-64) on Jan. 3, then bouncing back to beat Michigan, 82-66, on Jan. 9, and Nebraska, 62-58 on Jan. 14, before losing at No. 16 Indiana, 85-62, last time out on Jan. 17.

In the loss to the Hoosiers, the Gophers were down 20-13, but five unanswered points pulled them within 20-18, but didn't get any closer. Indiana pulled away for a 47-29 halftime score and stretched the advantage to 64-47 after three quarters and won going away, 85-62. Freshman guard/forward Grace Grocholski led Minnesota with 19 points, which tied her B1G season-best, and is the only B1G freshman to net 19 or more points in two conference contests this season.

Minnesota is seventh in the B1G in scoring offense (76.6 ppg), while ranking second in the league in scoring defense (60.5 ppg), to rank sixth in the conference in scoring margin (+16.1). The Gophers are fourth in the conference in 3-pointers per game (8.1), while ranking seventh in 3-point percentage (.349), along with eighth in field goal percentage (.442) and 12th in free throw percentage (.701).

Individually, three Gophers are averaging 10+ points, led by Braun's 18.7 ppg, which ranks third in the B1G and 37th in the NCAA. She also is second in the conference and seventh in the country in 3-pointers per game (3.12), including second in the league and 13th in the nation in 3-pointer attempts (141), and is eighth in the conference in 3-point percentage (.376). Grocholski adds 10.9 ppg, while Battle tallied 10.6 ppg. Heyer tops the team on the glass, averaging 7.9 rpg, to rank fifth in the B1G. Battle leads

Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit in her first year leading the Gophers, posting a 13-4 record so far, and is in her 17th overall season as a collegiate head coach, amassing a 378-145 mark. Plitzuweit came to Minneapolis after one season at West Virginia.

Plitzuweit has ties to the state of Michigan, as she played at Michigan Tech, earning back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards in 1994 and 1994. She started her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater (1995-97), as well as at Michigan (2007-12) and was also head coach at Grand Valley State (2002-07).

ONLY NEWBIES
Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick and Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit are the only two Big Ten women's basketball coaches who are in their first-year at their current B1G posts. Fralick and Plitzuweit have matching 13-4 overall and 3-3 Big Ten records in their first season on their respective benches, entering Saturday's match-up.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE GOPHERS
Michigan State leads the overall series with Minnesota, 47-24. The Spartans have won four of the last five meetings, including last season's Senior Day game in East Lansing, 71-67. MSU is on top in the series at home 27-7, while leading in Minneapolis 17-16. On neutral ground, the Spartans are ahead 3-1.

LAST TIME VS MINNESOTA
Not even a Michigan ice storm could keep the MSU women's basketball team from capturing a 71-67 Senior Day win against Minnesota on Feb. 22, 2023 at the Breslin Center. Due to inclement weather in the East Lansing area, Michigan State athletics moved the game from a 7 p.m. start to a 4:30 p.m. tipoff.

Michigan State had four players in double figures led by 15 points from both sophomore guard/forward Matilda Ekh and graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel. Senior guard Moira Joiner and sophomore guard DeeDee Hagemann both added 11 points.

MAKING THE "MO"ST OF IT
Graduate guard Moira Joiner had a solid senior season, averaging 10.1 points per game during the 2022-23 season. She scored a career-high 302 points with 46 3-pointers. For her encore performance as a Spartan, she is improving on last season. This season, she is averaging 15.9 ppg. She already has scored 270 points just 32 points away from tying last season's point total. With 47 3-pointers, she has already passed last year's total of 46.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
• MSU led from start-to-finish, marking the fourth time this season that the Spartans have never trailed in the game, including the third 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), with the neutral-court Coastal Carolina contest the lone game away from home in going tip to final buzzer never trailing.
• A total of six Spartans scored in double-figures out of the nine players that saw the court, tying the season-high for most players in double-digit scoring from the win at Penn State (12/30/23) at vs. Evansville (11/19/23). MSU is now 5-1 when five or more players post double-figure points.

