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The Week Ahead In MSU Sports
Alright, Spartans, the holiday plates are cleared, the wrapping paperâs in the bin, and itâs time to lock back in. The break was nice, but letâs be realâthe real gift is a packed week of MSU action across the board.Weâve got hoops, both menâs and womenâs, hitting the hardwood, and hockey looking to keep its roll going in a holiday tournament. Itâs the kind of schedule that makes you want to clear the DVR and stock the fridge, a classic post-Christmas hoops-and-pucks feast for any green-and-white diehard.First up, the menâs basketball squad, sitting pretty at 11-1, has what looks on paper like a classic âtrap gameâ sandwich. They host Cornell at the Breslin on Monday night.You know the drill with these Ivy League gamesânever as easy as the record suggests, full of smart, disciplined teams that can shoot you out of the gym if youâre sleepwalking. Itâs the perfect tune-up, though, because the real main event drops on Friday: a road trip to Lincoln to face a Nebraska team that, as of now, is sitting at a surprising 12-0.That record might shift before tip-off, but the point standsâthe Cornhuskers are for real this year, and Pinnacle Bank Arena is a tough place to play. This isnât just another Big Ten opener; itâs a massive early statement game.A win there, on the road, against an undefeated conference foe? Thatâs the kind of victory that echoes in March, the kind that tells the committee you can win anywhere. The womenâs team, mirroring the men at 11-1, has its own heavyweight bout looming.They tip off the week against Rutgers at home on Sunday, but all eyes are on the New Yearâs Day showdown at Indiana. Assembly Hall in Bloomington is a fortress, and Indiana, perennial Big Ten powerhouses, will be a brutal test.This is where championship mettle gets forged. The narrative here is about resilience and depth; can the Spartans go into one of the leagueâs most hostile environments and steal a win to kick off 2025? Meanwhile, over on the ice, the hockey team is carrying serious momentum into the Great Lakes Invitational in Grand Rapids.At 12-4-0, theyâre having a season thatâs turning heads nationally. They open against Ferris State, but the tournament format means a potential second-day clash with either Michigan Tech or Miami (OH).This GLI isnât just another trophy; itâs a legacy event for Michigan State hockey, a chance to plant a flag in-state and build crucial momentum heading into the back half of the season. For a program on the rise, winning holiday tournaments is a habit of champions.So, whatâs the big picture? This week is a microcosm of the entire athletic departmentâs winter: loaded with opportunity and peril. Every game matters, but these specific matchupsâthe road tests in basketball, the in-state tournament for hockeyâcarry extra weight for postseason positioning and pure bragging rights.
#Michigan State Spartans
#college basketball schedule
#Big Ten conference
#hockey
#Great Lakes Invitational
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