5 Things UConn Fans Need to Know About Michigan State

In the last game, the UConn Huskies faced UCLA and took them down 82-71. The Huskies are now sitting on a 30-5 record and are headed to the Sweet 16 once again.

This is the Huskies’ sixth straight NCAA tournament appearances and a third 30-win season in four years.

Next up, the Huskies go up against Michigan State in the Sweet 16 game. And with that, here are five things to know about the Spartans.

Spartans Have Already Felt UConn’s Punch

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies forward Jaylin Stewart (3) shoots during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

UConn and Michigan State have split their eight all-time meetings since the series began in 1998. Their postseason history includes a 2009 Final Four meeting in Detroit, won by Michigan State, and a 2014 Elite Eight clash at Madison Square Garden, won by UConn.

The Huskies faced MSU earlier this season, and that game ended with a 77-69 exhibition in Hartford for UConn. Additionally, the Huskies are 7-4 against current Big Ten opponents under Dan Hurley and enter this matchup on a six-game conference winning streak.

Michigan State Is Heating Up at the Right Time

The Spartans also enter with momentum on their side. In their last game, MSU faced Louisville and shot 47.3% from the field and made 11 threes. They controlled the glass with a +7 rebounding edge and turned second-chance opportunities into key points late in the game.

Defensively, they held Louisville to just 41.3% shooting and under 70 points. When Michigan State shoots well, it usually wins, 25-1 when outshooting opponents, and right now, the offense looks locked in.

Spartans’ Core Four Drive the Offense

Michigan State’s production runs through its four captains, Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr and Jeremy Fears Jr. This group of four has combined for 1,728 of the team’s 2,695 total points, accounting for 64.1% of the scoring while averaging 50.8 points, 23.9 rebounds and 13.4 assists per game.

Fears leads the team, averaging 15.3 points and a nation-leading 9.4 assists per game while logging 32.3 minutes per night. Meanwhile, Kohler provides consistency inside, averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game, ranking third in the Big Ten and top 35 nationally.

THE COEN CARR EXPERIENCE!!! pic.twitter.com/54BkHWVyrR
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2026

Coen Carr adds versatility, averaging 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while playing 29.0 minutes. And Cooper rounds out the group with 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, ranking 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding, while posting 20 double-figure scoring games this season.

Tom Izzo and March are a familiar story

If there’s one constant in college basketball’s postseason, it's that Tom Izzo’s teams are seldom out. This Sweet 16 appearance is the 17th under Izzo and the program’s 19th since the tournament expanded in 1985.

Izzo holds an 11-5 record in Sweet 16 games and has guided Michigan State deep into the tournament time and again. This is his 28th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, the longest streak in Division I history. That experience is bound to show on the court, too.

Elite Rankings Back Up the Eye Test

The Spartans enter this Sweet 16 as one of the best in the nation. The Spartans sit at No. 11 in both the AP Poll and NCAA NET rankings, while analytics systems like KenPom rank them even higher at No. 9.

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