• Sophomore guard Theryn Hallock added 15 points off the bench, logging double-figures for the third time in the last five games as part of the seventh total time this season and eighth of her career. Hallock hit two 3-pointers for her second multiple triple outing in the last three games and the fifth time this season.

KEEP ON ROLLING
The Spartans' are off to the best start since beginning the 2018-19 season with a 13-4 record. MSU ended the year with a 21-12 record and a 9-9 mark in Big Ten play. That season was the last time that Michigan State reached the 20-win mark. The Spartans reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament during the 2018-19 season before falling to Notre Dame in South Bend.

THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE
The numbers are the Spartans' stat sheets tell a very clear picture of their success. A key part of finding wins is getting Julia Ayrault in double figures in scoring. MSU is 10-2 this season and 19-7 for her career when she reaches the double-digit mark. Similarly, MSU is 9-1 this year when DeeDee Hagemann scores 10 points or more and 20-12 in her career. Michigan State is a perfect 5-0 when, Hagemann has led the team in scoring.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With 13 points against Ohio State, she now has scored 974 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against Ohio State, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 170 treys. The last Spartan to reach 1,000 points was All-American Nia Clouden, who ended her career in 2022 with 1,882 points.

MOVIN' ON UP
Several Spartans are moving up the MSU record books. With three blocks against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard Julia Ayrault now has 112 blocks and stands tied for fifth all-time at MSU, passing Spartan Hall of Famer Liz Shimek (2002-06), who had 108. Graduate guard Moira Joiner now has 174 made 3-pointers and still stands sixth all-time. Even though she is just a junior, guard DeeDee Hagemann already has 365 career assists. Hagemann's eight assists against Northwestern give her 365 for her career, where she is just six away from tying Spartan great Linday Bowen (2002-06), who had 371 during her All-American career.

AYRAULT BREAKING NEW GROUND
Against Northwestern on Jan. 17, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault logged double-figures for the seventh time in the last eight outings as part of the 13th total game this season and the 26th of her career. She netted a 3-pointer to register at least one triple in the last six games and the 11th game on the season. She now has 41 blocks this season through 17 games, which is the most in a single-season since 2011-12 when Lykendra Johnson had 42 rejections. Ayrault is now two shy of breaking the MSU single-season top 10. All-American Liz Shimek is 10th with 43 during the 2004-05 season.

Ayrault also dished out a career-high six assists, topping her previous career-best of five helpers, done three previous times in her career including two previous times this season, most recently vs. Nebraska (12/9/23).

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT HER...JOINER
Graduate guard Moira Joiner tallied 14 points to go with a game-high seven rebounds. She extend her streak of tallying double-figures in all 17 games this season as part of 19-consecutive double-figure scoring games dating back to the 2022-23 season, in addition to in 20 of her last 21 career games played. Joiner now has scored 10+ points in 46 career games overall, the most of all active Spartans. She leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.9 ppg, which is 10th in the Big Ten.

AMONG THE BEST IN THE LAND
The Spartans are 14th in the nation field goal percentage, shooting 48.4 percent from the field. Michigan State is also eighth in the country in assists per game, averaging 20.2 apg. They are also first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.84). The Spartans high-flying offense currently stands 14th in the nation in scoring margin, as well (+21.9). MSU is currently third in the nation in 3-pointers made (9.9/game).

Individually, Julia Ayrault is 18th in the nation in blocks with 41 and 17th in blocks per game (2.4 bpg). DeeDee Hagemann is eighth in the country assist/turnover ratio (3.13).

AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+21.9) and second in assists (20.2 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.94 per game. MSU is tied for first in turnover margin with Ohio State (+7.94) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.78).
Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 15.9 points per game, which is 10th in the Big Ten. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is seventh in rebounding with 7.4 rpg. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is eighth in the league in assists, averaging 4.7 apg. Joiner is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.416). Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.4 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Spartans have scored at least 80 points in 12 of the 13 Victories for MSU this season. Michigan State reached the 90-point plateau for the 10th time this season. It was the first time during January that MSU netted 90 points and the first time in the last four games, last topping 90 in a 98-87 win at Penn State on Dec. 30, for the Spartans' two times netting 90+ points in a B1G game.

