What MSU Players Expect from Hostile Atmosphere at Mackey
In this story:
EAST LANSING, Mich. --- There is probably not a more difficult environment to play in than the one No. 13 Michigan State is about to go into.
The Spartans (22-5 overall, 12-4 Big Ten) are hitting the road to take on eighth-ranked Purdue (22-5, 12-4) on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN). Mackey Arena has been MSU's "house of horrors" in recent memory, as the team has lost seven straight times to the Boilermakers there --- the last win in West Lafayette, Ind., came in February 2014.
What the Spartans Think
"That's the thing: I have no clue," Michigan State freshman Cam Ward, who was seven years old when MSU won in Mackey last, said Tuesday. "I don't know what to expect [from Mackey]. I just know it's gonna be loud, it's gonna be rowdy, I know they're [Purdue's] going to feed off the energy from the crowd."
A large percentage of the Spartans' roster doesn't truly know what to expect. The only players on the roster that played during the Michigan State's last game at Mackey on March 2, 2024, are Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, and Coen Carr.
"They've got a great environment out there," Carr, now a junior, said. "The crowd is crazy. And when I played, the problem was Zach Edey, too, when I played there [two years ago]. That was tough. But yeah, they've got a great crowd. They always play good there."
Michigan State has also been trying to simulate the wall of crowd noise it'll be going up against on Thursday. During practices, the team often blasts audio of a crowd while the team is going through offensive sets.
"It helps a lot," Carr said about that practice. "It just gets you used to it. We always try to do it when we go into arenas like that, that are known to be loud and are known to have a great crowd. So yeah, we just try to get used to talking while there's noise and still be able to play tired when it's loud and stuff like that."
The 7-foot-3 Edey is in the NBA now, but that doesn't mean Purdue's frontcourt has taken much of a step back. Trey Kaufman-Renn is still there and is averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff also runs the five, averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting a Big Ten-best 72.1% from the field (minimum five shots per game). Not to mention that the Big Ten's all-time leader in assists, Braden Smith, is the one who will be getting them the ball.
"We've got a big task at hand, as far as the bigs, of course, with Cluff and Kaufman-Renn," Ward said. "Those are two of the best bigs in the Big Ten. Probably one of the better [duo of] bigs in the country."
Purdue is 12-3 at home this season. All three teams the Boilermakers have lost to in West Lafayette are teams currently ranked inside the AP top 10 as well (No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Iowa State, No. 10 Illinois). We'll see how the Spartans end up handling it.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's upcoming game vs. Purdue when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
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.
Follow jacobcotsonika