The Spartans might be facing the toughest road environment of the season.
on Thursday . Mackey Arena has been MSU's "house of horrors" in recent memory, as the team has lost seven straight times to the Boilermakers there --- the last win in West Lafayette, Ind., came in February 2014.
Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper passes the ball during the NCAA men s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORKsaid Tuesday. "I don't know what to expect . I just know it's gonna be loud, it's gonna be rowdy, I know they're going to feed off the energy from the crowd." A large percentage of MSU's roster doesn't truly know what to expect. The only players on the roster that played during the Spartans' last game at Mackey on March 2, 2024, are "They've got a great environment out there," Carr, now a junior, said. "The crowd is crazy. And when I played, the problem was Zach Edey, too, when I played there . That was tough. But yeah, they've got a great crowd. They always play good there." Michigan State has also been trying to simulate the wall of crowd noise it'll be going up against on Thursday. During practices, the team often blasts audio of a crowd while the team is going through offensive sets. Michigan State's Coen Carr speaks about an upcoming game at Purdue during a press availability at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI "It helps a lot," Carr said about that practice. "It just gets you used to it. We always try to do it when we go into arenas like that, that are known to be loud and are known to have a great crowd. So yeah, we just try to get used to talking while there's noise and still be able to play tired when it's loud and stuff like that." The 7-foot-3 Edey is in the NBA now, but that doesn't mean Purdue's frontcourt has taken much of a step back.also runs the five, averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting a Big Ten-best 72.1% from the field . Not to mention that the Big Ten's all-time leader in assists,"We've got a big task at hand, as far as the bigs, of course, with Cluff and Kaufman-Renn," Ward said. "Those are two of the best bigs in the Big Ten. Probably one of the better bigs in the country." Purdue is 12-3 at home this season. All three teams the Boilermakers have lost to in West Lafayette are teams currently ranked inside the AP top 10 as well . We'll see how the Spartans end up handling it. Michigan State's Cam Ward, center, celebrates after a dunk against Illinois during the first half on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's upcoming game vs. Purdue when you join our community group, Go Green Go White,Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news.A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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