Game preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

This was a major topic of discussion last week, but the courts have decided to intervene in the Terrence Shannon case at Illinois. It sounds like he has been reinstated and can play.


I have to say that I really don't know what to think about this case. There are a lot of layers to it. At the end of the day, there needs to be a set of systems in place such that justice prevails, but that is a very, very hard thing to do in practice. Heavan knows that the MSU community has a lot of experience cases involving violence against women. There often are no easy answers. As an academic exercise, it is at least interesting to think about cases at other places where the emotional component is not there.

First of all, I have no idea what actually happened to that young woman in the bar in Kansas. 99.9999% of the people who are commenting on this story are in that same category. Based on the attached article, it certainly sounds as if the young woman was groped / sexually assaulted in a really disgusting way in a public place. I think that everyone can agree that part is true. I personally do not think that the word "rape" should be used in this situation. I don't think that it is accurate or precise and accuracy and precision are absolutely needed cases like this.

Beyond that, on some level the analysis is really pretty simple. Either Shannon was the man who did it to her or he wasn't. If he did it, he should be arrested and held accountable. If he did not do it, his name should be cleared, and he has been done a terrible injustice. But we have no way to tell, quite honestly, which is correct. I say this mostly because the argument from the Illinois side is that this is a case of mistaken identity. Based on the article attached, there is at least some evidence that this might be true. Then again, the fact that he was arrested and charged tells me that the police may have additional evidence that tips the scales the other way. I have no idea (and I am betting neither do 99.999%) and what the right answer is.

The next interesting layer is how the University handles the situation. I strongly believe that there needs to be a mechanism completely independent from the athletic department to make the determination if an athlete in this situation should be suspended or not. Coaches and Athletic Departments are not judges nor are they criminal investigators. They should not be involved. Period. But this puts a lot of responsibility onto this independent organization. They need to make the best decision, based on the evidence at hand. Erring on either the side of the issue here is very bad. It's a tough position to be in, and this is where robust systems need to be in place. I am not convinced that these systems really exist and function properly at ANY University, but it seems like the best strategy to me.

Then, there is the issue of the courts getting involved. This reminds me a lot of when Michigan threatened to sue the Big Ten to get Harbaugh reinstated. This part, to me, is crazy and an absolutely terrible development. There is no way that a judge should be able to override the rules of an organization, or the punishments given by a university like this. This seems like a disaster of a precedent to me. There likely needs to be some sort of check/balance to the office at the University who suspended Shannon, but the courts should not be it. This just feels like Pandora's box to me.

Finally, there is the issue of what Illinois actually does? The optics are terrible either way. Shannon has now been reinstated. Does the athletic director tell Underwood not to play him? Does Underwood decide on his own not to play him? Does he just not start him? If Shannon plays 30 minutes instead of 35 minutes, does his lawyer file an injunction that too much time on the bench is hurting his draft stock? The courts certainly should have no ability to override coaching decisions, but that line has now (sort of) been crossed. Lawyers should not be involved. Period.

This is extremely messy and I do not know the right answer. But it is interesting. At the end of the day, I hope everyone gets justice. Bad people should be punished. Innocent people should not. It's obvious, but it is not easy.

Breakaways, short handed goals---yikes 7-1. Complete collapse. Let's payback tonight @Yost!

Should be a fun weekend of football.

Here are my predictions for the games:

Ravens beat Texans 27-20
49ers beat Packers 31-24
Lions beat Bucs 30-27
Bills beat Chiefs 28-17

Go Lions!

This can be said about a lot of games throughout any season, but tomorrow's game at Maryland feels like a huge game to me. I could make the argument that it is the biggest game of the year so far (even if I don't like that characterization).

