What Awaits Jordan Scott in Sophomore Season at MSU
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The freshman year of Jordan Scott can probably be declared a success.
Scott was a 4-star prospect ranked 56th overall in the class of 2025 on the 247Sports Composite. His freshman stats are relatively unassuming, averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds, but it always felt like good things were happening when Scott was on the court.
Freshman Year Numerical Breakdown
The freshman's value is evident in the numbers. EvanMiya.com reveals Scott's on-off margin split to be 6.1, which measures how many points per 100 possessions a team is better with a player on the court compared to when they are off the court.
Scott's mark was the fourth-best on the team, in fact. He was behind Jeremy Fears Jr. (23.7), Jaxon Kohler (20.7), and Kur Teng (12.2). Of the seven best lineups that Michigan State deployed last season for at least 40 possessions, Scott was a part of five of them.
Those are some of the more advanced statistics I'll throw at you, but there are some things that cannot be quantified that show why MSU has success when Scott plays, even if he doesn't score a ton of points.
Scott's effort and drive on the court are never in question. He's a good enough defender that the Spartans were giving him some pretty tough defensive assignments at times. He most notably helped hold projected NBA lottery pick Keaton Wagler from Illinois went 2-for-16 during the Spartans' overtime win against the Fighting Illini on Feb. 7.
It's a little cliché and a little boring to say, but he just plays like a winning basketball player. There were freshman mistakes here and there, including an intentional foul that didn't need to happen against UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament, but that's all a part of Scott's path.
Scott is still a probable starter for this coming season. There are two main schools of thought for the starting lineup next season. One involves freshman Jasiah Jervis or Teng at the two, and Scott moving to the three. The other has Scott at the two, Coen Carr at the three, and Cam Ward at the four. Fears and Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke should start at the one and the five, respectively.
Potential Role Shift in '26-27
I personally subscribe to the lineup where Jervis starts, even though it's usually tough for freshmen to start right away at Michigan State. The last to do so was Max Christie in 2021-22.
If Jervis is starting at shooting guard, that means Scott will have to move back to small forward. That would be a pretty seamless shift. It's what Tom Izzo brought Scott to MSU to play coming out of high school, after all.
Scott's height of 6-foot-8 projects him as more of a small forward, too. He still has enough skills to play shooting guard, which he probably will if/when Izzo brings out some bigger lineups.
Michigan State doesn't have quite as much experienced size as it did last year, though. Part of the reason Scott playing shooting guard worked was that Kohler and Carson Cooper were starting at power forward and center. Since Carr was also a permanent starter, the natural spot for Scott when he entered the starting lineup was shooting guard.
The Spartans won't be starting two bigs next year, though. Especially early in the year, starting Jesse McCulloch or freshman Ethan Taylor at power forward would be a pretty huge surprise.
That's why the outcome for Ward will be key here, because it will essentially determine if Scott starts at the two or the three next season. Carr's status on the starting five supersedes Scott's, but Scott's status probably supersedes Jervis's or Teng's.
Scott has the offensive ability to make both spots work. He shot 37.0% from three last season, but he really shot 41.4% from deep from December onward after a 1-for-13 start to his college career. During Big Ten play, Scott made 43.5% of his threes. That's the best mark among returning players.
His defensive versatility is also another reason to feel good. He already proved last season that he can guard positions 1-3 pretty comfortably. If he adds some more muscle, guarding opponents at the four doesn't feel out of the question. MSU usually doesn't like to switch screens often to avoid mismatches, but Scott's presence allows switches without those mismatches.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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