2025-26 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Michigan State Spartans

  • 18h ago
 

Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.

Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin, USC, Ohio State

Today: Michigan State (30-7 overall in 2024-25, 17-3 in Big Ten play)

Last season was another year of Tom Izzo’s team cruising to success like clockwork. The Spartans bruised their way to the Big Ten regular season title, earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and made an Elite Eight run before falling short to No. 1 seed Auburn. After surpassing Bob Knight as the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach in conference play, Izzo returns for year 31 in East Lansing.

Michigan State’s roster movement

Players returning with eligibility: Jeremy Fears, Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Kur Teng, Jesse McCulloch

Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Szymon Zapala, Frankie Fidler, Jaden Akins

Players departing for the NBA draft: Jase Richardson

Players departing via transfer portal: Tre Holloman (to NC State), Xavier Booker (to UCLA), Gehrig Normand (to Santa Clara)

Players arriving via transfer portal: Kaleb Glenn (from Florida Atlantic), Divine Ugochukwu (from Miami, FL), Trey Fort (from Samford), Denham Wojcik (from Harvard)

Players arriving from high school: Jordan Scott (247sports Composite top 55), Cam Ward (247sports Composite top 60)

Izzo does not like to resort to the transfer portal, but he was forced to this offseason. The Spartans lose their top three guards and leading scorers in Akins, Richardson and Holloman. Ugochukwu and Fort add guard depth while Glenn does so at the wing position, but Izzo is betting on potential more than production with these pickups. All six returnees are significant for Michigan State. Fears improved steadily and should take a big leap next year and Carr will need to become a consistently reliable option. Newcomers Cam Ward and Jordan Scott could be expected to make an early impact as well. The Spartans are currently at 12 scholarship players.

What to like about Michigan State

Need there be much more than Tom Izzo? The veteran coach not only knows how to win, he especially does in the Big Ten. It often doesn’t matter what roster or schedule Izzo is dealing with, he finds a way. With familiarity with half of this group, Izzo – arguably the conference’s best coach – shouldn’t have too many problems.

There aren’t a ton of good shooters on this roster, but it’s better than last season’s team and should be enough to space the floor to open the lane for drives. Incoming transfers Glenn and Fort had good percentages with solid volume last year and that does a lot to help Coen Carr get easier pathways to the rim. Last year the Spartans were dead last in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage and this squad shouldn’t be as bad.

Defense and transition were some of the keys that made up for last year’s poor shooting and they look to be strengths again. The fast break will always excel with Carr on the floor to rim run and the Spartans project second in the conference and top-10 nationally in Bart Torvik’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

What to question with Michigan State

This team heavily relies on the progression and emergence of potential, both from returning players and incoming guys. Kur Teng and Jesse McCulloch are the biggest question marks, both of whom expected to be pivotal bench pieces this year with little experience to show for it. Even among the proven players like Fears and Carr, they will need to rise another level as the roster’s top players. If several leaps aren’t made, Michigan State could be a work in progress.

Fort figures to start at the two with Teng as back up, but as mentioned that is a big risk to take without having a little more depth insurance.

The uber-athletic Carr figures to be among the top offensive options, but is he ready for that role? It’s not an obvious answer of who would get the ball in a late moment and that’s a concern. There’s nothing wrong with a balanced team, but someone will have to step up when it matters.

Michigan State’s outlook for the 2025-26 season

Home: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA, USC

Away: Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, Wisconsin

Home/Away: Indiana, Michigan, Rutgers

Michigan State currently projects as fifth in the Big Ten and inside the top-20 nationally in Bart Torvik’s preseason metrics. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi forecasts the Spartans as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.

This isn’t the soundest roster Tom Izzo has coached in East Lansing, but it’s foolish to bet against him. It may take some time for the Spartans to find their footing, but down the stretch Michigan State will be a pain to face off against.

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