Thursday night’s Michigan State vs Northwestern game is not exactly going to be the most-watched college basketball matchup of the night, but it’s going to have some interesting storylines.
On one side, you have a Northwestern team fresh off a home loss to lowly Minnesota. Chris Collins has been one of the best coaches in the Big Ten for years, however, and his teams have gotten the better of Tom Izzo and the Spartans before — even in East Lansing. The Wildcats in 2025-26 are just 8-6, though, with an 0-3 Big Ten record.
On the other side, Michigan State is 13-2 and 3-1 in the Big Ten.