After spending the past couple of months hitting that restart button following an Elite Eight loss to Auburn, Michigan State basketball is back to work, kicking off some summer workouts this week.
The official X account shared a "back at it" post on Monday and it looks like everyone's excited to be back in the gym.
Tom Izzo has assembled what will look like almost an entirely new roster, but key players like Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears Jr., Jaxon Kohler, and Carson Cooper all return to the core of the reigning Big Ten champs. Also back are Kur Teng and Jesse McCulloch who expect to have much larger roles this season. The Spartans also bring in four new transfers and two freshmen.
The roster will look a little different this year without Jase Richardson, Jaden Akins, Tre Holloman, Frankie Fidler, Xavier Booker, Szymon Zapala, and Gehrig Normand. Those departures have led to a lot of experts predicting the Spartans to finish somewhere in the top five in the upcoming season's Big Ten standings, but never No. 1.
Here's why I'm buying stock in Michigan State to repeat as Big Ten champs.
1. The returning core
There are plenty of fans who are worried about all the departures that Michigan State experienced but I'm here to tell you that the core of returnees is going to get the job done.
Michigan State brings back four heavy contributors from the Big Ten title team a year ago and each one of them has starting experience (Carr got his first start in the NCAA Tournament this past season). Each of them also brings the right attitude and they are going to mix perfectly with the newcomers and the younger guys.
Jeremy Fears Jr. may end up being a special point guard, Carr has been working on his jumper and overall game this offseason and is the best athlete Izzo has ever coached, Cooper has been really strong defensively throughout his career, and Kohler is slightly more consistency away from being a really good offensive big.
All of these vets that return to the core are good enough to start on 99 percent of teams.
2. High-level transfers
While some fans may be disappointed that Izzo didn't go out and land RJ Luis or some other highly-regarded and coveted transfer, he did land some guys who led their respective teams in scoring and caused problems for defenses last year.
Trey Fort led Samford in scoring and was one of the best athletes in the portal. He should fill that Akins role at the two-guard potentially with more consistency and higher scoring volume. Kaleb Glenn led FAU in scoring the year after Dusty May left and he is a plus 3-point shooter who also possesses elite athleticism -- oh, and he's friends with Fears. Divine Ugochukwu started as a true freshman in a bad situation at Miami and did fairly well. He's a strong driver to the basket and has length that should give opponents fits. Lastly, Denham Wojcik is a glue guy who brings experience and was a captain at Harvard -- he's there for depth and a veteran presence.
Three of these transfers will play big minutes while the fourth could be a "pinch" guy. He can come in when the team desperately needs to give the other point guards a rest or if foul trouble happens.
3. Tom Izzo
It's safe to say that Tom Izzo got his "spark" back during the 2024-25 season with one of the most low-maintenance teams he's ever coached, leading them back to a deep March run, although not quite up to his standards in terms of national title contention.
Izzo got that spark back and it was obvious after listening to the way he gushed over his team and how he just looked happier and more energetic throughout the season.
A Hall of Fame coach who got his joy back and who happens to be coaching the reigning Big Ten champs with a strong core, high-level transfers and freshmen, and no drama (knock on wood)? That's a recipe for success if I've ever heard one.