Tom Izzo defied many people in 2024-25 as his Michigan State Spartans won the Big Ten regular season championship by three games. They also ran to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019. The Spartans lost a lot of scoring from last season’s team, with Jaden Akins graduating and Jase Richardson leaving for the NBA—not to mention Tre Holloman leaving for NC State . Coach Izzo had to get to work this offseason, as did his 2025-26 squad. They aren’t getting much love from National and Big Ten experts, for that matter. But it’s Michigan State Spartans basketball, and they still have Tom Izzo as their coach. Let’s take a closer look at the 2025-26 Spartans and see if they can defy the odds once again.
Michigan State 2025-26 Preview: Spartans Still Have Tom Izzo
Roster Makeup
The Spartans had several departures from their 2024-25 squad. Not only did Holloman leave via the portal, but Xavier Booker and Gehrig Normand also left. So, Coach Izzo once again had to address his roster both via the high school route and the transfer portal. The Spartans certainly looked to address their needs this offseason.
Michigan State basketball was able to grab Trey Fort (Samford), Divine Ugochukwu (Miami), and Kaleb Glenn (FAU) in the portal. It’s a nice haul to complement key returners Jaxon Kohler , Coen Carr , and Jeremy Fears Jr . The biggest concern, however, for the 2025-26 team was Kaleb Glenn ‘s injury during the summer, a leg injury that will keep him out for the season.
Glenn’s situation certainly made things worrisome for many Spartan fans, but Coach Izzo appears to have plenty of confidence in sophomore Kur Teng to be the top shooting threat from the wing, along with Fort.
Izzo shared his confidence in Teng with College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein . Izzo said that Kur has separated himself as Michigan State basketball’s best outside shooter. He will have to pick up a lot of slack, with Akins and Richardson being the top shooters a season ago.
Elsewhere, the Spartans have to feel confident with their frontcourt, with Kohler and Carson Cooper both bringing plenty of experience as seniors now. Jesse McCulloch redshirted last season, so he will be looking to make an impact in the post as well.
The freshman class for Michigan State is also a very strong duo, as Cam Ward and Jordan Scott are more than ready to prove their worth in the Big Ten.
25-26 Squad
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— Michigan State Men’s Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) August 6, 2025
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Rounding Out the Roster:
Schedule Outlook
Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans are no strangers to playing a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule. That is no different in 2025-26. They will even test themselves in an exhibition game in late October when they play at UConn, with a follow-up meeting in East Lansing next season.
Following that trip to Storrs, Michigan State basketball will embark on arguably the hardest non-conference schedule in the country. They face Kentucky at the Champions Classic (November 18th) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Then, they will battle East Carolina and North Carolina as a part of the Fort-Meyers Tip Off during Thanksgiving.
From there, they face their old familiar foe, Duke, at the Breslin Center, along with John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks, also making the trek to East Lansing. Knowing the Spartans, they will all have some in-state showcase games against Detroit-Mercy and Greg Kampe’s Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
That’s just the non-con. Looking forward to Big Ten play, it’s going to be a battle for MSU to try and reign atop again. Road-only games at Purdue, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington are going to be things to keep an eye on. They face Rutgers, Indiana , and rival Michigan both at home and on the road.
The home draw is great for the Spartans, with Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA, and USC coming to Breslin. That clash with UCLA should be fun, as that’s the team Booker plays for now. Nothing like making a return trip to your previous school.
Why expect anything less from a Michigan State basketball schedule? 2025-26 is the true definition of ‘Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace.’
We’re working
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— Michigan State Men’s Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) July 21, 2025
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What to Expect for the Spartans
I, for one, never count out Tom Izzo. He’s been the coach at Michigan State basketball for over 30 years, and they continue to compete at a high level. Sure, they have their work cut out for them with the schedule, but that’s Coach Izzo for you. Purdue, Michigan, and Illinois are going to be tough to top, but I like the Spartans’ chances to vie for another Big Ten title in 2025-26, despite plenty of others not even putting them in the top five.
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