The No. 8 Spartans (25-5, 16-3 Big Ten) locked up the conference championship outright with a 91-84 win at Iowa on Thursday night, avoiding the possibility of sharing the title with Michigan (22-8, 14-5) and ensuring Sunday’s matchup with the Wolverines is all about rivalry, not rankings. 

This marks MSU’s first Big Ten title since 2020 and first outright championship since 2018. The program now boasts 17 regular-season conference titles, with head coach Tom Izzo claiming his 11th, tying Indiana’s Bob Knight and Purdue’s Ward "Piggy" Lambert for the most in Big Ten history.

For a program that measures itself by championships, recent seasons fell short of the standard. But the Spartans are back where they expect to be — at the top — after a commanding stretch featuring six straight wins, five against the Big Ten’s toughest teams, capped off by their triumph Thursday night in Iowa City. 

MSU clinched at least a share of the title with Michigan’s 71-65 loss to Maryland on Wednesday night, needing one win over its last two games in order to raise its first banner in five seasons. The Spartans didn’t coast to the finish line against an offensive-minded Iowa group fighting to stay in the 14-team Big Ten Tournament field. 

The Hawkeyes dictated the pace for much of the game, deploying the same zone defense that disrupted MSU’s rhythm against teams like UCLA and Indiana, forcing the Spartans into contested outside shots. Iowa found success in transition, capitalized on a plethora of MSU defensive breakdowns and strung together a 22-2 run that pushed its lead to 14 points midway through the first half. The Spartans trailed 37-30 at halftime after a 12-for-30 performance from the field, 4-for-16 from deep. 

MSU broke through as it often has in recent weeks: on defense. It clamped down on the perimeter as MSU’s four rotation guards — Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman and Jeremy Fears Jr. — stepped up on the offensive end, combining for 40 of the team’s 61 points in the second half. Forwards Coen Carr and Jaxon Kohler provided bursts of energy inside. Iowa, meanwhile, went scoreless for nearly five minutes as MSU flipped the game. 

The Spartans rode a 33-6 run to mount an 81-64 with just under four minutes remaining, once again delivering in crunch time. 

MSU’s path to the Big Ten title was a complete team effort, driven by defense, depth and chemistry. The Spartans’ defense, ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 6 nationally by KenPom, carried them through a grueling February stretch that saw them take down Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Maryland and Wisconsin in order. Each game followed a familiar MSU script: keep within striking distance, wear teams down and strike when it mattered most. 

With the Big Ten Tournament looming next week, MSU is already locked into the No. 1 seed and a double-bye in Indianapolis. The Spartans are projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with a chance at a No. 1 if they win the conference tournament. They are one of 10 teams labeled with "Final Four potential" by college basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawa. 

Before the postseason festivities begin, MSU will return to Breslin Center for Senior Day against Michigan on March 9. Once viewed as a possible title decider, Sunday’s game now carries different stakes. 

MSU and Michigan will tip off at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 9 at Breslin. CBS will air the game. 

The Spartans have only lost one game at home this season, and a packed house will be ready to celebrate a title already secured. If the Wolverines were hoping for revenge from their 75-62 loss to MSU on Feb. 21, it won’t come with a trophy on the line. That’s been spoken for.