3 Things to Watch as Illinois Basketball Faces Michigan State

The Illini and Spartans meet Saturday night – and for the first time this season – in a top-10 showdown with major implications on the Big Ten title race

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) dribbles against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Saturday's college basketball slate is loaded with intriguing matchups: Duke vs. North Carolina, Houston vs. BYU and others.

But there's only one meeting of top-10 teams on tap: No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 10 Michigan State at 7 p.m. CT at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. It features an Illinois team riding a 12-game win streak that began before Christmas and a Michigan State squad desperate to bounce back from consecutive losses to Michigan and Minnesota.

The Illini need a win to keep pace with Michigan atop the Big Ten standings, while the Spartans are hanging on by a thread in the conference title race at 9-3. With so much at stake for both teams, it's sure to be a lively scene at the Breslin Center on Saturday night. Here are three things to watch:

1. What kind of impact will Jeremy Fears Jr. have?

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. celebrates against Michigan on Jan. 30, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has had a breakout junior season, more than doubling his scoring average from last year, to 14.7, and tying Purdue's Braden Smith with a nation-high 8.9 assists per game. But certain non-basketball actions in recent games have sparked controversy and created some uncertainty heading into Saturday's game.

Michigan coach Dusty May said Fears made a dangerous play last Friday, as he appeared to trip Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Fears also received a technical foul on Wednesday for kicking Minnesota guard Langston Reynolds in the groin.

This is about as strong as you’ll hear Dusty May speak about something.

He is very clearly not happy with some of the things he feels Jeremy Fears did in Friday’s matchup pic.twitter.com/CGA9d3WjT6

— Brian Rauf (@brauf33) February 2, 2026

So after the Spartans' 76-73 loss to Minnesota, coach Tom Izzo said he is unsure if he will start Fears in the Illinois game and that his point guard needs to grow up. Fears is important to Michigan State in any game, but that's especially true of Saturday's matchup against Illinois.

Not only is Michigan State in major need of a win after two straight losses, but it's counting on Fears to play a big role in defending Illinois star freshman Keaton Wagler, who is averaging 21.3 points per game in Big Ten play.

Izzo may send a message to Fears by benching him to begin the game, but it would be surprising if he kept him there long, given the importance of Saturday's game and Fears' role in the matchup.

2. Who wins the rebounding battle?

Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) boxes out Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach (6) for a rebound at State Farm Center. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois and Michigan State enter Saturday's game as two of the nation's best rebounding teams, which should make for a physical clash on the glass.

The Illini rank 14th nationally with 41.3 rebounds per game, and they allow only 30.1 rebounds per game to their opponent, good for 13th best nationwide. On the other side, the Spartans lead the nation by allowing just 27.8 rebounds to their opponent per game, and they are 20th (41.1 rebounds per game) in those rankings.

For Michigan State, that starts with senior forwards Jaxon Kohler (9.1 rebounds per game) and Carson Cooper (7.2). David Mirkovic leads the Illini with 8.2 rebounds per game, but their strength on the glass is more of a team effort, as six players average between 3.8 and 5.7 rebounds per game.

3. Can the Illini stay hot from three?

Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) shoots a 3-pointer against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Another strength-on-strength matchup comes behind the three-point line, where Illinois ranks 10th nationally with 11.2 three-pointers made per game and 69th at 36.1 percent from distance. The Illini have had two of their best outside shooting games lately, making 17 in Wednesday's win over Northwestern and a season-high 18 on Jan. 24 at Purdue.

Meanwhile, Michigan State defends three-pointers effectively. Opponents have shot just 31.0 percent this season, good for 59th in that category. The Spartans will need to be mindful of Illinois' entire lineup, though, which features eight players who attempt at least 2.9 three-pointers per game and four who shoot above 36 percent from long range.