Lucas and Summers put up a lot of points and banners, but with the exit of the Detroit duo, the shift turns to next season.

The Spartans won’t have to worry about preseason pressure wearing them down because there won’t be any. There is a lot of potential but also a lot of question marks. With that, here’s a look at how next season’s team appears to be shaping up.

Frontcourt depth
Expect MSU to return to being one of the top rebounding teams in the country next season. This year’s squad was undersized, especially with Summers playing the wing. Up front, the trio of centers has have a lot of room to grow.

Freshman Adreian Payne, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery a year ago, was unable to gain the strength MSU head coach Tom Izzo needed out of his explosive and budding star.

Sophomore Derrick Nix, who got lean in the offseason, dealt with off-court issues. If Nix can get in shape and stay that way, he could be battling Payne for starter minutes.

Sophomore Garrick Sherman has shown a scoring touch underneath the basket but still needs to add some strength and work on his confidence. Freshman Alex Gauna, who redshirted this season, also has potential.

After two years of being the voice in the locker room, junior forward Draymond Green finally will be able to assume all leadership duties. There was no doubt Green was the vocal leader this season, but younger players always look to the seniors for guidance. Green could be one of the top players in the conference next season.

Junior forward Delvon Roe will hope to have an injury-free season for the first time in a long time after ending this season the healthiest he’s been at MSU.

Roe still has some explosiveness left and can look to add a scoring touch to go with his versatile defense next season.

The 2011 recruiting class is highlighted by five-star small forward Branden Dawson from Indiana — he is considered one of the top interior scorers in the country, although he projects as a wing player.

Backcourt questions
With the midseason dismissal of Korie Lucious, next year’s squad will have only two scholarship guards with any game experience — Austin Thornton and Keith Appling.

The freshman Appling played some point guard this season after Lucious was dismissed and saw some success. Three-star recruit Travis Trice from Ohio is being looked at as a guy who can run the offense, but that’s a lot of pressure to put on a freshman.

As for the rest of the backcourt, sharp-shooting freshman Russell Byrd, who sat out this season with a medical redshirt, will look to come in and take over the jump-shooting role Summers played but with a 6-foot-7 frame.

As for the rest of the incoming freshmen, guards Dwaun Anderson and Brandan Kearney look to add depth, along with Thornton.

I would look at playing Green at the point more next year.

With the inexperience in the backcourt, the Spartans need a ball handler who can deal with pressure, and Green fits that bill.

I’m not saying turn him into Magic Johnson and make him the lone point guard, but Green can be a guy to take pressure for the young guys.

Rebuild or reload?
Without the pressure of being one of the nation’s top-ranked teams with players who could have gone to the NBA, I expect the Spartans to get back to the staples of Izzo’s tenure: playing with tenacity and passion and being one of the top rebounding teams in the nation.

“National championship or bust” won’t be the attitude next season, but if Izzo can get solid enough play from his point guard, there’s no reason to believe the Spartans won’t make a 15th-straight tournament appearance with a bright future ahead.

Chris Vannini is a State News sports reporter. He can be reached at vanninic@msu.edu