After coming up empty on last year’s West Coast swing, Michigan State made sure history didn’t repeat itself. This time around, the Spartans flipped the script, picking up two big road wins and climbing to third place in the conference standings. And they didn’t just win - they looked like a team that’s starting to hit its stride.
“I thought they played really well against us,” head coach Tom Izzo said. “We got a lot of work to do, but if you go on this road trip, it’s not easy. As we all know, college guys aren’t ready to handle it like pro guys.”
Now sitting at 17-2 overall and 7-1 in conference play, the Spartans are turning heads with the nation’s top-ranked defense, according to KenPom. That defensive identity was on full display in both wins, where MSU consistently stifled opposing offenses and turned stops into transition buckets - a classic Izzo formula.
Jeremy Fears Jr. Sets the Tone
Against Washington, it was Jeremy Fears Jr. who took the reins. The freshman guard played with poise and pace, pushing the tempo and dictating the flow of the game.
He finished with 19 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting, knocking down 7-of-8 from the line. It wasn’t just the numbers - it was the way he controlled the game.
When Fears is in rhythm like that, MSU looks like a different team.
Big Men Dominate in Eugene
A few days later in Eugene, it was the frontcourt that stole the spotlight. Carson Cooper had a breakout performance, notching a career-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
The 6-foot-11 senior was a force in the paint, playing with a level of physicality and confidence that Oregon struggled to match. He wasn’t just scoring - he was making smart decisions when the double-team came, kicking the ball out to open shooters and keeping the offense moving.
One of those beneficiaries? Coen Carr, who rediscovered his shooting touch in a big way.
Carr dropped 15 points and hit 3-of-5 from deep - the most threes he’s made in a single game in his career. It was a welcome sight for a player who had been ice cold from beyond the arc to start the new year, going just 1-for-10 from three before the road trip.
Over the last two games, he’s shot 50% from distance - a huge turnaround.
But for Izzo, Carr’s biggest contributions came on the other end of the floor.
“He made a couple threes, so we’re all excited,” Izzo said. “But what he did is he played pretty damn good defensively, and he got some rebounds.”
That kind of two-way impact is what earns players minutes in an Izzo system. Carr didn’t start hot, but he finished strong - and that matters.
Fast Starts, Consistent Energy
MSU came out firing in both games, jumping out to early leads: 21-13 against Washington, 13-4 against Oregon. That early energy set the tone and allowed the Spartans to control the tempo. And while the final scores may have looked different, the formula was the same - defend, rebound, run, and let the depth do the rest.
Senior guard Trey Fort, who had gone scoreless in three straight games, chipped in with 12 points over the two-game stretch, including a clean 4-for-5 shooting night in Eugene. He looked more comfortable, finding open spots and letting the game come to him instead of forcing tough looks.
Jaxon Kohler Looks to Bounce Back
Not everyone had their best showing, though. Senior big man Jaxon Kohler, who’s been a model of consistency all season, struggled to make an impact.
Through the first 17 games, Kohler was averaging 14.4 points and 10.1 boards - leading the team in both categories. But over the two West Coast games, he totaled just 9 points and 12 rebounds combined.
Foul trouble limited his minutes against Oregon, and when he was on the floor, he couldn’t find his rhythm offensively. He missed high-percentage looks in the paint and had trouble keeping up defensively with Oregon’s quicker guards.
Still, Izzo made it clear: this isn’t a slump - it’s just a stretch where things didn’t click.
“We just haven’t gotten him any shots, and he hasn’t been in the game enough because of foul trouble,” Izzo said.
Kohler has been too steady for too long to be counted out after a couple off nights. And he’ll have a chance to bounce back in a big way this weekend.
Looking Ahead: Maryland Comes to East Lansing
MSU returns home to face Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 24, with tipoff set for noon on CBS. The Terrapins are in the midst of a rough stretch, sitting at 1-6 in Big Ten play - their worst conference start since the 2021-22 season.
They rank 152nd in the NET and 115th in KenPom, and size could be an issue for them down low. Only one player on Maryland’s roster stands 6-foot-10 or taller - freshman Aleks Alston.
That could be the perfect opportunity for Kohler and Cooper to reestablish their dominance in the paint and set the tone early. If MSU’s frontcourt finds its groove, and the guards keep pushing the pace, the Spartans will be tough to stop.
The road trip showed us a lot about this team - resilience, depth, and a defense that travels. Now, back in front of their home crowd, MSU has a chance to keep building momentum in what’s shaping up to be a special season.