Michigan State Basketball 2026: Latest Rankings, Key Injuries & Can’t-Miss Matchups Revealed

Michigan State basketball is surging at the midpoint of the 2025-26 season, riding a four-game win streak that has vaulted Tom Izzo’s Spartans back into the national conversation. The green-and-white climbed two spots to No. 10 in Monday’s AP Top 25 after knocking off Washington 80-63 behind 19 points from sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. Momentum faces an immediate test as Michigan State heads to Eugene for a Saturday night battle with Oregon. The Ducks’ uptempo attack will challenge a Spartan defense allowing just 64.2 points per game, 13th-best nationally. Oddsmakers opened MSU as a 4-point road favorite, but local analysts warn that neutralizing Oregon star guard Jackson Shelstad is critical to extending the winning streak. Izzo’s rotation finally looks settled. Fears has emerged as the floor general, while veterans Malik Hall and Jaxon Kohler anchor a frontcourt that has out-rebounded opponents by nearly eight boards per game since New Year’s Day. Freshman wing Kur Tshikamba continues to supply instant offense off the bench, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc in conference play. January’s schedule doesn’t relent. After Oregon, the Spartans return to East Lansing for a Jan. 24 matinee with Maryland, a rematch of last season’s Big Ten quarterfinal thriller. The Terrapins lean on all-conference forward Julian Reese, who averages 17.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. ESPN’s early matchup predictor gives MSU a 71 percent win probability, but Izzo emphasized limiting second-chance points in practice this week. Big Ten standings are crowded: Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State are separated by a single game entering the weekend. With road tests at Purdue and a rivalry clash with Michigan looming before February, every possession matters for a group chasing the program’s first regular-season conference title since 2020. Key storylines to watch: • Health update: Senior guard A.J. Hoggard (ankle) practiced Thursday and is expected to play limited minutes versus Oregon. • Three-point defense: Opponents are shooting just 29 percent from deep against MSU, best in the Big Ten. • Milestone watch: Izzo sits at 729 career victories; two more will pass Jim Calhoun for 14th on the NCAA all-time list. If the Spartans maintain their defensive intensity and continue to share the ball—averaging 18.1 assists per outing—they could enter February as legitimate Final Four contenders. For now, all eyes turn west, where Saturday’s late-night tip could either cement Michigan State’s top-10 status or reset the Big Ten pecking order once again.