MSU Basketball Faces Potential Trap vs. Detroit Mercy

After beating Kentucky, Michigan State's next opponent could take advantage

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

Michigan State basketball came off its best win of the season on Tuesday, beating the 12th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 83-66 in Madison Square Garden.

Senior center Jaxon Kohler had himself a night with 20 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, and spacing the floor with 2 three pointers. Sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears also had himself a night as he was arguably the best player on the floor with 13 assists to go along with his eight points and six rebounds.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This is clearly a big win for Michigan State moving forward. Which is why a game at home against a 1-4 Detroit Mercy team is the perfect trap game for Michigan State.

Detroit Mercy is 1-4 on the season so far, with its only win coming against Cleary University, which is a Division three school.

Some might think that this isn't a trap game and that MSU should beat them by over 30 points. However, Detroit Mercy’s head coach Mark Montgomery is a former assistant to Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball. He would know what type of offense and defense Izzo would want to run during the game.

Against Kentucky, Michigan State went 11-22 from beyond the arc. Through the first three games of the season, Michigan State had only made 13 total three-pointers. Michigan State hasn't been a great shooting team, and we should expect MSU to shoot that well from beyond the arc for the rest of the season.

Next week, over Thanksgiving, Michigan State will travel to Fort Myers, Florida to play East Carolina and 18th-ranked North Carolina.

Nov 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) goes up for a dunk against the Navy Midshipmen during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

North Carolina has been one of the hottest teams in college basketball this season. Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has not only been one of the best freshmen, but one of the best players in the country. 

Michigan State has already played one of the best teams in the country in Kentucky and beat them by double digits. In any sport, there are always “trap games” where a clearly superior team should beat an inferior opponent, but the game is closer than anyone would think. This game is one of those games.

With Michigan State traveling to Florida to play another ranked opponent, it can be easy to overlook the ranked opponent that you play before them. Now, a Tom Izzo-led team will never allow its team to overlook its opponent; however, Detroit Mercy is playing with house money as they are a 31-point underdog.

With a former assistant as its new head coach, Detroit Mercy could look to try and give the Spartans their first loss of the season.

We Shall See

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