MSU will face ECU on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 1 p.m. and North Carolina on Thanksgiving Day at 4:30 p.m., with both games being broadcast on Fox Sports.

"We're still not consistent enough for me," head coach Tom Izzo said after taking down Detroit Mercy on Friday night. 

Now, MSU faces a pair of games that provide an opportunity to improve on a lot of the shortcomings of the first three weeks.  

The 6-place jump is the Spartans' biggest since last February after MSU topped No. 13 Purdue and No. 12 Michigan.

East Carolina sits at No. 244 in KenPom’s overall efficiency, making it the second-lowest-rated opponent the Spartans will face this season. The Pirates are 2–3 and average 72 points per game while allowing 81. Through five games, senior guard Jordan Riley leads the team with 18.5 points per game, and senior 6-foot-10 center Giovanni Emejuru is averaging 17 points on 58% shooting.

East Carolina has mirrored MSU in its three-point shooting at 20% from beyond the arc compared to MSU’s 24% which ranks second to last in the Big Ten. 

After shooting 50% from three at Madison Square Garden, the Spartans made eight threes on 29.6% shooting.

After taking on ECU, MSU will clash with another tough opponent in North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 5–0, highlighted by a 13-point win over Kansas. Four players average double figures, led by freshman 6-foot-10 forward Caleb Wilson, who is putting up 20.6 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks per game.

The future NBA lottery pick will pose a tricky situation for an MSU team that has struggled with perimeter defense.

After the Fort Myers Tip-Off, MSU heads home before break against Iowa on Dec. 2 and Duke on Dec. 6.