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michigan state spartans

Michigan State’s Second Half Onslaught Takes Down Oregon

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – For around the first 30 minutes, Oregon hung tight with #10 Michigan State, with a Wei Lin three-pointer getting Oregon within 1-point at the 10:43 mark. Over the next few minutes, Michigan State’s Carson Cooper, Jeremy Fears, Jr., and Coen Carr went on a 12-1 run that led to a double-digit lead. It was a 68-52 final, with Oregon losing the second half 40-26. This happened even with Oregon holding Michigan State’s leading scorer on the season, senior Jaxon Kohler, to a single basket. Oregon also kept turnovers to a minimum, only 10 on the game, but really had a difficult time getting offense going, as seen by the final score.

Michigan State is now only behind Nebraska, being tied with powerhouse Michigan in the Big Ten ranks at 7-1. The leader of the charge tonight was senior center Carson Cooper, whose size, ability to get position and touch were on display against the smaller Oregon team. Cooper finished with 19 points (8-10 FG, 3-4 FT), 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while being a +26 on the game during his time on the floor. He was able to get deep post position, showed a soft turnaround fade, and on defense kept verticality quite well.

Spartans’ junior Coen Carr, known for his elite vertical athleticism, did a nice job showing off his perimeter ability in this one. He was 3-of-5 from three, had a midrange make, and a couple of layup finishes where he showed off the hang time he is well known for. He finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, along with two blocked shots. Carr is still only shooting 25.6% on 3’s on the season, but it was a positive to see his confidence from long range and becoming more of an offensive factor, as defense has been his calling card.

It took sophomore Jeremy Fears, Jr. a while to get going, as one of the top floor generals in the nation was held to 2 points and 1 assist in the first half. He was able to close the game strong, finishing with 14 points and 5 assists. Fears, the older brother of 2025 draftee and current New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jeremiah Fears, is second in the NCAA in assists  this season at 8.4 per game. He helped put the game out of reach and was a steady hand in keeping it there with his handle, court vision, and poise.

For Oregon, Takai Simpkins was the one real bright spot, finishing with 15 points, 7 rebounds, a steal and a block. He is a threat off movement as a shooter, while being able to create midrange opportunities, and finish with some craft. No one else besides him could get much going, with Wei Lin finishing with 7 points (2-5 3PT, 1-2 FT), and Kwame Evans, Jr. with 6 (3-13 FG). 

Some positives for Oregon came in the first half with their team defense, as they created three shot clock violations. They have also taken care of the ball, while taking fewer risks, showing more awareness. Outside shooting is still not seen as a strength, as they finished 7-of-20, identical to that of Michigan State. The Ducks have had a tough time creating opportunities close to the basket without Jackson Shelstad and Nathan Bittle in the line-up. Their lack of size typically puts them behind in the rebound battle, as they lost it 31-24 against the Spartans. 

Oregon dropped to 1-7 in Big Ten conference play, and 8-11 on the season. Their next game is January 25th in Seattle against the Washington Huskies, who are relatively close in the conference standings. Michigan State will play Maryland January 24th and Rutgers January 27th, before what should be a huge in-state rivalry game with Michigan on January 30th in Ann Arbor.

This article was written by Michael Visenberg,  a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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Michigan State Overwhelms Kentucky at Champions Classic

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Michigan State Overwhelms Kentucky at Champions Classic

New York, NY – In front of a packed crowd at Madison Square Garden Kentucky and Michigan State opened the Champions Classic. The first five minutes were the only time the game looked competitive — both teams put down threes and it was close for a while. Yet once Michigan State stabilized, the night changed decisively as they rolled to an 83-66 win.

The Spartans’ defensive pressure was on display from the get-go. Possession by possession, Michigan State tightened all corners, pressuring Kentucky into drive after drive, contested jumpers and off-balance attempts. The Wildcats soon lost their offensive rhythm. Meanwhile, Michigan State kept balance and poise and spacing across the floor — converting stops into clean looks and always grabbing the loose balls. As the Wildcats became more and more ineffective, the Spartans became more and more confident.

