“I think everybody has some [rough stretches], unless you have a phenomenal year,” Izzo said in Monday’s press conference. “I mean, last year we lost at USC, who wasn't one of the top teams, lost at UCLA, an in-between team, and then we came home to play Oregon who hadn't been playing well, and we're 15 down at halftime. We lost three out of four, and we could have lost four out of four.”

Michigan State’s loss to Minnesota was nothing more than a bad game. For the first 36 minutes, the Spartans were discombobulated, committing unforced turnovers and failing to run efficient offensive sets. Despite a strong shooting performance by the Golden Gophers, MSU also struggled to defend Minnesota’s offense.

This physical style of play that Minnesota exhibited stripped the presence of senior forward Jaxon Kohler and senior center Carson Cooper. Kohler would finish with a mediocre nine points and nine rebounds on 3-for-9 shooting, while Cooper would finish with an underwhelming zero points and five rebounds on 0-for-3 shooting. It was Cooper's first scoreless game this season. 

With four minutes remaining in the second half and trailing 67–51, Michigan State finally reentered the game. Following a technical foul on Jeremy Fears that fueled a Minnesota run, the Spartans began playing with a renewed sense of urgency.

It felt as if MSU was going to pull off another late game miracle, just as it did against Rutgers. But then Minnesota hit its free throws, putting the game out of reach.

Michigan State played flat and lost 76–73. The Spartans cannot continue to rely on late-game runs; they must clean up turnovers, get smarter play from their guards and demand more physical, reliable production from their big men.

Jeremy Fears finished with 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting and added 11 assists. Coen Carr scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting with six rebounds, all of his points coming in the second half — including 10 in the final four minutes. Jordan Scott added a career-high 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

This game solidifies an MSU slump. Three straight underwhelming games – two of which were losses – has left MSU with a question only it can answer: how soon can the Spartans dig themselves out of the trench they’ve created? That question will be answered this Saturday against No. 5 Illinois. 

One year ago, MSU basketball was in a similar position as it is now. From Feb. 1 to Feb. 11 of 2025, the Spartans lost three out of their four games, halting their momentum. It was a slump – a rough stretch of games that derailed a highly ranked team. There was a looming threat that the season would suddenly spiral. But before it could, MSU faced Illinois in a seemingly must-win game. Like clockwork, the Spartans won, ending their slump and giving them the momentum to finish the regular season undefeated. 

One year later, MSU is in almost the exact same situation. The only difference is the talent of this Illinois squad. 

The Fighting Illini are a scorching ball of fire that's blazing towards the Breslin Center of East Lansing. On a 12- game winning streak and sitting with a 20-3 record (11-1 Big Ten), Illinois is a hard beat and arguably one of the best teams in the country. Its offense averages 84.6 points per game (26th in FBS) and its defense averages 67.2 points per game (25th FBS). Its rebounding rate is 58% (5th in FBS) and they commit 9.5 turnovers per game (17th in FBS). 

It isn’t relentless rebounding, elite shooting, a deep and talented bench, or even smart sets, quick passing, a fast pace or aggressive defense that makes Illinois so effective. It’s how the Fighting Illini play together — in unison, like a well-oiled industrial machine. Watching Illinois, it feels as though the players have been together since high school. That chemistry and cohesion are what make this team elite and nearly impossible to stop.

Leading this team is freshman phenom Keaton Wagler, a guard who averages 18.1 points, five rebounds and 4.2 assists. Wagler was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. Despite low expectations for his freshman year, he has played some of the best, well-rounded basketball in the FBS. Against ranked Purdue in Mackey Arena, Wagler dropped 46 points – the second-most points scored in Illinois history. One week later, against ranked Nebraska in Pinnacle Bank Arena, he dropped 28. 

Wagler has excelled into a future NBA lottery pick. His shooting is stellar, his patience and knowledge of the game the same, and his calm when surrounded by the enemy can help Illinois go far into March, and maybe into early April.  

And it’s not just Wagler. There’s also Kyland Boswell, a guard who averages 14.3 points. There’s Andrej Stojakovic, a guard who averages 13.3 points. There’s David Mirkovic, a forward who averages 12.4 points. Then there’s the twins of Croatia, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, two brothers that tower at a whopping 7'2, serving as the protectors of the rim. Zvonimir, who is older than his brother by four minutes, averages 7.2 points, five rebounds and 2.3 blocks while Tomislav averages 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.

The lineup is impressive. It’s one of the best in college basketball. And come Saturday, MSU will have its hands full.

For the Spartans to claim a victory and snap their streak of poor play, they must be nearly flawless. They need to play with emotion — but not too much — bring physicality on both ends, limit turnovers while forcing them, take quality shots and convert them. Defensively, MSU must stay attached to its assignments while containing Wagler, Boswell, Stojakovic, Mirkovic and the Croatian twins.

Paired with the defeat of a slump and one of the best teams in college basketball, it may be the most difficult game MSU will play this year.

The Spartans have been in similar slumps before. Bad stretches, as Tom Izzo often says, are part of Big Ten basketball. What defines Michigan State, however, is its ability to break out of those ruts — as it did during last season’s stretch from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8 p.m. at the Breslin Center, MSU will face Illinois in a matchup that could put the Spartans back on track. The game will air on Fox.