The offseason started for Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo about a month ago, and they’re still facing some big decisions regarding roster construction.
Izzo has to decide if he wants to do anything regarding the Carson Cooper fifth year option if the NCAA does eventually vote to implement it right away, grandfathering in current seniors.
While that’s a huge topic of discussion, so is the talk of Jeremy Fears Jr. entering his name into the NBA draft earlier this offseason. It drew some raised eyebrows, but many knew it likely meant nothing more than getting some feedback.
Izzo agrees.
During his appearance on The Drive with Jack Ebling this week, Izzo touched on Fears Jr. testing the NBA draft waters and he admitted that he was fairly confident that his sophomore point guard would be back for his junior year. Izzo told Ebling that that if Fears is back, which he believes he will be, Michigan State has a chance to be “a very, very good team”.
I can’t say that I disagree with any of that. Izzo expects Fears back and I think the experts would all agree. Fears isn’t expected to be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, but you never know with all the late drop-outs from guys who are projected to go in the late first or second rounds.
It would be a shock to everyone if Fears remained in the NBA draft, but judging by how he’s reacted to all the news lately from not having any transfers to losing Divine Ugochukwu to adding Anton Bonke, it doesn’t look like the All-Big Ten point guard is planning on going anywhere.
That’s music to every Spartan fan’s ears.
Izzo is right: Michigan State is going to be very, very good
It’s hard to tell just how good a team is going to be these days during the NIL and transfer portal era. A roster can be set, but if you’ve never seen these guys play together, how the heck could you possible know that they’re going to be national title contenders?
Fortunately, we have a good idea as to how good Michigan State is going to be in 2026-27 because most of the team is returning. The Spartans lose just five players and one was a walk-on, another was a glorified walk-on, and a third was a lightly-used transfer. Jaxon Kohler and Cooper are the big losses, but other than those two, Michigan State brings back every major contributor from a 27-8 team that made the Sweet 16 and finished second in the Big Ten.
I would agree that this team is going to be very, very good, assuming Fears does return and doesn’t pull a Marcus Taylor and surprisingly exit before he could legitimately add to his legacy.
With Fears leading the way and Coen Carr acting as a co-captain, Michigan State is going to have one of the most talented teams in the country. Two veteran captains, an All-American point guard, a 7-foot-2 transfer center, and a team full of guys hungry to avenge the Sweet 16 loss is going to be the perfect recipe for a run to Detroit in 2027.
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