For Michigan State Basketball to be a Successful Unit This Year, It Starts With the Individual

Michigan State men's basketball has a chip on its shoulder entering the 2024 season, both as a team and individually.

Michigan State and Team Tri-Star Trust's Gehrig Normand moves the ball in the game against Team Motorcars on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, during the Moneyball Pro-Am at Holt High School. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA

Michigan State men's basketball is in a unique situation where there is an abundance of talent that has yet to reach its full capability.

A lot of that comes from last year's freshmen class. Jeremy Fears Jr. was unable to play a full season due to his injury, Xavier Booker didn't receive the minutes a five-star recruit would normally be expected to have, Coen Carr was a come-off-the-bench spark plug who has much more in his arsenal than his athletic dunk package, and Gehrig Normand was redshirted.

Then there's Jaden Akins, who up until now, has been a role player. Entering this next season, though, the senior guard will be tasked with leading the Spartans as their likely No. 1 scoring option.

Throw in upperclassmen Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler as well, two big men who have been reserves so far in their college careers that will be expected to take on much bigger roles this year. The same can be said for point guard Tre Holloman.

For Tom Izzo's squad to bring their program back to relevance, these players all have to make leaps as individuals.

"I think a lot of guys are going to make it better," Normand said when he joined "The Drive with Jack Ebling" on Friday. "A lot of people have to make jumps this year, and I think it includes everybody. Fears has a jump to make, Coen has a jump to make, Book [Booker] has a jump to make, everybody has a jump to make. If we want to be the team we think we can be, we all have to take big jumps personally and individually for us to get better. And this next month matters a lot and what we can get in this next month with Spain and everything that's going on.

"So, just super excited. I think the new faces are going to help out a lot, Frankie's [Fidler] going to be a big-time scorer for us, and Jax [Kohler] is going to help out a lot down low. ... So, it's going to be a fun year for us, it's going to be exciting, and we're going to hit the ground running and ready to run through a brick wall for Coach Izzo.

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