The Michigan State Basketball Spartans currently sit in fourth place among the Big Ten, ranking No. 10 overall in the latest AP polls. They slipped following their most recent loss to rival Michigan, but this Michigan State team has been an elite group among top-ranked teams all season, putting forth consistent winning streaks and finishing tough games. All the highs and lows have proven that Tom Izzo's 2025-26 squad will be a clear contender in the March Madness tournament.
Depth and experience
The Spartans boast a new-look lineup this season with a number of key players returning following significant departures. Big men Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler highlight the returning seniors along with junior Coen Carr, while underclassmen Jeremy Fears Jr. leads as their main ball-handler and facilitator. Exciting freshmen Kur Teng and Jordan Scott have also played a significant role, adding several layers of depth and experience throughout this roster.
Sitting at 19-3, the Spartans suffered respectable losses against No. 4 Duke, at No. 13 Nebraska, and their last home loss to No. 3 Michigan. Despite the adversity, they own key wins over No. 14 Arkansas, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 16 North Carolina, including a very solid 9-2 record in the Big Ten. If they're capable of peaking at the perfect time, Tom Izzo will be able to coach this team to success throughout the tournament.
They've also been considered a second-half team this season, coming out of the locker room firing in their last game and doing so on a number of occasions throughout the season. The team clearly responds to coaching and in-game adjustments very well as their players are unselfish and gritty when the game's on the line.
Tom Izzo found his next trusty PG in Jeremy Fears Jr.
Being a point guard under Tom Izzo comes with some big shoes to fill. From NCAA champion Mateen Cleaves to recent Spartan legend Cassius Winston, all great Tom Izzo teams are in need of a reliable point guard who can conduct the offense. Since Winston's departure in 2020, the team has cycled through guards like Rocket Watts, AJ Hoggard, Tyson Walker, and Tre Holloman without much consistency in the time since.
Thanks to the growing impact of the transfer portal, players will come and go, but Tom Izzo will be the first to preach about four-year success and developing players within a singular program. Thanks to a redshirt season, Jeremy Fears Jr. has been entrenched in Izzo's culture for the last three years, seeing the highest usage of his career throughout this current season.
In stepping into this role, Fears has been sensational. He's second in the NCAA with 8.8 APG was the country's leading assist man through much of the season, becoming the first player in the Big Ten to ever record 17 points and 17 assists doing so against Maryland. Since then, Fears posted 29 points, 9 assists against Rutgers while recording 31 points, 7 assists against Michigan. His last few performances have been Cassius Winston-esque, so expect Tom Izzo to lean on Fears even more as the trust continues to grow.
Carson Cooper, Coen Carr, and Jaxon Kohler evolving as players
Not only do the Michigan State Spartans have a long history of star point guards, but they also pride themselves on developing mobile and versatile centers and forwards. The trio of Cooper, Carr, and Kohler has been integral to this team's success over the last few seasons, but they've admittedly been limited to their specific roles on offense and how they find their success.
Carson Cooper has greatly served as a reliable interior defender and sure-handed rebounder, but scoring was never his strong suit leading into this season. In 2025-26, he's now averaging career-high points (10.5) and rebounds (7.3) while mostly sharing the floor alongside Jaxon Kohler. The pair has found a synergy in switching along the low posts, another stern improvement from their interior defense in previous years.
Jaxon Kohler, the much better scoring option of the two, has increased his PPG from 7.8 last season to 13.1 this year. His rebounding has taken a jump as well, but perhaps the biggest improvements have come with his shooting. He's a career-high 86% from the line, including a hot 43% from three on 3.9 average attempts per game. Kohler has become much more confident letting it fly from three and the Spartans have reaped the benefits when he's been able to catch heat.
Finally, junior high-flyer Coen Carr serves as one of the most integral parts of this team thanks to his hustle on both ends of the floor. Not only is he a blocking and rebounding threat, but he's considered arguably the best dunker in all of college basketball. However, until this season, Carr relied greatly on his athleticism and was considered rather one-dimensional. He's made a concerted effort to work from the mid-range and beyond the three-point line this season, which will greatly help the team grow in their offensive versatility.
