College basketball gets its first real jolt of the season when Michigan State meets UConn in a ranked exhibition, and Tom Izzo’s No. 6 Spartans are stepping straight into the deep end. UConn is No. 4, the expectations are massive on both sides, and this is exactly the kind of early test that can tell a team what it already does well and what still needs work.
Michigan State has been here before. Last season, the Spartans opened ranked No. 22, were dealing with uncertainty around the roster and its depth, and eventually found their footing fast enough to climb into the top 15 and spend much of the year inside the top 10.
That run started with a season-opening win over a ranked Arkansas team, and it followed a hard-fought exhibition loss to UConn. Izzo has made a habit of putting his team through these kinds of pressure points early, and this one should serve the same purpose.
The most interesting part may be how Izzo sorts through his lineup options. Michigan State is deep, and there’s a real chance to see different combinations on the floor against a team that can punish mistakes.
In the first exhibition against Incarnate Word, the freshman four played alongside a veteran, but this matchup could bring more shuffling. With a starting lineup that seems set, the bigger question is which groups can actually function against elite competition.
That depth ties directly into the freshmen, who should be front and center again. Izzo already gave his four newcomers extended minutes in the first exhibition, and there’s every reason to think he’ll keep leaning on them here.
The veterans are easier to project at this point, including the year-two jumps from Jordan Scott and Jesse McCullough. The freshmen are the mystery, and the upside is obvious.
Ethan Taylor has already shown he can lead the team in rebounds again, while Carlos Medlock Jr. and Jasiah Jervis are the names to watch for scoring punch from the depth chart, something Michigan State has been hunting for in recent years. Julius Avent is another piece worth tracking as he tries to establish a meaningful role. Against a No. 4 opponent, those minutes matter more than usual because they can give Izzo a better sense of how much he can trust that group once the games count for real.
And if this one comes down to the wire, the closing possessions could be just as revealing. Exhibition or not, late-game execution has a way of exposing who is ready for pressure. Jeremy Fears Jr. will likely be the guy Michigan State leans on most often in those moments, but there will be times when he has to create for others instead of taking the shot himself.
That’s where the rest of the roster can make its case. Who wants the ball when Michigan State needs a bucket?
Who can actually deliver it? Against UConn, those answers could start to take shape.
The final score won’t go into the standings, but the value of the night could still be real. Michigan State gets a top-four opponent, a chance to stress-test its depth, a look at its freshmen against high-level competition, and an early read on its late-game options. For a team chasing a championship, that’s a worthwhile tune-up.
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Michigan States Early UConn Test Comes With One Big Unknown
An early-season exhibition in East Lansing will give Michigan State and UConn a useful first look at where their rosters stand before the games start counting. It is the kind of tune-up both programs can use, especially with a matchup that brings real attention and a chance to test lineups, rotations and pace against a high-level opponent.
Braylon Mullins is the biggest unknown on the UConn side. The guard sat out the Huskies' previous exhibition because of an undisclosed injury, and his status for this one has not been confirmed, leaving one more question hanging over a game that should offer both teams a valuable evaluation point before the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Is Changing Its Routine For A Huge UCLA Test
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UCLA brings plenty of challenge into the meeting as well, entering unbeaten and ranked No. 9 under first-year coach Bob Chesney. For Michigan State, the backdrop matters, but so does the assignment in front of it, and the Spartans are treating the venue and the opponent as part of the same test. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse McCulloch May Be Forcing His Way Into MSU's Rotation
A preseason exhibition can be easy to overlook, but Jesse McCulloch made it harder to do that with his performance at power forward when Michigan State needed someone to fill in for injured Cam Ward. McCulloch showed the kind of offensive touch the Spartans have been hearing about throughout the offseason, finishing with 20 points while also contributing on the glass and giving the staff a look at a different kind of frontcourt option.
What stood out most was how natural the fit looked with his shooting and the possibility of using him as a pick-and-pop threat. McCulloch has spent the offseason working to round out his game, and he has pointed to former Spartan Carson Coopers development as a model for what that process can look like. Whether this becomes a one-night glimpse or something more meaningful for Michigan States rotation will depend on how the next few weeks unfold, but the door looks open. [Read more 🡒]