The Spartans have lost three of their past four games, with a chance to snap the slump against a good Illinois team on the road.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Michigan State Spartans vs. Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAM game to be played on February 15, 2025 on ESPN.

Instead, Indiana -- Knight's former school -- kept Izzo stuck on 353 victories with an unexpected comeback inspired by something Knight abhorred -- playing zone defense. Though the Hoosiers had played almost no zone previously this season, they switched to it late in the first half. Michigan State responded by shooting 4-of-23 from 3-point range.