EAST LANSING — Oakland and Greg Kampe haven’t figured out how to beat Michigan State Basketball in 23 meetings all time.
Tom Izzo knows that could change at any time. Maybe this year.
“You start to wonder when,” the MSU coach said after practice on Thursday, Dec. 18. “How many times do you beat a well-coached team and a damn good team in a row?”
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Ninth in the ranking Spartans (10-1) are hoping No. 24 isn’t the charm when they take on the Golden Grizzlies (6-6) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network).
The last nine meetings have all been decided by double digits, with an average winning margin for MSU of 17.4 points. Still, there have been some close calls, like the 2015 meeting at the Palace of Auburn Hills, in which MSU pulled out a six-point overtime victory. Likewise, the 2013 game at the Palace came down to four points, and the 2010 game was decided by a single point, 77-76, by a Spartans team ranked No. 7 at the time.
Here’s what to watch for when the almost annual MSU-Oakland rivalry plays out for the 24th time.
Looking for improvement
Michigan State’s Jesse McCulloch, left, dunks as Toledo’s Sean Craig defends during the first half, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
DEEP GREEN: Michigan State basketball has significantly improved at 3-point shooting
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The Spartans are off to their best start since opening 15-1 during the 2017-18 campaign. That team, featuring Cassius Winston, Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., won the Big Ten title but stumbled in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the same building MSU plays Oakland on Saturday.
While this MSU team doesn’t have the same elite star power, Izzo knows this is where he begins to shape his group for an extended postseason stay. That included extra practices since Tuesday night’s win over Toledo, 92-69.
“Some of my old guys call and say, ‘Hey, this is when we get better,’” Izzo said. “They all know the drill. They just have to fight to the end.”
Redshirt freshman forward Jesse McCulloch said practicing twice a day last year was an adjustment the newcomers might not like but would benefit from in the long run. As he did last season while absent.
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“It was really hard, especially as a freshman. Your body has to get used to it,” he said. “But now this time your body has adjusted. You just have to play hard in every practice and take every practice seriously.”
Ugly sweaters
EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 21: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans (R) talks with head coach Greg Kampe of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies before the game at Breslin Center on December 21, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
However, this game is not just about seriousness. And in what has become one of the most festive new traditions, Izzo and Kampe once again agreed to wear ugly sweaters on the sidelines during the game which usually takes place during the holiday season.
The first time they both donned their clothes was in 2022 at the Breslin Center, with Izzo sporting a green elf shirt over Kampe’s casual green and black “Merry Grinchmas” button-down number.
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After a one-year hiatus, the two coaches restarted it last year at Little Caesars Arena and took it even further. Both wore identical lime green sweaters, with stitched prints of the Grinch’s face on them, as well as the Spartans beat Oakland, 77-58then sat next to each other at a joint post-match press conference, like a pair of twins in matching outfits.
“I feel like an idiot half the time. How could you be Grinch and get a (technical foul). It’s not that much fun,” Izzo said Thursday. “It was his idea. I followed him. And now it’s become a tradition. And it’s actually a really good tradition.”
This year, it’s Izzo’s turn to choose what they’ll wear. He said he plans to give Kampe her sweater Friday, which Izzo got from her beach neighbor in West Michigan who made them from a company she works for in Chicago. Stay tuned for fun and merriment on Saturday.
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Oakland Update
November 7, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, United States; Oakland Golden Grizzlies guard Brody Robinson (55) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Jack Benter (14) during the second half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Kampe’s team played an early gantlet that began with three straight road losses: at No. 1 Michigan (121-78), No. 6 Purdue (87-77) and No. 8 Houston (78-45). The Grizzlies also lost road games to Central Florida (87-83) and Eastern Michigan (97-91).
Since that 1-5 start, Oakland has won five of six, including a 98-97 home victory over Toledo on December 6. The Grizzlies face the Spartans on short rest following Wednesday’s 82-77 road victory at Northern Kentucky.
“Kampe’s Kampe. He does an incredible job,” Izzo said of his close friend, who convinced Izzo and MSU to open Oakland Arena in 1998 to launch the rivalry after the Grizzlies moved up from Division II. “He plays in the worst zone. He keeps telling me he knows what he’s doing, but I don’t believe him. They’re confused, we’re confused, he’s confused, everyone’s confused. But he’s had success because he makes his guys play really hard.”
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Brody Robinson, a 5-foot-11 senior guard who arrived via transfer from UT-Arlington, leads Oakland with 16.3 points and 6.1 points per game as one of four players scoring in double figures. Forward Isaac Garrett, a 6-8 junior transfer from Snow College in Utah, adds 15.2 points and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds, while Michael Hogue (6-7 forward), Tuburu Naivalurua (8-8 forward) and Ziare Wells (6-6 guard) combine for 37.9 points and 15.8 rebounds and give Kampe unusual size and strength compared to some of his previous teams over the course of its 42 seasons. The Oakland coach.
Chris Solari’s prediction
Even though Kampe has a larger team than usual, the Golden Grizzlies defense has been suspect against elite competition. Expect Coen Carr to take advantage and shake off a recent slump, while Izzo once again plays the Grinch and spoils Kampe’s quest for a first series win. The choice: MSU 82, Oakland 66.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball seeks 24th straight win over Oakland
