Where MSU Ended Up in Latest AP Poll After Undefeated Week

The weeks only get bigger and bigger from here.

Michigan State (22-5 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) put together a 66-60 win on Sunday afternoon against a shorthanded Ohio State squad, but no one seemed particularly pleased with it. Even if the performance wasn't satisfactory for Tom Izzo (which it wasn't), teams generally aren't getting punished much in rankings for wins.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shakes the hand of an Ohio State assistant before a game at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

In fact, also with the help of a much more satisfactory win against UCLA on Tuesday by a 82-59 score, MSU ended up going up in the new AP Poll, which came out Monday afternoon. The Spartans, previously ranked 15th, went up two spots to No. 13 in the latest update to the rankings. Several teams ranked above Michigan State lost this week, which definitely helped it move up some more.

MSU has been ranked in every single AP Poll this season, and has also played above its preseason ranking of 22nd all year long as well. Michigan State has two games on its docket this week, as it faces No. 8 Purdue on Thursday and Indiana on Sunday. Both of those games are on the road.

The Week Ahead for MSU

Feb 14, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) controls the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Purdue

The major challenge will be the Spartans' next game: that dreaded trip to Mackey Arena and West Lafayette, Ind., to take on the Boilermakers. Purdue and Michigan State both sit at 12-4 during conference play, meaning that this game will have major implications on the teams' seeding in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

The Boilermakers, the Spartans, and Nebraska are currently in a tie for third place in the conference standings, with Michigan comfortably in first (15-1) and Illinois in second (13-4). Four teams get the triple bye to the quarterfinals in the BTT. With a game still at Michigan on the schedule for MSU in the regular season, Michigan State probably needs to win this one in order to feel good about its chances at that top-4 finish.

Feb 20, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) shoots against Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff (45) during the first half at Mackey Arena. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Indiana

The second game MSU will play in the state of Indiana in four days is against the Hoosiers. This will actually be the first team that Michigan State will face for a second time this season, with rematches with Rutgers and UM ending the season.

These two teams first met in East Lansing back on Jan. 13. Jeremy Fears Jr. scored 23 points and had 10 assists during a game that was competitive for a while, but a 28-2 Spartans run during the second half made all the difference in an 81-60 final.

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. hunches over during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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