With the Big Ten title out of reach for the Michigan State Spartans (22) are trying to get back on track as the regular season winds down, but their opponents, the Iowa Hawkeyes (24) are trying to do the same.

Both teams could conceivably be dropped from the AP top 25 with a loss in this game. Iowa will finish its season Saturday, hosting Illinois and Michigan State will finish Sunday on the road against Ohio State.

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The Spartans March 1 loss to Illinois was the first they had lost consecutive games all season. After starting the season 18-1, Michigan State has gone 4-6 since losing to Michigan on Jan. 25.

"This team has been through a lot, but I didn't see this coming," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said after the Illinois loss, according to ESPN. "There's no excuse for that. We practiced harder than they played. Like I said, I'll throw myself under the bus - that's inexcusable, ridiculous. There are just too many things these guys have had to go through, so maybe a slap in the face is good for us."

Michigan State is also trying to avoid losing three straight home games for the first time in 17 years. Iowa, on the other hand, just ended a three-game losing streak with a win over Purdue. Another team that has spun its wheels in the latter half of the season, the Hawkeyes are likely to make the tournament, but need to play better now in order to have any sort of chance at winning.

"They are just good," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Izzo's squad, according to ESPN. "I don't think there's anything specific that you're going to say that they have done or we haven't done. You've just got to give them credit."

Thursday's matchup could be an entertaining clash of two talented scorers. Gary Harris lead the Spartans with 17.9 points per game and Roy Marble leads the Hawkeyes with 17.1 points per game.

Last time these two teams played, on Jan. 28, Michigan State won 71-69 in overtime, but Marble was the game-high scorer with 21 points.