Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against Bowling Green during the first half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Assessing What This MSU Basketball Team Really Is

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans have played four basketball games, and the Michigan State Spartans have four basketball wins.

MSU is undefeated in the first four games of the season, picking up a few impressive non-conference wins against Arkansas and Kentucky. Tom Izzo’s team once again looks like a force in the college basketball landscape.

Four games will not tell a team’s entire story, but we can already glean a few things about what we have seen thus far from the Spartans. There are plenty of impressive things and some that need work.

What have we learned about this Spartan basketball team through its first four games? Let’s break down a few key points.

Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the best point guards in the nation

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The redshirt sophomore is taking his game to another level this season.

Fears has lived up to his ‘Floor General’ moniker, leading the nation in total assists and assists per game. He has seen the floor at an impressive level, reading defenses well and finding open players for buckets.

If Fears can improve his scoring, he will elevate this team’s ceiling – and leave no doubt that he is among the best point guards in college basketball.

The Spartans can win the Big Ten

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s early, but some of the league’s top contenders look a bit shaky.

Michigan has already had a few close calls with inferior opponents. Illinois just dropped a game to Alabama. Purdue is No. 1, but it looks gettable if Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn are not on their games.

MSU won the Big Ten by three games last season. If the Spartans win it this year, it won’t be by that margin, but another regular-season conference title is well within reach.

The future is bright

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The kids are alright – especially in East Lansing.

MSU has already gotten a look at its young talent, including brilliant flashes from players like Cam Ward, Jordan Scott, Kur Teng, and Jesse McCulloch. Those players will be the foundation of the next few Spartan teams.

While MSU is focused on this season, it is hard not to get excited about what these players and the 2026 recruiting class will bring in the next few years. It is not ridiculous to think Izzo’s second title is on the horizon.

There is still a long way to go in this 2025-26 basketball season, but the early returns on how far this team can go are promising.

The Spartans have a few challenging games left on the schedule, and if they win them, fans will be talking about another Final Four.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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