Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Michigan State is putting together one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation.
As he does every season, Tom Izzo is loading up the Spartans’ non-conference slate with some of the biggest matchups and most exciting games in college basketball.
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The latest game to officially become set in stone was announced through the Michigan State basketball social media accounts. While we already knew the matchup was expected to happen, it’s now official. On December 19, the Spartans will square off against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Palm Springs, California, as part of the Acrisure Series, giving college basketball fans an early Christmas present.
So let’s take a look at all of the confirmed non-conference matchups Michigan State has lined up so far before the gauntlet of Big Ten play begins. If this schedule wasn’t difficult enough already, conference play will only add another layer of challenges.
Thankfully, unlike college football, losing a few games during the regular season doesn’t derail your entire season. In fact, playing against elite competition can often make a team better and prepare it for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
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We already know the Spartans will open with two exhibition games against some of the top programs in the country.
Michigan State will once again face UConn in an exhibition matchup. Fans got a preview of this showdown last season when the Huskies defeated the Spartans in an exhibition before the two teams met again in the Sweet 16, where UConn came away with another victory.
Now, the Spartans get another opportunity to measure themselves against one of the nation’s premier programs. While it won’t count in the standings, it could once again serve as a preview of a potential NCAA Tournament matchup.
It was also announced that Izzo will have his team face Marquette in another exhibition game. That matchup features two programs that consistently make noise in March and should be another highly anticipated test before the regular season officially begins.
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Once the games begin to count, the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Michigan State and Duke will meet once again, marking the ninth matchup between the two powerhouse programs over the last 11 seasons. The game is set for November 10 as part of the annual Champions Classic.
Duke enters the season with the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class and added one of the top players in the transfer portal in John Blackwell, who left Wisconsin after beginning his college career in the Great Lakes State.
Meanwhile, Michigan State also brings in a top-10 recruiting class along with one of its biggest transfer additions in Anton Bonke. On paper, this could end up being one of the best regular-season games in all of college basketball and will have the attention of fans across the country.
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Thanksgiving is quickly becoming a Michigan State basketball tradition as well.
Last season, the Spartans and North Carolina squared off on Thanksgiving Day and produced one of the most-watched college basketball games of the season. This year, college basketball fans will once again get to watch Izzo and the Spartans on Thanksgiving, only this time they’ll face Izzo’s longtime friend John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Spartans also have a road matchup scheduled against Tennessee, adding yet another NCAA Tournament-caliber opponent to what is already one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.
There’s still more to come.
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You can expect the annual matchup against Oakland sometime around Christmas, where Izzo and Oakland head coach Greg Kampe will once again continue their fun tradition of wearing Christmas sweaters. Michigan State is also expected to add a few more non-conference opponents before the schedule is finalized.
For now, though, the Spartans are assembling a complete gauntlet from top to bottom. It won’t be easy, but that’s exactly how Izzo likes it. By the time Big Ten play arrives and March rolls around, Michigan State should be battle-tested against some of the best teams in the country, giving the Spartans every opportunity to be ready for another NCAA Tournament run.
