The Wisconsin Badgers are playing the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington tomorrow, but next week they'll be hosting the Michigan State Spartans. Tom Izzo announced today a major injury news update that will drastically hurt the Spartans down the stretch. Divine Ugochukwu will have to have season-ending surgery.
This is a big blow for the Spartans, who have already tumbled in the last two games with him in the lineup. He's a sophomore transfer who averages 16.1 minutes per game and backs up the starting guards, especially Jeremy Fears Jr.
Izzo says Divine Ugochukwu will have surgery next week and will miss the rest of the season for MSU.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 6, 2026
Divine Ugochukwu is out for the season changing the complexity of the Spartans
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Izzo was already talking about benching Fears if he can't get his emotions in check after two games in a row in which the point guard was caught trying to trip opponents. While that was more of a threat than a reality, it seems as if that ship may have sailed with Ugochukwu's injury news.
The Spartans are only two games back of the top of the Big Ten and need to rebound after losing the last two games to No. 3 Michigan and Minnesota. They have No. 5 Illinois next, and then get to take on Wisconsin with a little extra rest. It could be an angry Spartan team if they drop to the Illini, which is very possible.
While this injury news may in fact help the teams around them and those that are next on the schedule (like Wisconsin), the Spartans are still going to be hard to beat. Especially if they drop three in a row.
While the injury news is terrible and you never wish for injuries for any team, it does present an opportunity for the Badgers. However, if they are riding a three-game losing streak, Izzo's squad will be scrapping and clawing for a win coming into the Kohl Center next week.