Duke was Michigan State’s first major test of the season and the Spartans passed with flying colors, downing the Blue Devils 79-73 to kick off the Champions Classic in Chicago.
Tom Izzo was finally able to overcome his kryptonite, beating Duke for a fourth time ever.
Michigan State is now 3-0 on the season and it’ll undoubtedly jump Duke in the top five next week, as long as it takes care of business against Northern Iowa on Friday. The Spartans can’t get caught looking ahead with a matchup against No. 11 Tennessee in Knoxville looming.
Before we get into that, let’s grade the Spartans’ Champions Classic showing.
Jeremy Fears Jr. — A
Jeremy Fears played one of his best games as a Spartan against Duke, scoring a game-high 18 points to go along with 11 assists and seven rebounds. He added a block and a steal and may have had too many turnovers (4), but he played like the preseason All-American that he is. Some of the passes that he made to set up teammates with easy baskets were quite literally mind-boggling.
Jordan Scott — A
Jordan Scott drew real NBA buzz in the win despite scoring just five points on 2-of-7 shooting. His offense is going to come eventually, but he’s playing like one of the best defenders in the country, totaling six (!!) blocks against the No. 2 team in the country. A wing blocked six shots and made Duke’s life miserable for the entire 31 minutes that he was on the floor. Scott also had nine rebounds and two steals without turning the ball over once.
Jasiah Jervis — A-
Once again, Jasiah Jervis had a “quiet” double-digit scoring performance, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, but he was also active on the defensive end and he doesn’t make mistakes which is rare for a true freshman. He played the third-most minutes on the team (30) and his step-back jumper against Cayden Boozer was pure cinema. This dude is an NBA player.
JASIAH JERVIS THIS HOW U FEELIN pic.twitter.com/oVPkYvIMV0
— wok (@wokdior) November 11, 2026
Jesse McCulloch — B+
I like Jesse McCulloch’s game and he seems to be settling into his role nicely. He plays primarily as the team’s small-ball, floor-stretching center and he played the most minutes of any non-starter — and he played more than two starters. McCulloch came off the bench, scored seven, grabbed three boards, and had two steals. It also feels like every basket he makes is a massive one. His three against Duke came at a huge point in the second half. Oh, and his defense was incredible against Duke’s elite bigs.
Cam Ward — A
Welcome to the 2026-27 season, Cam Ward. The sophomore power forward had nine points and six rebounds through the first two games but he looked more like the player we expected before the season on Tuesday night — a breakout is incoming. He played 20 minutes against Duke, scoring 14 points with six rebounds and a block and he only had two fouls. Any time he got the ball, it was his mission to score at the rim. His defense, too, was vintage MSU. This version of Ward makes Michigan State so much better.
Coen Carr — B+
Coen Carr played just 17 minutes and it’s because he was in some early foul trouble, picking up two quick ones in the first half and sitting until halftime. Carr was a near-perfect 4-for-5 from the field with a three, finishing with nine points, two boards, and two steals. We didn’t get many fireworks, but he’ll make up for that against Northern Illinois.
Anton Bonke — C
One step forward, two steps back. Anton Bonke looked vastly improved from the two exhibition losses to start the season, but Tuesday night was not his best showing. He had two points and a rebound in 13 minutes which is just not going to cut it. He also fouled a 3-point shooter when there was next to no chance that he’d be able to block the shot. It just wasn’t a good game for the Charlotte transfer.
Carlos Medlock Jr. — B+
Playing behind Fears doesn’t offer a lot of minutes, but Carlos Medlock Jr. still has his role and he’s excelled in it thus far. The upgrade in backup point guard from last season to this season has been eye-opening because the Spartans were never getting six points on a couple of threes in 10 minutes off the bench from their PG2 in 2025-26. Medlock hit two big threes against Duke and didn’t turn the ball over so he did his job.
Kaleb Glenn — C+
Kaleb Glenn didn’t play a whole lot, but in his eight minutes, he still managed to get five shots up, missing each of them. He did go 3-for-4 from the line, finishing with three points and a rebound, but he was off on the offensive end. Glenn can use the Northern Iowa game on Friday to get back on track.
Ethan Taylor — B
He played just eight minutes, but I liked what I saw from Ethan Taylor. The true freshman big man out-played Bonke yet saw five fewer minutes. Taylor scored five points and grabbed two rebounds but his biggest play was a huge and-one at the end of the first half where he fought through contact to finish strong, giving MSU all the momentum at the half.
Kur Teng — C
Kur Teng didn’t do anything wrong, but he didn’t really stand out in any way on Tuesday night. He did grab a big offensive board and didn’t turn the ball over, but he shot the ball just once and missed. Teng is out there to shoot and when he’s not doing that, he’s quiet.
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