MSU's Izzo Lays Out Challenge for 2 Bench Players

Earlier this season, Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo sensed his team needed more if it was going to compete in the Big Ten, so he brought his group of five bench players into his office and let them know exactly what he needed from them.

We may never know exactly what was said in that meeting, but Izzo has revealed that he challenged the group's consistency and asked two particular players to bring more to the table: sophomore guard Kur Teng and freshman forward Cam Ward.

"I brought in Kur and Denham [Wojcik] and those five [bench] guys, and I said to Kur and Cam, we need [them] to step up three steps," Izzo recalled as he met with the media following Tuesday's drubbing of UCLA. "The other guys we need to survive. "

How Teng and Ward Have Performed

We know the meeting took place some time before the Spartans' thrilling overtime win over Illinois, and both players seemed to come alive again in that game. Both made huge plays against the Fighting Illini, as Ward electrified the crowd with a coast-to-coast drive and dunk, and Teng hit a clutch three-pointer to put MSU ahead in the final seconds of regulation.

Take another look at Kur Teng's massive three-pointer that helped force OT in @MSU_Basketball’s top-10 win over Illinois 👀 pic.twitter.com/77LV414CT3
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 8, 2026

It's been small but sure and steady progress for both guys. Teng is seeing an increase in playing time due to the season-ending injury to Divine Ugochukwu, which has forced Michigan State to shift its guard rotation at a spot that has had unsettled concerns since the offseason. Since that time, he's flirted with double-digits in scoring in each game, crossing the mark against both Illinois and Wisconsin and contributing his most in conference play since a brief stint in mid-January.

Meanwhile, offense was never the focus for Ward at this point in his career, especially as he returns from a nagging wrist injury. He affects the game in other ways, providing stout defense and rebounding as another player in a uniquely skilled front court. Jaxon Kohler will stretch the floor, Carson Cooper rebounds and plays inside, and Ward can do a little bit of all of that with more athleticism, plus handle the ball.

michigan state basketbal — Michigan State's Cam Ward takes off on a fast break after an Illinois miss during the first half on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think Kur's been making progress. He's working on it morning, noon, and night," Izzo said. "And we get Cam going a little more each day. He can really help us because he gives us a dimension that we don't have with those other bigs. He gives us an athlete who can cover a lot of people."

Wrad and Teng will continue to be key contributors off the bench for Michigan State as the season continues. So far, they seem up to the challenge, but suddenly, much more responsibility rests on their shoulders.

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