Michigan State's Top 5 Games of 2024-25 Season

Michigan State was riding a four-game win streak, including back-to-back wins against top-15 teams in Purdue and Michigan. A win against Maryland felt like a must for the Spartans to be able to clinch a Big Ten regular season title.

By no means was it their best game. Michigan State was held to a season-low 58 points, its only game of the season it didn't reach 60. The Spartans shot just 33.8% from the field and an abysmal 26.7% from deep.

But it was that one 3-pointer from the other side of halfcourt that mattered most. And regardless of how you feel about Tre Holloman, it will be remembered forever.

An honorable mention for this spot was Michigan State's road win over No. 12 Michigan. It was tough leaving that one off the list, but hopefully it's considered to be compensated for by the placement of the Spartans' regular-season finale.

FINAL: 58-55, Michigan State

4. No. 11 Wisconsin, March 2, 2025

This was Michigan State's highest-ranked win of the season. It had followed the aforementioned game against Maryland.

The Spartans were on the verge of sweeping a four-game slate of top-16 opponents, but the worst of them was on deck. The Badgers had won six of their last seven, including a five-game win streak that consisted of a 10-point win over then-No. 7 Purdue.

Fortunately for Michigan State, it was at home, and it showed out in front of its home crowd. The Spartans put together an impressive defensive outing, holding Wisconsin to 62 points, its second-lowest scoring mark of the year and lowest of the regular season.

The Badgers shot just 15.6% from range and 33.8% from the field. Meanwhile, Michigan State grabbed a whopping 51 rebounds. It thrived off of transtion offense, scoring 20 fastbreak points.

Wisconsin got out to a 13-4 lead, its largest of the game. But the resilient Spartans would battle back and found themselves down by just 2 at halftime. They went on to outscore the visitors by 7 in the second half.

FINAL: 71-62, Michigan State

3. Oregon, Feb. 8, 2025

This game couldn't have been written any better. On a day when Michigan State celebrated its 2000 national title team, the Spartans were back at home after getting swept on their trip to Los Angeles, the only time they had lost back-to-back games all year.

Michigan State was in desperate need of a bounce-back, and it got it. It looked as though it was bound for a third-straight loss when it faced a 14-point halftime deficit, giving up 50 points in the first half. But it turned around to score 50 of its own in the second half and outscored the Ducks by 26 in said half.

The event served as Jase Richardson's breakout game. He scored a person and team season-high 29 points, and the rest would be history as the freshman went on a sensational run to close the season, elevating his draft stock and ultimately turning in one of the best freshman seasons in program history.

FINAL: 86-74, Michigan State

2. No. 17 Michigan, March 9, 2025

Michigan State didn't need this win. It had already locked up sole possession of the Big Ten regular season crown and was already likely to be a top-2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of the outcome in that game and/or its trip to the Big Ten Tournament.

But it wanted it.

It was Senior Day, and it was at home against its greatest rival. A win seemed almost inevitable, and by halftime, that remained the case.

The Spartans scored 50 points in the first half and nearly doubled the Wolverines' point total at the break, holding a 22-point advantage. It was complete and utter domination.

Michigan attempted a comeback in the second half and cut the lead all the way down to 11. But a Spartan victory still didn't seem in question.

This game, of course, wouldn't have carried the level of significance it did had it not been for the midcourt scuffle late in the game when Michigan State's Senior Day tradition had been interrupted.

After the pair of Wolverine freshmen refused to move off the logo, Holloman would shove them, standing up for his seniors while once again creating another iconic moment in Spartan history.

The event added fuel to the fire that is the heated and bitter rivalry between the two in-state schools and will surely be remembered by both fanbases when the foes meet on the hardwood again.

After the game, Michigan State was finally able to celebrate its Big Ten title and raise its banner.

FINAL: 79-62, Michigan State

1. @ Illinois, Feb. 15, 2025

Next to Michigan, this was perhaps Michigan State's most highly anticipated rematch of the season.

The Spartans had previously bested Illinois at the Breslin Center back when the Fighting Illini were ranked 19th in the nation, a game in which many Illinois fans felt was unfairly officiated. They were itching for a rematch on their home floor, and they caught Michigan State at just the right time.

The Spartans were fresh off their stunning loss to Indiana and were in jeopardy of taking their fourth loss in five games. And it nearly happened.

Michigan State was down 16 at halftime and seemed to have no answer for an Illinois team that was being bolstered by an electric State Farm Center.

The Spartans would battle all the way back and were locked in a toe-to-toe battle, down 1 with just 7 minutes remaining. But Michigan State closed out the game on an epic 15-0 run, holding the home team scoreless for nearly the last 8-and-a-half minutes. It was one of the best finishes you'll ever see a team put together.

The game truly served as a turning point in the Spartans' season. At a time when Michigan State was at its lowest point, it dug deep and turned everything around in the matter of a half, even after staring at a sizeable deficit in a very hostile road environment.

It sparked the Spartans' seven-game win streak to close out the regular season and served as the defining moment in what was an unforgettable season for the overachieving heartbreakers from East Lansing.

On top of all of it, the win cemented Tom Izzo as the all-time winningest head coach in Big Ten history.

FINAL: 79-65, Michigan State

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