EAST LANSING- No. 8 Michigan State basketball will face its final road test on Thursday night, as they travel to Iowa City to face the Iowa Hawkeyes. With a win, the Spartans will clinch an outright Big Ten regular-season title for the first time since 2018.   

The Spartans enter this matchup with four straight-ranked wins. Their recent ranked win came last Sunday against the No. 11 ranked Wisconsin Badgers, winning 71-62. Senior guard Jaden Akins led the Spartans with 19 points. Two other Spartans scored in double figures as freshman guard Jase Richardson scored 11, while junior forward Jaxon Kohler added 10 points.  

MSU enters this matchup with a 24-5 overall record and a 15-3 record in Big Ten play. The Spartans faced the Hawkeyes once last season, losing a tough 78-71 decision. 

The Hawkeyes have won their last two meetings against the Spartans, including a thrilling 112-106 overtime win the last time these two squads faced off in Iowa City. The game featured a 13-point comeback by the Hawkeyes in the last minute and a half of regulation. 

Iowa enters this matchup with a 15-14 overall record and a 6-12 conference record. The Hawkeyes are on the outside looking into qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament, which features the top 14 teams in the conference. The Hawkeyes are currently 16th in the conference and a win against the Spartans will strengthen their hopes of qualifying for the tournament. 

The Hawkeyes have been led this season by senior forward Payton Sandfort, who leads the team in scoring averaging 16.1 points per game. Another player to watch in this matchup is junior guard Josh Dix, who averages 14 points per game.  

Iowa is on a two-game losing streak entering this matchup with the Spartans. It is coming off a 68-57 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats. 

The Spartans will look to add yet another Big Ten Championship banner to the Breslin Center rafters. Tip-off from the Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set for 8 p.m.