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Published Aug 8, 2024
Michigan State's Tom Izzo talks team's trip to Spain, Jeremy Fears' health
Seth Berry  β€’  Spartans Illustrated
Staff Writer

While Michigan State men's basketball doesn't begin playing games that count toward its official record for a few months yet, the Spartans are preparing in the present moment to be ready for the time November rolls around.

Starting on Aug. 13, MSU will depart to Spain for a 10-day trip when the team visits Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona during the visit.

MSU is scheduled to play its first game in Madrid on Aug. 15. The Spartans will next play a contest in Valencia on Aug. 18, and then have a final game on the docket in Barcelona on Aug. 20.

This will be the Michigan State program's first trip overseas since going to Italy in 2015.

On Tuesday, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo met with the media to preview his team's trip to Spain and explain what he wants his squad to get out of the experience.

"I'm hoping to get a lot out of it," Izzo said. "I don't know about the competition, as you never do. We went over there one year (2015) and we played Olympic teams. But now, with the Olympics going on, there will be more club teams, more All-Star teams. That part of it, it's hard to say."

Izzo added that the experience will be good for his team to get work in at the end of the summer on the basketball court, but additionally for them to be able to spend some time together and bond off the court.

"It's a very close-knit team," Izzo noted. "I've been really impressed β€” we've done a lot of things together this summer. This trip will be good in that respect."

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With that being said, Izzo still wants to learn some things about his team during the getaway, as he said he plans to play a different lineup to start each half.

"I want to see who plays well with who, I want to get something out of this trip," Izzo said. "It's not just for the enjoyment. It's not for the wins and losses. It's to see who plays well together, who plays under some stressful situations and all of that kind of stuff."

With guard Tyson Walker now departed from the program and getting his shot in the NBA, and point guard A.J. Hoggard, who transferred to Vanderbilt, also gone, it will be up to other Spartan guards to step up in the back-court and play bigger roles in the 2024-2025 season to help fill their shoes. Other veterans in the front-court from last year's team, such as Malik Hall (pursuing the NBA) and Mady Sissoko (transferred to California) have left East Lansing as well.

Junior Tre Holloman will be one of those players who can step up in the back-court, but the Spartans will also be glad to have redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. back on the court. Fears suffered a gun shot wound in December of 2023, which required surgery. Several months later, Fears' recovery has gone well, as Izzo said the young guard is "99%" recovered from the gun shot wound that cost him most of his freshman season.

Fears is expected to play in Spain, as Izzo said he has been pleased with his progression this summer.

"I want to see him run a team, which I know he can do," Izzo said about Fears. "I want to see his defense. It was hard because he was off a long time. One thing about Jeremy is he is already a student of the game, and he did study the game (when he was out). He sat on the bench, he was in timeouts talking about what to do. He knows how to play."

The Spartans will also have a couple of new faces on the court this season. In the offseason, Michigan State added two players from the transfer portal in wing Frankie Fidler (Nebraska Omaha) and center Szymon Zapala (Longwood).

How they are integrated into the lineup could be one of the elements Izzo discovers about his team by the end of the trip to Spain, as he discussed why the program added those two in the first place.

"In Frankie (Fidler), we were looking for a guy who is a bigger wing who can shoot," Izzo said. "But he got fouled I think in the top eight or 10 players in the country (last season). He drew fouls, and I thought we were poor at that. At the same time, he came from a program where he β€” like (Tyson) Walker, was moving up a little bit. So he's not entitled, so that's important to me. He's been everything I thought he'd be and more."

"As far as Zapala, he's been really interesting. Probably better than we thought. Bigger than we thought, but better. He's got the European touch β€” he knows how to play. He can shoot the three. He's got strength. Totally unentitled. That is the deal right now that I think is important to me and the program and the players that are here. Those two guys fit in well because they didn't come in thinking they invented the game. Give credit to my assistants to finding guys that will fit us and still help us, and yet not being (someone) where you have a guy coming in who makes another guy transfer."

Michigan State will kick off the 2024-2025 regular season in November, with an opening week, non-conference contest scheduled at the Breslin Center against Niagara on Nov. 7.

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