No. 10 Michigan State clashes with struggling Maryland. Can the Spartans extend their dominance at home? Find out Saturday's crucial Big Ten showdown.
WHO: No. 10 Michigan State Spartans (17-2, 7-1) vs Maryland Terrapins (8-11, 1-7)
WHERE: Jack Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI
WHEN: Saturday, January 24th, 12:00 PM EST
WATCH: CBS
As the frozen weather takes full shape this weekend, get yourself prepared for some prime Big Ten basketball.
Grab the hot soup, warm bread, and get ready to get all fat and sassy as you indulge in back-to-back-to-back Big Ten matchups that soothe the soul.
Michigan State and Maryland will kick off the day at high noon in a matchup featuring two championship-winning programs. Even though both titles came at the turn of the century, not every team can say they’ve won a national championship in the 21st century—but Michigan State and Maryland proudly can.
The years haven’t been as kind to the Terrapins as they have been to Michigan State. While the Spartans haven’t returned to the top of the college basketball world since their 2000 championship run with the Flintstones, they’ve remained constant contenders—making six Final Fours since, winning the Big Ten countless times, all while maintaining continuity under one coach: Tom Izzo.
As for the Terrapins, they fielded one of the best rosters in the country in 2002 and made a memorable title run. A team that was predicted to win it all by then–11-year-old Nick Faber, who now brings you this preview ahead of the 2026 matchup. A lot has changed since that magical 2002 season—for the Terps and for myself—but we’ll stick to basketball.
Now, Maryland finds itself sliding deeper into a rut. A slippery slope where traction feels impossible to find. Instead of stopping the fall, the slide just gets faster.
Michigan State returns home after a two-game West Coast business trip where they took care of Washington and Oregon with relative ease. Last season, the Spartans went 0-2 on the West Coast, but this year they found their sea legs and roared through the trip. Now they’re back in East Lansing boasting a 17-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play.
Maryland enters the matchup having gone 2-8 in its last ten games, sitting at 1-7 in Big Ten play and 8-11 overall. The Terps are tied for second-worst in the conference, alongside Oregon and Northwestern, with only Penn State (0-8) sitting below them.
Michigan State dominates Maryland in nearly every statistical category.
On the glass, Michigan State is tied for 12th nationally, averaging 38.6 rebounds per game. Maryland ranks tied for 186th at 32.2 RPG. Michigan State’s biggest flaw remains turnovers, yet the Spartans average just 11.6 per game—only 0.3 fewer than Maryland’s 11.9.
MSU shoots 47.2% from the field, ranking tied for 85th nationally, while Maryland ranks near the bottom at tied for 346th, shooting just 40.6%. In the assist department, the Spartans are led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Jeremy Fears Jr., who averages the second-most assists per game in the nation. As a team, MSU dishes out 18.6 assists per game, ranking 13th nationally. Maryland averages just 10.6 assists per game, ranking 354th.
The two areas where Maryland holds a slight edge are three-point shooting and free-throw percentage—two areas of concern for Michigan State if they want to be elite rather than just great. The Terps shoot 73.6% from the free-throw line, narrowly better than MSU’s 72.7%. From beyond the arc, Michigan State shoots 35.3% (T-111th), while Maryland comes in at 32.7%.
Predictions
If Michigan State can limit turnovers and fouls while continuing its reign of defensive excellence, it won’t matter whether it’s Kohler, Cooper, Carr, or Fears who takes over offensively. This should be no contest in the Spartans’ return home.
Michigan State - 80
Maryland - 65