3 Areas for MSU Basketball To Improve Next Season

The Spartans need to get better in these three areas next year.

Michigan State's Coen Carr watches a free throw go up during a game against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Michigan State has the chance to be one of the best teams in the country next season.

The Spartans have been very solid each of the last two seasons, seeing their season end in the Elite Eight and the Sweet 16. Tom Izzo and MSU want to get back to the Final Four and compete for a national title, though. For that to be so, Michigan State will need to improve its numbers in these three areas:

Turnovers

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. hunches over during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Valuing the basketball will be one of the big keys this coming season. For a team of MSU's caliber last season, the Spartans turned the ball over quite a bit and also didn't really force enough turnovers to make up for it.

Michigan State averaged 11.6 giveaways last season. That ranked 188th in Division I and 14th in the Big Ten. Its defense only forced 10.0 turnovers per game, too. That was 314th in D-I and 13th in the Big Ten.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shakes the hand of an Ohio State assistant before a game at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

In total, it came to an average turnover differential of minus-1.5 for MSU last year. That was 302nd in the country and second-to-last in the conference. The only team worse in that stat was Maryland (minus-2.4).

This stat isn't quite as indicative of success as it may be in football, to be fair. Michigan and Illinois both made the Final Four despite their average turnover margins being minus-0.9 and minus-1.0, respectively. Regardless, cutting turnovers and upping takeaways is hardly a bad thing.

Connecticut guard Solo Ball (1) goes in for the reverse layup over the defense of Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) during the first half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Assist Rate

This is actually a stat where I think Michigan State's numbers are a bit too high. Of all of the Spartans' baskets last season, 67.6% of them came off assists, according to KenPom. That was the second-highest mark in the country, behind only Minnesota (71.0%).

Now, I'm not necessarily saying Michigan State should be passing the ball less. You're hardly ever going to see isolation possessions in an Izzo system. But last season was one of Izzo's more assist-reliant teams during his career. Adding players like Carlos Medlock Jr. and Jasiah Jervis, who can both dribble well enough to create offense of their own, but bring this rate down next season.

Three-Point Defense

Michigan State's Kur Teng shoots a three during a game against Ohio State at the Breslin Center on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Next season's team also has room for improvement on the perimeter defensively. It was fine last year, with 33.0% of MSU's opponents' threes going in, but a relatively down year in that category.

That number came in at 137th in the country. It was also the highest percentage allowed by the Spartans in a season since the 2017-18 season.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo does an interview following a 79-70 win over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI