How Wednesday’s Game Will Reveal Critical Trait for Spartans

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- The mental toughness of Michigan State basketball is about to get tested.

Last Friday night's loss to then-No. 3 Michigan is not MSU's first loss of the season, but it's the first one that has felt particularly disappointing. Losing to Duke is tough, but the Blue Devils are not a rival, and it's a non-conference game. Nebraska also was no fun, but the Cornhuskers are another high-quality opponent, plus that game is on the road.

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

Getting legitimately outplayed at home by your arch-rival leaves a different taste. The question is whether Michigan State allows that taste to stick around into Wednesday's game against Minnesota, or if it uses it to learn and be better.

This game against the Golden Gophers is that dreaded "sandwich" game. It's placed after an emotionally charged game against the Wolverines, but it's also placed before a game against fifth-ranked Illinois on Saturday.

Leadership Handling Losses

Michigan State's Coen Carr locks in on his defensive assignment during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

A minor issue MSU is facing is that it has a lot of players who haven't had to deal with losing to Michigan before. Two of the team's four captains --- Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr --- had only known victory against the Wolverines before Friday. Being a leader during a situation that's a bit foreign to yourself has its challenges.

"Nobody wants to lose to their rival," Carr said Monday after practice. "I feel like we're all doing a good job [dealing with it]. The day after, the film was tough. I feel like we're all disappointed, especially watching it. I feel like all the mistakes we made were controllable, and they're preventable.

"That's a good thing, because we can fix it, and it's not too hard of a fix. These past two days, we've been trying to emphasize the things that we didn't do the last game. Even Rutgers, too, coming out bad that first half."

Little details are usually what matter when playing teams of Michigan's caliber. It's usually the case during Big Ten games, in general. Michigan State cannot afford to become lackadaisical against Minnesota.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo yells at a referee about a call made during a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Golden Gophers are on a seven-game losing streak, but they've been either tied or have led at one point in the second half in every single one of those losses. Their 3-8 Big Ten record doesn't truly reflect their skill.

MSU also cannot peek ahead. Last Friday's game against UM was the Spartans' first time hosting an AP top-5 team during Big Ten play in over three calendar years. When the fifth-ranked Fighting Illini come to East Lansing on Saturday night, it'll be the second such instance in just nine days.

Michigan State's Coen Carr checks the scoreboard during a game against Indiana at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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