EAST LANSING — That’s two games and as many encouraging showings to start out for Michigan State basketball.
The sixth-ranked Spartans quickly handled their business against Toledo on Monday night, using a big, early run to cruise to an 91-61 victory. MSU is now 2-0 on the year; the Rockets are 0-2. Freshman two-guard Jasiah Jervis led all scorers with 16 points, 13 of which came during the first half.
Here are the three immediate takeaways from Michigan State’s last game before a Champions Classic date with No. 2 Duke this coming Tuesday.
MSU Got What It Needed From Cupcakes
Congrats, you’ve beaten Quinnipiac and Toledo. It’s a bit cynical, but yeah, that’s what’s supposed to happen. These first two “buy games” for Michigan State were still going to be important, though. The Spartans needed to get some of their mojo and confidence back after some humblings against No. 4 UConn and unranked Marquette during a pair of exhibition games.
The best way to do that is to not just win, but win by real margins. That was the real mission for the Spartans to open the 2026-27 season: to provide some lopsided, stress-free victories for the home fans. Well, the result of both games felt in hand before halftime, ultimately wrapping up with a 37-point demolition of Quinnipiac and a 30-point victory over Toledo.
Now, the actual, truly serious season begins. Again, Duke is awaiting MSU in Chicago this coming Tuesday. Michigan State needed to feel like it had some momentum on its side going into that sort of game. Seeing a lopsided scoreboard in your favor will help with that.
MSU and Tom Izzo have projected confidence that it can be a national title contender this season. There won’t be a better chance to send an early message to the sport and the nation than by lining it up against perhaps the most talented team in the country.
Scott’s Fingerprints Remain Everywhere
Jeremy Fears Jr. is still Michigan State’s best player. He’s the biggest reason this team is ranked among the best in the country. Jordan Scott, though, seems to be the team’s most complete player, and he really might be the most enjoyable guy on the team to watch.
Scott has made a clear leap from last year to this one. He looks bigger, he looks a little quicker, he looks confident, and he just seems to be doing things better. There isn’t a part of the floor where he can’t make an impact. Scott can block a shot on one end and then find an open look from the perimeter on the other. He can swipe a ball away on defense and then convert a reverse layup on offense.
This was a pretty good Jordan Scott game. He’s actually struggled to hone his jump shot from three and from mid-range through these two contests, but Izzo has said he’s one of the team’s two best shooters. The important part is that Scott’s shot selection has been healthy. His makes will come with time and repetition.
Scott wound up finishing with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists for the night. The box score doesn’t even entirely indicate things here, but it felt like Scott was all over the place (in the best way) on Thursday night. MSU’s backcourt trio of Fears, Jervis, and Scott is perhaps the best in the country — Fears is the All-American passer, Jervis is the crafty scorer, and Scott just does a little bit of everything.
Keep on Eye on Free Throws Moving Forward
Perhaps the biggest issue up to this point has been the free throws. Michigan State left too many freebies against both Quinnipiac and Toledo. The Spartans shot 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the charity stripe in the season opener, and then shot 23-of-38 (60.5%) on Thursday against the Rockets.
There is just a large portion of guys on this team who struggle in this area, particularly in the frontcourt. Coen Carr, Cam Ward, Anton Bonke, and Ethan Taylor would all probably be classified as bad or not-great free-throw shooters. Some much better free-throw guys in the backcourt, like Fears, Scott, and Carlos Medlock Jr., have been leaving points out there, too. That could be a little reason for optimism.
It might be a little early to sound the alarm on this area of the game, but it will be something to watch closely against Duke and in the games following to see whether this is an early-season lapse or a legitimate trend. A February Big Ten game or a March Madness game could easily come down to free-throw shooting with the razor-thin margins, and MSU certainly doesn’t want to be a team that’s living in the 50s or 60s at that point.
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