EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State returns home for the first of three games in-state, hosting Toledo on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the Breslin Center (6:30 p.m., Peacock).
The Spartans are coming off a 76-72 win at Penn State, the back-end of two Big Ten Conferences … MSU is 2-0 in league play, including a 71-52 win over Iowa last week at home … Michigan State is one of six schools nationally with 4 Quad 1 wins (Duke, Gonzaga, Arizona, UConn and Michigan).
Tuesday’s game will air live on Peacock, with Paul Burmeister and Tom Crean calling all of the action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard state-wide and on the web at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling the play-by-play, Matt Steigenga serving as the color analyst and Zach Surdenik as the studio host. The game can also be heard on channels 137 or 195 on SiriusXM or on the SiriusXM app.
About the Spartans
- Michigan State enters Tuesday’s game with a 9-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in the Big Ten Conference following a 76-72 win at Penn State on Saturday.
- The Spartans are No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 9 in the ESPN Coaches poll.
- MSU is No. 10 in the NCAA Net Rankings and No. 12 per KenPom.
- MSU ranks No. 12 nationally in the NET Strength of Schedule and No. 17 in non-conference strength.
- The Spartans are one of only six teams nationally with four Quad 1 wins, notching wins over Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Iowa … The only other schools with four Quad 1 wins are Duke, Gonzaga, Arizona, UConn and Michigan.
- MSU ranks No. 8 in the country in rebound margin (+12.0) and Kohler is second in the Big Ten, and No. 26 nationally, with 9.8 rpg … The Spartans are No. 11 nationally in scoring defense (62.1 ppg) and ranks No. 4 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.
- Through 10 games, the Spartans have four players scoring in double figures, eight averaging at least 5.0 ppg and nine averaging at least 12.0 minutes.
- Jaxon Kohler leads the team in scoring with 13.8 ppg and tops the team with 9.8 rpg (2nd B1G, #20 nationally) … Kohler, who has five double-doubles, grabbed 18 rebounds against San Jose State, the most by an MSU player since Miles Bridges had 21 against Savannah State in 2018, and has scored in double figures 10 times this year.
- Jeremy Fears Jr., who leads the team with 31.2 minutes played, is second on the team with 11.2 ppg and is handing out 9.8 assists per game, leading all of Division I.
- Coen Carr, one of the most athletic players in all of college basketball, is tied for third on the team with 10.3 ppg, third on the team with 4.8 rpg and second with 1.7 apg in 29.6 mpg.
- Carson Cooper, who had 16 points and a career-best 16 rebounds vs. Duke, is playing a career-high 25.1 minutes, is tied for third on the team with 10.3 ppg and second with 7.1 rpg.
- Cam Ward is fifth on the team with 7.2 ppg and fourth with 4.2 rpg and Divine Ugochukwu, who scored a career-high 23 points at Penn State, is averaging 5.8 ppg in 12.9 mpg.
- Kur Teng, who scored a career-high 15 points against Kentucky, is averaging 5.7 ppg in 14.2 mpg, Trey Fort is tallying 5.1 ppg in 14.6 mpg and Jordan Scott adds 3.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 15.8 mpg (which is fifth on the team).
Anyone, Any Time, Any Place, Any Where
- Tom Izzo has consistently played one of the toughest schedules in America.
- With a willingness to play at home, on the road or a neutral site, his list of regular-season non-conference opponents reads like a who’s who of top college basketball programs.
- MSU ranks No. 12 nationally in the NET Strength of Schedule and No. 17 in non-conference strength.
- The 2025-26 home schedule is arguably the best in program history, with home non-conference games against Arkansas (W, 69-66) and Duke (L, 66-60) … In addition to 10 Big Ten contests, MSU will host 12 power conference opponents for the first time in the Izzo Era.
- Michigan State’s challenging schedule through the opening month-plus has provided opportunities for the Spartans as well.
- The Spartans are one of only six teams nationally with four Quad 1 wins, notching wins over Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Iowa … The only other schools with four Quad 1 wins are Duke, Gonzaga, Arizona, UConn and Michigan.
- The Spartans, who have made the highest climb in the Associated Press poll from No. 22 in the preseason to a current rank of No. 9, have played six games against high-major opponents, including four-straight games (North Carolina, Iowa, Duke and Penn State).
About Toledo
- Toledo enters the game on Tuesday night with a 5-5 overall record.
- The Rockets have lost their last two games, both on the road, first at Oakland (98-97) and then at Robert Morris on Saturday (75-70).
- Toledo, picked to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference, opened the season with two losses at home before winning four-straight games.
- Junior guard Sonny Wilson, a Third Team All-MAC selection last year, leads the team with 16.1 ppg and is shooting 48.8 percent from the floor.
- Wilson and backcourt mate, freshman Leroy Blyden Jr., are both graduates of Detroit Jesuit high school, the alma mater of former MSU All-American Cassius Winston.
- The Rockets added a pair of transfers in the frontcourt, with senior forward Sean Craig (IUPU-Indy) and 6-10, 250-pound junior center Austin Parks (Ohio State).
Against the Rockets
- The game on Tuesday evening will be the 10th all-time meeting between Michigan State and Toledo … This is the first meeting since 2021.
- The Spartans won the last meeting between the teams, 81-68, on Dec. 4, 2021 at the Breslin Center.
- MSU leads the head-to-head series, 6-3, and are 4-2 at home against the Rockets.
- MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo has a 3-1 record against Toledo.
- Toledo’s last win was an 81-76 decision over MSU on Dec. 30, 2002 at the Breslin Center.
