Spartans Could Be Deepest Team in the Big Ten

After what was shown in their win over Penn State on Wednesday, the Michigan State Spartans may just be the most versatile and deep team in the Big Ten. 10 different scorers contributed to their 10th-straight win and sixth in conference play.

Michigan State's head coach Tom Izzo, left, slaps hands with Xavier Booker after some quality minutes against Penn State during the second half on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 12 Michigan State Spartans (15-2, 6-0) are the hottest team in the Big Ten right now and might be the deepest as well. Earning a 90-85 conference win over the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-6) at home on Wednesday, the Spartans showed why they are so talented across the entire roster.

The 90 points scored were split up fairly evenly across the entire roster as all 10 players scored a basket and the lowest scorers still had 4 points. The Spartans bench players were extremely impressive, combining for 45 points, exactly half of the team's total.

Senior forward Frankie Fidler posted a season-high breakout performance of 18 points to lead the way off the bench. Sophomore forward Coen Carr had 9 points, sophomores Jase Richardson and Xavier Booker had 7 each, and four from junior center Carson Cooper.

Not to mention the starting guards -- senior Jaden Akins was impressive once again with 16 points, junior Tre Holloman poured in 10 and redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. had 8. The starting post presence was strong as junior Jaxon Kohler earned 7 points and senior Szymon Zapala with 4.

The scoring distribution across the entire roster shows that there are so many different players on this Spartans team that can make a winning impact. When a group has more than just the starting five to lean on, they become a different type of dangerous to opposing defenses.

It is difficult to point to another team in this conference that has the same type of depth that Michigan State does. With just one player averaging over 10 points per game, the Spartans have shown how they are able to average over 80 points per game without one guy doing all the scoring.

Michigan State has its top scorers in Akins, Richardson and Carr. But it takes a village to be successful, and if each player is able to do what they did Wednesday on a consistent basis, the sky is the limit for this group. It displayed how effective each and every member of this team can be.

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