Michigan State has 2 of the top 25 returning players in college basketball

The return of Jeremy Fears has Michigan State basketball fans buying into the national championship hype in 2026-27, and for good reason.

The Spartans bring back Fears and his favorite lob threat Coen Carr to a roster that also features a couple of blue-chip prospects from the 2025 class, a sharp-shooting junior guard, two starting-caliber transfers, and a top-five 2026 recruiting class. The Spartans will be really good.

Michigan State’s veterans are going to lead the show and both likely captains have been named as top-25 returning players in college basketball by Field of 68.

Note: These are players returning to their same teams, not including transfers.

Fears is No. 3 behind Florida’s Thomas Haugh and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner. Coen Carr is No. 25.

Busting Brackets also had Fears listed as the No. 3 returning player in college basketball and it’s hard to disagree with either of the guys ahead of him. Tounde Yessoufou is the No. 1 returning player in college basketball per this ranking after withdrawing from the NBA Draft and transferring from Baylor to St. John’s. Florida’s Condon is No. 2.

There are plenty of great returning college basketball players who probably deserve more love than they’re getting but Fears being in the top three of most conversations about this topic shows just how great of a player the Spartans got back.

Carr, too, could probably be a little higher on the Field of 68 list, but he still has a lot to prove.

Coen Carr and Jeremy Fears have a shared weakness

There’s one thing holding Fears back from being the nation’s best returning player and Carr from being a legitimate top-10 returning player, and that’s a consistent jumper.

They can bond over their weakness, but the two friends, teammates, and captains will need to be living in the gym this summer, improving their jumpers. I don’t doubt that the two are going to be in the gym 24/7 this summer but we all need to remember that July’s Moneyball Pro-Am can not be used as a legit reference for improvement. Tum Tum Nairn used to be drilling threes at Moneyball.

Michigan State is really close to being a top-five preseason team and it’s because it has two of the best players in the country back. Experience mixed with a youthful spark could be just what Izzo needs to win his second national title before riding off into the sunset.

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