DETROIT – The Michigan State basketball team is reportedly considering a game against Baylor at Little Caesars Arena during the upcoming season.
According to a tweet from The Detroit News’ Tony Paul, Michigan State has had discussions with Baylor about a matchup in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena for the upcoming season. That would set the stage for the Spartans to get revenge against Baylor after losing to the Bears in the Bahamas during the 2021-2022 season.
There are rumblings that MSU hoops has had some discussions with Baylor about playing a game at Little Caesars Arena this season. Nothing official yet.
— Tony Paul (@TonyPaul1984) July 18, 2023
Michigan State basketball is no stranger to scheduling tough out-of-conference matchups. Coach Tom Izzo loves to test his teams early in the season to get accustomed to competing against the best in the nation. Last season, MSU played Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova, and Alabama before reaching conference play.
The full non-conference schedule for the upcoming season has yet to be released, but so far, the Spartans have neutral site games against Duke and Arizona, and a home game against Butler.
The Spartans were a resilient bunch that could compete with any team last season. The team made a run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing in overtime to Kansas State.
Even though the Spartans suffered a heartbreaking loss in the last tournament, this group of players under Izzo could be one of his best in recent years. The team has experienced veterans in Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, and A.J. Hoggard.
Jaxon Kohler, Jaden Akins, and Pierre Brooks round out the core of young talent looking to take on bigger roles next year. The Spartans also plan to add top recruits to the roster, including 11th-ranked recruit Xavier Booker and 31st-ranked recruit Jeremy Fears.
Despite losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 6 seed Creighton, Baylor has a lot to look forward to next season. The team will return key starters, including Jalen Bridges. The Bears are also reinforcing their roster with two highly touted recruits in Ja’Kobe Walter and Miro Little.
While nothing is set in stone yet, this matchup between two perennial powerhouses would be another great test for the Spartans early in the season. If given the chance for sweet revenge against Baylor, Michigan State fans would turn Little Caesars Arena green and white.