3 Observations From MSU Basketball's First Exhibition Game

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 7:00 AM ET

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State men's basketball was back in action against a real opponent for the first time on Thursday, as the Spartans outlasted Bowling Green, 75-66.

There were certainly some things that looked good, and some other things... not as much. Here are three of the main takeaways from the game.

Coen Carr Played Like a Star

It seemed like Carr had the chance to step into a star role for the Spartans this season. His athleticism makes him part of the equation on both ends for opponents, and everyone is looking to see if he’s running in the open court when point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has the ball immediately following a stop.

Carr looked like a potential star while he was playing on Thursday. He finished with a team-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, as well as five rebounds, four assists, and five blocks.

The shot still looked like a work in progress --- Carr went 3-for-8 from the free-throw line and missed his only three-point attempt --- but he still looked like a player who will be seeking more opportunities to score this year.

"Coen, with his hands on the ball now has been so much better, because he can drive it, he can pass it," head coach Tom Izzo said after the game. "I mean, we all know he's not a great shooter yet. He's improved it a lot, but he can drive it, he can pass it. He doesn't make many turnovers."

Jeremy Fears Jr.’s Shooting

Michigan State’s point guard made a couple of shots from long range during the exhibition, going 2-for-4. That is a real positive sign in the development of Fears’ game.

During games that count, Fears has only one career game with multiple made three-point shots, which was the road game against Michigan last season. He’s only 14-for-44 (31.8%) across 48 total appearances.

"I feel comfortable with Jeremy shooting open threes," Izzo said. "Now, not off the dribble, but those kickouts, I feel very comfortable with him."

Defense, Rebounding Not To Standard (Yet)

There are three things that Izzo values the most: defending, rebounding, and running. Michigan State ran just fine against BGSU, scoring 24 fastbreak points to the Falcons' eight, but the Spartans can do better at Izzo's other two pillars.

Firstly, Bowling Green actually out-rebounded MSU, 43-42, and had 13 second-chance points to the Spartans' six.

Izzo seemed to think that many of the issues with the rebounding were related to the "defend" category.

"When you don't play good defense and you let teams penetrate on you, you never rebound the ball as well because they're either getting layups or they're getting penetration and other people help," Izzo said.