Michigan
Michigan State, its stars looking for next gear to wrap Big Ten play
East Lansing — There are four things that 27 straight NCAA Tournament berths have taught Michigan State coach Tom Izzo
- Don’t take it for granted
- Play your best basketball at the end of the year
- Defend to win
- Don’t turn the ball over
There are still five games to get through — including Sunday’s Breslin Center tilt with Ohio State — before Izzo notches his 28th NCAA Tournament bid. His 15th-ranked Spartans are all but in at this point. If anything, that makes these next few games crunch time. These are the weeks that Michigan State wants to shift to the next gear needed for elimination basketball, an opportunity presented by this current two-game homestand.
“What helps is to be focused in at this time of year,” Izzo said Friday after practice. “It gets to be a long year, you know. It’s long for you guys. Definitely long for the officials. It’s definitely long for the head coaches. And so staying focused on the task at hand is still almost as important as anything. But rest is one of those parts that helps you.”
Michigan State (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) shrugged off a skid of three losses in four games with a resounding 82-59 win at Breslin Center on Tuesday. The captains found their groove, including more excellence from Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr. Defense carried a 26-3 run in the first half including an 18-0 run nested inside it. Shots that hadn’t fallen all year went through the hoop for a season-high 14 3s.
The homestand continues Tuesday against an Ohio State (17-9, 9-6) team that is trying to jockey for NCAA Tournament seeding, with current ESPN projections listing a 70% chance Jake Diebler’s squad will make it in. The group is led by physical guard Bruce Thornton — an increasingly rare career Buckeye — with complementary pieces in John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal. The Buckeyes’ 49.0% field goal percentage ranks 28th in Division I, while a 3-point defense allowing just 30.9% ranks 41st. It will be a tough matchup, but not unlike others in similar stature the Spartans have handled this season such as Iowa, UCLA and Indiana.
As much as Michigan State still wants to see a win on the scoreboard after Sunday’s game, what it really wants to see is progress. The kind of postseason form that Izzo usually gets out of his best teams in the home stretch. There are a few areas he wants to see particular improvements, particularly with respect to turnovers.
“I went back and looked at all the teams this week in the top 25,” Izzo said. “There’s some teams now, I think Houston is like six or seven (turnovers). When you’re that ridiculously low, teams that are high — and we’re one of them — taking it down a little bit, we’re one of them. I think that’s gotta be cleaned up or it could be a problem in the Tournament, because every possession matters.”
Individually, there are some players who want to take steps, too. Edging his way out of a month-long slump with a big first-half burst against UCLA, forward Jaxon Kohler is figuring out how to work with the double-team looks that teams have thrown at him all season. The floor-stretching senior says it’s a matter of respect to him to face those kinds of looks. It only serves to open up a teammate when he gets swarmed.
“If they want to double team me, that’s their choice,” Kohler said. “I mean, it’s physical, but that’s my role on this team is to be the physical guy, you know, the dirty work guy. And even though it is taxing at some point, like I said earlier, it’s a mental battle. You have to convince yourself that I’m not fatigued, I’m not taxed. This is what I do every day, and this is how I play the game, and it’s competitive.”
That mental battle can have big implications on games in March.
“If they want to try to be more physical than me or try to push me harder, then I’m gonna push them harder, you know,” Kohler continued. “I’m gonna raise my game. I’m gonna raise my stakes. And at this point of the year, you have to kind of find another gear to push yourself toward to make sure that you can out-tough them.”
Michigan State will need everything it can get out of Kohler when the games come with no guarantees. Just when he has made progress in one area of his game, he has to take more steps. It actually excited him, he says, to know the clear progression of where his game can expand.
“That’s the next step to my game, I feel like, is if the shot isn’t quite there, what do I do from there?” Kohler said. “… I understand too, that I’m not gonna go crazy right now and start doing things that no one’s ever seen. But … if I have a chance to develop a good pump fake, one-two shot, mid-range shot, I’m going to work on that, because I know teams are going to be closed down really heavy.”
For Fears — whose All-Big Ten and player of the year candidacy took some hits when a few temperamental plays caught scorn from the public and Michigan coach Dusty May — there’s another level to claim, too. He’s been lightning most of this season, leading the country with 9.3 assists and averaging 15.1 points per game on top of that. Yet teams have lived with his 3-point shooting all season, which he made UCLA pay for with a career high four 3-pointers.
“We all have a goal. We all have a thing we’re trying to do. And in order for that, you have to be utmost focused,” Fears said. “Put in extra time and do everything ‘why not?’ You know, you’re guaranteed a month and a half of this season left. So why not lay it all out there and try to string together some games and be playing your best basketball as a team?
Where the Spartans go in March, Fears will lead them. That’s an expectation for all parties in East Lansing.
If there is a next gear for this team, part of it may have to do with communication. For most of the season, Izzo has been looking for certain players — especially his shooting guards — to find their voices. That’s an ongoing process, but an important one.
