If Michigan State basketball had one glaring weakness last season, it had to be the outside shooting.
The Spartans had shooters, but none of them seemed to live up to their billing outside of Jase Richardson. Tre Holloman had his moments, Jaden Akins also made his fair share but was streaky, and other guys like Jeremy Fears Jr. and Frankie Fidler just weren't big enough threats from outside.
However, there was a freshman other than Richardson who was considered one of the best shooters from the 2024 recruiting class. That freshman was Kur Teng, and he didn't see the court enough to truly make an impact from long-range.
It looks like we can expect a lot more from Teng this season, according to Jon Rothstein.
The college basketball expert spoke to Tom Izzo this week, and it sounds like Teng has taken a massive step in the right direction, and he's the Spartans' best outside shooter.
Tom Izzo tells me that Kur Teng has separated himself as Michigan State's best outside shooter.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 7, 2025
An under-the-radar piece to monitor in East Lansing as the Spartans look to transition post Jaden Akins/Jase Richardson on the wings.
This is exactly what fans have been waiting to hear regarding Teng. Some of us (I'm proud to be part of this group) have been Teng believers since he committed. I did think he'd have a larger role last year, but the fact that he didn't was just a sign of how deep Michigan State truly was. The Spartans were 11-12 guys deep, and Teng was the odd man out on the wing.
Now that the Spartans have lost guys like Holloman, Akins, Richardson, Fidler, and Kaleb Glenn (injury), he'll be relied on more to get shots up from deep. His role is going to increase drastically.
And from the sounds of it, Izzo is expecting him to be the team's sharpshooter next season.
All the Teng believers are feeling a little vindicated, but he still has to show it in live action.