Michigan State Basketball Remains Steady in Recent Rankings
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Michigan State basketball is coming off a 79–70 win over Oakland at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. After a sluggish first half in which the Spartans led by just three points, Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo were able to solve Oakland’s 1-3-1 zone defense and pull away late.
Junior Coen Carr was the best player on the floor for the Spartans, turning in his strongest performance of the season. Carr scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 from three-point range, while also adding seven rebounds and two blocks.
Michigan State also received strong contributions from its frontcourt. Jaxon Kohler recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Carson Cooper added 15 points, five rebounds, and three blocks. Off the bench, Kur Teng chipped in 10 points and knocked down two three-pointers.
Despite the close nature of the neutral-site win, Michigan State is not expected to move much in the national rankings. According to CBS Sports, the Spartans remain ranked ninth in the country and third in the Big Ten.
CBS Sports’ top 10 rankings list Michigan first, followed by Arizona, Iowa State, UConn, BYU, Purdue, Gonzaga, Duke, Michigan State, and North Carolina.
Spartans Continue to Struggle Against Zone Defense
Michigan State’s difficulty against zone defenses has been a recurring theme this season. In its loss to Duke, the Blue Devils switched to a zone late in the second half and disrupted the Spartans’ offense, holding them to just two field goals over the final five minutes.
Against Penn State, Michigan State again struggled when the Nittany Lions alternated between man-to-man and zone coverage. The Spartans escaped with a win, but only thanks to a career-high 23-point performance from Divine Ugochukwu.
Oakland relied heavily on its 1-3-1 zone, taking away passing lanes and eliminating Michigan State’s ability to operate effectively from the free-throw line area. Without that interior facilitator, the Spartans struggled to execute their sets cleanly and committed uncharacteristic turnovers.
If opposing teams are studying film, it’s fair to ask why more won’t challenge Michigan State with zone looks moving forward.
Michigan State’s ability to grind out wins, even on off nights, is a testament to its depth and talent — and why the Spartans remain a top-10 team nationally. However, as conference play looms, the recurring struggles against zone defenses stand out as a potential flaw.
If Michigan State can find consistent answers against zone schemes, its ceiling remains championship-high. If not, Big Ten opponents will continue to test that weakness every chance they get.
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