The reason that I say this is that the difference between a win in a loss tomorrow is bigger than usual. The difference between the two states is stark. The game is also close to a toss-up. The spread is not out as I am typing this, but Kenpom suggests the spread will be roughly MSU -3. That gives MSU only about a 60% chance of a win.

If the Spartans do get the win, the record is back to 4-4 in conference play of the "can't win a road game" monkey is finally off the back. MSU has a bye of sorts this week and will have five days to prepare for the road trip to Wisconsin. They would be rolling at this point, and they would be in a position where a win in Madison will REALLY have them rolling, so much so that we would seriously be able to discuss a potential Big Ten title if things break just right. If MSU can get to 6-4 at the halfway point, the missteps in the first few games of the Big Ten would be largely atoned for. Even if MSU were to lose at Wisconsin, there is a great chance that MSU would be 5-5 at the turn with six of the toughest eight games on the schedule in the books.

BUT, if MSU loses at Maryland, the record falls to 3-5. The "can't win on the road" problem would still be a major thing. MSU would be in desperation mode for the game at Wisconsin just to have a chance to be at .500 at the turn. The backend of the schedule should still allow for MSU to get to something like 11-9 be the end of the season, but just staying in top four of the conference would be challenge. Instead of talking about making a run for the conference title, the fanbase would be consumed by "will MSU even make the Tournament" talk.

So, yeah, I think tomorrow's game is huge. It is one MSU needs to get.

Hi everyone, we cut (re-cut rather) the cord. I'm trying to watch this Lions game tomorrow and I can't find consistent or reliable information on how to watch it.

Does anyone have any info on this?

EAST LANSING, MICH. – MSU Rowing first year head coach Stacey Rippetoe officially announced the Spartans' 2024 season schedule on Wednesday, a five-event regular season spanning from March 29 to May 4, with the postseason extending into June.

"We are excited about the variety of teams we'll get to race this spring," Rippetoe said. "Spring will be here before we know it and until then we'll continue to train hard and build the team's speed. It's my goal that the team feels thoroughly prepared and races with courage against every opponent."

To kick off the season and the Rippetoe era at Michigan State, the Spartans will be bound for warmer weather in Sarasota, Fla. for the Sunshine State Invite from March 29-30.

The Spartans will return to the Great Lakes State for the year's lone dual, a battle vs. Michigan at Belleville Lake in Belleville, Mich. on April 6.

The team will then head back to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla. for a preview of the conference championships, the Big Ten Invitational from April 19-20.

The following weeks MSU will compete in a pair of historic regattas to conclude the regular season, beginning with the Dale England Cup in Bloomington, Ind. on April, 27. On May 4 the Spartans will compete in a series of shorter races at the Sprints back east at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass.

After a couple weeks of training and preparation the postseason commences for the Spartans at the Big Ten Rowing Championships as they head west for the first time to Devil's Lake in Baraboo, Wisc. for the May 19 title regatta.

From May 31 through June 2, the NCAA Championships will take place on Harsha Lake just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio in Bethel.

The Spartans' 75-woman roster Rippetoe has put together in her first season at the helm on the Grand River is comprised of 48 returning student-athletes, 27 newcomers and includes several rowers with international experience.

Rippetoe herself is no stranger to success within the Big Ten and the Spartan Rowing program, a former NCAA Championship-qualifying rower and coach. She returned to East Lansing in the summer after having served on the MSU staff from 2000-08. Between then she had success serving as the head coach at Boston University (2008-17) and Rhode Island (2020-23) with a stint as an assistant at Wellesley College from 2017-19.

Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.

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Just an FYI, but I am on vacation this week. I’m spending some time with some family in Missouri. I’ll still try to check in on the message board every so often, but I won’t be as active. The rest of the staff will hold things down.

Michigan State signees OL Rustin Young & DE Kekai Burnett will play in the Polynesian Bowl tonight. 9 pm on NFL Network.

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I was just told that 2024 four-star DE Keona Wilhite, who signed with Washington and then was released from his NLI, will visit Michigan State this weekend.

