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Medved Praises Gophers' Resilience, Criticizes 'Dirty' Play by MSU's Fears
Minnesota pulled off an epic upset win over No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday night.
Feb. 7, 2026 at 5:31pm
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Gophers head coach Niko Medved said the final minutes of the team's stunning upset of No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday were a "long three minutes." Despite giving up 21 points over the final three minutes to a top-ranked team, the Gophers were able to hold on for their third ranked win of the season — and their third court storm to follow. Medved credited a "really resilient group" with being able to see out the hard-fought win.
Why it matters
The win snapped a seven-game losing streak that featured numerous instances of Minnesota battling tough in the first half but losing energy in the second half, and letting the lead slip away late. As the minutes were ticking down and the Spartans were making shot after shot, it felt like a familiar script for fans and players alike. Medved noted that after numerous close defeats, his team and the fans needed a win like that.
The details
Medved joked that junior forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson "probably needed an hour ice bath" after the game. Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from three, in 35 minutes of action. Another player Medved credited with a big performance was senior guard Langston Reynolds, who had the unenviable task of guarding Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. Reynolds had 14 points and 8 assists in 37 minutes.
- On February 5, 2026, Minnesota upset No. 10 Michigan State.
- The game was played at the Williams Arena.
The players
Niko Medved
The head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson
A junior forward for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who led the team with 22 points in the upset win over Michigan State.
Langston Reynolds
A senior guard for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who had 14 points and 8 assists while guarding Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr.
Jeremy Fears Jr.
The star point guard for the Michigan State Spartans who was criticized for his physical and "dirty" play during the game against Minnesota.
Tom Izzo
The head coach of the Michigan State Spartans who publicly questioned whether he would start Jeremy Fears Jr. in the team's next game due to his behavior.
What they’re saying
“I mean, they keep coming back, giving themselves chances to win. But yeah, it all happened so fast. We're up 16 with three minutes to go and, boy, it just started to go the other way. You got to give Michigan State a lot of credit. They threw in some shots. You're trying not to foul but you still have to play defense. You don't want them to score quickly. But you just focus on, even as a coach, 'Hey, we got to make the next play.' And I kept feeling like once we get the ball inbounds, make enough free throws, we were going to find a way to get a win. Boy I'll tell you what, it felt good when that buzzer went off.”
— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers
“Our group needed it. They kept battling and had a chance to win so many of these games. We've been heartbroken. I mean, a couple of overtime losses, been walked off at the buzzer twice. So, to come out there again against a team like that and perform the way we did, we earned that (win). We led wire-to-wire. Great mindset. So, even though it got a little hairy at the end, I thought we outplayed them and we definitely deserved to win last night.”
— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers
“The first thing is you got to make sure the officials and other people are aware of what's going on. And obviously everybody is. Sometimes some of those plays can be hard to catch live, it happens really quick. And listen, he's a great player. He's a tough kid. He's a competitor. He definitely crosses a line in several instances.”
— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers
“I give our guys a lot of credit, but (Fears) is a tough guy to play against and officiate. I'm sure Coach (Tom Izzo) will help get him under control because some of those plays are dangerous, and there's just no place for it.”
— Niko Medved, Head Coach, Minnesota Golden Gophers
What’s next
The Gophers are back in action on Sunday as home favorites against Maryland. It's a 1 p.m. CT game on BTN.
The takeaway
This win not only lifts the mood in the Minnesota locker room but also restores and builds belief in what Medved, in his first year with the program, is trying to do in turning the Gophers into a competitive Big Ten team. The resilience and toughness shown by Minnesota in holding off a late Michigan State rally proves they can compete with the conference's elite.
