Questions at Important MSU Position Remain After Loss to Michigan

It's becoming clear again that Michigan State has a specific way it needs to play against top teams.

MSU is not a team devoid of talent, but it's also not the most talented roster in the country by any stretch. The Spartans don't have a single former five-star recruit on the team right now. That means the team's overall output has to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shouts instructions out during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

So far this season, Tom Izzo and his players have done that. Even after Michigan State's 83-71 loss to No. 3 Michigan, MSU still sits at 19-3 overall and 9-2 during Big Ten play. The Spartans are currently seventh in the AP Poll, but will probably slide a few spots when they are updated on Monday.

Really, no matter where Michigan State lands when that happens, it'll probably be a higher ranking than whatever MSU's "talent" metric is. According to 247Sports, the Spartans' last four recruiting classes (factoring in high school and portal adds) have finished 59th, sixth, 24th, and 34th. That's an average of 30.8.

More on MSU's Two-Guards

Jan 27, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Kur Teng (2) dribbles up court against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Obviously, rankings from recruiting services are not the end-all, be-all. Carson Cooper was a virtual unknown, but MSU picked him up anyway, and now he's one of the better centers in the Big Ten.

Even though Izzo and Michigan State stand as a place where internal development is prioritized, rather than resetting every year through the portal, there are some real holes in this year's roster. The lack of a consistent two-guard stands out the most. Izzo tried to address that need in the portal by adding Trey Fort from Samford, but Fort's defense has been inconsistent, and he's also only shooting about 30% from three.

This especially showed up during the Michigan game. With how stout UM's starting frontcourt was --- built this offseason entirely via the portal --- all the responsibility to score went to Jeremy Fears Jr., essentially. He scored 31 points and had seven assists, but that wasn't a good thing. None of the other guards helped him out. Fort, Kur Teng, and Divine Ugochukwu combined for zero points against the Wolverines.

It's kind of a "duh" statement, but Michigan State really needs a sidekick for Fears at guard. That was Jase Richardson last season. The problem is that Jase Richardsons don't come around often; players like him are hard to obtain.

This is where Jordan Scott may come in. Scott is just a freshman, but he plays a style that Izzo loves. He can knock down the three, he makes smart players, and he shows nothing but tremendous effort every time he's on the floor.

Scott scored 10 points and had four rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes against UM. He was also one of the players on the court when the second half began, when coaches usually roll with their starters for that. Watch for Scott to maybe move into a starting role soon.