Early Preview of Michigan State Basketball vs. Iowa

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Luke Joseph | Last updated Nov 30, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Michigan State basketball is coming off its best start to the season as it sits at 7-0. The last time Michigan State started off the season 7-0 was during the 2015-2016 season.

With wins against three ranked teams (Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina), Michigan State is one of two teams to have three wins against ranked teams (Arizona).

This week, Michigan State will have two more tough games against the Iowa Hawkeyes and fourth-ranked Duke.

Michigan State is coming off a great win on a neutral court against the 16th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. Point guard Jeremy Fears had himself a Thanksgiving feast against the Tar Heels. Not only did Fears lead the team in assists with seven, but he also had a career high in scoring with 19 points.

Michigan State's next game will be against Iowa on Tuesday on Dec 2nd. During the offseason, Iowa has made a change at head coach and will have its first Big Ten game against one of the best coaches in college basketball in his 31st season as the Spartans' head coach.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

After 15 years of Fran Brown, Iowa decided to move on and decided to hired Ben McCollum from Drake University. In his first season as head coach, McCollum has the Hawkeyes undefeated as they also have a 7-0 record on the season.

Iowa is led by senior guard Ben Stritz, who followed McCollum from Drake. Stritz has been the go-to guy for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging a team high in points with 18.6, assists with 5.4, and steals with 1.7.

The Keys for Michigan State

For Michigan State, guarding the perimeter is going to be the key to winning this game. On the season, Iowa has been one of the best shooting teams in the Big Ten. Shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc, the Hawkeyes are second in three-point shooting on the season, only behind Purdue.

Michigan State has had one of the best defenses in the country this season through seven games. According to KenPom, Michigan State ranks fifth in defensive efficiency behind Michigan, Houston, Iowa State, and Duke. Iowa has had a great offense so far this season, as it ranks 27th out of 333 teams in the country.

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Michigan State, having a big Thanksgiving win against its third-ranked opponent in North Carolina, should give the Spartans a lot of confidence heading back home for this game.

This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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