EAST LANSING ~ Michigan State men’s basketball fell to Marquette, 79-86, on Sunday in their last tuneup before the regular season, but head coach Tom Izzo said exhibition games are more about experimentation than execution.
“What I have right now is a lot of really, really good pieces, and yet, you know, putting them together…that’s what these preseason games are for,” Izzo said on WJR 760’s JR Sunday ahead of the game.
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Oct. 25, 2026 ~ Michigan State Head Basketball coach Tom Izzo speaks with Mark about their upcoming game on Thanksgiving against Arkansas at LCA and the Final Four in April.
(CONTINUED) With 10 returning Spartans, Izzo has a veteran squad of starters, except for the starting center position which remains unsettled entering the season. Transfer Anton Bonke started the first two exhibition games for Michigan State but was pulled early in both for inefficient play. Against Marquette, sophomore Jesse McCulloch made the start at center, while freshman Ethan Taylor provided depth off the bench, though Izzo has not announced a permanent rotation.
Izzo noted that freshman development “takes a while,” but Jasiah Jervis has made an immediate impact. The freshman guard reached double figures in all three exhibition games, including a team-high 19 points against Marquette on Sunday. Michigan State’s backcourt appears more established than its frontcourt, with returning guards Jeremy Fears Jr. and Kur Teng expected to play significant roles, while Jervis has strengthened his case for minutes as the season approaches.
Preseason polls put the Spartans at No. 6, but Izzo warned that “the preseason rankings don’t take into account what everybody else has done with their teams.” With exhibition play complete, Michigan State will turn its attention to the regular season opener against Quinnipiac on Nov. 2 at the Breslin Center.
