East Lansing was electric on Saturday night as Michigan State basketball picked up a massive win over No. 14 Arkansas and the No. 1 Spartan hockey team took down No. 3 Penn State.
The hoops team took center stage even though there was a top-five matchup right across the street at Munn Arena, and Tom Izzo’s squad didn’t disappoint. They were able to start strong, and finish strong en route to a 69-66 win over John Calipari and the Razorbacks.
Michigan State out-toughed, and out-coached Arkansas, holding on for a huge Top 25 win in their first ranked matchup during non-conference play — only three more to go.
In the win, there were some interesting lineups that had fans scratching their heads, but there was also a very realistic starting five that presented itself. There’s been an issue at the two-guard spot with neither Trey Fort nor Kur Teng really standing out. It was actually Jordan Scott who looked the best in that spot despite being labeled more as a small forward.
The best lineup may have shown itself against Arkansas, and it looks like this:
PG: Jeremy Fears Jr.
SG: Jordan Scott
SF: Coen Carr
PF: Cam Ward
C: Jaxon Kohler
It might be very un-Izzo-like to start two true freshmen on a team with four returning upperclassmen from a Big Ten title team and another two transfers with starting experience at their previous programs. However, Scott and Cam Ward looked the part on Saturday night.
Izzo will likely keep Ward on the bench because he gives the team a nice boost there. Scott, on the other hand, feels like he could fill that void at the two-guard spot.
Scott is a high-energy guy who can shoot, rebound, and he’s a solid passer for a true freshman wing. I’d be shocked if he stayed on the bench the entire season, especially with Fort and Teng struggling to separate from one another.
Folks, I think we have our ideal starting five with Fort being the sixth man.