EAST LANSING – Jeremy Fears Jr. continues to push the pace and provide toughness to the Michigan State Basketball.
The Coen Carr trailer continues to grow and diversify.
The gap between Xavier Booker’s potential and ceiling gets closer with every game and every week.
The flourishing of these three members of Tom Izzo’s 2023 recruiting class allows No. 19 Michigan State to close out 2024. And it’s these second-year Spartans who may very well hold the key to another deep run in March.
“I honestly think we still have a lot to do,” Fears said after MSU’s 86-69 victory over Florida Atlantic on December 21. “Obviously we’re winning games and we’re finding a way, and I think we’re showing good parts of what we can be. I just think that game by game, day by day, by understanding each other, the game, the flow, we can improve a lot.
MSU (10-2) hosts Western Michigan (3-8) Monday afternoon to close out the calendar year and season’s non-conference games. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. at the Breslin Center (BTN).
When the final horn sounds, it’s Big Ten play for the rest, starting Friday on the road at Ohio State. And the development of sophomores Booker and Carr with starting point guard Fears, a redshirt freshman after missing most of last year with a gunshot woundIzzo looks ahead to what he expects to be a competitive conference race in which the Spartans are already off to a 2-0 start.
“I said we would know something after Christmas (about) how we are doing. Well, it’s just around the corner,” Izzo said after Saturday’s practice. “I’m not lying, I think we’re getting pretty good. But I still don’t know, because I see 10-12 teams in the Big Ten alone and I don’t know if we’re better or worse. Really not. But I think everyone has this problem. This is what the times bring.
TOM IZZO: Michigan State basketball returns ‘with purpose’ after Christmas break
“But at the same time, as long as we’re in this hunt as one of these teams. This is where you want to be.
Both Carr and Fears had their personal best performances in their last match.
Carr skyrocketed coming off the bench with a career-high 17 points and eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward had five dunks among his 7-of-9 shooting performance, one an athletic pass through two Owls defenders late in the first half and another moments later. late after starting the break with a steal, then rushing for an outlet pass from Fears to finish with a thunderous tomahawk slam.
But he wasn’t done, adding a high-flying blocked shot late in the Spartans’ fifth straight win, followed on the other end with his first career 3-pointer from the right corner that dunked the bench of MSU in hysteria.
“We had great chemistry,” Carr said afterward. “So just being able to expand the floor with the guys that we have, especially with our bigs who can shoot, we’ve spread the floor. This leaves opportunities for me and others to go to the edge or break the glass. So I feel like everything definitely works together.
Carr is averaging 8.7 points on 60.9% shooting with 3.8 rebounds and has also made a defensive impact in 21.6 minutes. Izzo said he thinks growth beyond just being an electric dunker could give Carr a chance to become the best sixth man in the country this season.
“He’s really improved,” Izzo said. “He’s improved with the ball, he’s improved defensively, he’s improved his body, he’s improved his shooting, he’s improved his free throws. And he’s improved his leadership. He’s an energetic guy.
“I might start Coen Carr. And yet, I think back to Morris Peterson, I think back to the guys I had that were sixth men. When (Carr) comes off the bench, he’s excited, the players are excited, the fans are excited. I’m even a little excited. He just brings a buzz to it.
Fears turned over a nice eight-for-one assists in 23 minutes, scoring a career-high 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting. The 6-2, 190-pound floor general showed his ability to chase and peck deep through traffic like Cassius Winston for a layup, flexed Mateen Cleaves’ muscles to score through contact for a three-point play on another deep drive. the first half and buried its only 3-point basket during the Spartans’ second-half pullback.
“He’s come a long way when you think about it,” Izzo said of Fears, who played in 12 games but missed the final 23 games last season after getting shot a little over a year ago. one year. “Some people didn’t know if he would ever play again.”
While Booker struggled against FAU, missing his first six shots before a dunk in the final minute for his only points, his previous four outings showed signs of increasing consistency coming off the bench after starting the first three matches. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound former five-star recruit had a career-high 18 with six rebounds in a 77-58 win over Oakland on Dec. 17 in Detroit. It was the first time he reached double figures in college in four straight games, although Izzo says he still thinks there’s a long way to go for Booker to reach what he considers a very high ceiling.
For the season, Booker is posting 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in just 16.3 minutes per game.
“We’re trying to push the pedal a little bit. I think he’s starting to understand that he needs to step on the pedal a little bit,” Izzo said. “But I also think he’s learning that there are things he’s done that he’s gotten better at. And now, if he can continue to do that, then he could become a special player.
That trio – along with season starts from veterans Jaden Akins (13.3 points), Tre Holloman (7.3 points) and Jaxon Kohler (8.7 points/8.8 rebounds) – gives the team Izzo a completely different look and dynamic than a year ago. Add in the immediate contributions of freshman guard Jase Richardson (9.9 points) and transfers Szymon Zapala (5.3 points/5.3 rebounds) and Frankie Fidler (9.5 points), and the Spartans boast more depth and balance than a year ago after the departures of Tyson Walker. , AJ Hoggard, Malik Hall and Mady Sissoko.
“Maybe we looked at it well, maybe we got lucky,” Izzo said of the cohesiveness of his 10-deep rotation on and off the court. “But I’m going to enjoy the race and see where we can take it. And who knows, maybe we can go further than I thought.
Prediction
MSU 86, WMU 68: The Broncos were competitive much of the season under former Spartans star and assistant coach Dwayne Stephens, but they also blew a 22-point lead in the final 6:51 and lost 76- 73 at home against Valparaiso on a 3-point shot. buzzer. Expect MSU to pick up the pace and wear out WMU for a sixth straight win and momentum heading to Columbus to start the new year.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball: Carr, Fears and Booker help Spartans gel
