Michigan State basketball just wrapped up one of its most convincing stretches of the season - and the rest of the Big Ten is officially on notice.
The Spartans closed out a three-game homestand with a statement win over Indiana, then followed it up with a dominant road performance against Washington in Seattle. Two games, two blowouts, and a whole lot of momentum heading into the heart of conference play.
Let’s break it down: Michigan State outscored its opponents by an average of 19 points this week. That’s not easy to do in the Big Ten, especially when Indiana is a legit top-half team in the league. And while Washington hasn’t lived up to preseason expectations - largely due to losing a key USC transfer to injury - going on the road and handling business like that still speaks volumes.
With those two wins, Michigan State now sits at 16-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play. That kind of consistency, paired with their recent dominance, has the Spartans climbing again in the national rankings. After coming in at No. 12 in last week’s AP Top 25, they’ve now cracked the top 10, landing at No. 10 in the latest poll.
Here’s how the top 10 shakes out:
- Arizona
- UConn
- Michigan
- Purdue
- Duke
- Houston
- Nebraska
- Gonzaga
- Iowa State
- Michigan State
Only two teams have managed to beat Michigan State this season - and both are in that top 10. The Spartans lost to No.
5 Duke by six, and to No. 7 Nebraska by just two points on the road.
That’s it. No bad losses.
No slip-ups. Just two close games against elite competition.
The Big Ten is flexing its muscles in the rankings, with four teams in the top 10: Michigan (3), Purdue (4), Nebraska (7), and Michigan State (10). Illinois isn’t far behind either, sitting at No.
- This might be the most top-heavy the conference has looked in years - and the Spartans are right in the thick of it.
As for how they got here, it started with a bounce-back performance against Indiana. After a somewhat shaky 10-point win over Northwestern, Michigan State came out sharper against the Hoosiers.
Indiana hung tough for most of the game - it was tied 53-53 in the second half - but then came the knockout punch: a 19-0 Spartans run that completely flipped the game. Final score: Michigan State by 21.
Then came the road trip to Washington. From the opening tip, the Spartans were in control.
They led wire-to-wire in what turned out to be a comfortable 80-63 win - one of their smoothest road performances in recent memory. That kind of poise away from home, especially in conference play, is exactly what you want to see from a team with serious March aspirations.
Now, looking ahead, Michigan State hits the road again to face Oregon on Tuesday night before returning home to play Maryland on Saturday. Maryland’s been struggling in Big Ten play, sitting at 1-6, so the Spartans are in a strong position to keep the win streak rolling.
If they handle business this week, Michigan State could very well be 18-2 by next weekend - and climbing even higher in the rankings. The Spartans are heating up at just the right time, and with the way they’re playing on both ends of the floor, they’re starting to look like a team no one wants to see in March.