The wait is almost over for Michigan State basketball fans. The Spartans are just weeks away from tipping off the 2025–26 regular season on November 2.

Before the official start, though, fans get a sneak preview tonight at 7 p.m. EST as Michigan State hosts Bowling Green in an exhibition matchup at the Breslin Center. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

The Spartans enter the season ranked No. 22 in the nation despite losing several key contributors, including much of last year’s scoring production from Jace Richardson and Jaden Akins. Even so, Tom Izzo’s roster still features plenty of returning talent and several intriguing newcomers who could help Michigan State stay competitive in the Big Ten and beyond.

Of course, rankings in October rarely mean much in East Lansing — Izzo’s teams are always built for March and April.

This is the first of two exhibition games for the Spartans, with the next one — against UConn — offering a much stiffer test. While wins and losses don’t count, tonight’s contest will provide an early look at how this retooled roster fits together.

Michigan State comes in as the defending Big Ten regular-season champion after finishing 30–7 last year. The Spartans are projected to finish sixth in the conference this season, and avoiding that slide will depend heavily on returning players like Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., Kur Teng, and perhaps most importantly, Coen Carr.

Carr’s elite athleticism and defensive energy make him a cornerstone piece, even if he’s not the team’s leading scorer. Expect Fears Jr. and Kohler to shoulder much of the offensive burden, as Michigan State looks to replace roughly 63% of last year’s scoring output.

Izzo also dipped into the transfer portal for reinforcements:

• Trey Fort (Samford): Led Samford in scoring last season (14.6 PPG); Second-Team All-Southern Conference.
• Divine Ugochukwu (Miami): Averaged 5.3 points and 2.3 assists as a freshman.
• Denham Wojcik (Harvard): Son of MSU associate head coach Doug Wojcik; brings veteran leadership and shooting depth.
• Kaleb Green (Florida Atlantic): Second-Team All-AAC selection, though he’s expected to miss the season with an injury suffered in summer workouts.

Fort, Ugochukwu, and Wojcik are expected to be valuable depth pieces as the new-look roster finds its identity.

The Spartans will also feature two promising freshmen: Jordan Scott and Cam Ward, both of whom will look to make an early impact and fit into Izzo’s system.

This year’s team may not have a clear superstar, but in true Izzo fashion, it’s loaded with hard-nosed players who thrive on chemistry, defense, and unselfish basketball.

So buckle up. Michigan State basketball is back, the Breslin will be rocking, and expectations — as always — remain sky high.