Spartans Prove They Can Survive Any Opponent

The Michigan State Spartans can hang with any team in the nation.

Nov 25, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) reacts after beating the East Carolina Pirates at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans moved to 7-0 on Thanksgiving with yet another impressive non-conference victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, 74-58. 

The game was back and forth for much of the first half, and things were a bit tough for the Spartans when the Tar Heels took a 22-15 lead midway through the first half. 

However, Tom Izzo’s team did not flinch, punching back with a 13-0 run of its own to take a six-point lead. The Spartans did not look back after that, taking control of the game and winning convincingly. 

An impressive Spartan win

Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) goes for a lay up during the second half of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UNC had a solid start to the second half, cutting MSU’s lead to three, but buckets from Jaxon Kohler and Cam Ward pushed the lead back up to seven, and the game was not much closer after that moment. 

North Carolina is a good team, and there would be no shame in the Spartans losing to the Tar Heels. However, they instead dug deep and delivered a blow of their own, picking up their third-ranked non-conference win of November. 

Basketball is a game of runs, and the Spartans answered every Tar Heel run. MSU proved it can beat any team in the nation. 

Before the season, a non-conference schedule that featured Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke would appear daunting. Now, the Spartans will go 3-1 at worst in that four-game set. 

One of the biggest reasons the Spartans answered the Tar Heels' punch and have taken down the toughest opponents they've faced is point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. 

Michigan State Spartans guard Jeremy Fears Jr. (1) hypes up the crowd during the second half of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The redshirt sophomore scored a career-high 19 points, showing off improved scoring acumen along with his excellent passing abilities. 

MSU has not had a point guard of Fears’ caliber since the days of Cassius Winston, which has led to offensive dysfunction and the team sweating Selection Sunday every year. With him leading the way, the mental fortitude required to win has returned. 

While the non-conference victories have been impressive, MSU still has a tough Big Ten schedule upcoming. Teams like Purdue and Michigan are among the best in the nation. 

However, that did not phase the team last season, and it shouldn’t this year, either. Izzo and his team know they can compete with any team in the nation, and this non-conference slate, where the team was not projected to win any of these games, should prove that. 

Spartan fans have gotten used to seeing the team collapse down the stretch, but that shouldn’t be the case anymore. With tough teams still looming, the team’s confidence is at an all-time high.

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