For the first time in program history, Michigan State basketball will take on Oregon as a Big Ten opponent. The Ducks, who joined the conference this offseason, have been strong contenders in major sports. However, Dana Altman’s squad has hit a rough patch recently.

Like Michigan State, Oregon enters Saturday’s matchup on a losing streak, but the Ducks’ struggles are even more pronounced. While the Spartans have lost two straight, Oregon has dropped four in a row.

Still, the Ducks are not a team to overlook. They started the season 16-3 and even notched an impressive win over Alabama. Oregon has the talent to compete; they’ve just run into offensive issues lately. One big performance could easily turn things around.

Michigan State will need to stay focused for the noon tip-off on Saturday, but according to DraftKings, Vegas expects the Spartans to win comfortably. Despite Michigan State’s recent offensive struggles against former Pac-12 teams, Vegas doesn’t anticipate a third straight dud.

And I agree with that assessment.

Tom Izzo has navigated challenges like this throughout his career, often emerging stronger. Plus, a victory here would put him just one win away from tying Bobby Knight’s record. The motivation is clear, and Michigan State appears to be the better team overall. Meanwhile, Oregon has struggled in Big Ten road games, going 0-3 and losing by an average of 12.7 points per game in their last three.

If anything, the odds could be even more in Michigan State’s favor. Do I believe the Spartans will win? Absolutely. This should be a decisive victory, but only if they had a productive week of practice and come in ready to silence the doubters.

Three brief observations regarding Michigan State basketball’s thrilling victory over Oregon

Still catching your breath? Michigan State basketball had everyone on edge after falling behind by 14 at halftime, capped off by a deep buzzer-beater from Oregon that extended the lead to 50-36.

But the second half? All Spartans.

Even without Jeremy Fears and Xavier Booker, Michigan State dominated the final 20 minutes to snap its two-game losing streak with a big win over Oregon at the Breslin Center, improving to 19-4 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten. Here are some quick takeaways from the victory:

1. Jase Richardson is a Star in the Making

Jason Richardson’s career-high at Michigan State was 25 points. On Saturday, his son, Jase Richardson, shattered that mark with a career-best 29 points.

With Fears out, Richardson rose to the occasion in his first start, looking unstoppable in the second half. He finished with 29 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a highlight-reel block, shooting an efficient 9-for-13 from the field. He was clearly the best player on the floor.

At this point, it’s clear—Richardson needs to be playing at least 30 minutes per game.

2. The Second-Half Spartans Can Do Big Things

In the first half, Michigan State looked like a shadow of itself, reminiscent of the team that lost to USC and UCLA. But whatever Tom Izzo said at halftime worked wonders. The Spartans opened the second half with a 12-0 run to cut the lead to two, eventually taking their first lead at 64-62.

The defense tightened up, and shots finally started falling. Jaden Akins and Jaxon Kohler came alive and fueled a second-half surge that turned a 14-point deficit into a 12-point win.

If the Spartans can replicate that second-half performance consistently, they’ll be a dangerous team down the stretch. Big if, but it’s possible.

3. This Team Got Tougher on Saturday

Michigan State faced serious adversity. Coming off a two-game losing streak and learning right before tip-off that both Jeremy Fears and Xavier Booker would miss the game due to the flu, the Spartans could’ve folded.

Instead, after being down 14 at halftime, they punched back—hard. They stayed composed, locked in defensively, and stormed back for a statement win. Doing it without two key players speaks volumes about this team’s resilience.

This was a character-building win that not only snapped the losing streak but also strengthened their NCAA Tournament résumé.