Making Case for Kaleb Glenn to Start for Michigan State
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There would probably be more excitement for Kaleb Glenn had he transferred to Michigan State this offseason.
He's not technically a new addition, but he is. Glenn missed the entirety of his first year in East Lansing with a knee injury he suffered while practicing last summer. He spent his first two years of his career at Louisville and Florida Atlantic. I do not currently have Glenn in my own projected starting lineup right now, but there is a case to be made for him.
Glenn's Career Thus Far
Glenn was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2023 coming out of La Lumiere, one of the nation's powerhouses on the high school hoops circuit. He finished up ranked 85th overall in that class and committed to his hometown Cardinals.
The year at Louisville did not go as planned, though. Louisville went 8-24, and head coach Kenny Payne was fired. Glenn got regular minutes, but mostly came off the bench and averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Glenn had to move down a peg in competition and go to a mid-major program. That led him to FAU, which turned out to be a much better team than the one he was on at Louisville. Glenn was much improved with the Owls. He also came off the bench there, but shot up to 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
What especially stands out is his improvement as a three-point shooter. Glenn only attempted nine threes during his entire freshman season at Louisville, making one. He then averaged 3.4 perimeter attempts per game at Florida Atlantic, shooting an impressive 41.0%.
What Awaits Glenn Now
One of the reasons I have Glenn coming off the bench right now is the fact that he's mostly been a bench piece. He fits that sixth-man role pretty well. Glenn can shoot, rebound, and also defend multiple positions with his length at 6'6". He can be brought in during plenty of situations and succeed.
The main reason he's probably the first guy off the bench for Michigan State is just the players in front of him. Coen Carr is a wing who can be sharpied into the starting lineup. Jordan Scott is probably in pencil, but is closer to getting permanent marker status than to being erased for another name.
Jeremy Fears Jr. can be sharpied in at point guard, and so can Anton Bonke at center. They're firmly planted at their positions. Scott and Carr can play two different spots. That leaves one more spot for somebody else to crack the starting five.
I've tentatively written in incoming freshman Jasiah Jervis for now. The phenomenon of a freshman starting right away is relatively rare at MSU, though. If Jervis isn't ready right away, it might come down to either Cam Ward at the four or Glenn at the three.
Ward and Glenn Comparison
One major factor in this potential decision is actually what Carr does this offseason. The look of his three-point shot will have a real impact on the dynamic of the first lineup Tom Izzo will want to put out there.
If it's a lot like last year -- shooting in the high 20s and not super reliable -- you'll want another three-point shooter like Glenn in there. If he's gotten better at it -- call it mid-30s -- it's much more of a discussion.
Glenn is a proven three-point shooter and somebody who can even create his own offense a bit. Ward is still a ways away from even thinking about letting threes fly during games. He's still a very high-motor, physical four-man who is a pretty quintessential Izzo player.
Putting Ward and Carr on the court at the same time is difficult if Carr's shot isn't there. Twenty-one duos for Michigan State played at least 400 possessions together last season, according to EvanMiya.com. Ward and Carr ranked 19th. Interestingly, they were ranked fourth offensively among those duos (121.1 offensive efficiency), but the defense was dead last by a pretty healthy margin (110.3 defensive efficiency; second-to-last was 106.5).
That might indicate that Izzo has to overcorrect offensively when they're paired up and has to sacrifice some defense. The four most common lineups with Ward on the floor also included Kur Teng, who had the highest defensive rating among the regular playing group last year.
Glenn probably provides more flexibility. His advanced defensive numbers aren't great; his defensive rating at FAU was actually worse than Teng's this past season. The length is something Teng doesn't have, though. Glenn is also more athletic, making improvement on that end more likely. If it comes down to it, Glenn against Ward would be a heck of a debate.
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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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