Michigan State basketball faces grueling February schedule, hosts Michigan Jan. 13

The lone game between Michigan State and Michigan is set for Jan. 13 in East Lansing.

But for the Spartans, considered one of the favorites for a national title, the meat of their Big Ten conference schedule comes a month later.

Along with perhaps the biggest non-conference game of the college basketball season in November.

MSU faces a gauntlet February with road games at Indiana and Iowa, followed by Purdue at home and trips to Minnesota and Northwestern within a 17-day span.

The Spartans released their entire schedule, minus one open date, shortly after the league revealed its conference matchups today on Big Ten Network. They open Nov. 10 against North Florida at Breslin Center before a showcase matchup against Duke on Nov. 14 at the Champions Classic at United Center in Chicago.

MSU follows that with a home game against Stony Brook on Nov. 19 to kick off the PK80 Phil Knight Invitational on campus before three games in Portland, Ore., from Nov. 23-26. That tournament opens against DePaul, and the Spartans could face Connecticut or Oregon in the second game and possibly North Carolina or Oklahoma in the finale.

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Following a home game Nov. 30 against Notre Dame as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, MSU will open conference play Dec. 3 against Nebraska at Breslin and then hit the road to face Rutgers two days later. The league opens play with two early games this season due to the Big Ten Tournament being moved up a week, from Feb. 28-March 4 at Madison Square Garden.

Here is a complete look at MSU’s schedule, though a school spokesman said one more game will be added. Tipoff times and TV networks will be announced later.

2017-18 MSU BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

(home games in caps, * a Big Ten game)

Oct. 26 FERRIS STATE (exhibition)

Nov. 3 HILLSDALE (exhibition)

Nov. 10 NORTH FLORIDA

Nov. 14 vs. Duke (Champions Classic in Chicago, Ill.)

Nov. 19 STONY BROOK (PK80 - Phil Knight Invitational in East Lansing)

Nov. 23 vs. DePaul (PK80 - Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore.)

Nov. 24 vs. UCONN/Oregon (PK80 - Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore.)

Nov. 26 vs. Arkansas/North Carolina/Oklahoma/Portland (PK80 - Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore.)

Nov. 30 NOTRE DAME (Big Ten/ACC Challenge)

Dec. 3 NEBRASKA *

Dec. 5 at Rutgers *

Dec. 9 SOUTHERN UTAH

Dec. 16 vs. Oakland (at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit)

Dec. 18 HOUSTON BAPTIST

Dec. 21 LONG BEACH STATE

Dec. 29 CLEVELAND STATE

Jan. 4 MARYLAND *

Jan. 7 at Ohio State *

Jan. 10 RUTGERS *

Jan. 13 MICHIGAN *

Jan. 19 INDIANA *

Jan. 22 at Illinois *

Jan. 26 WISCONSIN *

Jan. 28 at Maryland *

Jan. 31 PENN STATE *

Feb. 3 at Indiana *

Feb. 6 at Iowa *

Feb. 10 PURDUE *

Feb. 13 at Minnesota *

Feb. 17 at Northwestern * (at Rosemont, Ill.)

Feb. 20 ILLINOIS *

Feb. 25 at Wisconsin *

Feb. 28-March 4 Big Ten Tournament New York, N.Y.