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East Lansing — In 30 years of coaching at Michigan State, Tom Izzo can count on one hand how many times he’s taken his Spartans out to Los Angeles for a regular-season game.
In fact, he can count it out on one finger.
Times have changed. If hosting Washington three weeks ago wasn’t enough of a reminder of the Big Ten’s expansion, then this series will be. Michigan State visits Los Angeles for its first pilgrimage to the conference’s new territory, taking on USC at 4:30 p.m. EST Saturday and UCLA at 10 p.m. Tuesday. Both games will be streamed via Peacock.
“I’ve gotten calls on, ‘How are you going to handle it?’ How can I handle something I haven’t done before?” Izzo said Monday, before Michigan State beat Minnesota, 73-51, for its 13th straight win. “You’re just giving somebody a lot of BS because you really aren’t sure. And then coming back, they say it’s more difficult. And of course, we got that quick turnaround with Oregon. So we’ve got some challenges in front of us.”
So far this season, Michigan State has passed test after test. It didn’t lose a game in December or January for the first time under Izzo, who turned 70 Thursday as players, staff and fellow coaches sang him “Happy Birthday” as he boarded the plane for Los Angeles.
The Spartans are a perfect 4-0 on the road in Big Ten play, including a recent win over Rutgers played at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
For the first time since 2018-19, Michigan State has started Big Ten play 9-0 and the overall season 18-2. That season was the Spartans’ most recent trip to the Final Four. They have a chance to make history with one more win, as the program has never gone 19-2 overall or 10-0 in conference play to start a season.
“I think it’s mainly the focus of this team,” guard Jase Richardson said Tuesday about the season’s sterling start. “We homed in and we won the games that we need. We still got a stretch of games that are gonna be pretty tough for us, but we need to dial in defensively, offensively and get the wins.”
If the Spartans win either game in L.A., they would improve to 19-3 for the first time since 2009-10. Two wins would mark the first time the program has ever been 20-2. Two wins would also push Izzo past Bobby Knight’s record 353 Big Ten wins.
Part of the difficulty with the trip out West isn’t so much the opponents — it’s the logistics. Journeying 2,000 miles from home and living out of a hotel for the better part of a week, the Spartans will put themselves through the wringer.
USC (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) comes first. In its first year under coach Eric Musselman, the Trojans lean on four active players averaging double digits (former Michigan Wolverine Terrance Williams II makes it five total players, but he’s sidelined with a broken wrist). Guard Desmond Claude leads the pack at 16.1 points per game.
While USC’s record is average, it’s played a tougher side of the conference, with games against Michigan and Indiana, who it lost to, and Illinois, who it beat. KenPom rates USC 66th in Division I, the 15th highest of the Big Ten’s teams.
In Izzo’s career, his Spartans have played USC twice, both in the NCAA Tournament — the 2009 Round of 32 and the 2023 Round of 64. Michigan State last visited the Trojans on Dec. 29, 1970, when it lost in the Trojan Classic tournament.
Next up, UCLA (16-6, 7-4) poses a more difficult test. Led by Izzo’s friend Mick Cronin, a coach equally as hard to please, the Bruins have fared well in their transition to Big Ten life. Forward Tyler Bilodeau scores the most for an offense that ranks top 50 in efficiency, but UCLA makes its money through stingy defense on par with that of the Spartans. UCLA is surging with a five-game win streak of its own, including ranked wins over Wisconsin and Oregon.
Michigan State played a home-and-home with UCLA between the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons, with the home side winning each meeting. Since then, the two have met in three holiday tournaments and twice in the NCAA Tournament, including the Spartans’ 86-80 overtime loss in the 2021 First Four.
No. 7 Michigan State at USC
Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
TV/radio: Peacock (streaming only)/760
Records: Michigan State 18-2, 9-0 Big Ten; USC 12-8, 4-5
All-time series: Michigan State leads, 4-3. Last meeting: Michigan State won, 72-62, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament March 17, 2023.
Last time out: Michigan State allowed just 16 first half points in a 73-51 rout of Minnesota at home. … USC lost to crosstown rival UCLA, 82-76, despite a 21-point outburst from Rashaun Agee.
cearegood@detroitnews.com
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Michigan State basketball fans have plenty to be excited about as head coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans head to Los Angeles to chase history in the NCAA tournament. Izzo, known for his coaching prowess and ability to lead his team to success in March, is looking to add another championship to his impressive resume.
With a talented roster filled with star players like Aaron Henry and Rocket Watts, the Spartans are poised to make a deep run in the tournament. Izzo’s experience and leadership will be crucial as the team faces tough competition on the road to the Final Four.
Michigan State basketball has a rich history of success in the NCAA tournament, and fans are hopeful that this year will be no different. As the Spartans prepare to take on their opponents in L.A., all eyes will be on Izzo and his team as they look to make history once again.
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Michigan State basketball, Tom Izzo, L.A., history, college basketball, NCAA, tournament, March Madness, Spartans, coach, championship, legacy, basketball game, sports news
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