Michigan State basketball vs Iowa: Scouting report, prediction

EAST LANSING — Everything has built to a crescendo for the Big Ten opener for Michigan State basketball.

Win over Arkansas? Check. Win over Kentucky? Check. Win over North Carolina? Check.

And as the Spartans check in at No. 8 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, they welcome a resurgent No. 25 Iowa squad. under new coach Ben McCollum, to Breslin Center on Tuesday, Dec. 2 (7 p.m., Peacock). Then they welcome No. 4 Duke for another marquee matchup Saturday at Breslin Center.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo talks to point guard Jeremiah Fears Jr. during a game against East Carolina in the Fort Myers Tipoff, Nov. 25, 2025.

“It’s not often that you get a big week of basketball with both conference and nonconference,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said Monday. “We’ve had a good start. In fact, we’ve had a great start – if seven games is considered a start.”

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The Spartans (7-0) won the Big Ten title last season by three games, giving Izzo an 11th regular-season championship that pulled him into a tie with Indiana’s Bob Knight and Purdue’s Ward “Piggy” Lambert for the most in conference history. His quest for the record begins against the Hawkeyes (7-0), who entered the rankings for the first time this week after replacing 15-year coach Fran McCaffery.

Here is what to watch when the two tip off at 7 p.m. in a game that will be streamed on NBC’s Peacock app.

(Jeremy) Fears factor

Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) hypes up the crowd during the second half of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.

Much of MSU’s hot start revolves around the impressive start for point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.

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The redshirt sophomore scored a career-high 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting with seven assists in the Spartans’ impressive 74-58 Thanksgiving day win over No. 17 UNC in Fort Myers, Florida.

Through seven games, the…

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Publish date : 2025-12-02 10:07:00

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