Michigan State is about to get a sharper read on itself.
The Spartans host UConn in an exhibition at the Breslin Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on B1G+, a matchup that arrives with some built-in history.
MSU lost to the Huskies in the Sweet Sixteen last season, then watched Connecticut push on to the national title game. The preseason AP Poll is still to come, but KenPom has Michigan State at No. 7 and UConn at No. 11 entering the 2026-27 season.
It’s only the second preseason tune-up for both teams. Michigan State opened with an 89-59 win over Incarnate Word at home on Oct. 2, while UConn beat Syracuse 72-52 at a pro-Husky neutral site on Oct.
- And while exhibitions rarely tell the full story, this one should offer a much cleaner look at where the Spartans really stand against elite competition.
Three players, in particular, feel worth tracking.
Ethan Taylor was one of the more encouraging takeaways from the Incarnate Word game. The true freshman center showed flashes that made it easy to see why Michigan State landed him as a high 4-star prospect.
Taylor is listed at 7'1" and brings the kind of raw athleticism that can change the look of a frontcourt. His passing for a player his age and position also stands out.
Still, UConn is a very different test. Taylor will likely spend time matched up with Na'jai Hines, who arrived in Storrs from Seton Hall after putting up 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game last season as a freshman. That’s the kind of leap in competition that can tell you a lot in a hurry.
Cam Ward is another major piece to watch, and Tuesday should serve as his unofficial season debut. The sophomore sat out the first exhibition against UIW because of a very minor ankle issue. Izzo has been clear that he expects plenty from him this season, and Ward is likely to start at power forward while also seeing time at center.
This is also his first real chance to show what he’s added since last season ended. Ward scored only two points in the Sweet Sixteen loss to UConn, and while his freshman year was viewed as a success overall, Izzo said multiple times that Ward could have been even better if not for a wrist injury that slowed him physically and mentally.
Then there’s Jasiah Jervis, the freshman who could help address one of Michigan State’s biggest issues from a year ago: finding another creator to work alongside Jeremy Fears Jr. in the backcourt. That need became even more obvious after Divine Ugochukwu’s season-ending foot injury. Jervis enters as MSU’s highest-ranked freshman, sitting 33rd overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the class of 2026.
His first exhibition showed both sides of the freshman learning curve. Jervis didn’t score in the opening half and went 0-for-2 from the field, but he came alive after halftime, going 4-for-4 and finishing with 10 points. He was one of four Spartans in double figures against Incarnate Word, joining Fears with 10, Jordan Scott with 16 and Jesse McCulloch with 20.
How he handles a far tougher defensive assignment Tuesday should say plenty about what Michigan State might have at the two.
In Other News...
Michigan State May Finally Have The Defensive Front Fans Wanted
Michigan States defensive front looked more like the unit fans had been waiting for in the win over Northwestern, with several players drawing strong Pro Football Focus grades and the group showing the kind of disruption that had been missing at times earlier in the season. Under recently hired coach Winston DeLattiboudere, the line has taken noticeable steps forward, and the Spartans are seeing a blend of veteran presence and younger pieces start to come together.
What makes the performance matter is that it did not feel like a one-game outlier so much as another sign of a room that is being developed the right way. The staff has been encouraged by the progress up front, and with that mix of experience and growth, Michigan State may be closer to having the defensive line it has been trying to build for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Has One Costly Problem It Can't Keep Wasting
Alessio Milivojevic gave Michigan State a little bit of everything in the loss to Northwestern, and that has become part of the problem for a team trying to stop the slide. Pat Fitzgerald pointed to the quarterbacks touchdown passes as proof the offense can still find answers, but he also noted the missed opportunities that left the Spartans with too much wasted potential in a game they needed to squeeze for everything it was worth.
Now comes UCLA, a matchup that adds another layer of uncertainty with backup Ty Dieffenbach having recently started because of an injury to the Bruins starter. Fitzgerald offered his read on both quarterbacks as Michigan State turns the page, but the larger issue remains the same: the Spartans cannot keep letting usable chances slip away and expect a losing streak to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Kenneth Walker Keeps Making Michigan State Fans Feel What They're Missing
Kenneth Walker III has a way of turning matchups against Jim Harbaugh-coached teams into reminders of what Michigan State once had. He delivered another 100-yard rushing game in that setting, adding to a growing list of dominant outings that still resonate with Spartans fans whenever his name comes up. Even now, with Michigan State working to build its next wave of playmakers, Walker remains the kind of reference point that is hard to ignore.
The Spartans are trying to keep momentum with recruits as Pat Fitzgerald hosted top prospects despite the teams losing streak, and early impressions have been positive. Around the program, there is also some buzz tied to Jaden Akins, who is drawing attention from the New York Knicks after a strong preseason. Still, Walkers latest performance serves as a fresh reminder of the level of explosiveness Michigan State is trying to replace. [Read more 🡒]