There aren’t many venues in college sports that terrify Spartan fans more than Mackey Arena. The last time that Michigan State basketball won at Mackey, Jordan Scott and Cam Ward were six years old. They were basically kindergarteners the last time Tom Izzo was able to pull a win out in West Lafayette. Let that sink in for a second.
Mackey has been a house of horrors for Izzo and Michigan State, and it’s been over a decade since the Spartans last won in West Lafayette. Honestly, it feels even longer.
The 22-5 Spartans will be tasked with going to Mackey Arena on Thursday evening, searching for that first win there since before Cassius Winston was even a thing.
It’s been ages since Michigan State last won at Mackey. Are the Spartans due?
Michigan State hasn’t won at Mackey since the Gary Harris era
The last time Michigan State won at Mackey Arena was in 2014 when Gary Harris and Co. silenced the usually-hostile crowd with a 15-point win, 94-79. Harris had himself a day, dropping 25 points while Adreian Payne had 23. The Spartans were 17-for-32 in that one.
Interestingly enough, Michigan State was 22-5 and ranked No. 13 in the country the last time it won at Mackey Arena, and that’s the exact situation this time around. That makes for some good juju.
Izzo is well aware of his Mackey woes, and he told the media on Tuesday that Purdue has just been really good essentially since he’s been coaching Michigan State. The reason he hasn’t won at Mackey is because the Boilermakers are always competitive and that student section feeds off the team, and vice versa. It feels like Purdue is always red-hot against the Spartans at home.
If there’s any year that Michigan State can win at Mackey, though, it’s this season. The Boilermakers have proven to be beatable at home, losing to Iowa State (by 23), Illinois, and Michigan on their own floor. Michigan State could follow their blueprint and pick up a huge win.
This win would be huge for the Spartans because it wouldn’t just end a decade-long drought, but it would give Michigan State a leg up in that chase for a 3-seed.
A lot is on the line in this huge battle at Mackey.