Position Battles That Will Shape MSU's Next Rotation
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Depth is one of the best things Michigan State has this coming season.
The Spartans currently have 12 scholarship players on the roster. Tom Izzo could easily play at least 10 or 11 every game. Some guys are going to have to battle against one another to gain minutes, though. These are some of those battles:
Jasiah Jervis vs. Kur Teng
A lack of consistency at shooting guard was one of MSU's most obvious weaknesses last season. Izzo tried four different players as starters at the position, but none thrived there for more than a few games at a time.
Jordan Scott is going to get minutes at the two this season again. His ability to play the position at 6'8" is one of the best features about him as a player, and it's part of the reason I think he's closer to being an NBA prospect than some might think. I currently have him as Michigan State's starter at small forward.
That's because I have incoming freshman Jasiah Jervis as the current starter at the two. He's going to be competing with rising junior Kur Teng, though. Jervis is the Spartans' top incoming recruit at 31st overall on the 247Sports Composite and the top-rated high school guard MSU has landed since Max Christie.
It is, admittedly, tough for freshmen to start right away at Michigan State. Christie is actually the last true freshman to start immediately for the Spartans. Kur Teng will have the advantage of having learned Izzo's system for the last two seasons. He's also probably the superior shooter between the two right now, though Jervis will have plenty of ability to stretch the floor as well.
If Teng were to "win" the battle between these two, I'd probably shift Scott back over to the two on my starting lineup projection. Coen Carr would then go to the three, and then I'd likely go with Cam Ward at the four.
Jervis vs. Ward really could be the real battle, in a way. Starting Kaleb Glenn would be another possibility. I personally like the amount of offensive flexibility a lineup with Jervis would provide. That would be good to have to start a game, but going with Ward would create a pretty defensively stout starting five that Izzo would like.
Ethan Taylor vs. Jesse McCulloch
Another battle will be between a freshman and a returning player entering their third year with the program. This will be more of a battle to see who gets more minutes off the bench. Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke should have a pretty firm grip on the starting spot at center entering the season.
Ethan Taylor is not too far behind Jervis in the rankings, currently at 38th overall. The two of them will actually be teammates a few months early during the USA's under-18 basketball team's trip to Mexico that is going on right now.
Jesse McCulloch is also in an interesting spot. He flashed promise as a stretch big last season, but ultimately was not a part of Michigan State's main rotation when the games mattered most in late February and March.
There should be a bit more versatility with McCulloch on the floor. It wouldn't be surprising if McCulloch and Taylor were occasionally on the floor together, with McCulloch playing the four. Shot-blocking seemed to be a strength for him last season (2.5 blocks per 40 minutes), but rebounding is a spot where McCulloch can be better. His 7.0 boards per 40 minutes were the lowest rate among forwards/centers (excluding Scott) on the roster last season.
Taylor's freshman season will also be very interesting. He's been considered a more raw prospect, going off the bench during his senior high school season at Link Academy (Mo.), but his inclusion on the Team USA under-18 roster might indicate that he's further along than it might have seemed. He'll be a pretty big body in the paint, standing at 7'0" and 244 pounds.
Both should be getting playing time either way, though. It's sort of that similarity to the Jervis vs. Teng discussion. The freshman is a bigger, flashier recruit who has sky-high potential, but the person on the other side knows what it's like to receive orders from Izzo. These discussions can easily evolve as the season progresses, especially as the freshman potentially gets more comfortable in the system later in the year.
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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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