Michigan State Spartans Basketball 2026-27 Season Preview
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The Michigan State Spartans saw their rival, Michigan, cut down the nets last season, and it had to be a tough thing to see. With that in mind, plus having the 2027 Final Four in Detroit, Tom Izzo has to be more motivated than ever to get the job done.
Michigan State Spartans Basketball 2026-27 Season Preview
The Spartans have arguably the best point guard in the country, Jeremy Fears Jr., back for another season, which certainly gives them the potential. Fears and senior forward Coen Carr have given the Spartans everything they have had and stayed loyal. Will it result in the second national championship for Izzo?
Let’s take a closer look at the 2026-27 Michigan State Spartans.
Roster Make-Up
Fears went through the NBA draft process this spring, but ultimately chose to return. He has a real chance to build on an outstanding sophomore season, finishing with 15.2 points and a nation-leading 9.2 assists per game. It’s going to be fun to see what rising sophomores Jordan Scott and Cameron Ward can do. Both took major steps as freshmen last season.
The graduation of Carson Cooper and the departure of Jaxon Kohler left some big shoes to fill in the frontcourt. However, a pair of seven-foot newcomers might be just what was needed. The first is the transfer of Anton Bonke, who likely slots in at the starting center.
The Spartans also got much younger with a four-man freshman class, led by outstanding shooter Jasiah Jervis and Carlos Medlock Jr., who looks more than ready to contribute as the secondary point guard behind Fears. The biggest unknowns will be what Izzo can get out of Ethan Taylor. Not to mention, Kaleb Glenn is finally healthy after missing all of last season with a leg injury.
Returners: Fears, Kur Teng, Carr, Jesse McCulloch, Glenn, Ward, Scott
Newcomers: Bonke, Medlock Jr, Jervis, Julius Avent, Taylor, and Matthew Watkins (was a team manager).
Spent summer getting better 🟢 ⚪ pic.twitter.com/JjojyBy3h8
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) August 10, 2026
Schedule Outlook
Izzo and the Spartans are no strangers to playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. It will be no different in 2026-27. They have even doubled down for their exhibition games, with a trip to Milwaukee to play Marquette, before clashing with Danny Hurley’s UConn Huskies. That gears Michigan State up for plenty of road trips in the non-conference. A home clash with Quinnipiac to open the regular season on Nov. 2 leads into the Champions Classic in Chicago, where the Spartans take on the Duke Blue Devils.
From there, they have a true road game at Tennessee, followed by two more neutral-site games: against Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, then against Gonzaga (Palm Springs) out west. Their annual clash with in-state foe Oakland is once again on the schedule, where Izzo and the Golden Grizzlies coach Greg Kampe always brighten up the holiday season with their ugly sweaters. They finish off the non-conference with a familiar coach making his return to the Breslin Center, when Fran McCaffrey brings the Penn Quakers to town.
Once the Michigan State Spartans reach Big Ten play, it’s going to be full of action. With home and away games at Maryland, Nebraska, and Michigan. The Spartans will look to get back on track after losing both times to the Wolverines last season. If they want to win the Big Ten, Sparty has to find a way to win on the road at places like Indiana, Illinois, USC, and UCLA, all of which look to be in the title picture. Getting Purdue and Wisconsin in East Lansing is a nice gift.
26-27 B1G Opponents are SET 📆 pic.twitter.com/lXXfOwCKTC
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) May 12, 2026
Title No. 2 Or Bust
Looking at the schedule and the potential for the Michigan State Spartans in 2026-27. It’s almost championship or bust. Their rival just won it all last season. That certainly stings, and in most respects, the route the sport is going down, Coach Izzo is the last of his breed. If he can’t pull it off, with a point guard as elite as Fears is, then let’s face it, Izzo will retire with just the one national championship. He isn’t getting any younger, and this could very well be his last good shot. They cannot afford to waste this group’s potential.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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