Michigan State’s exhibition opener against Incarnate Word on Friday night is more of a preview party than a true game, but it still offers a first real look at a Spartans team drawing plenty of buzz.
The event is limited to Izzone members at the annual Campout and season ticket holders, but fans will still be able to watch on BTN+ as Tom Izzo’s group begins to take shape. A lot of people around the program believe this is Izzo’s best shot at a national title since Cassius Winston, which makes every early glimpse matter a little more.
The biggest thing to watch first is the starting five, specifically Jesse McCulloch sliding in at power forward. Izzo said earlier this week that Cam Ward will be out for the first exhibition game and that McCulloch will get the start because he has earned the chance after a strong summer.
McCulloch, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward from Ohio, is entering his second season as a role player after redshirting as a true freshman. He has shown flashes, but he also logged just 7.4 minutes per game in 2025-26, so there’s still plenty left to prove if he’s going to inspire confidence as a stopgap option. His value is different from Ward’s, though, because McCulloch brings a floor-stretching element that Ward does not.
The key question is simple: does he look comfortable running with the starters, or does he look like a guy who belongs back on the bench once Ward returns? Even if McCulloch plays well against Incarnate Word, that second outcome still seems likely.
The freshman class is another major storyline, and this group should get its first taste of college basketball all at once: Carlos Medlock Jr., Jasiah Jervis, Ethan Taylor and Julis Avent.
Medlock is expected to back up Jeremy Fears, Jervis should see a lot of minutes at the two, Taylor is set to get run behind Anton Bonke, and Avent is projected to be better than expected in the post even if he remains more of a year-one project. Friday should at least give some clues about how Izzo plans to use them - who checks in first, how many minutes each one gets, and whether he’s willing to play them together.
There may not be final answers right away, but there should be a clearer picture.
Then there’s Coen Carr, whose growth could shape the season. Izzo said Carr has improved tremendously, which is the same thing he said last offseason. Carr did take a step, but there was still a long way to go.
For Carr to become the kind of player who can put himself in NBA draft conversations, he needs to keep developing his ball-handling, his ability to create offense, his defense, and his mid-to-long range shooting.
If he looks more confident with the ball on Friday night, that would be the first strong sign that the work this summer has translated. And for Michigan State, that would be a very good sign indeed.
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The concern is not just the matchup itself, but how much the injuries limit what Michigan State can realistically ask of its lineup. Cam Edwards is out for the year, and Jordan Hall is expected to miss the Wisconsin game with a knee issue, leaving the Spartans with fewer answers against a Badgers team built to make opponents pay for thin depth. The analysis points to Wisconsin controlling this one, with the outcome projected as a 31-20 Badgers win. [Read more 🡒]