Michigan State went 22-9 (14-6), shared the Big Ten title with Wisconsin and Maryland, and swept the season series with Illinois a year ago. The second game, which was in Champaign, ended in heartbreak as Xavier Tillman dunked off of an offensive rebound to put the Spartans ahead for good. Ayo Dosunmu injured his knee on the next and final play of the game, adding insult to injury.
The Spartans lost their two best players from last year, Tillman and Cassius Winston, along with their second-best shooter in Kyle Ahrens.
Michigan State started the 2020-21 season strong with a 6-0 nonconference record.