After a shaky three-game exhibition stretch, Michigan State finally gets to play games that count. The Spartans open the regular season at home with Quinnipiac on Monday night, then turn around and host Toledo later in the week before a massive Champions Classic date with Duke next week. For now, though, the focus stays on the two visitors coming to Breslin Center, starting with the Bobcats at 7 PM ET on B1G+.
Quinnipiac comes in as a fresh slate, too. The Bobcats are opening their season tonight and, unlike Michigan State, they did not appear to play any exhibition games.
Last season, they finished 19-13 overall and 12-8 in the Metro Athletic, tying for fourth before falling to #5 seed Marist in the conference tournament quarterfinals. Their own opener a year ago was a rough one, a 108-74 loss to #5 St.
John’s.
Tom Pecora’s team has plenty of new faces, but there’s still a clear core to watch. Keith McKnight looks like the best player in the group after averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 54.6% last season and earning Metro all-rookie honors.
Nedas Cholevinskas brings a perimeter threat and some European experience after posting 7.1 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 36.5% from three in the English Super League. Lucas Sekasi arrives from Division II Gannon University, where he was part of the 2026 DII National Championship team and averaged 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds as a sophomore.
The rest of the expected rotation has a transfer-heavy feel as well. Nas Hart came over from LaSalle after appearing in 20 games and starting three.
Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton transferred from Assumption, where he put up 14 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and was billed as a strong two-way player. Holden Pierre-Louis spent time at Temple and then Cleveland State, while Tai Turnage and Nate Guerengomba are among the role players who could see minutes.
Turnage’s numbers last season included 3.6 points, 2.1 assists, 1.3 rebounds, a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and an 81% mark at the line.
Pecora enters his fourth season at Quinnipiac with a 63-36 record at the school, and the Bobcats have been one of the Metro’s steadiest programs under his watch. They won the regular season title in both 2024 and 2025, and Pecora was named conference coach of the year in each of those seasons.
His overall head coaching record sits at 324-292 across SUNY Farmingdale, Hofstra, Fordham, and Quinnipiac. His bio also notes that he has coached four NBA players and that every one of his players over 40 years of collegiate coaching has earned a degree.
Toledo brings a different look later in the week. The Rockets visit Breslin Center on Thursday for an 8 PM ET tip on Peacock / NBCSN, and they’ll actually begin their regular season tonight at Arkansas State.
Last year, Toledo went 19-15 overall and 11-7 in the MAC, then reached the conference tournament final before losing 79-76 to #2 seed Akron and missing out on an automatic NCAA bid. Michigan State beat Toledo 92-69 last December, and that was the only game all season in which the Rockets were held under 70 points.
They topped 90 points 11 times and went over 100 five times.
Toledo has already logged two exhibitions, beating Findlay 88-78 on October 18 and then losing 79-66 to Northern Illinois a week later. This roster has some scoring punch, starting with Angel Montas Jr., who transferred from UMass-Lowell after averaging 15.8 points per game on 50.9% shooting and earning first-team America East honors.
Austin Parks gives the Rockets size in the middle after averaging 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 25.1 minutes last season, starting all 34 games. Jaylan Ouwinga added 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocked shots per game, while guard Mynor Strong shot 45.2% from three after returning to the starting lineup late in the season.
There’s also experience and depth around them. Sean Jones transferred from Marquette after being limited by injury, but he averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 assists in eight games there.
Will James Jr. played in every game as a freshman and hit four of seven three-pointers. On the bench, Toledo has freshman guard Jaylohn Allen, a highly regarded in-state prospect from Wayne Memorial, plus Rich Barron, a Providence transfer, and Rashaun Porter, a freshman forward who was ranked fourth in Illinois by 247 Sports.
The Spartans will need to deal with Toledo’s guard-heavy makeup, especially since Parks and Ouwinga are the only true size pieces in the rotation. That frontcourt matchup stands out immediately.
In last year’s MSU win, Parks finished with 4 points and 9 rebounds in 21 minutes, while Ouwinga played 25 minutes and posted 5 points and 3 boards. The Rockets’ lack of size could make this a spot for Anton Bonke to build some confidence.
Michigan State also knows exactly what kind of damage Toledo’s perimeter players can do if they get loose. Sonny Wilson was the one Rocket who really hurt the Spartans last year with 29 points, but he’s now at South Florida. The hope for Michigan State is simple: none of the guards on this year’s Toledo roster, or anyone else not mentioned here, has that kind of night in Breslin.
In Other News...
Michigan State Opens With Pressure On Its New-Look Frontcourt
Michigan State opens its basketball season Tuesday night at the Breslin Center against Quinnipiac, with the Spartans carrying the weight that comes with a No. 6 preseason ranking and the familiar expectations that follow a Tom Izzo team. It is Izzos 32nd season in East Lansing, and this opener offers the first real look at how a reshaped frontcourt fits into the bigger picture, especially with the kind of lineup questions that tend to matter early before the rotation settles.
Quinnipiac arrives with Tom Pecora on the sideline and enough structure to make the matchup more than a routine tune-up, even if the Spartans are supposed to have the deeper and more talented roster. The projected lineups, team updates and strengths-and-weaknesses breakdown suggest Michigan State has clear advantages, but also a few areas worth watching as the season begins and the new-look front line gets tested in a game that should reveal plenty about where this team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Opener Puts Two Early Rotation Concerns Under The Spotlight
Michigan States season opener against Quinnipiac arrives with a couple of early rotation questions already hanging over Tom Izzos team. Coen Carr remains one of the most intriguing pieces on the roster, but his role still comes with a familiar caveat: the Spartans need more from his jump shot and his work on the glass if he is going to take the next step. The opener should offer an early look at how much progress he has made, and how Izzo wants to use him in a lineup that is still taking shape.
Anton Bonke is another name worth watching after seeing limited minutes in the exhibition games, while Kaleb Glenns return from injury adds another layer to the frontcourt picture. Izzo has already signaled that player development and lineup flexibility will matter as the Spartans sort out their best combinations, and the first game of the season is often where those plans start to become clearer. For a team trying to establish its identity right away, the early rotation choices could say as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Opens With Pressure To Look Like A Contender
Michigan State opens its regular season against Quinnipiac with the kind of early test that can tell you a lot about where a team stands before the calendar really gets going. The Spartans are favored by statistical models, and they bring back much of last seasons core while also adding a strong recruiting class, which is exactly the sort of combination that tends to raise expectations in East Lansing.
Quinnipiac has shown in the past that it can hang around against high-major opponents, so this is not the sort of opener Michigan State can treat casually. The game will be available on B1G+ and on various radio stations, giving fans their first real look at whether the Spartans can start looking like the contender their roster suggests they should be. [Read more 🡒]