Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Michigan State (Projected: 7th in B1G)
Tom Izzo has been one of the great coaches in this generation, but the past few seasons at Michigan State haven’t quite gone as planned. Four straight tournament berths are great, but just one Sweet 16 appearance and zero years with a seed better than seven aren’t the expectations at Michigan State. It’s safe to say Tom Izzo is reaching the twilight of his career and that this 2024-25 squad could be one his last chances to compete in March. Izzo lightly used the portal this offseason, putting heavy trust in the players coming back.
Eight players return for Michigan State, all of whom should see the floor this season. Jaden Akins (10 ppg, 4 rpg) is the leading scorer among returners. Akins was hyped as a possible breakout guy going into last season, but his three-point percentage dropped off and the rest of his numbers stayed about the same. With the three guys above Akins in the scoring column now gone, a breakout for Akins isn’t as much of a hope as it is a necessity for Izzo’s squad to compete at the top of the Big Ten.
Tre Holloman (6 ppg) returns in the backcourt after a solid sophomore season where he contributed a bit of everything off the bench for the Spartans. Jeremy Fears Jr. (4 ppg, 3 apg) is perhaps the returner with the most hype, showing great potential as a freshman before his season was cut short after being shot in the leg while at home over winter break. Fears didn’t shoot the ball much himself, but averaged over three assists in 15 mpg and that number could double if he finds himself in the starting point guard role. Redshirt freshman Gehrig Normand is the final returner for the Spartans in the backcourt, preparing to play his first games under Izzo after spending a year in practice.
The Spartans’ frontcourt returns their fair share of production going into 2024-25 as well. Xavier Booker (4 ppg, 2 rpg) didn’t see as many minutes as he and many fans would’ve hoped as a freshman, but his impact over the last eight games was something to get excited over. Along with the backcourt trio, Booker is a guy that could breakout for the Spartans with lots of production to replace. Coen Carr (3 ppg) is another young returner for the Spartans, a wing with highlight reel athleticism that could also see a boost in productivity. Juniors Carson Cooper (3 ppg, 4 rpg) and Jaxon Kohler (2 ppg) will both be guys that can give Izzo minutes in the frontcourt, solid backup options at the four and five.
Four players left Michigan State this offseason, all of whom had big impacts on the team’s success. Tyson Walker (18 ppg, 3 apg) gave Izzo three strong seasons in the backcourt after transferring in from Northeastern, a true veteran that won some games by himself for the Spartans. AJ Hoggard (11 ppg, 5 apg) also left the backcourt, heading to Vanderbilt for his final year of eligibility. In the frontcourt, Malik Hall (13 ppg, 6 rpg) ran out of eligibility after five strong seasons at Michigan State, while center Mady Sissoko (3 ppg, 5 rpg) transferred to Cal for his final season.
With so many players coming back, Tom Izzo only lightly used the transfer portal, finding two mid-major guys to bring in. Frankie Fidler (20 ppg, 6 rpg at Omaha) is the big pickup, a likely starter for Izzo in the frontcourt. Fidler was a great all-around forward in the Summit League and the question that will surround him will be if he can make the jump up to the Big Ten. Szymon Zapala (10 ppg, 6 rpg at Longwood) is the other incoming transfer, a Polish 7-footer who finally had a breakout year at Longwood after three years of limited minutes at Utah State. Zapala isn’t the flashiest pickup, but he’s a guy that can help the Spartans’ frontcourt depth.
To round out the roster, Izzo landed commitments from three high school recruits. Jase Richardson (4*, NAT 33), son of long-time NBA player Jason Richardson, joins the backcourt as a guard with great playmaking and scoring ability, likely to find good minutes as a freshman. Kur Teng (4*, NAT 48) is another freshman who could help in the backcourt as a knock-down shooter and good athlete. Jesse McCulloch (3*, NAT 153) is the final freshman addition, a stretch forward at 6-9 with solid athleticism.
Even though the Spartans haven’t been the Spartans of old in recent years, as long as Tom Izzo is at the helm at Michigan State, you know the basketball team will be highly competitive. The on-court product this season will be largely determined by how much better all of these young returners get in the offseason. Izzo has a lot of potential on his hands, and a team that I think should comfortably reach the NCAA Tournament.
Looking at this roster, just about everybody wearing green could be an X-factor for the Spartans this upcoming season. The two guys I think will have the biggest pressure to be great however are Jeremy Fears Jr. and Xavier Booker. Fears is coming off of a tragic injury last December and if he can build off of that great start to his freshman campaign, he should be set for a monster sophomore season. Booker finally started to see good minutes at the end of last year, and now as a sophomore it will be on him to be a consistent option in the frontcourt for Izzo. If both Fears and Booker can push their limits, the ceiling of this Michigan State team raises indefinitely.
The more I look into this Michigan State squad, the more I like what Izzo has put together. He’s got a young but talented lineup, and one that should be able to compete in the Big Ten. I’ve got the Spartans slotted 7th in the 18-team conference as of right now, based on the fact that the six teams ahead of them have a lot more certainties about their team make-up. 7th or 8th should be seen as the floor for this MSU team though, with a real chance at winning the league if their young core matures and reaches its potential this season.