Michigan State is about to run into a familiar kind of problem on Thanksgiving Day: a former top target who ended up somewhere else and now looks ready to make life miserable.
The Spartans will face ranked Arkansas at Little Caesars Arena, and the Razorbacks are bringing in a new wrinkle that makes the matchup even tougher. Davion Thompson, a true freshman who was once in the 2027 class, has reclassified into 2026 and is now set to play this season. He came in as a five-star and the No. 21 recruit in the country in 2027, and after the move he’s a top-40 recruit in 2026.
That matters for Michigan State because Thompson was one of the players Tom Izzo and the Spartans pushed hard for last fall. Michigan State made the cut when Thompson narrowed his list to five, but Arkansas won out in the end.
So now the Spartans get another shot at a former priority recruit, and this one comes with the added punch of a ranked opponent and a loaded non-conference stage.
There’s also a real chance this game draws a massive audience. Michigan State’s Thanksgiving meeting with North Carolina last year was the most-watched college basketball game in FOX history, and there’s a feeling this Arkansas game could land in that same neighborhood. A ranked matchup in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day has the ingredients to pull in plenty of viewers, whether they’re tuning in after the Lions or looking for something besides football while the holiday rolls on.
Michigan State basketball looks like it will be must-see TV again.
In Other News...
MSU May Be Zeroing In On A Familiar AD Candidate
Michigan States search for a new athletic director has reportedly turned toward a familiar name in the Midwest, with Western Michigan AD Dan Bartholomae emerging as a potential candidate. Bartholomae has built a reputation as a department leader who is comfortable making difficult decisions and pushing programs forward, and his rsum includes earlier stops as an executive deputy AD and chief operating officer at Oregon State.
What makes him especially intriguing for MSU is the combination of experience and momentum he brings from Kalamazoo, where he has overseen a period of stronger fundraising and a willingness to reset the football program when needed. The hurdle, of course, is getting him out of a long-term contract at WMU, which gives this search a layer of complication even before Michigan State settles on how aggressively it wants to pursue him. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxon Kohler Could Force A Major Michigan State Rotation Decision
Jaxon Kohlers offseason has become one of the more interesting variables in Michigan States roster planning, because the Spartans have already moved as if his college career was winding down. Tom Izzo and his staff recruited new pieces with that assumption in mind, adding four freshmen and a transfer to help fill the frontcourt and overall depth chart, while also trying to keep the roster balanced for another run in the Big Ten.
Now Kohlers future is tied to the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, and the possibility of another season would give Michigan State a very different look than the one it has been building toward. A return would meaningfully boost the teams returning production and force a real rotation decision in East Lansing, but his playing location remains uncertain for now, leaving the Spartans to prepare for one version of the roster while keeping another in the back of their minds. [Read more 🡒]