“We’ve still gotta grow in that area,” Izzo said. “We’re growing in a lot of areas. We’ve had a good couple of days. What does that mean? We’ll see.”
Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan State
▶ Tipoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Breslin Center, East Lansing
▶ Records: Michigan State is 21-5, 11-4 Big Ten. Ohio State is 17-9, 9-6
▶ TV/radio: CBS/760
▶ Outlook: Ohio State needs a win like this to further cement its NCAA Tournament status in what would be Jake Diebler’s first appearance in his third year on the job. Michigan State is jockeying for position behind rival Michigan in the Big Ten standings, also looking to bolster its March Madness resume, currently projected to be a No. 4 seed.
cearegood@detroitnews.com
@ConnorEaregood
Michigan
Michigan immigration advocates react after Supreme Court ruling on Temporary Protected Status
Twenty-four thousand immigrants in Michigan have Temporary Protected Status (TPS), but a recent Supreme Court decision could put their protection in jeopardy.
TPS is a humanitarian protection granted to U.S. immigrants fleeing dangerous situations in their home countries, often from natural disasters or political instability. The status allows immigrants from the designated countries to live and work in the U.S.
The Supreme Court overturned those for 356,000 Haitians and Syrians in a recent decision. While the court’s decision directly impacted Haitian and Syrian immigrants, it also established that the Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to determine TPS status without judicial review or input from the courts.
That means that the Secretary of Homeland Security can eliminate TPS for any immigrant group that is currently in the U.S. under protection. That puts 1.3 million immigrants in the U.S. at risk of deportation. In Florida, 113,000 healthcare workers with TPS are at risk of deportation. The Haitian population in Philadelphia is also expressing concerns about what comes next for them.
“The Supreme Court turned its back on our moral and legal commitments to people seeking safety,” said Christine Sauvé, manager of Policy and Communication at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “The decision eliminates legal protections for people fleeing danger and allows the Trump Administration to really advance its mass deportation agenda.”
Left without the ability to live or work in the U.S., these Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS now face deportation. But going back home could still be incredibly dangerous.
“It’s not really an option to go back to their home country,” said Melanie Goldberg, immigration attorney with the Institute of Metro Detroit. “In the case of Haiti, they don’t even have an airport in Port-au-Prince that’s operational. Yet they say it’s safe for these citizens to go back.”
In Michigan, immigrants with TPS have contributed $349 million to the state’s economy, a sign that they are deeply embedded in the community, according to Sauvé.
“Many TPS holders have been in our communities for a very long time,” Sauvé said. “They’ve really spent decades building their lives here in Michigan. We welcomed them here, only to see that completely ripped away with the stroke of a pen.”
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center encourages Haitian and Syrian immigrants with TPS, as well as any immigrants in the U.S. with a TPS designation, to seek out a qualified legal service provider and review the “Know Your Rights” Materials on the MIRC’s website
Michigan
Sherrone Moore’s former assistant sues University of Michigan over alleged FOIA violations
A former University of Michigan assistant whose relationship with ex-coach Sherrone Moore was under investigation is accusing university officials of refusing to provide records related to the probe.
Paige Shiver filed the lawsuit on Wednesday in Washtenaw Circuit Court, claiming that U of M “arbitrarily and capriciously” violated the Michigan Freedom of Information Act by repeatedly denying her requests. Shiver and her legal team are seeking a court order requiring the university to disclose the records.
The lawsuit also alleges that throughout Shiver’s four-year employment with U of M, she was “discriminated against and subjected to a hostile work environment on the basis of her sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Michigan law including Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act.”
“The lawsuit filed today demands transparency and accountability from the University of Michigan, President Grasso and the Board of Regents,” said Shiver’s attorney, Andrew M. Stroth.
On Wednesday, CBS News Detroit reached out to U of M, which says it has no comment.
The investigation led to Moore’s firing in December 2025. At the time, it was determined that he was in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, who was later identified as Shiver.
Moore was arrested hours later after authorities said he went to Shiver’s home and threatened to harm himself. He was charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering. Moore was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after pleading no contest to the two misdemeanor charges.
According to the lawsuit, Shiver filed a FOIA request in February 2026 for audio, video and transcripts of interviews of herself, her father, Jeff Shiver, and Moore. The lawsuit alleges that the university denied her request, citing the ongoing investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that Shiver submitted a similar request months later, in June, but was told by the university that it was “overly broad and vague” and “does not describe a ‘public record sufficiently to enable the public body to find the public record.’”
The lawsuit claims that requests were submitted in March and May, respectively, for all emails sent to the law firm Jenner & Block (UMconcerns@jenner.com) and for recordings of Shiver’s meetings by the university through Jenner & Block. However, those requests were denied because the university cited that it had no responsive records, according to the lawsuit.
The law firm was hired by U of M to investigate Moore and Shiver’s relationship. The university later expanded the investigation to include the athletic department.
