On Thursday, Michigan State head men's basketball coach Tom Izzo and three of his players — senior guard Jaden Akins, sophomore forward Xavier Booker and junior guard Tre Holloman — participated in the 2024 Big Ten Basketball Media Days event in Rosemont, Illinois.
With just 10 days until Michigan State's opening exhibition game at Northern Michigan — Izzo's alma mater — fans are getting eager to learn more about what to expect from the Spartans for the upcoming 2024-2025 campaign
Recently, Michigan State has struggled to be the dominant program it is known for, as the Spartans have not won at least a share of a Big Ten regular-title since the 2019-2020 campaign or a Big Ten Ten Tournament title since the 2018-2019 campaign (the 2020 Big Ten Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The Spartans have also only made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament once in the last four appearances (the 2022-2023 team).
However, with a new young roster led by Akins, Booker, Holloman, redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Nebraska Omaha transfer and senior Frankie Fidler and others, this year's Spartans have a chance to compete for another Big Ten championship and make some noise at the national level. Izzo thinks this team is capable of doing so.
“I'm looking forward to making another run," Izzo said at Big Ten Basketball Media Days on Thursday. “That's what I keep talking to my guys [about]. This summer we went to Spain and I think we got a lot out of that. Now it's going to be: Can we get off to a decent start?”
In the last four seasons combined, the Spartans have compiled a record of 26-14 in their first 10 games of the year, which may seem solid, but in the four seasons earlier, they went 31-9 combined through their first 10 games of each campaign.
As Izzo noted, a strong start is crucial for Michigan State this college basketball season. The Spartans face a challenging early schedule, including a matchup against Kansas in the Champions Classic on Nov. 12, and the Maui Invitational tournament Nov. 25 through Nov. 27, where they'll compete against other top-tier programs.
A crucial part to Michigan State getting off to a strong start and for the team's overall success this coming season will hinder on the play of its sophomore class, including Booker, Fears (who is actually a redshirt freshman) and forward Coen Carr.
“I think Booker has [gone] from 217 to 240 [pounds], and it's all good weight," Izzo said when asked about the progression of the sophomore class. "He's gotten stronger. I think he's a player that has got tremendous skills and tremendous measurements, but you still [have] to play the game.”
Izzo also mentioned Carr, saying, “I think in Coen Carr, he's one of the best athletes in the country, but you've got to become better offensively, which he has. [And] better defensively, I think he's become."
He also talked about Fears, who suffered a gun shot wound to the leg last December in his hometown of Joliet, Illinois and has worked to recover. As mentioned, Fears was awarded a medical redshirt after playing in just 12 games during the 2023-2024 season. He will be ready to play when the season begins.
“Poor Jeremy, you know, [he] only played a few games, so he is a freshman all over," Izzo said about Fears. "I still think the class is as good as it was ranked (top-five). I think it [may] just take a little while longer. If it does, all I care about is the results at the end.”
Izzo discussed the rest of the roster as well, saying that the depth of the team will be important, but that certain guys need to step up and play at the highest level possible. He singled out Akins as potentially playing that role.
“I think we have some depth this year," Izzo explained. "We had some injuries last year, too, as a lot of people do. So I think our depth is the positive side of it. The depth is the negative side of it, too. I need one or two players to step up and be above that, and I'm hoping that Akins is one of those guys.”
He also praised Akins' work ethic on the court and the ways he excels in the classroom.
This season, the depth of the bench for Spartans is headlined by Holloman, Carr, freshman guard Jase Richardson, freshman guard Kur Teng, redshirt freshman guard Gehrig Normand (who is currently dealing with an injury), junior center Carson Cooper, junior forward/center Jaxon Kohler and others. Senior center and Longwood transfer Szymon Zapala could start or come off the bench, with Cooper or Kohler challenging as well.
Michigan State's team has several veteran players with game experience, along with some highly-touted true freshmen out of high school, which could end paying dividends for the Spartans this season.
Izzo was also asked about the upcoming exhibition game against his alma mater, Northern Michigan, in the unique setting of the Superior Dome in Marquette, Michigan of the state's Upper Peninsula.
“It's going to be good,” Izzo said about playing at NMU. "We're playing in one of the world's largest domes — wooden domes, I should say. We always play an exhibition game, and so I said, 'Why not go up there?,' and I'm going to take my guys through a lot of the places we started at. I know you guys will laugh, but I think you'll agree. I think we do have a more entitled student-athletes. I'm going to bring them and show them where it wasn't entitled, and hopefully that will bring a little wisdom to them.”
The Spartans head up north on Oct. 13 aiming to kick off their preseason with a victory against Northern Michigan.
Obviously, Michigan State should outmatch a Division II NMU team with ease, but it will will be a good experience for Izzo to show his team around his old stomping grounds and should boost the team's confidence, and provide valuable momentum heading into a challenging non-conference schedule.
Michigan State will then play another exhibition game against Ferris State on Oct. 29 before kicking off the 2024-2025 regular season versus Monmouth on Nov. 4. For MSU's full schedule this season, click here.
