Jeremy Fears Jr. ignites offense while big men dominate boards, yet turnovers and a second-half slump temper Michigan State's perfect start.
A win is a win, no matter the shape or size — and Michigan State is now 3-0 after beating the Spartans of San Jose State 79–60.
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GOOD MORNING
It wasn’t the prettiest performance you'll get from the Spartans of Michigan State. There was some bad and a bit of ugly mixed in, but don’t let that fool you — there was plenty of good, too. And despite what Tom Izzo might say, MSU looks like it’s humming heading into next week’s road clash with Kentucky.
The Spartans picked up their third win of the season in the complete opposite way I predicted. After Game 2, Izzo attributed Jeremy Fears Jr.’s fatigue to overuse. With the rockstar emergence of freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, I expected Fears to get limited minutes, let the freshmen run, and see what the bench could do against a lowly 0–2 San Jose State squad.
I was very wrong.
The Good
Coen Carr and those supercharged legs of his are still defying physics. He delivered three ESPN Top 10 plays this morning — all thunderous, high-elevation dunks that reminded everyone just how effortlessly he levitates.
Jeremy Fears Jr. Fears was the engine behind MSU’s early surge, finishing with 15 points, a team-leading nine assists, and a 3-for-5 performance from beyond the arc. His shooting helped calm the narrative surrounding MSU’s early-season struggles from deep.
Dominant Big Men MSU’s two-headed monster down low took over.
- Jaxon Kohler: 17 points, 18 rebounds (absolute cinema)
- Carson Cooper: 17 points, 7 rebounds
The duo combined for 25 boards, and Kohler’s rebounding clinic is the exact formula MSU will need if they want to be playing deep into April.
Bench Boost Kur Teng earns a well-deserved shoutout. He came off the bench for 10 points, including two threes, in 19 minutes — outplaying starting 2-guard Trey Fort, who finished with two points and two rebounds in 16 minutes.
Michigan State won by 19 and remains undefeated.
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COEN WITH THE ❕
The Bad
Turnovers. San Jose State won the turnover battle 8–9. Yes, MSU only lost it by one, but for a team eyeing a top-10 ranking, these mistakes matter — especially against teams with more athleticism and better scoring threats.
Turnovers have quietly haunted MSU early this season. Izzo even tried taking the blame for one of them last week. But against San Jose State, all nine turnovers came from MSU’s starters.
- Fears: 3
- Carr: 2
- Kohler: 2
- Fort: 1
- Cooper: 1
The Fears turnovers are especially costly. He’s the vision-setter — the Jared Goff of this team. As the floor general, he has to consistently put MSU in a position to score. With Izzo’s love for football, you know that’s exactly what he expects from his point guard.
The Ugly
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"What do you want me to do? Hug and kiss them?"
Coddling his players isn't Tom Izzo's style.
The Entire Second Half. After dominating the first half 46–23, Michigan State eased off the gas and lost the second half 37–33. The energy dipped, the urgency disappeared, and it simply didn’t resemble an Izzo-coached second half.
Free Throws (Again). MSU left too many free points on the floor.
- Carson Cooper: 5/10
- Coen Carr: 0/1
- Cam Ward: 1/2
- Divine Ugochukwu: 1/2
The bright spots:
- Kohler: 6/6
- Fears: 4/4
Izzo was asked afterward how this year’s group handles his demanding coaching style. His blunt reply:
“What do you want me to do? Hug and kiss them? ‘Guys, you're doing alright’? Nah, it's not my style. When you say I’m being demanding of them, what the hell are you supposed to be doing?”
He added:
“We got guys who want to play at the next level, guys who want to win championships… Wanting to and doing it are two different things.”
Izzo finished by assuring that MSU’s free throw issues will be fixed sooner rather than later — and they need to be. Free throws decide 90%+ of college games, especially in March. Shooting 67% as a team is nowhere near top-5 caliber.
What’s Next
Michigan State, now 3–0, heads into its biggest test of the season: a trip to Rupp Arena to take on ninth-ranked Kentucky. It’ll be a top-20 showdown worthy of primetime and a measuring stick for how real this year’s MSU squad is.