Saturday, February 1
Los Angeles, Calif.
4:30 PM
Michigan State University
at
USC
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
No. 7 Michigan State Makes West Coast Trip to Face Southern Cal in Big Ten Conference Matchup on Saturday
1/31/2025 5:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's men's basketball team heads West this weekend, traveling to Los Angeles for a pair of Big Ten Conference games, first against Southern California on Saturday, Feb. 1 (4:30 p.m. ET, Peacock).
The game will air live on Peacock, with Guy Haberman and Darren Collison calling all of the action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard state-wide and on the web at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling the play-by-play and Matt Steigenga serving as the color analyst, and Zach Surdenik is the studio host. The game can also be heard on channels 139 or 195 on SiriusXM and on the SiriusXM app.
About the Spartans
The game will air live on Peacock, with Guy Haberman and Darren Collison calling all of the action. The Spartan Media Network radio call can be heard state-wide and on the web at MSUSpartans.com, with Will Tieman handling the play-by-play and Matt Steigenga serving as the color analyst, and Zach Surdenik is the studio host. The game can also be heard on channels 139 or 195 on SiriusXM and on the SiriusXM app.
About the Spartans
- Michigan State enters Saturday's game with an 18-2 overall record (9-0 B1G) and are No. 7 in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
- The Spartans are ranked No. 17 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 14 per KenPom.com and No. 13 in the ESPN BPI.
- MSU has won 13-straight games, tied for the longest win streak by the Spartans since 2018-19, and the longest since a 14-game streak in 2017-18.
- The Spartans have emphasized "Strength in Numbers" this year, with 10 players playing at least 10 minutes per game and eight different players leading the team in scoring in 20 games.
- The Spartans are the only team in the AP Top 25 with just one player (Jaden Akins) scoring in double figures and are just one of three teams in the AP Top 25 with at least 7 players averaging at least 7.8 ppg (Alabama and Missouri).
- MSU has five players averaging at least 8.0 ppg and 10 scoring at least 4.7 ppg.
- MSU has relied on its depth, with five players averaging at least 20.0 minutes per game and 10 players at least 10.0 minutes.
- Akins leads the team with 13.6 ppg and is fourth with 3.9 rpg, while freshman guard Jase Richardson is averaging 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists, sophomore forward Coen Carr is third on the team with 8.8 points and junior guard Tre Holloman is averaging 8.3 ppg.
- Junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who has four double-doubles this year, is scoring 7.6 ppg and leads the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, 9th in the Big Ten (9th in B1G games only with 7.3 rpg).
- Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. is averaging 7.6 points and a team-leading 6.3 assists per game, which ranks 3rd in the Big Ten, while Holloman adds 8.3 points and 3.9 assists (4.1 in B1G, 10th).
- MSU is averaging 23.5 FT attempts per game (No. 29 in the country) after going to the line 17.2 times per game in 2023-24 and the Spartans rank No. 3 in the country in free throw percentage (81.2%) and No. 78 in free throws made per game (19.1).
- The Spartans are No. 1 in the country in fast break points per game (18.5 ppg) and No. 3 in bench points (38.05 ppg).
- MSU also ranks No. 7 in the country in rebound margin (+10.1), No. 12 in defensive rebounds per game (28.7/g) and No. 13 in rebounds per game (40.9).
- Southern California enters the game on Saturday afternoon with a 12-8 overall record and a 4-5 mark in the Big Ten Conference.
- The Trojans are coming off an 82-76 loss at home to UCLA on Monday and have lost two of their last three games.
- USC is 1-4 in Big Ten Conference home games, the lone win against Iowa on Jan. 14 (99-98), and with losses to Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin and UCLA.
- The Trojans have players scoring in double figures, led by junior guard Desmond Claude, who leads the team with 16.1 ppg (19.6 in the last five games).
- USC ranks 12th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (77.0 ppg) and 15th in the league in scoring defense (72.8 ppg) ... In Big Ten games, USC is 8th in scoring offense (76.9 ppg) and 12th in scoring defense (73.3 ppg).
- Saturday's game against Southern California will mark the eighth all-time meeting between MSU and USC.
- This will be the first meeting ever since the Trojans joined the Big Ten Conference ... MSU leads the head-to-head series, 4-3.
- The schools last met on March 17, 2023 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a 72-62 Spartans win at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
- MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo is 2-0 all-time against USC.
- The Spartans have a 1-3 record in away games in the series.
- This is MSU's first game at Southern Cal since 1970 ... The last win for the Spartans on the road was a 77-67 decision on Dec. 28, 1957.
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