Skip to main content
Michigan State
Join Now

V-Cast: Michigan State basketball makes a statement and Coach Fitz makes an entrance in win over Iowa

On3 imageby: Paul Konyndyk12/03/25PKonyndyk

EAST LANSING, Mich. – It was a big day at Michigan State with the introductory press conference of head football coach Pat Fitzgerald also the start of the Big Ten basketball season with the Spartans hosting Iowa at the Breslin Center on Tuesday night.

Following a 71-52 win over previously unbeaten Iowa at the Breslin Center, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk check in from courtside with the latest V-Cast.

V-CAST TOPICS

Fears vs. Stirtz Michigan State sophomore Jeremy Fears got the better of reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz in a match-up between point guards that have been receiving early hype as potential national player of the year candidates. Stirtz and Fears each scored 14 points apiece in this game, but Fears got the upper hand in this match-up. The Michigan State point guard controlled the game, effectively ran the Spartan offense, and made the plays his team needed him to win this game in decisive fashion.

Pushing Buttons: We are not used to seeing Michigan State play this well at this time of the year. As such, it is probably fair to ask if the Spartans are at risk of peaking early, and plateauing as a result? That might be a bigger risk if this team weren’t very much under construction. While it is true that the Spartans have found ways to win games in match-ups against Top 25 opponents, it is also true that Michigan State appears to be nowhere near its ceiling as a basketball team. Nowhere is that more true than at the position of shooting guard where the Spartans have taken a by-committee approach with the trio of Kur Teng, Trey Fort, and Jordan Scott, but have yet to receive consistency in performance at the level Tom Izzo believes is necessary to win games against the best teams in college basketball.

Bringing the Juice: Michigan State needed new energy in its football program, and it was evident that recently hired football coach Pat Fitzgerald has plenty to spare. Fitzgerald made it clear during his introductory press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he is all-in with everything he does and he plans to put his heart and soul into putting a winning product on the field as head football coach at Michigan State. Fitzgerald also brought some energy to the basketball game against Iowa, pumping up the Breslin Center crowd during a timeout in the first half.

You may also like