5 Burning Questions for Michigan State in Midst of Offseason
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The hope is that next season can be "the year" for Michigan State basketball.
MSU has been knocking on the door of reaching the Final Four again in recent seasons, but the Spartans have lost in the Elite Eight and the Sweet 16 in their last two campaigns. The roster, as it stands for 2026-27, might be the most complete group Tom Izzo has formed in years. Alas, some questions remain on what Michigan State might need to contend for a national title.
Does Fears Return?
The decision everyone is awaiting is from All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. After averaging 15.2 points and a nation-leading 9.4 assists per game last season, also setting a single-season program record for assists, Fears decided to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility last month.
Fears got an invitation to the NBA Combine, which officially began on Sunday in Chicago. The consensus on Fears' NBA stock is that he would probably either go in the second round or not get drafted at all.
Izzo has expressed confidence in some recent interviews that Fears will return to MSU next season, but Fears' importance makes one want to hear it straight from the source. He has until the end of the day on May 27 to withdraw his name from the draft process, if he chooses to do so.
Finances and a lack of activity from Izzo and Michigan State in the portal suggest Fears should be back. Fears would make more money and be more marketable in college than if he were a second-round NBA draft pick; most of those players don't play often in the NBA or play most of their games in the G League.
MSU also has a roster spot still available (even counting Fears). If Izzo felt like Fears was leaning towards sticking with the draft, he probably would have gone and found another option. Divine Ugochukwu probably would've never left in the first place for LSU.
How Does Bonke Project to the Big Ten?
The only player the Spartans have taken in from the transfer portal is Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke. He's going to be the tallest player in Michigan State history at 7-foot-2 and certainly provides some high upside.
Bonke averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season at Charlotte. The 49ers play in the American Conference, which was ranked 10th at KenPom this season. Jumping up to the Big Ten, ranked second by the same site, will have its challenges for Bonke.
A reason to be optimistic is how green Bonke actually is to basketball. He grew up in Vanuatu, a tiny island nation a bit off the coast of Australia, and only started playing hoops at 16. Bonke has made great strides during his college career, averaging more points and rebounds during his most recent season with a Division I program than he did at the JUCO level with Eastern Arizona College.
Can Carr Develop His Three-Point Shot?
Rising senior Coen Carr is a reliable jump shot away from being one of the biggest headaches out there for opponents. He's plenty good enough, with his all-world athleticism providing highlight dunks and some very entertaining rebounds. Carr has also become a smarter defender and player overall during his time at Michigan State.
This is Carr's last offseason to try and get that three-point shot. He started regularly shooting threes last year, taking 2.2 per game, but a 27.6% mark from deep and a so-so mid-range jumper are holding Carr back from the NBA level. If Carr gets his percentage into the mid-30s and forces opponents to truly respect his shot, that improves both spacing and the number of opportunities he and his teammates can get.
What Does Glenn Provide?
"What if Kaleb Glenn was healthy?" was something I saw a fair number of times last season. The Spartans sometimes felt like they were a wing shooter short. The injury the Florida Atlantic transfer suffered last summer can't be assigned a value, but there was a cost somewhere.
Glenn had averaged 12.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in '24-25 while playing for FAU, making 41.0% of his threes. His defensive metrics weren't great, but most of the season was spent thinking Michigan State needed more offense than defense. The role Glenn takes on after getting a redshirt season to intake the program's system and culture will be a point of intrigue.
How Ready Will Taylor Be Immediately?
Even with the addition of Bonke, center is probably the position with the most nerves around it right now. MSU has Jesse McCulloch coming back next season for his redshirt sophomore season, but lots of eyes will also be on incoming freshman Ethan Taylor. He's ranked 34th overall in the class of 2026 on the 247Sports Composite, including being No. 4 among centers.
It might be an adjustment process for Taylor, though. He's considered a bit more of a "raw" prospect and came off the bench at Link Academy in Missouri during his senior season, where he was teammates with Carlos Medlock Jr., Taylor's ceiling is quite high, but his response to the physicality of the Big Ten will be interesting.
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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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