Struggles for MSU Freshmen a Great Lesson Moving Forward

ANN ARBOR, Mich. --- This is the time of year where freshmen can't really be freshmen anymore.

Well, Michigan State's Cam Ward and Jordan Scott were a little freshman-like during the eighth-ranked Spartans' 90-80 loss to No. 3 Michigan on Sunday. They combined for two points (1-for-9 shooting) across 42 combined minutes during the game.

Tom Izzo, Cam War — Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo talks to forward Cam Ward (3) after a play against Michigan during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Sunday, March 8, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Plenty of that was Scott, who scored both of those points on a 1-for-7 shooting night across 33 minutes. Ward was dealing with foul trouble all game, playing only nine minutes. That's the least amount of playing time he's gotten since... the first game against Michigan on Jan. 30, when he only played eight minutes.

"Cam struggled early," Tom Izzo said after the game. "He got those two fouls, and once he did, he was kind of out of it, which happens with freshmen. Jordan, I thought, missed a couple of shots, but Jordan played so hard. I don't have a problem with that."

Roles of Scott, Ward in Postseason

Michigan State forward Jordan Scott (6) dribbles against Rutgers guard Tariq Francis (0) during the second half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, March 5, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Both Ward and Scott need to play well for MSU to get far in the upcoming Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Given that Scott has played in 31 games and Ward has been in 30, they are expected to play and act like they have some experience now, because they do.

"I thought [the foul trouble] took the wind out of Cam's sail," Izzo also said about Ward. "And I did talk to him in the locker room about that. Our freshmen, you've got to grow up now. These are big games now, OK? The next big game you lose, you go home. You lose at the Big Ten Tournament, you go home. You lose at the NCAA Tournament, you go home."

Mar 8, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts during the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

"Nobody's gonna pat them on the back. They've got 31 games in now. It's just part of the process, something that nobody wants to hear about or talk about. It's part of the journey. It's part of the process that you go through."

That sentiment was also echoed by senior center Carson Cooper, who has also been in Ward's and Scott's shoes and is very aware of what the expectations are this time of year.

"It's not something that we all didn't go through at some point in our career," Cooper said. "It's gonna be a reality check, and Coach [Izzo] kinda knocked on Cam a little bit. He's still a freshman. He doesn't really know how the stress or the anxiety of you win or lose or go home. This is a point where we've gotta do our job as leaders and let him know there's no room for error, there's no room for mental slip-ups, or anything like that."

Scott, Ward, and MSU will play their next game in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday night. The Spartans, who are the 3 seed in the conference tourney, will face one of No. 6 seed UCLA, No. 11 seed Minnesota, or No. 14 seed Rutgers.

Michigan State's Cam Ward, right, celebrates his dunk with Trey Fort during a timeout in the first half in the game against Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images