Michigan State wasted no time making its point in Friday’s exhibition, rolling past UIW 89-59 in front of more than 6,000 Izzone students and flashing a version of itself that looked both familiar and fresh.
The Spartans had the energy from the start, and it showed in every corner of the floor. Coen Carr threw down jaw-dropping dunks, the 3-point shooting came in waves, and the defense kept UIW stuck in long scoreless stretches. Michigan State opened with full-court pressure and never really let up, turning the night into a showcase of pace, depth and activity.
Jesse McCullough and Jordan Scott were at the center of it. Before the game, Jon Rothstein noted that people close to the program were expecting a big jump from both sophomores, and they delivered exactly that.
McCullough led all Spartans with 20 points, going 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep. He also chipped in five offensive rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals.
Scott looked stronger and more settled after adding considerable muscle in the offseason. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He added five rebounds, a block and two steals, giving Michigan State another polished scoring option.
The freshmen also made their presence felt right away. For the first time, Spartan fans got to see the four newcomers who helped form Tom Izzo’s top-10 recruiting class, and they left plenty to like.
Jasiah Jervis matched Jeremy Fears for third on the team with 10 points. Carlos Medlock Jr. dished three assists, which was third-most on the roster.
Julius Avent brought his usual edge with four points and two rebounds, while Ethan Taylor led the Spartans with nine rebounds.
Kur Teng added another layer to the show, burying three 3-pointers and setting off the Izzone each time.
Michigan State’s shooting line told the story too. The Spartans went 13-of-30 from 3-point range, while UIW managed just 4-of-18.
They also controlled the glass by a 39-23 margin. The one area that stood out as unfinished business was turnovers, with Michigan State giving it away 18 times.
That was a problem last season, and it’s one the Spartans will need to clean up before November.
Fears was as steady as ever running the offense. Last season, he set the Michigan State single-season record for assists and finished 17 shy of Purdue’s Braden Smith’s Big Ten single-season mark. He could be in position to chase that number again, but his bigger value was on full display Friday: controlling the pace, creating for teammates and keeping everything organized.
Even with many of the same names back, this team had a different feel. The defense was still relentless and the rebounding edge was still there, but the shot selection looked sharper and the offense moved with more comfort. At times, the freshman four shared the floor together, sometimes with a veteran like Kaleb Glenn or Scott, and they looked capable of contributing right away.
Izzo may have planned to bring them along gradually, with bigger roles possibly coming next season, but performances like this can change the timeline fast. If they keep producing like this, they could force his hand sooner than expected.
The final score was 89-59, but the bigger takeaway was how Michigan State handled the moment. The Spartans looked like a team that could belong among the nation’s elite, and Friday’s exhibition gave East Lansing a promising first look at what could be a special season.
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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 🡒]