Michigan State opened its season with a wire-to-wire 96-59 win over Quinnipiac, and the Spartans did it with a lineup that looked a little different than expected.
Jesse McCulloch did not play because of a head injury sustained either in practice or during the pregame, though he was on the bench with his teammates. Tom Izzo started Jeremy Fears, Jasiah Jervis, Jordan Scott, Coen Carr, and Anton Bonke, leaning into a small-ball look from the jump.
The Spartans shook off an awkward opening sequence and got rolling quickly. After the referees awarded Michigan State the ball following trouble with the jump ball, Fears buried the first three of the season from the top of the key.
He followed that by dropping a lob to Carr for a dunk, and Scott added another three from the sideline. Bonke missed badly on his first three-point try, but after Izzo briefly pulled him out, he returned and scored on a layup.
Michigan State led 10-6 at the first break.
The bench then took over. Carlos Medlock started the second stretch with a three, Kur Teng hit one of his own, and Carr added a jumper.
Medlock then scored six straight points, including an and-1 drive, before missing the free throw. He also showed off the passing touch, finding Cam Ward for an alley-oop in transition as MSU built a 26-12 lead at the second TV timeout.
Michigan State kept extending the margin through the next segment. Jasiah Jervis picked up his first points at the line, Kaleb Glenn scored his first basket as a Spartan on a layup, and Bonke added another putback.
Glenn followed with another layup, while Bonke began to settle in on defense and make life difficult in the paint. The Spartans were in front 35-14 at commercial No.
The scoring slowed a bit after the under-8, but Teng knocked down another triple and Ethan Taylor picked up his first career points with a free throw after missing his first two attempts. Michigan State went to halftime up 52-24 after a late push that included free throws from Ward, another Bonke offensive rebound putback, a Fears jumper, Carr free throws after chasing down an offensive board, a Jervis three off a Fears drive, and a Fears scoop layup at the buzzer.
Fears and Medlock led the Spartans with 9 points apiece at the break, and Bonke had 9 rebounds.
Quinnipiac made things a little more interesting to start the second half, outscoring Michigan State 12-4 over the first four minutes. Carr accounted for all of MSU’s points in that stretch, hitting a free throw and then a three-pointer to become the first Spartan in double figures. Even with that run, Michigan State still led 56-36 at the under-16.
From there, the Spartans reasserted control. Ward scored twice in a row, Teng hit another deep shot, Fears finished inside, and Ward added two free throws to stretch the lead to 67-40 with less than 12 minutes left.
Kaleb Glenn then sparked another burst with back-to-back baskets, including a three. Fears added another layup, Bonke threw down another putback dunk, and Ward split a trip to the line to make it 79-46 at the under-8. During the timeout, Izzo pulled Bonke aside for some coaching points, while Saddi Washington chuckled in the background.
Bonke returned and hit one of two free throws, then Jordan Scott scored three straight baskets, finishing the third with a dunk. Carr followed with a dunk after a Scott steal, and Teng added a pair of technical free throws to push the Spartans to a 90-52 lead at the under-4.
Michigan State finished with a few more highlights. Fears set up Bonke for an alley-oop, Julius Avent scored his first points on a layup, and Matthew Watkins capped the night with a fast-break layup for the final basket of the game.
Six Spartans finished in double figures. Fears led the way with 13 points, Carr had 12, and Scott, Bonke, Teng, and Glenn each finished with 11.
Medlock and Ward both had 9, while Jervis scored 4 on 1-for-6 shooting. Bonke added 13 rebounds and Fears had 11, giving Michigan State two double-doubles in the opener.
As a team, the Spartans shot 36-for-62 from the field, 9-for-23 from three, and 15-for-26 at the line. They outrebounded Quinnipiac 46-27 and finished with 10 steals and 8 blocks.
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 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 🡒]