Happy New Year’s from everyone at Spartans Wire!
The year of 2022 was an up-and-down one for Michigan State sports, with some notable wins (on and off the field) as well as some disappointing losses. We aren’t going to dwell on the negatives here, and are ready to recap some of the more memorable moments from 2022 before turning our focus to the new year.
Check out some of the top sports Michigan State sports moments in chronological order from the 2022 year below:
MSU men's basketball blows out rival Michigan
Anytime you beat your rival, it’s going to be memorable. That’s what happened in mid-January when the Spartans men’s basketball team beat the Michigan Wolverines with ease in a 83-67 victory at the Breslin Center.
MSU women's basketball upsets rival No. 4 Michigan
There weren’t a ton of highlights for the Michigan State women’s basketball team in 2022, but one notable moment was on Feb. 10 when the Spartans upset No. 4 Michigan. Knocking off a rival is always memorable (as I previously noted) and beating them as a big underdog made it even sweeter for the Spartans.
Tyson Walker hits buzzer-beater to knock off No. 4 Purdue
Michigan State men’s basketball hit a rough patch down the stretch and was in dire needed of a marquee win late in the year to help secure a NCAA Tournament bid. That’s exactly what happened when Tyson Walker hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to push the Spartans to a 68-65 upset win over No. 4 Purdue in late February.
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Former Spartan Ray Brehm wins PGA Tour event
In early March, former Spartan Ryan Brehm won the Puerto Rico Open at the Grand Reserve Country Club (Old) located in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. This was the first PGA Tour tournament win for Brehm.
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Tom Izzo becomes winningest coach in Big Ten history
Michigan State men’s basketball closed out the regular season with a victory over Maryland on March 6, and with the win head coach Tom Izzo became the winningest coach in Big Ten history. The win over the Terps was Izzo’s 663rd with the Spartans, which surpassed Bob Knight as most at a Big Ten university.
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MSU men's basketball beats Davidson in NCAA Tournament
Michigan State reached the NCAA Tournament for the 24th consecutive season (when the tournament was held), and earned a victory over No. 10 seed Davidson in the first round. The matchup between the Spartans and Wildcats was back-and-forth all evening, with Michigan State prevailing in the end. The Spartans’ season would end two days later in a narrow defeat to No. 2 seed Duke.
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Former Spartan James Piot competes in the Masters
Michigan State was represented in arguably the world’s most iconic golf tournament in 2022 when James Piot competed in the Masters. He missed the cut but as amateur competing that was somewhat expected and still a memorable event for the Spartans and their golf program.
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Kenneth Walker III is drafted by Seattle Seahawks
Kenneth Walker III’s amazing 2021 season for Michigan State was probably the top Spartans sports moment of that year so it was only fitting he be rewarded in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Seattle Seahawks selected Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and he has gone on to have a very successful rookie season out west.
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MSU hockey hires Adam Nightingale as next head coach
Michigan State moved on from Danton Cole as the head coach of the men’s hockey program, and officially hired Adam Nightingale in early March. Nightingale was previously with the United States National Team Development Program as their head coach before coming to Michigan State.
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Former Spartan Brandon Hughes called up to MLB
Former Michigan State pitcher Brandon Hughes got the call up to the big leagues in May, joining the Chicago Cubs. Hughes appeared in 57 games for Chicago this past season, finishing with a 2-3 record and 3.12 earned run average.
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Former Spartan Draymond Green wins another NBA title
Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors captured another NBA Championship in June, with Green playing a pivotal role again. It was the fourth NBA Championship for Green.
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Pirates call up former Spartan Cam Vieaux
Former Michigan State Spartans pitcher Cam Vieaux made his MLB debut in June, appearing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vieaux played in eight games in 2022 for the Pirates, and finished with a 10.38 earned run average.
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5-star C Xavier Booker commits to MSU men's basketball
Michigan State basketball made a big splash in the 2023 recruiting cycle when five-star center Xavier Booker committed to the Spartans in late July. Booker is ranked as the top center and No. 3 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2023 class.
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MSU football beats Wisconsin in OT
There weren’t a ton of highlights for the Spartans on the gridiron this year, but beating Wisconsin in overtime was one of them. The Spartans were able to snap a four-game losing streak and give them life heading into a bye week before facing rival Michigan.
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MSU women's soccer wins first ever Big Ten Championship
The Spartans women’s soccer team captured the program’s first ever Big Ten championship this fall in what ended up being a historic season for Michigan State. They were also ranked in the top five nationally and picked up their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2008.
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MSU football upsets Illinois as three-possession underdog
Michigan State football was in relative turmoil after losing to rival Michigan and a postgame altercation with the Wolverines in the tunnel on Oct. 29. With everything going on, many didn’t expect the Spartans to rally and beat Illinois as a 17-point underdog, but that’s exactly what happened.
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Spartans outlast Kentucky for overtime victory in Champions Classic
Michigan State men’s basketball used some late-game heroics to overcome a late game deficit and stun Kentucky in the Champions Classic. The Spartans needed game-tying buckets in the final seconds of regulation and overtime to help secure the big-time victory over the Wildcats.
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MSU hockey snaps losing streak against rival Michigan in front of sellout crowd
Michigan State hockey was able to keep their hot start to the 2022-23 season going in early December with a 2-1 victory over rival Michigan. The win was in front of a sellout crowd at Munn Ice Arena and snapped a six-game skid against the Wolverines.
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MSU football signs top 25 recruiting class
The on-field results weren’t great for Michigan State in 2022 but that wasn’t the case in recruiting. The Spartans were able to secure a top 25 class despite only signing 15 prospects in the 2023 class. They also signed a record number of four-star prospects, with nine commits.
MSU football off to fast start in 2024 recruiting cycle
In the past week, Michigan State picked up another 2024 four-star commit in cornerback Jaylen Thompson. He’s already the third commit to Michigan State in the 2024 class — all of which are four-star prospects. It’s very early in the 2024 recruiting cycle, but the Spartans are off to a great start.
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