MSU's Izzo Breaks Down Challenge at 'Experienced' Purdue
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- The toughest part of Michigan State's regular season schedule seems to be the very end.
MSU, ranked 13th in the country, has not played a top-10 team in a true road environment yet this season. It didn't happen all of last season, either. The Spartans are now going to do it two times in their final four games before the postseason begins, starting with No. 8 Purdue on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, Peacock/NBCSN) and then finishing the regular season out at current No. 3 Michigan on Sunday, March 8.
"Our schedule ends about as tough as anybody's," head coach Tom Izzo said Tuesday afternoon. "We have two big road games this week [against Purdue and Indiana]. Obviously, it starts with Purdue, one of the best teams, not only in the league, but in the country, and winning on the road there [in Mackey Arena] is one of the more difficult places to play."
It's best some time since Michigan State entered West Lafayette, Ind., and left in a good mood. The Spartans have lost seven straight games to Purdue there, with the most recent win coming in February 2014. The losing streak in the building is technically eight, since MSU also lost an NCAA Tournament game to UCLA in 2021 there during the First Four round.
Full Video of Izzo's Presser:
More on the Boilermakers
Purdue's roster construction is relatively old-school. Head coach Matt Painter, now in his 21st year as the head coach of the Boilermakers, will still supplement through the transfer portal, but long-term development of high school recruits is still the first priority over there.
This season, Purdue has a real "Big 3" leading the way. Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, runs the point and is only second to MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr. in assists this season at 8.7 per game. Fletcher Loyer hits the threes; he is entering Thursday's game with 70 made long balls, which are going down at a 40% clip. Trey Kaufman-Renn is the dominant post presence, averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds.
All three of those guys are seniors who have spent their whole careers at Purdue, and all three are also from the state of Indiana. That type of thing used to be somewhat commonplace pre-portal and pre-NIL, but it feels rare to see now.
"This is a really experienced Purdue team," Izzo said. "They've got three guys in Smith and Loyer and Kaufman-Renn, and it seems like they've been there forever."
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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