Michigan State basketball returned to practice on Monday, and it's hard to believe that the 2025-26 season is right around the corner. The Spartans return to practice at the perfect time as the football team is on a bye, and hearing from Tom Izzo was a nice start to the week for fans.
The Hall of Fame head coach talked about how he's not even thinking about retirement, how he's more motivated than ever, he revealed the team captains, and he spoke highly of his freshmen.
Jordan Scott and Cam Ward make up the two-man freshman class, and Izzo is thrilled about how they look early on in their Spartan careers.
There's been a ton of hype surrounding Ward, and Izzo only added to that on Monday, while also comparing Scott to former freshman sensation Max Christie.
Izzo likens MSU freshman Jordan Scott to former Spartan Max Christie and calls Cam Ward "the strongest, toughest freshman I've had in a while.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) September 22, 2025
While he is probably saying that Scott has a similar build and play style as Christie, it doesn't hurt to be compared to a former five-star who was a one-and-done and is now playing in the NBA. Those are some big words to live up to, but it feels like Scott is going to be a special player.
As for Ward, Izzo said that he's the strongest and toughest freshman that he's had in a while. That's some high praise, because he's had some strong and tough freshmen over the years.
You don't often hear Izzo gush about incoming freshmen this early on, but it seems pretty clear that he got a heck of a two-man class with Ward and Scott. I fully expect both guys to be a major part of the rotation this upcoming season.
I don't often buy hype before guys play a single minute, but when it's from Izzo, I'm all in.