EAST LANSING — For the first time this season, Michigan State basketball will face two new circumstances.
Playing after a loss. And playing a true road game.
The ninth-ranked Spartans, coming off a home loss to No. 3 Duke, resume Big Ten play against Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Dec. 13 (noon, Big Ten Network).
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“We have concerns like we always do,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said after practice Thursday. “But they get a little more because of the circumstances we’re dealt with. … Hopefully, we’re over our little hangover of losing that game at home.”
Here is a look at what to expect from the final Big Ten game of 2025 for MSU (8-1, 1-0) against the surging Nittany Lions (8-2, 0-1).
Fueling a fire
Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler posts up against Penn State during the second half on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
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MSU has been off for finals this week following Saturday’s 66-60 loss to the Blue Devils at Breslin Center, a nationally televised opportunity both Izzo and his players felt they let slip. It spoiled the Spartans’ season-opening eight-game win streak that included neutral-court wins over Kentucky and North Carolina and a home victory over Arkansas.
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But falling at home for the first time since Feb. 11 to Indiana – MSU’s only loss last season at Breslin – also has amplified motivation.
“You can tell that everybody is excited for the next game,” senior forward Jaxon Kohler said after Thursday’s practice. “Everybody just can’t wait to get back there on the floor against another team and kind of right our wrongs. That Duke loss gave us a fire.”
With his team once again an opponent during a T-shirt giveaway, Izzo is expecting a raucous environment at the typically staid Bryce Jordan Center. Much like how his team got an energy boost with the public introduction of football coach Pat Fitzgerald while stomping Iowa in the Dec. 2 Big Ten opener, 71-52, Izzo believes new PSU football coach Matt Campbell will add excitement for a Penn State fanbase that typically forgets about Mike Rhoades’ basketball program.
“I’m sure it’ll be Fourth of July and Christmas. … Which shouldn’t bother us, because we’re used to playing in front of big crowds, even on the road,” Izzo said. “But it might up them. And plus, Mike’s a hell of a coach.”
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MSU’s only true road test so far this season came during the exhibition season, a 76-69 defeat against No. 5 UConn in Hartford, Connecticut.
Take 2
Michigan State guard Kur Teng (2) dribbles against Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) during the second half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.
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Figuring out his two-guard situation remains one of Izzo’s biggest priorities between now and the resumption of Big Ten play, with PSU and three more nonconference games – Dec. 15 at home vs. Toledo, Dec. 20 vs. Oakland in Detroit and Dec. 29 at home vs. Cornell – between now and the Jan. 2 trip to Nebraska.
Izzo went from starting sophomore Kur Teng to inserting senior transfer Trey Fort into the lineup before going back to Teng over the past two games. Against Duke, MSU turned to lanky freshman Jordan Scott for a longer look at shooting guard, and sophomore transfer Divine Ugochukwu also has split his minutes between the one and the two when he and starting point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. are on the court together.
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“We’ve made no secrets. We’re trying to find the right thing,” Izzo said. “We’re giving everybody a little bit of a chance.”
Among that quartet, Teng leads the way with 5.4 points a game in his 14.4 minutes while Fort averages 15.8 minutes and 5.3 points. Combined, the Teng-Fort-Scott-Ugochukwu group is shooting just 28.9% from 3-point range (28-for-97). The rest of the Spartans are a combined 33-for-84 from deep (39.3%).
Penn State update
Dec 9, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo (4) goes to the basket against Indiana Hoosiers guard Tayton Conerway (6) during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Rhodes is off to a second straight strong start in three seasons with the Nittany Lions, who opened the 2024-25 campaign 12-2 before losing 13 of their last 17. PSU finished 16-15 overall and 6-14 in conference play, and it was one of the three teams to not qualify for the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
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The Nittany Lions have feasted on mid-major foes so far this season, with their lone nonconference loss a 77-65 neutral-court defeat by Providence on Nov. 22. They opened Big Ten play Tuesday on the road at Indiana and were completely shellacked, 113-72.
Point guard Kayden Mingo (6-foot-3) leads PSU at 15.4 points with four assists, 2.1 steals and 3.8 rebounds per game, while fellow freshman shooting guard Melih Tunca (6-5) is averaging 12.8 points with 3.5 assists a game. Center Ivan Juric (7-0) posts 9.7 points and four rebounds, while forward Josh Reed (6-10) averages 10 points and 3.9 boards. Junior guard Freddie Dilione (6-5) adds 13.3 points a game off the bench.
MSU has won four straight and seven of its past eight meetings against the Nittany Lions.
Chris Solari’s prediction
The energy influx is short-lived for the Nittany Lions, as Fears and the Spartans assert themselves quickly with a distancing run from the outset. The friendly rims open for MSU’s outside shooters from there, giving Izzo’s team a two-game cushion to begin the quest to repeat as Big Ten champs heading into 2026. The pick: MSU 82, Penn State 69.
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Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball gets new test with first true road game
