Big Ten Battle: Michigan State Faces Critical Test Against Surging Illinois
For the first time all season, No. 10 Michigan State is staring down real adversity-and it couldn’t come at a tougher moment.
The Spartans are set to host No. 5 Illinois on Saturday, and the Illini aren’t just hot-they’re scorching.
Riding a 12-game winning streak and sitting atop the Big Ten standings, Illinois is rolling into East Lansing with serious momentum.
Meanwhile, Michigan State (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) is trying to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses, including a gut-punch at home to rival Michigan and a surprising stumble on the road against Minnesota. The 76-73 loss to the Golden Gophers snapped Minnesota’s seven-game skid and exposed some cracks in the Spartans’ armor.
The problems aren’t just on the scoreboard. The Spartans suffered a blow to their rotation when reserve guard Divine Ugochukwu went down with a left foot injury in the first half against Minnesota. The team confirmed Friday that he’s out for the season-a tough break for a backcourt already under scrutiny.
And scrutiny is exactly what’s surrounding starting point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. right now. Fears has found himself at the center of controversy for a string of questionable plays.
Michigan head coach Dusty May publicly criticized Fears for what appeared to be a deliberate trip late in last week’s rivalry game. Then on Wednesday, Fears was hit with a technical foul after making a kicking motion toward Minnesota guard Langston Reynolds following a foul.
Head coach Tom Izzo didn’t hold back when discussing the situation.
“I did not see what happened on the play,” Izzo said. “I saw him get pushed and I saw his leg come up and I didn't think he hit anybody, but if he did, then he deserves it, I guess.
But if he didn't, I questioned it. So are they baiting him?
Well, of course. And it's his fault.”
Izzo also made it clear that Fears' spot in the starting lineup is not guaranteed heading into Saturday.
Beyond the drama, Izzo’s biggest concern might be the way his team has started games. Against Minnesota, the Spartans managed just 21 first-half points and found themselves playing from behind nearly the entire night. They made a late push to erase a 16-point deficit, but the early hole was too deep.
“What a strange game,” Izzo said. “I can't figure out why we started out so poorly.
Disappointed in my upperclassmen, if I was to be honest. And the coach, because the coach has to get a team ready, and playing three games in a row now that we have not been there at the beginning.”
Now Michigan State has to regroup quickly, because Illinois isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
The Illini (20-3, 11-1 Big Ten) are off to their best conference start since the 2004-05 team opened league play with 15 straight wins during a legendary 29-0 start. Their latest performance?
An 84-44 dismantling of Northwestern on Wednesday. Illinois imposed its will from the opening tip, dominating on both ends of the court and holding the Wildcats to just 19-of-65 shooting from the field-including a brutal 4-of-25 from deep.
A big part of Illinois’ success has been a shift in defensive philosophy. Head coach Brad Underwood explained that his team is now more willing to concede certain shots in order to take away the highest-percentage looks.
“We're giving up more (three-pointers) because we're trying to not give up as many twos and as many layups,” Underwood said. “Those are 100 percent shots. ... We're going to give up some threes, but we're going to count on not giving up twos and not giving up the 100 percent shots as much.”
It’s working. Just ask Northwestern head coach Chris Collins, who had high praise for the Illini’s defensive presence.
“They have tremendous length, so it's really hard to score at the basket,” Collins said. “Their two-point defense is terrific.
They're doing such a good job eliminating your easy baskets. We took 25 threes.
We needed to make double figures, and we only made four.”
Offensively, Illinois continues to find balance. Against Northwestern, it was Andrej Stojakovic leading the way with 17 points, but this team doesn’t rely on just one guy. They’ve got depth, length, and confidence-and right now, they’re playing like a group that believes it can win the Big Ten outright.
Saturday’s matchup in East Lansing is shaping up to be a gut-check for Michigan State and a measuring stick for Illinois. Can the Spartans reset and respond under pressure? Or will the Illini keep steamrolling their way through the conference?
We’re about to find out.