Michigan State wasted no time imposing its will on Quinnipiac, rolling to a 96-point night in a game that showed off both depth and pace. Six Spartans finished in double figures, and the balance head coach Tom Izzo wanted to see was on full display.
“If we can get everybody shots, that makes us harder to guard,” Izzo said. “That will be one of the strengths as I look at the film tonight.”
The Spartans were sharp from the floor, hitting 58.1% of their shots, and they made life miserable for Quinnipiac on the other end by holding the Bobcats to 35.7% shooting. Michigan State also turned the game into a track meet, scoring 36 of its 96 points in transition while limiting Quinnipiac to just eight fast-break points.
Even before tipoff, the Spartans had to adjust. Junior center Jesse McCulloch was ruled out after suffering a mild concussion in practice, which pushed senior center Anton Bonke into the starting lineup. Bonke made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 11 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for a double-double.
That edge on the glass was a big part of the story. Michigan State controlled the rebounding battle 46-27 after making it a point of emphasis to clean that up following the exhibition games.
The Spartans also built separation quickly. They opened up an extended first-half lead and were ahead by as many as 28 before halftime. Freshman guard Carlos Medlock Jr. gave the offense a jolt off the bench, putting up 9 points and 3 assists in only 7 first-half minutes.
Medlock was directly involved in 14 of Michigan State’s 16 points during one stretch, helping stretch a 7-point lead to 14 when he entered the game. That kind of backup point guard production was exactly what the Spartans were looking for entering the season, especially with Fears carrying a heavy load last year at 32.4 minutes per game. Medlock has given Michigan State a steady hand and a way to keep the pressure on without losing momentum.
“I just come and try to maintain the energy, the lead and not have a big downfall” Medlock said. “I am the only point guard on the floor so I am just trying to keep the team rolling. I am always looking to be a threat on the floor.”
Michigan State didn’t come out nearly as hot to start the second half, managing only 8 points in the first 7 minutes and opening 2-for-6 from the field. But once the Spartans settled in, they finished strong, going 15-for-21 the rest of the way and building the margin to as many as 40.
Kaleb Glenn was another bright spot. The senior forward missed all of last season with an injury and hadn’t scored in the exhibition games, but he looked comfortable against Quinnipiac, going 5-for-5 from the field and finishing with 11 points.
“It was definitely a boost for my confidence,” Glenn said. “Especially just going into the next game, I just have to build on it and keep working.”
Michigan State returns home to face Toledo on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. The game will stream on Peacock.
In Other News...
Michigan State's Opener Revealed A New Look That Could Matter Fast
Tom Izzo wasted little time tinkering with Michigan States opening-night look, and the changes were hard to miss against Quinnipiac. Coen Carr slid into the power forward spot, Jasiah Jervis got the start at shooting guard, and transfer Anton Bonke was in the first five as well, giving the Spartans a different blend than they showed in the exhibition games. It was the kind of early-season adjustment Izzo often makes when he thinks a lineup can be sharpened quickly, and this one had immediate consequences on both ends of the floor.
Carr responded with a lively all-around effort, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, a block and a steal in 25 minutes, while Bonke made his presence felt inside with 13 rebounds and 11 points in 19 minutes. For Michigan State, the bigger question now is whether this was simply an opener experiment or the start of a more permanent reshuffling, because the Spartans already have evidence that the new alignment can change the teams balance in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]