Five questions facing Michigan State basketball for the 2026-27 season

Last season, transfer Divine Ugochukwu (who has since entered the portal again), a player who was designed to be more of a backup to Jeremy Fears Jr., took over that role until he was injured. Ultimately, it was Jordan Scott, a player who many thought would redshirt, who emerged as the most reliable option at that spot after Divine's injury. Kur Teng also played heavy minutes at shooting guard as one of the Spartans' top shooters, but he was limited on defense.

This year, Michigan State has an absolute monster shooting guard coming in when Jasiah Jervis joins the program. That being said, Scott also performed admirably and feels like he has earned an opportunity to take that spot. Kur Teng is the best shooter on the team and will also be the veteran of the three, and will have a case to make that he should get that role.

In my early rotation projection, I predicted that Scott would start the season at shooting guard, but I've seen others put Jervis in that spot. It'll be an interesting battle to watch unfold.

2. Will Anton Bonke be ready to start?

Nov 28, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Davidson Wildcats forward Sean Logan (15) dribbles as Providence Friars center Anton Bonke (5) defends during the first half at the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It was pretty obvious that Michigan State needed to find a center this offseason, and to their credit, they went out and grabbed one of the top centers in the transfer portal in Charlotte's Anton Bonke. The popular consensus around Bonke is that he's a gifted offensive player who can struggle on defense.

Obviously, Bonke played in the American Conference last year, a far cry from Big Ten Basketball. I think everyone is assuming he will start from day one, but if his defense isn't up to snuff, the Spartans may have to turn to Cam Ward or Jesse McCulloch in that role.

3. Will Jeremy Fears Jr. be back next year?

Michigan State basketball player Jeremy Fears Jr. talks with the media in the locker room before heading with three other teammates for a press conference at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The Spartans plays the University of Connecticut on Friday evening.

I don't want to raise any cause for alarm, but I also think it's been a little understated that we don't know for sure that Jeremy Fears will be back in East Lansing next year. Fears was formally invited to attend the NBA Draft Combine and has entered his name in the draft, while maintaining his eligibility.

I personally think it would be shocking if Fears stayed in the draft, but I also think if he wanted to go pro right now, he probably could. Again, personally, I think it would be smart for him to stay in school and develop his jumpshot before trying to make that move, but every player is going to make their own decision and we'll have to see what kind of feedback he gets in the draft process.

4. Will Coen Carr take the shooting step this summer?

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) shoots during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

This past season, in my opinion, Michigan State made a huge sacrifice for their own team's success to do right by Coen Carr. The best thing for Coen Carr's future is to learn how to play small forward. The problem is that with his lack of shooting, he's probably a better fit at power forward in college. At times, playing him at the three made the Spartans' offense look awkward and took a lot of the spacing away for Fears to operate in.

That's a sacrifice you have to make because it's the right thing to do for the player, and it also helped MSU start Carr, Jaxon Kohler, and Carson Cooper together, three of their most talented players.

The hope is that Carr takes a big step forward with his shooting this summer to make playing small forward a cleaner fit. Presumably, Cam Ward will be starting at power forward. Cam Ward is obviously not the shooter that Jaxon Kohler is, so things could get clunky if Carr doesn't take that step.

5. Will the defense take a step back?

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - OCTOBER 28: Carson Cooper #15 of the Michigan State Spartans is defended by Jaylin Stewart #3 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA men's basketball exhibition at PeoplesBank Arena on October 28, 2025 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

It cannot be understated how good Carson Cooper became these last few years, especially on defense. Now, the Spartans will try to replace his stellar play with Anton Bonke, a player who is known to have some weaknesses on that end of the floor. It makes you wonder if MSU's defense will take a step back this year. Of course, you still have Cam Ward, who I think will take a step forward on defense, but this is a huge question to monitor this summer.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Five questions facing Michigan State basketball for the 2026-27 season