3 Stats to Know as Michigan State Nears March Run

The stretch run is here for Michigan State.

It's gone quickly, but the 15th-ranked Spartans only have five regular season games remaining. With a Big Ten title largely out of the picture, the focus for MSU should try to be positioning itself for a triple bye and, more importantly, positioning itself for a deep run in March Madness.

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo thanks the alumni Izzone for supporting the Spartans in the victory over USC on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 15 Michigan State is in a relatively good spot at the moment. If the season ended right now, chances are that the selection committee would make the Spartans a 4 seed; that's where most respected bracketologists have them right now.

There is a million different statistics out there about MSU basketball. These are the three that might tell the team's story in the final games and weeks.

Fears' Assists

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

The numbers for Jeremy Fears Jr. as a facilitator are gaudy. He leads the country with 9.3 assists per game and 241 total assists. He's rapidly approaching the Michigan State single-season record of 291, set by Cassius Winston back in 2018-19. Even if Fears stopped right now, the season total would be tied for fourth in program history.

There is also a chance that Fears can shoot higher than just the program record. Braden Smith set the new Big Ten record at 313 assists last year. At the 9.3-assist-per-game pace Fears is on right now, he would just need eight more games to surpass that number. MSU is going to have at least seven (five regular season, one Big Ten Tournament, one NCAA Tournament), meaning it probably just needs to win one postseason game for Fears to break it.

Scott's Three-Point Shooting

Perhaps Michigan State's best shooter right now is the freshman, Jordan Scott. His abilities from beyond the arc started pretty slowly --- Scott only made one of his first 13 three-point attempts this season. But it steadily progressed, with Tom Izzo saying the shot was getting there, and he got it up to 25.8% by New Year's.

The shots are really starting to fall now. Scott has made 45.1% of his trey-balls during Big Ten play this season. Izzo has raved about his calmness, and it shows in Scott's abilities to deliver big shots against big-time opponents.

Rebounding

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler grabs a rebound against Michigan during the first half on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Spartans' dominance on the glass might be the thing that keeps them within reach against elite teams. Michigan State, on average, out-rebounds its opponent by 12.5, which is the third-best mark in the nation (behind Florida and Tennessee) and the best in the Big Ten.

That dominance has shown on both ends. MSU leads the conference in defensive rebounds per game (27.5) and is second in the Big Ten in offensive boards a contest (11.7). This is despite Michigan State only being the sixth-biggest team in the conference, according to KenPom.

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