No. 6 Michigan State and No. 5 UConn are about to drop the gloves in a preseason exhibition game, but this isn’t just another tune-up. Tom Izzo’s squad is carrying a heavy dose of history and a whole lot of recent heartache into Tuesday’s matchup at the Breslin Center. This isn’t just a friendly scrimmage when a national title contender walks onto your court; this is a statement game, and a chance to tap into something truly legendary.
The Echoes of “The Greatest” Ring Through Breslin
You want to talk about motivation? Get this: The last time UConn rolled into the Breslin Center for a men’s basketball game, it was way back on February 5, 2000. And who did Coach Izzo walk into the locker room with? Only Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest” himself, who spent his retirement in Berrien Springs. Ali wasn’t just there for autographs; he came with a speech. Izzo called it “spectacular,” short and straight to the point about “being a heart of a lion and a champion.” Ali himself told the Lansing State Journal that day, “I told them to play hard and to do what champions do.” Point guard Mateen Cleaves, whose mother named his brother after Ali, and the legendary “Flintstones” team were so fired up they could have run through a wall. And you know what? Michigan State won that game, 85-66, with a 29-point lead at halftime. Two months later, they snagged the national championship. Coincidence? I don’t think so. That’s the kind of energy the Spartans are hoping to harness this Tuesday.
A Sweet Sixteen Collapse Still Burns
Fast forward to now, and the recent past against UConn hasn’t exactly been a highlight reel for MSU. Less than a year ago, they dropped a 76-69 exhibition game in Hartford. Then came the real gut punch: The Sweet 16 at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on March 28, 2026. UConn ended Michigan State’s season in a game so wild Izzo could barely explain it. The Spartans got rope-a-doped into a 19-point hole in the first half, clawed their way back to take the lead in the second, and still ultimately fell, 67-63. That loss, man, that loss lit a fire under some of the key returners. Big Ten preseason player of the year Jeremy Fears Jr. and forward Coen Carr? They’re leading this team now, both by voice and by example. Fears is calling it Izzo’s “deepest group in many years, if not his deepest ever.” And he ain’t wrong. “The fact that every guy on our team can play, it just says something about our team, and that’s special,” Fears said. Even shooting guard Kur Teng, who’s been recovering from offseason foot surgery, is ready to build on his role off the bench. These guys are focused.
Championship Mentality From Day One
This 2026-27 squad is “hellbent on playing in Detroit come April’s Final Four.” You hear that? That’s not just talk. Freshman shooting guard Jasiah Jervis, speaking on October 15, laid it out plain: “My goal is to win the national championship. That’s what I really care about.” That’s the kind of single-minded focus that wins titles. Their first exhibition game on October 2 against Incarnate Word was a dominant 89-59 win, but it felt more like a fanfest, a chance to get loose. This game against Danny Hurley’s UConn? That’s the real test. The Huskies are a perennial contender, racking up NCAA crowns in both 2023 and 2024. This isn’t just about an exhibition win. It’s about setting a tone. It’s about harnessing that championship history and exorcising those recent demons against UConn. Every single player on this roster has their eyes on Detroit come April, and Tuesday’s game at the Breslin Center against the defending back-to-back champs is their first real statement.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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