And the defining blow of the first half arrived in the final seconds. As the shot clock began to come to an end, Kur Teng came into rhythm and shot a deep jumper that put the Spartans ahead 44–27. It capped a career-best performance for Teng, who led with 15 points, ball-pointing with the assurance of a featured scorer instead of a role player. That shot, at that time, put the Spartans in control — control Kentucky just couldn’t wrestle back.

The Wildcats emerged from halftime more energetic, attempting to create momentum through transition and physical drives. But every push had stalled due to the same problems: bad shooting and the inability to get stops. With 9:37 left, Kentucky was shooting 35% from the field and 23% from three, and Michigan State was about 50% overall and more than 50% from deep. The gap reflected what played out on the floor.

Central to Michigan State’s calm, though, was point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who played his most complete collegiate game. His pace, vision and method steered the Spartans all night. Fears ended with a career-high 13 assists, 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals as he controlled Michigan State’s offense. Every move — pick-and-rolls, secondary reads, early offense — flowed from his ability to keep things steady and to set the tempo.

Inside, Jaxon Kohler penalized Kentucky’s interior. He scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, through contact, sealing, and providing a consistent release valve when the Wildcats stepped in too big. Kohler’s mix of patience and strength established himself as a dependable anchor in the interior for which Kentucky never replied within their defense.

The Spartans also got some solid minutes from Cam Ward (8 points, 4 rebounds) whose athleticism, effort and energy paid off right away. Ward fought defensively, attacked the rim with confidence that jolted off the floor — one of the small but weighty traits that enabled Michigan State to keep its edge throughout the game.

Kentucky relied heavily on Otega Oweh, a 6’4″, 220-pound Newark native with a commanding frame and unblemished shooting technique. Oweh led the Wildcats with 12 points, attacking forcefully even as his perimeter touch shifted constantly and moved all over the place. Leaning behind him were Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler, and New York product Mouhamed Dioubate — all three scored 10 points, but none could make the game turn around. Kentucky simply didn’t have enough of effective offense to keep up.

Still, the Wildcats were never able to exert actual pressure despite closing the gap to 10 late in the second half. Michigan State’s defensive rotations remained sharp, there was collective rebounding, and their execution never wavered. Each Kentucky push was met with a timely bucket, a clean read or a disciplined stop.

Michigan State’s shooting edge was substantial. Kentucky went 20-for-57 (35%) and 23% from three, while the Spartans closed at 50% from the field and 50% from deep in their 17-point victory with total control.  Michigan State looked very much like a team primed for success in this moment — efficient, disciplined, poised, and running with a clear line of vision. On the other hand, Kentucky showcased individual talent but not cohesion and defensive regularity. The contrast was clear leaving the Garden: Michigan State knows what it is. That’s still an answer Kentucky is looking for.

This article was written by Courtney Chappelle, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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Michigan State Tops Arkansas in Instant Classic

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

East Lansing, MI – The No. 22 Michigan State Spartans hosted the No.14 Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday night in a marquee top 25 showdown at the Breslin Center. The Spartans come in after earning their first home win of the 2025-26 season on Monday against Colgate, 80-69. Michigan State is coming off a 2024-25 season in which they went 30-7 overall and 17-3 in Big Ten conference play, losing in the Elite Eight to the top-ranked Auburn Tigers in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Spartans lost four key players this year, two of whom are now in the NBA and NBA G League. They added 6’4 senior guard Trey Fort from Sanford to help at the two-guard position. They return a roster that contains a healthy balance of experience and youth, making for an intriguing 2025-26 team. 

There were stars on both sides as Michigan State’s 6’6 junior forward Coen Carr started the game scoring with a two-handed dunk off a drive in transition. Carr displayed his NBA-ready athleticism and vertical length all night, soaring for rebounds and challenging shots at the rim with his reach. Carr also showed his high level of motor and athleticism, flying in for a putback layup early in the game. Carr used his ball-handling and muscular frame to drive against defense pressure and finish strong around the rim. He impressed late in the contest, displaying his high motor, gathering an offensive rebound, and getting fouled on a dunk attempt. The junior was all over the floor all night for the Spartans.

