CHICAGO — Michigan State wants to be among the nation's best. It sure looks like it now.

The fifth-ranked Spartans made an emphatic statement on Tuesday night, leading wire-to-wire in a massive 79-73 victory against No. 2 Duke at the United Center. This snaps a three-game losing streak to the Blue Devils, the first such win since Dec. 1, 2020. It was Jeremy Fears Jr. who led the way, per usual, finishing with 18 points and 11 assists.

MSU felt pretty in control nearly the entire time against a team with more talent and size, which is part of what makes this result so huge for the Spartans' outlook. There is certainly a lot more to analyze from the Spartans' big win. Here are three instant takeaways from Chicago:

MSU Can Match Up With Anybody

The big thing to watch in this game was whether it seemed like Michigan State was playing on its heels or on its toes. MSU was constantly playing from behind during its games against elite-level competition last year, including its home game against these Blue Devils.

Well, the Spartans quickly grabbed the upper hand with an 11-2 run to open up this year's matchup against Duke. They were the ones who felt in charge early, which felt very different than last season's matchup, either game against Michigan, and then the Sweet Sixteen loss to UConn. They seemed to be on their toes from that point on.

Michigan State and Tom Izzo have been open that the goal is to be there at the 2027 Final Four in Detroit, and then maybe take a game or two there while they're at it. Matching up against perhaps the most loaded and/or talented roster in the country was going to be a heck of a litmus test for how equipped the Spartans are to do that right now.

That game is certainly a pass. The worry was that Duke's frontcourt was too big and too skilled for MSU's big men to handle. Instead, it felt like the Spartans' backcourt was the best unit in this game. Michigan State's frontcourt didn't even play *that* well. Work will still have to be done in that area, but the Spartans' backcourt seems good enough to get them past any team in the country.

This is only the first of many huge tests for the Spartans. They've still got games against No. 11 Tennessee, No. 14 Gonzaga, and No. 19 Arkansas remaining on their non-conference schedule alone. Duke is Duke, though. One can never know for sure this early what a team truly has, but the Blue Devils are one program that should pretty securely be among the nation's elite.

Scott's Defensive Impact Hard to Understate

Jordan Scott may have been MSU's most valuable player during this one from his defense alone. He was just everywhere, blowing up so many things Duke was trying to do. Scott had five (!!!) blocks in just the first half, overpowering his previous career high of... two.

Things just look different when Michigan State has him on that end. Scott's presence makes things much, much easier for everyone else around him, with his motor, ability to guard positions 1-4, and length. This event is viewed by millions and millions of people, including perhaps every NBA franchise. Don't be surprised if more NBA teams do more homework on Scott, or if he pops up on some mock drafts following this performance.

It's really hard to truly quantify the value Scott has on this team. He's certainly playing like Michigan State's second-best player at the moment (behind Jeremy Fears Jr.), and one can only wonder how much higher Scott can climb during his sophomore season with the program.

Ward Shows Resolve

MSU needed a response from sophomore Cam Ward. He'd really been struggling during the exhibition games and in the team's first two actual games of the season. This was also an interesting matchup game that didn't entirely favor Ward, given all the size Duke boasted in its frontcourt.

Alas, Ward played his best game that we've really seen from him up to this point in the season. That first half was just what Ward needed. He looked more assertive, like the player Izzo said he could be this year. A reminder: Ward was probably set to be the starting power forward before it became relatively apparent that freshman Jasiah Jervis needed to start. MSU needs Ward to be like this as much as possible. This performance against an elite opponent should bring a nice confidence boost.