Michigan State’s offense is about to get a piece it never had last season: Kaleb Glenn.
The Spartans went through the entire year without him after Glenn tore his patellar tendon in his right knee last June, wiping out what had been one of Michigan State’s most intriguing transfer additions. Before the injury, he had put up 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from 3-point range, the kind of production that hinted at a major role in East Lansing.
Now, after months of recovery, Glenn is finally back in front of fans at the Moneyball Pro-Am in Holt, Mich. Through the first two weeks at Holt High School, he has scored 116 points, good for 29.0 per game and fourth on the team.
"It feels good," Glenn told Spartan Nation on Thursday. "I've been playing a lot for a little bit now with the scout team, but to play in front of people, it feels good."
Glenn said he was close to a return by the end of last season, when he was helping run Michigan State’s scout team and taking part in pregame warm-ups. He believes he "probably" could have played in March physically, but getting back from a serious knee injury is never just about the body.
"Coming off something brutal like that, you've definitely got to take your time," Glenn said. "Your mind is going to be off.
You've got to get your movements and all that stuff back, because, you know, it's your knee: it's an important part of your body. When you're off of it for six months, it's pretty hard."
Even now, Glenn says he is not fully back yet. The mental side is still catching up, but he expects to be there by the time the season starts in late October.
"I feel like I'm trusting my body a little bit more," Glenn said. "Still got a couple more ways to go, and then I'll be there.
But, you know, it's only July. As long as I'm feeling good coming into October, that's all that matters."
The physical recovery, though, has gone well. Glenn said the work with Dr. Lorenzo Guess, Michigan State’s Director of Athletic Performance, and Nicholas Richey, the team’s trainer, has made a difference, and he now says he is stronger than he was before the injury.
That matters because Michigan State had a glaring gap without him. His return gives the Spartans another offensive engine, and that is a big reason the buzz around the program is building.
Last season, Jeremy Fears Jr. was essentially carrying the creation load by himself. Everything ran through the point guard, and while Fears is excellent, there’s only so much an offense can do when one player is responsible for so much of it. Fears’ assist rate of 53.1% was more than seven percentage points higher than anybody else in the country.
Glenn changes that. He is one of several secondary creators Michigan State will have this season, and while he is not the same kind of passer as Fears, he can score at all three levels and create offense on his own. He does not need a perfect setup to get downhill or make something happen.
That kind of versatility is exactly what Michigan State missed. Glenn’s shooting from deep is valuable, but his ability to operate in the frontcourt and force mismatches is what makes him such a dangerous fit. It gives the Spartans another way to generate points, and offensive growth is a key part of their push to become a national title contender.
The numbers back up the importance of that step. Recent history suggests a team needs a top-10 offense on KenPom to seriously chase a championship, and Michigan State finished No. 23 last season, its best mark in six years. Glenn should help that number move in the right direction.
He is not the only new offensive addition, either. Carlos Medlock Jr. and Jasiah Jervis, both part of the 2026 recruiting class, add more ball-handling and more star potential to the mix.
Glenn should have been a major part of Michigan State’s team last season. Instead, the Spartans had to wait. Now he’s back in the conversation, and maybe more people are starting to remember just how important he can be.
In Other News...
UCF May Have A Real Answer In Its Center Battle
UCFs center competition has a familiar name in the mix for anyone who followed Michigan States offensive line over the last couple of seasons. Cooper Terpstra arrives with some real interior experience, including work at center and a lone start there, which gives the Knights a possible answer at a spot where continuity matters as much as talent. For a program trying to sort out its 2026 roster, that kind of background can separate a placeholder from someone who can handle the job from day one.
Terpstras path also gives Michigan State fans a reason to keep one eye on Orlando, because the Spartans saw enough of him to know he can function in the middle of the line. UCF is also bringing along defensive tackle Trenton Turner, a former high school state champion and two-sport athlete who is still early in his college career and expected to learn behind more established linemen. The Knights are clearly building depth on both sides of the line, but the more immediate question is whether Terpstras experience translates into the kind of steady center play that can settle an offense. [Read more 🡒]
Frankie Fidler Just Gave Michigan State Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Frankie Fidlers first NBA Summer League game offered a little something for Michigan State fans to track, even if it came in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform. The former Spartans forward, who had been playing in Latvia before returning to the U.S. for summer action, made his debut look worthwhile by getting involved on both ends and showing the kind of activity that can catch a coachs eye in a short stint.
He finished as Portlands second-leading scorer in an 81-79 loss to the Phoenix Suns, and the line was encouraging enough to suggest theres more to watch here than just a one-game cameo. The next step is the part that will matter most, because the flashes were there, but the overall efficiency still leaves room for him to prove he can turn a promising start into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]