SEATTLE – What Tom Izzo promised would be a business trip quickly transformed into something resembling a homecoming celebration for Michigan State basketball. The 12th-ranked Spartans delivered a performance that was equal parts impressive and concerning, ultimately overwhelming the Washington Huskies with their depth and defensive tenacity to secure an 80-63 victory on Saturday, January 17.
The contest at Alaska Airlines Arena revealed both the championship potential and the lingering vulnerabilities of this Michigan State squad. While the final margin suggests comfortable dominance, the journey to get there was anything but smooth for Izzo's experienced crew.
Jeremy Fears Jr. emerged as the undeniable catalyst, pouring in 19 points—including 14 after halftime—while dishing out five assists and pilfering three steals. His performance exemplified the kind of leadership that separates good teams from great ones, particularly when familiar weapons misfire.
"I kind of told the guys a little bit before in the hotel that defense travels," Fears explained afterward, his voice carrying the confidence of someone who has discovered his role. "Sometimes shot-making is up and down, you don't really know. But as long as you guard, you can always give yourself a chance."
Those words proved prophetic as Michigan State's offense sputtered intermittently throughout the afternoon. The Spartans shot just 42% from the field and an underwhelming 66.7% from the free-throw line, missing six of their first 12 attempts from the charity stripe. Yet their defensive intensity never wavered, holding Washington to 38% shooting and a dismal 6-of-19 performance from beyond the arc.
The first half exposed cracks in Michigan State's armor that concerned their Hall of Fame coach. Tom Izzo watched his team build a 12-point lead late in the opening period, only to see it evaporate due to careless possessions and missed opportunities. The Spartans appeared sluggish, their usually crisp offensive sets devolving into isolation plays and contested jumpers.
"I'll be honest with you. That was a big but strange win for us," Izzo admitted in the postgame press conference. "Some of our best players really struggled. ... We just did not respond there. I thought we were sluggish early."
Chief among those struggles was Jaxon Kohler, the sophomore forward who has become a critical component of Michigan State's frontcourt rotation. Kohler managed just seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, missing all five of his three-point attempts despite finding himself open on several occasions. His seven rebounds provided some value, but his offensive woes epitomized the team's larger shooting concerns.
Coen Carr's difficulties compounded the offensive inconsistency. The athletic wing scored only six points and grabbed four rebounds, but his 1-of-4 performance from the free-throw line highlighted a team-wide affliction that has plagued the Spartans throughout the season. When Carr clanked two crucial free throws with 12:30 remaining and Michigan State clinging to a shrinking lead, the game teetered on the brink of genuine suspense.
Washington, sensing vulnerability, mounted a charge. After a Cam Ward flagrant foul and subsequent free throw, the Huskies had trimmed what was once a comfortable Spartan advantage to just five points at 48-43. The pro-Michigan State crowd, which had traveled in surprising numbers to the Pacific Northwest, grew uneasy. What should have been a routine victory suddenly appeared in jeopardy.
That's when Fears transformed from facilitator to finisher.
Following Carr's missed free throws, Fears calmly stepped to the line and sank four consecutive attempts, steadying his team's nerves. But he was just getting started. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard then attacked the paint with aggression, scoring on back-to-back driving layups that forced Washington's defense to collapse. His personal 8-0 run restored Michigan State's double-digit cushion and effectively broke the Huskies' spirit.
Fears wasn't done. After his scoring flurry, he lofted a perfect alley-oop pass that Carson Cooper slammed home, then immediately generated a steal that sent him back to the free-throw line. The sequence encapsulated everything Izzo demands from his point guards: score when needed, create for others, and ignite the defense.
By the time Fears departed for backup Denham Wojcik with 8:32 remaining, the outcome was no longer in doubt. The partisan Spartan crowd, which had made Seattle feel like East Lansing, roared its approval.
The victory showcased Michigan State's most significant advantage: breathtaking depth. While Washington's rotation thinned as the game progressed, the Spartans deployed 11 players, all of whom scored at least two points. Nine different players grabbed at least one rebound. No Spartan logged more than Fears' 29 minutes, keeping legs fresh for the second leg of their West Coast swing.
Kur Teng provided crucial support with 11 points, including a 3-of-5 performance from three-point range that helped space the floor when Kohler's shot abandoned him. Cooper's 10 points and six rebounds gave Michigan State a solid interior presence, particularly important given Washington's 42-32 advantage in points in the paint.
The bench's 31-7 scoring margin told the story of the game's latter stages. While Washington's starters fatigued, Michigan State's reserves maintained intensity and execution. This depth has become the Spartans' calling card, a luxury few programs in the country can match.
Defensively, Michigan State executed Izzo's game plan to perfection. The Spartans identified Washington's perimeter threats and ran them off the three-point line, forcing the Huskies into contested mid-range jumpers and difficult finishes at the rim. Zoom Diallo led Washington with 18 points, but needed 16 shots to get there. Hannes Steinback added 17 points and nine rebounds, but his efforts came in isolation, never sparking a sustained run.
"We just tried to make them uncomfortable," Fears said of the defensive approach. "We know they have some guys who can really shoot it, so we wanted to pressure them and make them put it on the floor."
The free-throw shooting remains a concern that Izzo must address before conference play intensifies. Missing six of 18 attempts against Washington might not prove fatal, but in the crucible of March Madness, such generosity can end seasons prematurely. Carr's struggles from the line are particularly puzzling given his athleticism and shooting stroke in practice.
For now, Michigan State can celebrate a business trip accomplished. The Spartans improved to 16-2 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play, positioning themselves near the top of the conference standings. Their ability to win convincingly while shooting poorly and getting subpar performances from key contributors suggests a high ceiling remains untapped.
Fears' emergence as a reliable scoring option changes the calculus for opposing defenses. Previously able to focus on containing Kohler and Carr, teams must now account for a point guard who has averaged 17.8 points and 7.5 assists over his last six games. This development transforms Michigan State from a good team into a legitimate national championship contender.
As the Spartans boarded their flight to the next destination on their West Coast itinerary, they carried more than just a victory. They had proof that their defense truly travels, that their depth can overcome individual struggles, and that Jeremy Fears Jr. has evolved from promising sophomore to indispensable leader.
The road ahead promises tougher challenges, but for one afternoon in Seattle, Michigan State demonstrated why they belong in any conversation about college basketball's elite. Their best players may have struggled, their shooting may have deserted them, but their will to win never wavered. In Tom Izzo's program, that's the only statistic that truly matters.