After Tuesday’s game against Indiana, Izzo reflected on last year’s trip west, saying this time his team needs to be stronger mentally.

“We've got to maybe be tougher and figure out how to grind it out out there,” Izzo said. “The schedule doesn't get easier, and we're still one of those teams where our margin of error is still minimal.”

Michigan State will face Washington (10-6, 2-3) on Saturday, Jan. 17, in Seattle at 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. The Spartans will then travel to Eugene, Oregon, to play Oregon (8-9, 1-5) on Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.

Pure talent and offensive firepower are areas Michigan State must continue to overcome if it hopes to enter the conversation among Final Four and national championship contenders. The Spartans shoot 46% from the field and 35% from 3-point range — a significant improvement from last season — but those numbers still trail Purdue and Michigan atop the Big Ten.

Against Washington and Oregon, MSU has the talent and promises to handle its business on defense; the biggest question moving forward for this team will be how efficiently it can respond on offense. 

Both teams have had more than a handful of slip-ups to this point. Washington has three quad two or worse losses, while Oregon has five through just 17 games. Washington has a -15 point differential against Big Ten teams and ranks 50th in net rating per KenPom. 

Contrasting with a short-staffed Indiana squad from a few nights ago, Washington is deep. The Huskies have 12 players who average eight minutes or more per game, which will add necessary depth to combat MSU’s speed in transition. Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 forward, is Washington's leading scorer with 18 points a game as a freshman. Washington’s offense runs through Steinbach as they look for quick reads down low for an easy bucket.

“It's a very talented Washington team and their big guy, Steinbeck, is one of the best players in the whole league, maybe in the whole country,” Izzo said.  

Michigan State’s identity under Tom Izzo — for the past 30 years and again this season — has been rebounding. The Spartans rank ninth in the nation in rebounds per game, while Washington is 43rd nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. On Saturday night, the conference’s top two rebounders, Jaxon Kohler and Steinbach, will square off in a matchup likely to dictate the game’s tempo.

Oregon has yet to impress halfway through the season and is currently 0-4 in quad one games, while the Spartans sit at 4-2. The Ducks return their two stars from last year in guard Jackson Shelstad and center Nate Bittle, and they again lead their team in scoring, combining for 27.9 points, 9.4 assists and 10.5 rebounds. 

Against the nation’s No. 2 team in adjusted defensive efficiency, Michigan State, Oregon will need to significantly improve its shooting efficiency. The Ducks shoot 43% from the field and average 75 points per game. Michigan State has held all but two opponents under 70 points this season. Even in Eugene, if Oregon maintains its slow-paced, low-scoring style, it is likely to struggle against the Spartans.

Washington enrolled eight new transfers, and Oregon brought in four new guys. Izzo said, despite his usual anti-transfer sentiment, sometimes pure talent can beat cohesion and chemistry in the case of MSU.

“What I believe is that it takes a while to get your team together, and the more pieces and parts of that team you have, they fit together better,” Izzo said. “But on given nights, talent can beat even togetherness or chemistry. On given nights, it's consistently.”