The lawsuit also claims that Shiver requested copies of emails between Moore and athletic director Warde Manuel that contained the words “affair,” “discipline,” “pregnancy,” “baby” and “abortion.” The university denied the request, citing the communication between U of M employees as “exempt information,” according to the lawsuit.
However, Shiver’s legal team argued that the university has not shown evidence that the emails are exempt.
“This public university paid Jenner & Block $12 million to investigate the Sherrone Moore scandal and the abuse, Title IX and Title VII violations within the athletic department and Schembechler Hall, yet now refuses to release the investigation’s findings. It was important for our client to file this initial FOIA lawsuit to ensure the truth and facts come out,” Stroth said.
Shiver appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in April to discuss her relationship with Moore. In the interview, she said she became pregnant by Moore and sought an abortion after medical complications were discovered about the pregnancy.
Note: The video above previously aired on April 14, 2026.
Michigan
‘Big Brother’ season 28 to premiere this week. One guest from Michigan
Meet the 3 New Jersey contestants on ‘Big Brother’ 28
Three New Jersey contestants are joining ‘Big Brother’ Season 28. Meet the Maplewood, Washington Township and Monroe Township houseguests.
Doors will to the “Big Brother” house will open soon, as season 28 premieres this week — and the cast list includes one guest from northern Michigan.
At 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, “Big Brother” season 28 will premiere on CBS to introduce the new guests in a 90-minute episode.
“This season’s cast includes an MMA fighter, rocket scientist, game show host, daughter of an ’80s pop star, and a DRAG RACE All Star, among others,” CBS said in a July 7 announcement. “This new group of Houseguests is stepping into a summer where nothing is as it seems, where every twist rewrites the rules, and where time becomes the ultimate twist.”
There is one Michigan guest, Rome Seymour, 28, who works as a professional pickleball coach from Traverse City.
“I would describe myself as bashful, extroverted and extremely excitable. To be on ‘Big Brother’ is a dream. I’ve never felt anything as exiting as this before,” Seymour said in the “Big Brother” July 7 live cast announcement video.
Seymour said he will use his inner nerdiness to befriend and protect guests who are perhaps similar.
“I see myself as hero, but I think a lot of people in the house are going to see me as a villain just because I’m so competitive that I want to win,” Seymour said.
After the 14 guests were revealed by CBS, the cast was said to be joined by long-time “Survivor” contestant Rick Devens, according to a July 7 Entertainment Weekly article.
Here’s more on the cast and how to tune in this week:
What is ‘Big Brother’ about? What is the theme for season 28?
“Big Brother,” is a reality TV show that follows a group of people living in a large house surrounded by 112 cameras and 113 microphones as an unfiltered 24-hour live feed to capture every interaction, strategic move and challenge.
A guest will be voted off each week, and the last remaining guest will win the grand prize of $750,000, according to CBS.
The theme for season 28 is called, “Time Trip,” according to Sneak Peak from Paramount+.
Is anyone from Michigan on ‘Big Brother’ season 28?
Yes. There is one guest from Michigan on season 28 of “Big Brother:” Rome Seymour, 28, is a professional pickleball coach from Traverse City, located in the northwest Lower Peninsula.
Full ‘Big Brother’ season 28 cast list
Here is the full guest list for “Big Brother” season 28:
- Rick Devens, 42: TV journalist and long-time “Survivor” contestant from Blacksburg, Virginia.
- Jason De Puy, 35: Drag Queen and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum from San Francisco, California.
- Ashley Trail, 24: Bartender from Alton, Illinois.
- Barrett Pfeiffer, 27: Jumbotron Engineer from Benton, Arkansas.
- Chuk Anyanwu, 27: Supply Chain Analyst from Dallas, Texas.
- Drew Campbell, 22: Surgical Dental Assistant from Temecula, California.
- Haley Thogmartin, 29: Telemedicine Executive from Neosho, Missouri.
- Rome Seymour, 28: Pickleball Coach from Traverse City, Michigan.
- Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk, 32: MMA Fighter from Phoenix, Arizona.
- LaTrice Verrett, 57: Boutique Salesperson from Kankakee, Illinois.
- Lyric Medeiros, 25: Attorney from Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Mallory Aurichio, 24: Rocket Scientist from Township of Washington, New Jersey.
- Melody Morris, 24: Corporate Game Show Host from Thornton, Colorado.
- Taylor Brown, 27: Elementary School Counselor from Deerfield Beach, Florida.
- Yash Patel, 24: Financial Analyst from Monroe Township, New Jersey.
What time does ‘Big Brother’ season 28 premiere?
The 90-minute “Big Brother” season 28 premiere is set to air at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 9.
“Big Brother: Unlocked,” will air at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, July 10, and a 90-minute episode will air at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 12.
Where can I stream the ‘Big Brother’ premiere this week?
“Big Brother” Season 28 will air on CBS and will be available on Paramount+ Premium, priced at $13.99 per month.
Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to catch the episode the day after it airs.
Following the season premiere this week, the series will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by hour-long shows on Thursdays, featuring live evictions, and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
USA TODAY contributed.
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
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