Michigan State pulled away from Minnesota with a late 10-2 run to end the game. The Spartans improved to 11-7 in the win.

Game recap below.

Jonathan Smith had a press conference yesterday to discuss the latest coaching moves, his transfer class and more.

Here's what he had to say:

Michigan State (10-7, 2-4) hosts Minnesota (12-5, 3-3) inside the Breslin Center. Tip off is set for just after 6:30 p.m.

Stay tuned for game updates.

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There are a lot of tools that I like to use to better understand what is actually happening on the basketball court. I rely heavily on simulation and tempo adjusted efficiency data (such as Kenpom's system). As we await the tip for tonight's game with Minnesota, I wanted to give an intro and recent summary of the final tool in the analytical toolbox: the four factors of basketball success.


(I was hoping to get this out earlier in the week, but life was busy)

How would you assess Hawkins' performance in comparison to other Big Ten wide receivers coaches? Do you have any insights into his national ranking? Hawkins has undeniably excelled at MSU, showcasing skills in both recruiting and player development. I'm interested in knowing how sought-after he was amidst the recent coaching turnovers. It seemed like he might explore opportunities elsewhere to further advance in his career.

As MSU prepares for tonight's game vs Minnesota, take an in-depth look at what @SpartanHoops_DK and @CarterElliott think about the short, medium, and long-term outlook for this Michigan State basketball team. Subscribers only, so if your friends want to read, tell them to sign up:

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball returns home to the Breslin Center to take on Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. The Spartans now stand 12-4 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten games this season after a 70-65 loss to No. 17/16 Ohio State on Jan. 14. Bryan Rector and Derrick Mitchell will be on the call for Big Ten Plus.

• Northwestern stands 7-10 overall and 2-4 in league contests this season. Last time out, the Wildcats suffered 92-53 loss to Illinois in Evanston.

• Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With 13 points against Ohio State, she now has scored 974 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against Ohio State, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 170 treys.

• After playing five of their last six games away from home, Michigan State will now enjoy a stretch of home games at the friendly confines of the Breslin Center. MSU will end the month of January playing three of its last five games at home. After Northwestern, the Spartans will take on Purdue (Jan. 24) and Michigan (Jan. 27) at home.

• Against OSU, junior guard DeeDee Hagemann distributed five assists, posting her eighth contest this season with five or more helpers. Hagemann's five assists give her 357 for her career, moving up to No. 12 on MSU's career assists list, passing Vnemina Reese (1998-2002) with 356 helpers.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats come to East Lansing with a 7-10 overall and 2-4 B1G record in tow, coming off a 93-52 loss to in-state rival Illinois on Sunday. Northwestern has lost three of its last four, with losses at Penn State (95-55 on Jan. 2) and at No. 20 Ohio State (90-60 on Jan. 5) and a win at Wisconsin (74-69 on Jan. 10), before Sunday's home loss to Illinois.

In Sunday's loss, Illinois jumped out to a 20-11 first-quarter advantage and never looked back, pulling away for a 45-21 halftime score. The Illini stretched their lead to 62-29 early in the third stanza, before six unanswered Wildcats points pulled them within 62-35 on a pair of free throws by senior forward Paige Mott. However, that would be the closest that Northwestern would get, as Illinois won going away, 93-52. Graduate guard Maggie Pina netted a season-high 11 points, followed by junior forward Caileigh Walsh and Mott with eight points apiece, and Walsh added six rebounds to go with three blocks.

Northwestern is 13th in the B1G in scoring offense (67.4 ppg), while ranking 14th in scoring defense (80.8 ppg), to rank 14th in scoring margin (-13.4 ppg). The Wildcats are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, along with 36.3 percent from 3-point range and 78.8 percent at the free throw line. NU averages 36.7 rebounds per game. Northwestern is averaging 18.2 assists per contest, while committing 17.6 turnovers per game, to go with a 1.0 assist/turnover ratio.

