Why Scott’s Growing Role Key for MSU as March Approaches
In this story:
EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State is a program that likes to bank on its experience. Four of its five starters are players who have been Spartans for at least two seasons before this one.
It seems like they're going to turn to a freshman for that fifth spot soon. Jordan Scott seems ready to take on a larger role with MSU moving forward. He started the second half of the Spartans' game against Michigan, and head coach Tom Izzo has implied that that was not a temporary decision.
"When you win, you don't want to change things up, and some of those problems [we've had] started to rear its ugly head," Izzo said after the loss to the Wolverines on Friday about putting Scott out there. "We didn't look real comfortable, and he [Scott] looks more comfortable to me. I like his comfort level. It makes me feel more comfortable."
We'll see if Scott officially takes a starting role on Wednesday against Minnesota. There are a few reasons why that would be a wise move for the Spartans, but there are also a couple of reasons why Scott has reached this point.
More on Scott on Potentially Starting
"When they told me [I was starting the second half vs. UM], I was ready for it," Scott said after practice on Monday. "I was like, 'Let's go. We've got to make a run right here.' We're down by almost 20; we can't let them run away with the game. So we knew that we needed to come out with energy, and I knew what I needed to do."
Scott has been one of the first guys Izzo and Michigan State have turned to when it needs a spark. He's a player who doesn't necessarily stand out a ton in the box score, but consistently leaves his fingerprints on games in other ways with his effort and hustle.
Good things just happen when he plays. When Scott took the floor to open the second half, the Spartans were down 16. When he subbed out just less than six minutes into the second half, MSU had cut the deficit to seven.
If Izzo ends up keeping Scott on the bench in favor of Divine Ugochukwu at the two, it might be because he would like to have Scott provide that lift coming off the bench, rather than throwing him in with the starters.
"Sometimes you do need somebody coming off the bench, and that weighs into how you want to start," Izzo said Monday. "If we didn't get off to a bad start [against Michigan], maybe we would have... and that's not all on one player. It's not all on Jordan one way or Jordan the other. He started the second half because we felt like he played with the most energy. I didn't ask for who played the best; I asked for who plays with the most energy."
Michigan State could use some energy at the beginning of games now. It cannot afford to fall behind 15-5 a bunch of times, as it did against UM. Putting Scott into the starting lineup raises the floor of how MSU can start games.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Jordan Scott when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
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.
Follow jacobcotsonika