EAST LANSING - Michigan Statebasketball asked for a big test on its preseason schedule. It sure got one.
The sixth-ranked Spartans just didn't hit enough shots to take down another one of the nation's elite teams, even at the Breslin Center, as No. 4 UConn took down MSU 78-70 on Tuesday night. Exhibitions are more about some experimentation and what happens outside the box score, though. Here are a few instant takeaways from Michigan State's performance:
Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr., center, dunks between UConn's Na'jai Hines and Colben Landrew, right, during the first half on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Perhaps the highlight of the game was a one-handed dunk from point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. that seemed to come out of nowhere. It seemed like a relatively normal drive into the lane at first. He's done it hundreds of times in his time at Michigan State before.
Normally, though, he has to ease up for a moment in order to eye up some sort of layup. Fears kept accelerating this time, though, and he rose up through a bit of traffic and flushed a slam with his right hand. The near-capacity crowd at the Breslin Center reacted similarly to one of Coen Carr's signature slams, recognizing the uniqueness of the moment. It sort of came out of nowhere.
The word on Fears was that he had gotten more explosive over the offseason. This was the first sign that the rumors were true. Fears has barely dunked the ball at all during his first three seasons at MSU. When he did, it was normally a two-handed rim-grazer while there was no one around to seriously contest it.
Fears finished with a team-high 23 points and eight assists, largely turning on his All-American abilities during the second half to try to bring Michigan State back. That one play flashed something else Fears can use this season that opponents will have to respect, and it changes the kind of offensive threat he can be inside the key.
Michigan State's Jesse McCulloch readies to shoot a free throw during a game against Michigan on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI
There really might be a discussion to be had about who the Spartans' starting center should be. Of course, the coaches get a longer look at each player with practices and all, but Jesse McCulloch has looked like MSU's best big man during both exhibition games, not incoming Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke . Ethan Taylor is really playing better than Bonke so far, too. In fact, Bonke didn't play at all during the second half.
McCulloch has looked like the most fluid and confident option out there so far. He's got the advantage of this being Year 3 for him in Tom Izzo's system that demands a lot from its big men, but McCulloch just flat-out looks like the more skilled player a lot, too. Izzo may want to keep McCulloch around the four a bit more, too, which complicates the equation a bit.
Bonke probably provides the highest ceiling for Michigan State out there with his length at 7'2" and ability to stretch the floor, but his floor seems lower than McCulloch's at this moment. Taylor seems to be the Spartans' best defending big man, too. He uses his athleticism and his own length at 7'1" pretty well.
Overall, the main takeaway is that Bonke's starting spot shouldn't be considered 100% guaranteed. He's still probably the favorite to start on opening night against Quinnipiac on Nov. 2 because he's the most experienced guy and that's what he was brought here to be, but his starting status is being challenged a bit more than some may have expected.
Michigan State's Jasiah Jervis, center, and the Spartans huddle up before the game against UConn on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Freshman guard Jasiah Jervis also turned in a positive day at the office against UConn. He finished with 11 points, hitting a pair of threes and getting to the charity stripe a couple of times. Jervis, the team's highest-ranked incoming freshman this year, was brought to Michigan State to be one of the Spartans' main secondary creators alongside Fears. Jervis showed that this could be a role he can fill against the No. 4 team in the country.
This was also against a UConn defense that was making everything tough for MSU on offense, particularly during the first half. The Huskies were contesting as many different things as possible for a while. It would have been easy for lots of freshmen to get flustered under those circumstances against the opponent Connecticut is, but Jervis looked relatively poised.
Jervis isn't going to start right away, but he's at least going to be one of Michigan State's main sources of scoring coming off the bench. This performances doesn't come with an exhibition "W" attached, but it's a positive sign for the rest of the way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/michiganstate as 3 Instant Observations from MSU Basketball's Exhibition Loss to UConn .