6’2 Redshirt Sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. did a stellar job handling the starting point guard duty for the Spartans as he used his quick burst to draw fouls on drives and convert at the free throw line. Fears Jr. controlled the ball against the Razorbacks’ full-court pressure and was a maestro, orchestrating for his teammates, leading the game with nine assists. He led the fastbreak well, finding Kohler for a transition layup in the second half to take a 45-42 lead. Defensively, he showed he is a strong pressure defender who forced a number of pickups above the three-point line, resulting in one steal on the evening.​

The Spartans’ 6’10 senior forward Jaxon Kohler also chipped in with a solid effort on both ends, contributing 10 points and seven rebounds. Kohler showcased his passing ability out of the low post, finding both Carr and Ward on basket cuts. He also used his big frame and footwork to carve out a low-post position, creating post-up opportunities. Kohler showed activity on the final possession of the first half as he tipped in a missed layup, trimming the Arkansas lead to 39-36 at halftime. Defensively, he moved his feet well, displaying activity in gap coverage, and showed he’s capable of contesting shots at the rim. The Spartans’ 6’11 senior center Carson Cooper is another large and physical big man who found himself in foul trouble in the first half. He played solid on both ends in the second, passing out of the high post and scoring in pick-and-roll situations. He demonstrated his athleticism, finishing two pick-and-roll lob passes from Fears Jr. with strong two-handed dunks. Both bigs move their feet well and cover enough space to play on the floor together on both ends of the floor.

​Michigan State’s best performance of the game came from 6’9 freshman forward Cam Ward, who came off the bench and had a huge impact, finishing with his first college career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, going an efficient 8-of-13 from the field. Ward was the spark plug that Tom Izzo and the Spartans needed off the bench in this close battle. Ward is a strong rebound-and-run forward who covers space on the floor well with his natural size and length. Ward scored a number of times off middle cuts in the half-court and off baseline out of bounds, finishing strong with two-hand dunks. Ward played with a relentless motor, always looking to get involved in the play. He scored in the low post off a baseline drop step and dunk in the second half. Ward’s impact was felt on both ends of the floor all game.​

For Arkansas, they were led by future lottery pick 6’3 freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. and 6’5 freshman forward Meleek Thomas, who each finished with 16 points. They both displayed their natural speed inside to get to the free-throw line and shooting mechanics in the catch-and-shoot, both knocking down a pair of three-pointers in the game. In the second half, Acuff Jr. got a quick rebound and pushed in transition, finishing with speed and strength on a layup. He is very athletic and explosive in the open court.

Along with Acuff Jr. and Thomas were 6’10 senior forward Trevon Brazile and 6’4 junior guard D.J. Wagner. Brazile and Wagner both displayed quick, strong shot releases, making them threats from the perimeter in the catch-and-shoot. Wagner impressed early, coming up with a steal and converting a strong one-handed dunk in transition. The Razorbacks also have 6’10 graduate forward Nick Pringle, who brings veteran leadership and sneaky athleticism. Defensively, Pringle rotated over on a middle drive and used his outstanding length and strength to reject a layup in the paint. 

In a close battle, both teams shot poorly from the perimeter, and most points were scored in transition. Michigan State dominated with points in the paint 45-28 as Cam Ward and both bigs shined in the instant classic. Late in the game, Acuff Jr. found Pringle around the basket for an athletic dunk as Arkansas made it a one-point game at 66-65 with less than three minutes left in the game. Pringle later found himself at the free-throw line as he made a free throw to tie the game at 66 with 1:41 left in the game. Both teams exchanged fouls and free-throw opportunities late. On the final Michigan State possession, Fears Jr. would absorb a hard foul with 43.2 seconds left and make two of the three free throws to put the Spartans up 69-66. Arkansas would miss multiple three-point opportunities as the Spartans held on for the 69-66 win.

This article was written by Nate Koesel, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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