Why Smaller Lineups Could Become Staple for MSU Hoops This Year

EAST LANSING — It may be some time before Michigan State basketball has a handle on which players and lineups will work best this season. This is a good problem to have.

The Spartans, who will likely be inside the top 10 nationally entering the 2026-27 season, have 11 or 12 players who could realistically get minutes this year. MSU has countless different directions that they could go with which five players they want at any point in time, but there is a good chance Michigan State could try out some small ball this year.

Advertisement

The Cam Ward Factor

Michigan State’s Cam Ward looks to score against UConn during the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

One player who will have a big impact this year is sophomore forward Cam Ward. He’s coming off an impressive freshman season that could’ve been even better if he hadn’t suffered a wrist injury that Tom Izzo says knocked him off course a little bit.

There’s a class of players on this roster where a coach sort of needs to just find ways to get them on the court. Everything sort of revolves around point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who could be the best player in the nation this year, but Coen Carr and Jordan Scott are two other examples of guys who just need to be on the court. Good things happen when they’re playing. Ward might be ready to join that list this year.

Michigan State’s Cam Ward moves the ball during the first basketball practice of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The problem is that a lot of other larger forwards will need minutes, too. Carr has to be out there. Kaleb Glenn has to be out there. It certainly seems like Jesse McCulloch has to be out there. There are only so many minutes at the four, Ward’s main spot, to give out.

Advertisement

So, how does Ward get some more minutes? Maybe he has improved as much as Izzo says, but Ward probably doesn’t…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-smaller-lineups-could-become-100005822.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-10-13 10:00:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.