Supporting Cast Around Fears, Carr Crucial for MSU Success

The 2025-26 college basketball season has come to a close, with Michigan State’s biggest rival, Michigan, winning the National Championship over UConn. While that result will sting for a day or two, Spartan fans should not overreact. If anything, there is plenty of reason to be excited about what is coming next year in East Lansing.

Since taking over as head coach, Tom Izzo has built Michigan State into one of the most consistently successful programs in college basketball. The one thing that has eluded him during that run is watching his arch rival claim a national title, and now that has happened.

However, Izzo’s postgame comments after the loss to UConn in the Sweet 16 suggested a coach who is motivated and focused. He was adamant about getting Michigan State back to the Final Four, and the early returns suggest next year’s team could give him a real shot at doing exactly that.

Multiple outlets have already released their Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for next season, and the Spartans are landing in the top ten across the board. ESPN, Fox Sports, and The Athletic all included Michigan State, and the common thread across every evaluation is the same: retaining Jeremy Fears and Coen Carr is essential to how high this team’s ceiling can go.

The Spartans are also bringing in a strong recruiting class headlined by Jasiah Jervis and Ethan Taylor, while returning young contributors like Jordan Scott and Cam Ward are expected to take meaningful steps forward.

ESPN: Michigan State Ranked Sixth

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello places the Spartans just outside the top five at number six, behind Arizona, UConn, Florida, Duke, and Michigan. Michigan is coming off a championship season, but I would assume the Spartans will lose Lendeborg, Mara, and Johnson to the NBA Draft. If Mara and Johnson come back to Michigan, then I would also have them ahead of the Spartans.

Assuming Jeremy Fears Jr. returns to East Lansing, Izzo should have one of his best and deepest rosters in recent years. While Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper will be gone, the outlet points to Cam Ward as a player ready to take a step forward, along with top-50 recruit Ethan Taylor as a reinforcement in the frontcourt.

Borzello also highlighted that Coen Carr, Kur Teng, Jordan Scott, and Divine Ugochukwu all contributed this past season and are expected back, and that Kaleb Glenn should be healthy and available after missing all of last year due to injury. Top-50 recruit Jasiah Jervis was also singled out as a fast-rising shot maker with a high ceiling who gives Izzo another dangerous offensive option.

If the Spartans are able to bring back both Jeremy Fears and Coen Carr, Michigan State will be looked at as one of the best teams in the country. Jeremy Fears should be looked at as a favorite to win the National Player of the Year award, and Coen Carr is always a dangerous player in the open court. With those two stars, and bringing back a great recruiting class and the depth from last year’s team, all MSU is missing is an impactful center, and the Spartans can win Tom Izzo his second championship.