Preparation for Duke Goes Further Back for MSU, Tom Izzo

Michigan State's non-conference schedule has prepared it for the biggest test yet against Duke.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speaks after a practice on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in preparation for a game against the Duke Blue Devils. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- The preparation for seventh-ranked Michigan State's game against No. 4 Duke on Saturday didn't begin after the Spartans beat Iowa on Tuesday.

It began before the season officially started. The Blue Devils will be the fifth team currently ranked in the AP Top 25 on MSU's schedule already, counting the Spartans' exhibition game against current No. 5 UConn. The Hawkeyes were also the first team outside of the rankings on Monday.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo listens to a ref make a call during a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, inside the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Duke has played two: No. 21 Kansas and No. 25 Arkansas. Home-court advantage is also a very important factor in a game like this, and the Blue Devils' only true road game this season so far was against 3-7 Army.

Head coach Tom Izzo previewed Saturday's heavyweight bout on Thursday. A full video of his press conference has been provided below.

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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo hunches over while watching his team take on San Jose State on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

After playing an Arkansas, a Kentucky, and a North Carolina, a Duke doesn't seem as spooky. Those earlier non-conference games are not necessarily meant to prepare Michigan State for another big non-conference clash, but they still help. It's more so to get the Spartans ready for Big Ten play.

"I played a little bit of a bigger non-conference [schedule] that one year, 2003," Izzo said about his old non-conference scheduling philosophy compared to now. "But we weren't playing any conference games in December."

Something Izzo continues to stress, though, is that nobody truly knows how good or bad anyone is this early in the season. He's thrilled his team is a perfect 8-0, but MSU is going to suffer a setback at some point.

"I just caution everybody that I don't think you've seen how good we are yet, but I don't think you've seen how good a lot of teams are yet," Izzo said.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo looks on from the sideline during the Spartans' game against Colgate on Nov. 3, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

"So far, everything's been good," he added. "But we haven't lost a game yet. We'll see if, when we do, if that changes the demeanor of everybody."

He also said that it's a pleasant surprise for his team to have beaten each of Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina --- the Spartans' three biggest hurdles to reach this game unbeaten so far. It makes sense; going off KenPom's pregame odds for each of those three games, there was only a 7.9% chance that Michigan State would win all three.

The game against Duke is basically a coin flip, with the fact that it's at the Breslin Center helping matters.

As of Thursday night, MSU has a 53% chance to win Saturday's game, per KenPom, even though the site rates the Blue Devils about 3.3 points higher on a neutral court.

Nov 8, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo watches his squad against Arkansas during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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