MSU's Izzo Discusses Conference Tournament Prep With Unknown Next Opponent

The Spartans are in this interesting spot where they don't know who they are playing next.

Michigan State's Carson Cooper, left, celebrates after sorting and drawing a UCLA with teammate Cam Ward during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- It's unusual for a team to know exactly when its next game is, but not know who it will be playing.

No. 8 Michigan State (25-6 overall, 15-5 Big Ten) is in this peculiar spot right now. The Spartans know they are playing on Friday night at about 9 p.m. ET in Chicago, but they could be playing one of three different teams. MSU is the third seed in this year's Big Ten Tournament and will be playing either No. 6 seed UCLA, No. 11 seed Minnesota, or No. 14 seed Rutgers.

Michigan State's Carson Cooper pulls down a rebound during a game against Maryland at the Breslin Center on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

"It is a little weird, because you go through practice today, and we're not really prepping for anybody," senior center Carson Cooper said after practice Tuesday. "You're kind of doing a bunch of vague stuff because you kind of know two or three teams that you could play. So it's a little weird. You're on a different schedule from what you have been the last three months."

Minnesota and Rutgers play on Wednesday in the second round of the conference tourney for the right to face UCLA in the third round on Thursday. That game's winner is the team that goes on to see Michigan State in the quarterfinals.

Video of Cooper Post-Tuesday Practice

More on Next Days of Prep

Michigan State's Tom Izzo speaks during a press conference at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, prior to the Big Ten Tournament. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

For Tom Izzo, these couple of days can be a great chance for Michigan State to look inward a bit. With there being no set opponent just yet, these next few days of practice are simply to get better. Cooper still alluded to that "vague stuff" about those three potential opponents, but you can't zero in on anyone in particular until it becomes official on Thursday night.

"The difference in this one [from the NCAA Tournament is] we've played all the teams, so that's a plus," Izzo said Tuesday as well. "You talk about working on you, you can do some of that."

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo calls out to players during the second half in the game against Michigan on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No matter which team Michigan State ends up playing, it should have some interesting storylines attached. If the Spartans get UCLA, they'll be facing a Bruins team that has gone 5-1 since getting demolished in East Lansing, with two of those wins being against current No. 9 Illinois and No. 11 Nebraska.

If it ends up being Minnesota, that's a team that handled MSU during their lone meeting in the regular season. Rutgers would be the third overall meeting between those two teams. The Spartans are 2-0, but were lucky to escape Piscataway in the first game and nearly blew a substantial lead at home in the second game (partially because of Izzo trying to get all the seniors in the game too early).

Michigan State's Tom Izzo gives instructions to his team during a game against Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI