Concern is building around Michigan State basketball after back-to-back exhibition losses to UConn and Marquette, and the issues are showing up in more than one spot.
The most obvious problem sits in the middle. Michigan State’s center rotation has turned into a puzzle, with Anton Bonke really struggle, Jesse McCulloch getting a shot, and Ethan Taylor playing well enough to stay on the floor for longer stretches.
Bonke was benched against UConn after a few shaky minutes, then lost his starting spot against Marquette when McCulloch got the nod. McCulloch is more of a power forward, so that setup does not seem likely to last for the full season.
Taylor looks like the best option right now, but that also means the Spartans are leaning on a true freshman and figuring it out on the fly. The center spot is still very concerning.
The shooting has also started to look shaky. Michigan State was lights-out in its first scrimmage against Incarnate Word, but that version of the offense has faded fast.
Against UConn, the Spartans hit just 3-of-20 from deep, and they were still under 33 percent from long range against Marquette. The looks are there, but Kaleb Glenn, Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Carlos Medlock, and Jeremy Fears have not been converting from outside.
Maybe it’s just rust. If it keeps going once the regular season starts, the concern level is only going to rise.
And then there’s the disappearing act from too many players. Glenn, Bonke, Cam Ward, Medlock, Teng, and, at times, Coen Carr have all gone quiet across the two losses.
Michigan State can’t expect to live off Jeremy Fears, Jasiah Jervis, and Jordan Scott alone, even if that trio gives the offense a strong base. Scott and Jervis have stepped up, and McCulloch has flashed some real moments, but the supporting cast needs to show more.
Too many guys have gone missing, and that has put the alarm bells on high.
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Oregons midseason shakeup adds another layer to a matchup Michigan State already had circled. Dan Lanning moved on from his offensive coordinator after the loss to Illinois, and the Ducks have now turned to former Spartans coordinator Jay Johnson in that role on a temporary basis. For Michigan State, it is the kind of storyline that makes a late-season trip a little more personal, because the staff on the other sideline now includes a familiar face from East Lansing.
The timing matters, too, because Oregon is trying to steady itself after a rough stretch that has included three losses and the season-ending injury to quarterback Dante Moore. Johnson stepping in gives the Ducks a different look offensively at a moment when they need answers fast, and Michigan State will get a chance to see how that transition settles in before it plays out on the field. [Read more 🡒]
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According to a report by Justin Spiro, that shift could show up in a major way this offseason, with Michigan State planning to spend in the high-$30 million range on its football roster. If that number holds, the Spartans would be putting themselves in the top five for Big Ten spending, a sign that the school is trying to speed up its rebuild rather than wait for it to happen gradually. The question now is whether that investment can translate into the kind of immediate competitive jump the program has been searching for. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Velling Reignites A Familiar Michigan State What-Might-Have Debate
Jack Vellings NFL path has already taken a familiar turn for Michigan State fans who remember the promise and the inconsistency from his two seasons in East Lansing. The undrafted rookie tight end landed with the Falcons after the preseason, only to be released, leaving him back in the market for another practice-squad opportunity as he tries to keep his pro career moving.
For Spartans followers, Velling is one of those players who naturally triggers the what-might-have-been conversation. His college stint offered flashes without fully settling into the kind of breakout run that changes a programs view of a player, and now his next stop will say plenty about whether there is still untapped NFL value waiting to be found. [Read more 🡒]