Michigan State’s biggest rival and — as much as it pains me to say this — the reigning national champs are still awaiting some major roster decisions as the NBA draft process winds down.
The Wolverines are losing Yaxel Lendeborg from the national title team but they could also lose guys like Aday Mara and Morez Johnson. Heck, Elliot Cadeau was even testing the NBA draft waters so far this offseason but unfortunately for Michigan State, one of those big decisions was made on Saturday.
Cadeau’s agent revealed that he would be returning for his senior season in 2026-27, leading the way as the starting point guard for the reigning champs.
Although Cadeau averaged just 10.5 points and 5.9 assists, he was one of the most improved shooters in the Big Ten. He went from a sub-34 percent 3-point shooter with North Carolina a year ago to shooting nearly 38 percent with Dusty May and the Wolverines this past season. His improvement wasn’t crazy, but Dadeau started to finally look like a former five-star.
After testing the draft waters, he’s now back at Michigan to help lead the way with Trey McKenney and one-time Michigan State transfer target Moustapha Thiam.
Everyone kind of already knew that he’d be returning, but solidifying it has to make Michigan fans feel a little better about their squad despite all the other attrition.
The draft process will hurt the Wolverines overall, however, as Mara and Johnson are likely to be lottery picks after strong showings at the NBA Combine. These guys have improved their stocks a ton and experts are not expecting them to return to Michigan next year.
It’s time for Michigan State to get a key starter back
Jeremy Fears Jr., too, went through the NBA draft process to get some feedback, but his performance at the NBA Combine may have done a little more for his stock than expected.
Entering the process, Fears wasn’t on anyone’s big board nor was he projected to go in the two-round process. Now he’s a projected second-rounder and he admitted that he’s only going to consider leaving if he gets the feedback that he’s a first-rounder.
I just don’t see that happening this year given the fact that he still doesn’t have a consistent jumper and he’s just 6-foot-0 without shoes. An undersized point guard without a consistent shot is not something that NBA teams want to take a chance on. His leadership skills, high IQ, and passing ability make him an attractive second-round option, though.
Leaving for a pay cut and less stability in the second round doesn’t sound like something Fears is going to want to do. He has a little over a week to decide.
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