IU basketball game day essentials: Indiana returns to the road to face Michigan State

Game Day Essentials:

Indiana (12-4, 3-2) at No. 12 Michigan State (14-2, 4-1)

• Tip Time: 8 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday
• Location: Breslin Center (14,797), East Lansing, Mich.
• Television: NBC Sports Network/Peacock (Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel, Caroline Pineda)
• Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
• Stream: Peacock
• Point Spread: MSU is around a 7.5-point favorite
• KenPom Projected Score:  MSU 74  IU 67
• History: Indiana leads the series, 74-59
• Last Meeting: IU 71, MSU 67 on Feb. 11, 2025, in East Lansing
• Tickets (via our StubHub affiliate link)

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo

Tom Izzo was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 9, 2016, cementing his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.

Now in his 31st year, Izzo has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including the 2000 NCAA National Championship, 11 regular-season Big Ten Championships, six Big Ten Tournament titles, eight Final Four appearances, eight National Coach of the Year awards and a Big Ten-record 27 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

When the Spartans were selected for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Izzo became the first men’s basketball head coach in history to lead his team to 25-straight appearances and he extended that streak to 27 in 2025. Michigan State’s streak of 27-straight NCAA Tournament appearances is officially recognized by the NCAA as the nation’s current longest streak.

Izzo has career record of 751-304.  Prior to becoming the MSU head coach he served 12 years in East Lansing as an assistant under Jud Heathcote.

Michigan State’s results and roster

Michigan State game notes (via MSU Athletics)

About the Spartans

• Michigan State enters Tuesday’s game with a 14-2 overall record (4-1 Big Ten) and are coming off a 76-66 win over Northwestern on Thursday.
• The Spartans are No. 12 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and the ESPN Coaches poll.
• MSU is No. 14 in the NCAA Net Rankings and No. 13 per KenPom.
• The Spartans are No. 11 in the country in assists (19.1 apg), with Jeremy Fears Jr. second in the country with 8.8 apg.
• MSU ranks No. 3 in the country in rebound margin (+13.7) and Kohler is 3rd in the Big Ten, and No. 19 nationally, with 10.1 rpg.
• The Spartans are No. 14 nationally in scoring defense (64.5 ppg) and ranks No. 3 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.
• MSU’s captains (Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears Jr.) have combined for 61.2% of the team’s scoring (772 of 1262 points).
• Through 16 games, the Spartans have four players scoring in double figures, seven averaging at least 5.0 ppg and nine averaging at least 10.0 minutes.
• Kohler leads the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg and tops the team with 10.1 rpg (3rd B1G, #19 nationally) … Kohler, who became the first player in MSU history under Head Coach Izzo to have five-straight double-doubles and ranks No. 9 nationally with nine this season, has scored in double figures 16 times this year.
• Fears Jr., who leads the team with 30.5 minutes played, is second on the team with 12.1 ppg and is handing out 8.8 assists per game, second in Division I … His 140 total assists are No. 2 in the country.
• Carr, one of the most athletic players in all of college basketball, is third on the team with 11.6 ppg, third on the team with 5.2 rpg and second with 1.5 apg in 27.9 mpg.
• Cooper, who had 16 points and a career-best 16 rebounds vs. Duke and scored a career-high 18 points in the win over Northwestern, is playing a career-high 25.3 minutes, is fourth on the team with 10.3 ppg and second with 7.3 rpg, ninth in the B1G.
• Kur Teng, who scored a career-high 15 points against Kentucky, is averaging 7.3 ppg and has scored in double figures in four of the last six games.
• Cam Ward is sixth on the team with 5.7 ppg and fourth with 4.3 rpg and Divine Ugochukwu, who scored a career-high 23 points at Penn State, is averaging 5.2 ppg in 14.5 mpg.
• Senior Trey Fort is tallying 4.6 ppg, freshman Jordan Scott adds 3.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 16.3 mpg (5.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg in B1G) and redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch is averaging 3.4 ppg and 1.6 rpg.

Breslin Advantage

• The Spartans are 9-1 at the Breslin Center this year, the lone loss a 66-60 decision to then-No. 4 Duke.
• In the last year-plus, the Spartans are 24-2 at home.
• The Spartans have an all-time record of 496-77 (.866) at home since the Breslin Center opened in 1989, including a 264-60 (.815) in Big Ten play.
• Under Head Coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans are 422-62 (.872) at the Breslin, including a 223-47 (.826) conference record.

Anyone, Any Time, Any Place, Any Where

• Tom Izzo has consistently played one of the toughest schedules in America.
• With a willingness to play at home, on the road or a neutral site, his list of regular-season non-conference opponents reads like a who’s who of top college basketball programs.
• MSU ranks No. 26 nationally in the NET Strength of Schedule and No. 78 in non-conference strength.
• The 2025-26 home schedule is arguably the best in program history, with home non-conference games against Arkansas (W, 69-66) and Duke (L, 66-60) … In addition to 10 Big Ten contests, MSU will host 12 power conference opponents for the first time in the Izzo Era.
• Michigan State’s challenging schedule through the opening month-plus has provided opportunities for the Spartans as well.
• The Spartans have a combined six wins over Quad 1 and 2 teams through 16 games, one of only 14 schools nationally with at least six among Q1/2.
• MSU’s 14-2 record through 16 games is tied for the fifth-best start under Head Coach Tom Izzo in his 31 years at the helm of the program.
• The win over Cornell on Dec. 29 improved MSU to 12-1, the sixth time in Izzo’s 31 seasons the Spartans have gotten through Christmas with one loss or fewer.

Against the Hoosiers

• Indiana leads the all-time series with Michigan State, 75-59.
• Indiana has won the last two meetings, including a 71-67 win at the Breslin Center last year (more below), and three of the last four overall.
• Ten of the last 15 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including eight games decided by six or fewer.
• Tom Izzo is 29-20 in his career against Indiana.
• The Spartans are 41-24 at home against Indiana and have won three of the last four games played at the Breslin Center.

No. 13 Michigan State’s KenPom notable numbers:

(out of 365 teams)

Tempo – No. 260 (Offense No. 186 / Defense No. 268)

Offensive Efficiency – No. 66

• Michigan State has a 52.9% effective field goal percentage, which ranks No. 111. They make 35.9% of their threes (No. 74) and 52.4% of their twos (No. 148).  Despite their proficiency from long range, MSU doesn’t shoot a high volume from long range.  They 3-point attempt rate (3FGA/FGA) is just No. 255.
• MSU is an elite offensive rebounding team.  They rank No. 10 nationally and pull down 39.7% of their misses.
• Turnovers have been a problem for the Spartans.  They have given the ball away on 18.4% of their possessions, which ranks No. 241 nationally.
• MSU has the No. 2 assist rate in the nation.  69.5% of their makes are assisted.

Defensive Efficiency – No. 3

• At 45.4%, MSU has the No. 16 effective field goal percentage defense in the nation.  Teams are shooting just 30.3% from three (No. 47), and 45.4% from two (No. 22).
• MSU is No. 1 in preventing offensive rebounds.  Opponents have grabbed just 22.3% of their own misses.
• The Spartans don’t force a high turnover rate, coming in at 16.4%, No. 235.
• Opponents are assisting on the majority of makes.  Their opposing 57.3% assist rate is No. 287.
• At 46.6% of all shots, opponents are taking a very high volume of threes against Michigan State.  That comes in at No. 347.

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