Overview
- Freshman Cam Ward delivered 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, with Coen Carr adding 15 points and seven boards for the Spartans.
- Michigan State grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 second-chance points, finishing +18 in the paint despite poor perimeter shooting.
- Jeremy Fears Jr. drew a foul on a late 3-point attempt and sank two free throws with 43.2 seconds left to restore a three-point edge as Arkansas missed potential tying shots.
- Carson Cooper scored nine after halftime, hit the go-ahead free throw, and secured a pivotal defensive rebound and block in the closing stretch.
- The result moved Michigan State to 2-0 and Arkansas to 1-1 in a nationally televised Izzo–Calipari matchup at the Breslin Center, with Razorbacks freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas scoring 16 each.