Led by Hall of Famer Tom Izzo, Michigan State basketball looks for another 30-win season, and perhaps another national championship as well.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Michigan State basketball.
Since the COVID year, Michigan State basketball hasn’t been down by any means, but they haven’t been to the program’s standard. In four years, they went 41-38 in conference play, with zero 25-win seasons. Now, they did make the tournament all four years, including a Sweet 16, but Michigan State fans knew they could do better.
That was the case last year, when Michigan State went 30-7 and 17-3 in conference play, winning the Big Ten by an impressive three games. They didn’t have any stars, with the leading scorer averaging just 12.8 a game, but they were balanced and everyone played their roles really well, which allowed them to succeed.
From that Elite 8 team, they lose their top three scorers, including NBA first-round pick Jase Richardson, but they bring back pretty much everyone else. Coen Carr is the highest-scoring returner. Carr is maybe the most electric player in college basketball, thanks to his high-flying slams and ridiculous athleticism. We’ll talk more about him later.
They also return Jeremy Fears, the brother of top ten pick Jeremiah Fears, who has a ton of upside. Finally, they return Jaxson Kohler and Carson Cooper, the two bigs who are both entering their fourth seasons with the program.
Michigan State didn’t go hard in the portal, but they brought in a few pieces. Trey Fort is coming off a solid season at Samford and can help with their shooting ability. Kaleb Glenn is the other piece, who is coming off a solid season at FAU and can be a big spark off the bench on both ends of the floor.
Like last year, this team isn’t as sexy as some of the teams around them, but they have guys who have been in the system for a while and a Hall of Fame coach who wins, making them a threat to win the Big Ten once again.
Head coach:Â Tom Izzo (31st season overall, all at Michigan State)
2024-25 record: 30-7 (17-3)
2025 postseason finish:Â Lost to Auburn in Elite 8 of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:Â
- Jaden Akins (12.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 APG)
- Jase Richardson (12.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.9 APG)
- Tre Hollomon (9.1 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.9 RPG)
- Frankie Fidler (7.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.8 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Arkansas (Nov 8)
- vs. Kentucky (Nov. 18) – Champions Classis at MSG
- vs. Eastern Carolina (Nov. 25) – Fort Myers Classic
- vs. UNC (Nov. 27) – Fort Myers Classic
- vs. Duke (Dec. 6)
Projected Rotation
PG: Jeremy Fears Jr. (6-2, 190, So.)
2024-25 stats: 7.2 PPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 39.7 FG%, 34.2 3P%, 73.0 FT%
SG: Trey Fort (6-4, 200, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 44.8 FG%, 37.9 3P%, 73.0 FT% (Samford)
SF: Coen Carr (6-6, 225, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 8.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.7 BPG, 0.5 SPG, 61.1 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 70.1 FT%
PF: Jaxon Kohler (6-9, 245, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 7.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 BPG, 0.4 SPG, 51.9 FG%, 37.3 3P%, 82.1 FT%
C: Carson Cooper (6-11, 245, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 5.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.6 BPG, 59.8 FG%, 74.4 FT%
6: Kaleb Glenn (6-7, 220, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 12.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 53.1 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 62.4 FT% (FAU)
7: Jordan Scott (6-7, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #56-ranked recruit
8: Cam Ward (6-8, 225, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #58-ranked recruit
9: Kur Teng (6-4, 190, So.)
2024-25 stats: 0.5 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.2 APG, 2.9 MPG
10: Divine Ugochukwu (6-3, 190, So.)
2024-25 stats: 5.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, 1.9 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 48.3 FG%, 63.0 FT% (Miami-Fla)
Michigan State Basketball team MVP: Jeremy Fears Jr.
Coming out of high school, Fears was a guy this program was extremely high on. He was the #7 point guard in his class and #2 overall. In his freshman year, he was solid, but took a leap last year, starting all 35 games and averaging 7.2 PPG and 5.4 APG. He was a leader on the court for this team as a redshirt freshman and did a great job facilitating the offense. He’s not going to take a lot of shots, but he prides himself on bettering his teammates.
Defensively, the stats don’t stand out, but he can hold his own. Coming into this season with tons of experience playing with Carr, Kohler, and Cooper, he’ll be able to build off that existing chemistry and lead his team to victories.
Michigan State Basketball make-or-break player: Coen Carr
If you watch college basketball, then you know Coen Carr. His highlight reel is without a doubt the best in the country, and every game, it feels like he has a play that makes you jump out of your seat. He took a nice leap in his sophomore year, increasing his scoring by 5 points a game. He also shot 61%, which is really impressive from a non-big.
He’s still not a three-point shooter, but he showed last year that he’s more than just a dunker. He showed some impressive driving ability and also hit a couple of mid-range shots. If he can continue to build on his offensive game, that will allow the offense to move more smoothly and for his game to grow as well. With his athleticism, they’re hoping he takes a leap on defense as well. If he can go from a good to a great defender, it’ll be hard to take him off the court.
Key analytic: Opponent Three Point %
In the modern era of basketball, being able to make three pointers is so important to succeeding. Michigan State was far from great at that, finishing 319th in three-point percent, but they more than made up for it on the defensive end, allowing opponents to shoot just 28.0% from three, second best in the country.
At home, opponents shot 26.8% from three, and that’s what allowed this team to succeed last year. If they can do so again this year, they’ll have no problem winning and frustrating their opponents on any given night.
Michigan State Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 5th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NCAA Tournament Elite 8 exit