Tom Izzo is eager to see if promising summer development translates into on court success
Tom Izzo has an idea of the kind of team he has, but upcoming exhibitions will begin to reveal his team's growth over the summer.
Michigan State head men's basketball coach Tom Izzo what he has seen from MSU's roster through the summer and fall. Now he wants to see how it translates when the lights at the Breslin Center come on this Friday night.
As the Spartans prepare for their first exhibition game, Izzo sees several returning players who have taken significant steps forward, a deep frontcourt that will require some committee work, and a highly regarded freshman class that is beginning to emerge.
"I'm looking forward to seeing if the improvement I saw in the summer and fall with certain guys continues when the lights go on," Izzo said. "And I'm anxious to see how the freshmen respond to bigger crowds and different things that they haven't so far dealt with."
While the upcoming weeks won't provide all the answers, the three exhibitions will start to paint a picture of what this year's version of Spartan basketball could look like.
Fears' development leading the way
Much of MSU's outlook centers on junior guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who enters the season with lofty expectations after already earning preseason player of the year recognition from the national media.
Izzo spoke on Fears' productive offseason, particularly in areas that weren't previously strengths.
"Jeremy's had an incredible summer and fall as far as defensively and doing the things that maybe he wasn't as good at," Izzo said.
Izzo believes Fears has improved as a shooter and is beginning to regain the athleticism that made him a very promising athlete before his tragic injury during his freshman season.
"I think the No. 1 thing everybody's worried about is shooting," Izzo said. "He's gotten better as a shooter, for sure. I think he was an elite defender. I think since the injury, he hasn't been. I'm not sure he's in as good a shape as he needed to be in. He can move as well. He's back dunking all the time and doing different things."
Despite the accolades and attention Fears is getting going into the year, Izzo’s expectations seem to be setting the bar high.
"I think I'm putting pressure on him to be defensive player of the year now, but I think he has that capability," Izzo praised. "I think he has that energy."
Frontcourt depth creating options
MSU's frontcourt appears deeper and more versatile than it has been in recent seasons.
