Tom Izzo made a lineup call on Nov. 2 that could shape Michigan State’s season from the jump.
In a 96-59 season-opening win over Quinnipiac, the Spartans unveiled a look that felt built for both now and later: Coen Carr at power forward, Jasiah Jervis in the starting lineup at shooting guard and Jordan Scott on the wing. Izzo had been hinting at the change, but he moved fast after two exhibition games made the picture clearer. Carr had looked out of place on the wing, while Jervis had flashed enough to force the issue.
That matters because Izzo has not always been this quick to adjust. The source of the move was simple: the coach wanted the best version of this team on the floor as early as possible. Carr won’t live exclusively at the 4, but this appears to be the starting framework - Jeremy Fears Jr., Jervis, Scott, Carr and a center - with sophomore power forward Cam Ward still in the mix if he becomes a force on the glass and defensively.
Carr responded well. He finished with 12 points, including 1-for-1 from 3-point range, eight rebounds, a block and a steal in 25 minutes.
Michigan State was plus-32 with him on the floor, the best mark on the team. The fit is obvious: his speed in transition, his athleticism against opposing power forwards and his ability to play physically around the rim give the Spartans a different gear.
Even if he doesn’t become a volume 3-point shooter, the spacing still works.
The backcourt shape also looks cleaner now. With Jervis, Scott and Fears, Michigan State has a trio that can be smoother in halfcourt offense and help the Spartans get to a lineup that makes sense on both ends. The night offered something else too: a needed jolt of confidence after two exhibition games that exposed a few issues and may have pushed Izzo and his staff toward this early reset.
Anton Bonke was another big winner. After playing just nine total minutes in the exhibitions and not appearing in either second half, the 7-foot-2 transfer got a start and made it count. Izzo said Jesse McCulloch missed the game because of a minor concussion, and Bonke took the opening and ran with it.
He grabbed 13 rebounds, four of them offensive, in 19 minutes and scored 11 points, all at the rim or the free-throw line. He also showed more than just size.
Bonke worked comfortably on baseline post moves, including one that led to a pass to Carr, and he set massive screens that helped Fears get downhill. He even tried a 3 as the trailer in transition, though Izzo wasn’t thrilled with that one.
Still, Bonke looked like a player who belongs in the rotation. The center spot may remain fluid, with four players likely to see time, but Bonke has forced his way back into the conversation.
The same goes for Carlos Medlock Jr. and Kaleb Glenn, who both needed this game to feel better about where they stand. Medlock scored nine first-half points, briefly carrying the offense by himself, and finished with nine points, four assists and no turnovers.
He also spent a short stretch on the floor with Fears, which gave Fears a chance to defend off the ball. That’s a look Michigan State can also use with Jervis at times.
Glenn, meanwhile, looked freer than he has since returning from a serious knee injury. He scored 11 points in 12 minutes, hit all five of his shots, knocked down a 3-pointer and added two rebounds, a block and a steal. For a player trying to rediscover his rhythm, it was exactly the kind of night he needed.
Against Quinnipiac, Michigan State got more than a blowout. It got clarity.
In Other News...
Michigan States Opener Raised An Early Rotation Debate Fans Will Notice
Michigan State opened its season with a look that immediately gave fans something to track beyond the final score. Jesse McCulloch was unavailable because of a head injury, but he was still on the bench, and Tom Izzo answered by rolling out a small-ball starting group of Jeremy Fears, Jasiah Jervis, Jordan Scott, Coen Carr and Anton Bonke. It was a lineup built for speed and versatility, and it signaled that the Spartans are willing to mix things up early as they sort through the frontcourt.
The first half offered a glimpse of why the approach was worth watching, with Fears and Medlock providing key scoring support while Bonke made his presence felt on the glass. Even without McCulloch on the floor, Michigan State found enough balance to take a halftime lead, which only sharpens the conversation about how Izzo wants to use his pieces once the roster is whole again. For a team with real depth questions to answer, the opener already hinted at a rotation debate that could linger. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Showed Why Izzo Has A New Early Decision
Michigan State opened the regular season in the kind of lopsided fashion that usually tells you a lot about a team before the schedule gets any harder, rolling past Quinnipiac 96-59 at the Breslin Center. The Spartans looked deep from the start, with Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr and freshman Carlos Medlock all turning in strong showings as Tom Izzos group controlled the game in transition, on the glass and around the basket.
The broader takeaway was less about the final margin than the way Michigan State piled up advantages in the areas that tend to travel once Big Ten play arrives. Fastbreak points, rebounding and post scoring all tilted heavily in the Spartans favor, giving Izzo an early look at a roster that already appears to have multiple ways to beat teams. For a program trying to establish its identity right away, this was the kind of opener that can shape the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Opener Put One Early Frontcourt Battle In Focus
Michigan States season opener against Quinnipiac offered an early look at how the Spartans frontcourt rotation might sort itself out, and Anton Bonke made a strong case to stay in the conversation. In the 96-59 win, the big man turned in one of the more productive debuts on the roster, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks while the Spartans controlled the game from the start.
The opener also gave the staff a first chance to compare the new pieces in real game action, including freshman point guard Carlos Medlock Jr., who made an immediate impression off the bench with nine points and two assists in just four minutes. Ethan Taylors debut was quieter, but the bigger question now is how Michigan State balances those early returns as the competition level rises and the frontcourt picture comes into sharper focus. [Read more 🡒]