Izzo Says He Loves This Adjective to Describe Spartans

With an 18-2 start to the season after an impressive 91-48 drubbing of Maryland on Saturday, No. 10 Michigan State is squarely in the race for a second consecutive Big Ten men's basketball title. It's great to see, after a few years where the team performed below its standard and expectations,

The Spartans have returned to the upper echelon of the conference, having a target on their backs after dominating last season and making a run to the Elite Eight. But that's exactly how they like it.

"I personally like being the hunted because that means you're somebody," head coach Tom Izzo said after the win. "And you should be if you're at Michigan State, always hunted."

Michigan State has been somebody in college basketball since before he took the reins of the program, but it has reached exceptional heights in his 30 years as head coach. His success speaks for itself, so it's no surprise he's enjoying being back in this position, hungry for another national championship quest.

michigan state hunte — Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, right, talks with Jeremy Fears Jr. during the first half in the game against Maryland on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"That's kind of who we are here," Izzo added. "I'd rather be the hunted, but I don't always know if the players can handle it, if the media can handle it, if the fans can handle it, if the parents can handle it ... There are a lot of people who would have to handle it."

Danger Up Ahead?

MSU handled it on Saturday, getting a complete effort from its roster, especially its upperclassmen leadership, after Izzo challenged them to step up. With the start the Spartans have had to the season, finally seeing it all come together for a dominant victory can make it easy for fans to start dreaming of a memorable season. While it's definitely in reach, Izzo warns of the dangers ahead as his team continues through Big Ten play.

"It was one of our best performances in years," he said. "I don't think Maryland was at its best, and we've got to be cognizant and cautiously excited because we've got a road game against Rutgers, and then the gambit gets tougher and tougher."

After playing Rutgers on Tuesday night, Michigan State faces the brunt of its Big Ten schedule -- welcoming No. 3 Michigan to East Lansing on Friday night. The Spartans and Wolverines met twice this season, the second coming in Ann Arbor in March. Michigan State also hosts No. 11 Illinois and has road trips to Wisconsin and No. 4 Purdue in February.

How it handles those games will say much about where this MSU team can end up by the end of the season, and Izzo is determined to keep it moving forward toward the ultimate goal, one game at a time.

"My job is to make sure we do handle it," he said. "I can promise you, in tomorrow's meeting, it'll get turned right back around, and we'll go into Rutgers with the same mentality."

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