Michigan State’s second exhibition offered a fresh chance to take a swing at UConn. Instead, the Spartans walked off Breslin Center with the same familiar outcome: another loss to Dan Hurley’s team, this time a 78-70 defeat on Tuesday night.
No. 6 Michigan State never quite solved No.
5 UConn’s size, experience or shot-making. The Huskies built a lead as large as 15 points with 5:51 left and held the Spartans at arm’s length, with MSU getting no closer than seven over the final four minutes.
Jeremy Fears Jr. was the bright spot for Tom Izzo’s group, scoring 23 points and dishing eight assists while playing through an ankle injury he picked up early in the second half. Fears went 12-for-14 at the line and made 5 of 12 shots overall. Freshman Jasiah Jervis added 11 points and knocked down two 3-pointers off the bench, but no other Spartan reached double figures.
UConn got 19 points from Nik Khamenia and 16 from Silas Demary Jr., and the Huskies used that edge in size and depth to keep control late.
Fears gave the crowd a jolt in the first half, showing the burst that made him such a dynamic piece before injury interrupted his freshman season. With 6:22 left before halftime, he took the ball at the top of the key, beat Demary and Hines off the dribble and rose into a tomahawk dunk over Colben Landrew. It was the kind of play that looked like a reminder of what he can do when he’s free and attacking.
Then came the scare.
Early in the second half, Fears drove left for a layup, landed awkwardly on Landrew and immediately grabbed at his left ankle and lower leg. The building went quiet as he got to his feet and limped to the bench, where he checked out and headed straight to the training staff.
He didn’t stay there long. Fears returned with 15:44 remaining after getting treatment, and Izzo urged him to ease back in.
The Spartans also spent plenty of the night sorting through rotations. Izzo started 7-2 transfer Anton Bonke at center, then quickly turned to Jesse McCulloch.
At the start of the second half, Ethan Taylor joined the starting group along with Fears, Jordan Scott, Coen Carr and Cam Ward. Izzo used 11 players in the first half alone and kept mixing combinations throughout.
Jervis was the first guard off the bench, while Carlos Medlock Jr. filled in for Fears at stretches. MSU’s best early push came with Medlock and Taylor on the floor together, part of an 8-2 burst that cut a 30-22 halftime deficit to two.
Carr had a quiet first half and finished scoreless before settling in a bit after the break. He ended with eight points and four rebounds in 15 second-half minutes, but it was still a rough offensive night overall.
Scott, though, looked more confident and physical than he did in March against UConn. He finished with seven points, five rebounds and several scrappy defensive plays in 30 minutes.
McCulloch, after scoring 20 against Incarnate Word in MSU’s first exhibition, was limited to six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes. Ward made his first exhibition appearance after sitting out the opener and had four points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. Bonke played only six first-half minutes and did not return.
For the freshmen, there were flashes and lessons. Jervis nailed his first shot, a 3-pointer, after entering at the 15:35 mark of the first half, but he also ran into trouble when he tried to force a drive into UConn’s interior defense and got blocked.
Medlock had a tougher night against the bigger, more seasoned Huskies guards, finishing with two points on 1-for-7 shooting and one assist. Taylor showed some edge and an ability to score from deep in the post, finishing with five points and two rebounds.
Julius Avent did not play.
The biggest issues were the ones Izzo will hate seeing on film. Michigan State turned it over 10 times in the first half, four of them by Fears, though it cleaned that up after the break and had just two giveaways in the second half. The free-throw line was another mixed bag, with the Spartans going 25-for-34 overall after a 5-for-8 first half.
The perimeter defense never fully settled in, either. UConn shot 10-for-25 from 3-point range and missed several open looks late. Michigan State’s own outside shooting didn’t help its cause, as the Spartans made only 3 of 20 from beyond the arc and couldn’t create the kind of late comeback needed to close the gap.
Michigan State now heads to Milwaukee on Sunday to finish exhibition play against Shaka Smart and Marquette at 1 p.m. on YouTube. That comes before the regular-season opener against Quinnipiac on Nov. 2.
In Other News...
Tom Izzo Sent A Clear Message To MSU Fans In Loss
An October exhibition at the Breslin Center turned into a showcase of how intense Michigan State fans can be, but it also brought a reminder from Tom Izzo about where the line should be. When UConn coach Dan Hurley was met with hostile chants during the game, Izzo stepped in and asked the crowd to stop, even as the No. 5 Huskies went on to beat No. 6 Michigan State 78-70.
The game itself still had the feel of a big-stage meeting between two nationally respected programs, with both coaches showing plenty of appreciation for the other side afterward. Izzo and Hurley each praised the opposing team and coaching, leaving the Spartans with a result they did not want but also a clear message from their own coach about how he wants the home environment handled. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremy Fears Jr. Just Gave Michigan State Fans A New Worry
Michigan States exhibition against UConn ended with a familiar preseason mix of promise and concern, as the Spartans fell 78-70 at Breslin Center but still got a strong performance from Jeremy Fears Jr. The guard paced the team with 23 points and eight assists, helping keep Michigan State in the game against a UConn frontcourt that controlled stretches of the night and made life difficult on the glass.
The bigger worry for the Spartans came in the second half, when Fears gave the fan base a scare after appearing to deal with an ankle issue. Even in a game that did not count in the standings, his health matters to a team trying to sort out its backcourt and tighten up before another exhibition against Marquette, especially with UConns rebounding edge serving as a reminder of how quickly preseason games can expose issues. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State May Have A Bigger Jeremy Fears Jr. Story Brewing
Michigan States exhibition loss to No. 4 UConn still gave the Spartans a useful look at where things stand early, and Jeremy Fears Jr. made sure he stayed at the center of it. The sophomore guard led Michigan State with 23 points and eight assists, and he looked more explosive than he did a year ago, punctuating the night with a one-handed dunk that stood out even in a game the Spartans ultimately dropped 78-70.
The bigger takeaway, though, may be how much Fears can shape everything around him if this version sticks. Michigan State also got 11 points from freshman guard Jasiah Jervis, while the starting center spot remains unsettled after Jesse McCulloch played well enough to challenge the expected starter Anton Bonke. For a team still sorting out its rotation, Fears jump is the kind of development that can change the ceiling in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]