EAST LANSING – Basketball is back at the Breslin Center. Michigan State survived a challenge by Bowling Green to pull away for a 75-66 win in an exhibition opener on Thursday night. Here are notable quotes from coach Tom Izzo and players after the game:

With new NCAA rules, Tom Izzo has Michigan State basketball playing two Division I exhibition games, starting Thursday night vs Bowling Green.

Michigan State basketball has already gotten two commitments so far in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Point guard Carlos Medlock Jr and power forward Julius Avent c

Michigan State has gotten the better of Michigan since then, winning 10 of their 17 matchups since the "little brother" comment. But Michigan currently has the bragging rights, winning the last three games dating back to 2022 and winning a national championship in 2023, something that the Spartans haven't done in nearly six decades.

Tom Izzo held a media day on Thursday to give some updates on his team heading into the season. Here are the 5 most interesting things he said:

The Michigan Tech Huskies women’s basketball team outscored No. 23 Michigan State 18-15 in the third quarter, but ultimately fell, 101-58, to the Spartans in an exhibition clash at the Breslin Center Wednesday.

Few people know the Michigan State Spartans–Michigan Wolverines rivalry quite like Nicole Niemiec, who spent three years as the university’s iconic mascot, Sparty, all while keeping her identity a secret.

In the AP poll, the Spartans came in at No. 23 overall. In the coaches poll, they did receive votes, 64 in total, but were the No. 28 ranked team overall. That's a pretty sizable five-spot difference in the polls.

With the college basketball season about to start, lets look at whats different about the spartans starting lineup