Michigan State Closes 2025 with Cornell Clash at Breslin Center
EAST LANSING, Mich. - As the calendar flips to a new year, No. 9 Michigan State is staying locked in on the present.
The Spartans return home to the Breslin Center to wrap up 2025 with a non-conference matchup against Cornell on Monday night (7 p.m. ET, FS1), riding the momentum of a 79-70 win over Oakland last weekend in Detroit.
That game saw freshman Coen Carr erupt for a career-high 22 points, and his athleticism continues to be a major spark for a deep and balanced MSU squad.
How to Watch & Listen
The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1, with Jeff Levering on play-by-play and Spartan legend Steve Smith providing color commentary. Fans can also catch the Spartan Media Network radio call, featuring Will Tieman, Matt Steigenga, and studio host Zach Surdenik, available statewide and streaming at MSUSpartans.com. For satellite radio listeners, the game airs on SiriusXM channels 139 and 196, or via the SiriusXM app.
Spartans Hitting Their Stride
Michigan State enters the matchup at 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. They’ve won three straight and have steadily climbed the national rankings, now sitting at No. 9 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. Their metrics back it up, too - MSU holds the No. 13 spot in both the NCAA NET rankings and KenPom.
Tom Izzo’s team has been tested early and often, and they’ve passed most of those tests with flying colors. MSU is one of just five programs in the country with four Quad 1 wins - joining the likes of Duke, Arizona, UConn, and Michigan - thanks to victories over Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Iowa. That’s a resume any selection committee would take seriously in March.
Stat Sheet Stuffers Across the Board
This year’s Spartans are deep, unselfish, and defensively sound - the kind of traits that have become synonymous with Izzo’s best teams.
- Jeremy Fears Jr. continues to be the engine at point guard. He’s second in the nation in assists per game (9.2) and has already dished out 110 dimes on the year.
He’s also chipping in 10.8 points per game while leading the team in minutes (30.8).
- Jaxon Kohler has been a force inside, averaging a double-double with 13.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. That rebounding mark ranks second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally.
He’s recorded seven double-doubles already and has scored in double figures in all 12 games.
- Coen Carr, whose jaw-dropping athleticism turns heads every night, is averaging 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in nearly 29 minutes per game. He’s been a highlight reel and a consistent contributor.
- Carson Cooper is playing the best basketball of his career. After a 16-point, 16-rebound performance against Duke, he’s averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while logging a career-high 24.8 minutes per game.
- Kur Teng (6.8 ppg), Cam Ward (6.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg), and Divine Ugochukwu (5.0 ppg, including a 23-point outburst at Penn State) round out a rotation that runs deep. Nine players are averaging at least 13 minutes per game, and seven are scoring at least five points per contest.
Even the bench is getting meaningful reps. Senior Trey Fort, redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch, and freshman Jordan Scott are all contributing in limited minutes, giving Izzo flexibility and options.
Defense, Rebounding, and Sharing the Rock
This team isn’t just winning - they’re doing it the Izzo way.
- MSU ranks No. 3 nationally in rebound margin (+13.8), a stat that speaks volumes about their physicality and effort on the glass.
- They’re also No. 13 in assists per game (19.3), showing the kind of ball movement that makes them tough to guard.
- Defensively, the Spartans are allowing just 63.3 points per game, good for No. 15 nationally, and they rank 6th in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.
Heating Up from Deep
It wasn’t the smoothest start from beyond the arc - MSU hit just 21.7% of their threes through the first few games - but that narrative has flipped in a big way.
Since knocking down 11 triples in a statement win over Kentucky, the Spartans have been one of the hottest shooting teams in the country. Over their last nine games, they’re shooting 40.2% from three (74-of-184), which ranks 17th nationally over that stretch (per Bart Torvik).
- Kohler has added range to his game, hitting 15 threes in that span.
- Teng has connected on 13, and Ugochukwu has knocked down 11.
- Eight different players have hit at least five threes during this hot streak, showing the spacing and depth that makes this offense so dangerous.
Battle-Tested by Design
Tom Izzo doesn’t back down from a challenge, and this year’s schedule has been no exception. MSU ranks 24th in NET Strength of Schedule and 42nd in non-conference strength - and that’s before Big Ten play really gets rolling.
The Spartans have already faced six high-major opponents, including a brutal four-game stretch against North Carolina, Iowa, Duke, and Penn State. They’ve come out of it with a 10-1 start - their best since the 2017-18 season - and a team that looks more seasoned than most this early in the year.
This season’s home slate is arguably the most stacked of the Izzo era. With non-conference home games against Arkansas (win) and Duke (loss), plus the full Big Ten gauntlet, the Breslin Center has been buzzing - and it’s only going to get louder.
Scouting Cornell
Cornell rolls into East Lansing at 6-5, fresh off an 83-75 win over Albany. Monday’s game will mark their ninth road contest of the season, and they’re 3-5 away from home.
Don’t let the record fool you - this is a team that can flat-out score. Last year, Cornell ranked fourth nationally in points per game (85.1), and they’ve picked up right where they left off. The Big Red currently rank:
- 1st in the country in made threes per game (14.2)
- 5th in 3-point percentage (41.6%)
- 16th in scoring offense (90.4 ppg)
Even after losing three of their top five scorers from last season, they’ve reloaded behind returning guards Cooper Noard and Jake Fiegen, who’ve combined for 51 threes. Noard alone has hit 34 from deep.
This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs, with Michigan State holding a 5-1 edge. The last matchup came back in November 2000 - an 89-56 win for the Spartans. Cornell’s lone victory in the series dates all the way back to 1948.
What’s at Stake
For Michigan State, this is about closing the year strong, staying sharp, and continuing to build chemistry before the heart of Big Ten play. For Cornell, it’s a chance to test their high-octane offense against one of the nation’s toughest defenses in one of college basketball’s most intense environments.
It’s the kind of late-December non-conference game that doesn’t just fill the schedule - it tells you something about both teams. And if the Spartans keep playing the way they have been, it could be another statement night in East Lansing.