Two Wildcats average double-figures, led by Walsh with 13.1 ppg, while junior guard Melannie Daley adds 12.4 ppg. Walsh also leads NU on the board with 5.9 rpg. Sophomore guard Caroline Lau dishes out 6.0 assists per game to rank second in the B1G, and is 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5).

Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown is in his 16th season at the helm of the Wildcats' program, the longest tenured coach in NU's program history. McKeown has a 257-229 record, and the 257 wins ranks him second among active B1G coaches.

SERIES HISTORY VS. THE WILDCATS
Michigan State leads the overall series with Northwestern, 46-29. The Spartans have won the last two games in the series, including winning in Evanston for the first time since 2014 last season. Overall, MSU leads the series in East Lansing, 26-9. The Wildcats lead in Evanston 18-20, while MSU is on top 2-0 on neutral ground.

LAST TIME VS NORTHWESTERN
Michigan State women's basketball earned its fourth-straight win with a 71-64 victory over Northwestern on at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Jan. 2.

This was MSU's first win at Welsh-Ryan since 2014.

Michigan State had three players in double figures led by 21 points by sophomore guard Matilda Ekh, who went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Taiyier Parks had her second-straight double-digit scoring game with 17 points and six rebounds, while graduate guard Kamaria McDaniel added 13 points. Redshirt-junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault was a beast on the boards with 10 rebounds to lead all players.

MAKING THE "MO"ST OF IT
Graduate guard Moira Joiner had a solid senior season, averaging 10.1 points per game during the 2022-23 season. She scored a career-high 302 points with 46 3-pointers. For her encore performance as a Spartan, she is improving on last season. This season, she is averaging 16.0 ppg. She already has scored 256 points just 46 points away from tying last season's point total. She is only three 3-pointers away from matching last year's total of 46.

BY THE NUMBERS VS. OHIO STATE
• The Spartan starting five of junior guard DeeDee Hagemann, sophomore guard Abbey Kimball junior guard/forward Jocelyn Tate, graduate guard Moira Joiner and graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault for Sunday's game marked the sixth-straight game and the 13th time overall this season that the Spartans have rolled out that line-up for the opening tip-off. MSU is now 9-4 this season with that starting five.

• Michigan State was held below 70 points for just the second time this season with a season-low 65 points, with MSU only previously held under 70 in the last 10 games since scoring 69 in loss to Creighton (11/24).

• Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault pulled down nine rebounds, sharing the team-lead with Ozment and marking the seventh-straight game with seven or more boards and ninth total time this season. Ayrault has at least four rebounds in all 16 games this season including five or more boards in 14 contests.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Graduate guard Moira Joiner is inching near the 1,000 point mark. With 13 points against Ohio State, she now has scored 974 points in her Spartan career. With one 3-pointer against Ohio State, she also stands sixth all-time in the MSU record books with 170 treys. The last Spartan to reach 1,000 points was All-American Nia Clouden, who ended her career in 2022 with 1,882 points.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
This season, Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in scoring margin (+22.1) and second in assists (19.9 apg). The Spartans are also second in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 9.75 per game. MSU is tied for first in turnover margin with Ohio State (+7.94) and first in assist/turnover ratio (1.78).

Graduate guard Moira Joiner leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game, which is 10th in the Big Ten. Graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault is sixth in rebounding with 7.6 rpg. Junior guard DeeDee Hagemann is ninth in the league in assists, averaging 4.5 apg. Joiner is fourth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.406). Ayrault is also second in the conference in blocks, averaging 2.4 bpg, behind Wisconsin's Serah Williams.

DID YOU KNOW?
Against Ohio State, graduate guard/forward Julia Ayrault pulled down nine rebounds, sharing the team-lead with Tory Ozment and marking the seventh-straight game with seven or more boards and ninth total time this season. Ayrault has at least four rebounds in all 16 games this season, including five or more boards in 14 contests.

LAST TIME OUT
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 Sunday afternoon.

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.

For the second 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.

Game preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

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Jonathan Smith presser will begin at noon, to discuss Transfer additions. Stay tuned.