Hours later, MSU used a big second half to win 96-60 against Niagara University from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, a team that didn’t return a single player from last season. 

The Spartans are 2-0 after beating up two lesser teams at home after suffering a season-opening upset loss at home last season to James Madison, a group that shattered expectations and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Monmouth and Niagara are far from that level of basketball, but MSU hasn’t looked like the same team from last year’s early woes. 

Here’s what we learned from the Spartans’ feel-good triumph over the Purple Eagles Thursday night, their final chance to tighten screws before a matchup with Kansas next Tuesday, Nov. 12 at the Champions Classic in Atlanta. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena. 

The Jayhawks were ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 and feature center Hunter Dickinson, once a thorn in MSU’s side during his three seasons at the University of Michigan.

Jeremy Fears Jr. has his step back

The three months that Fears missed last season when he was shot in his hometown over Christmas break was a major missed opportunity. It’s evident in the way he’s played through two games and given MSU’s inconsistency at that position last year. 

In his first two collegiate starts, the former four-star recruit showed how far he’s come since the December 2023 gunshot wound, running the team in transition and defending with consistent tenacity. He brought the type of leadership and aggression expected by Izzo, who thought Fears’ eight assists against Monmouth should have been 12 assists due to missed open shots. 

Fears was as advertised on Thursday night, scoring seven points on five shots and dishing out eight assists. Outside the stat book, he continued his command of MSU’s offense and controlled the pace. 

“He’s way ahead of where I thought he could be,” Izzo admitted postgame. 

The sophomore point guard’s night was best defined by a sequence around the 11-minute mark of the first half. On a drive to his left-hand side, Fears took flight, splitting two defenders mid-air and finishing an acrobatic, up-and-under reverse layup.

Twenty seconds later after an MSU stop, Fears led the break and found fellow sophomore Xavier Booker trailing for an open three. The plays in succession were the epitome of MSU’s young talent and Fears’ recovered athleticism.

MSU is not likely to depend much on Fears’ scoring this season. He combined for 10 points and 16 assists against Monmouth and Niagara, staying patient and waiting for his shot but also jumping at opportunities. Fears’ scoring impact this season will primarily be inside the arc, as his outside shot needs polishing. But with seemingly as quick of a step as ever, Fears has the raw athleticism and frame at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds to make defenses work to stop his drive.

In 12 games last season, Fears averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 assists per game. The NCAA granted him a redshirt in the summer, and Fears started as point guard for MSU over its three-game trip to Spain in August and in two exhibition games. 

Izzo has always said he needs his point guard to be an extension of him. Through two games, Fears has shaped up to be exactly that. 

“Obviously, coach can’t play,” Fears said. “I’m the one out there and I have to be an extension of him.” 

MSU’s transition offense looks dangerous

A byproduct of Fears’ explosiveness, MSU’s transition offense has punished opponents thus far. 

For 30 years as MSU’s head coach, Izzo’s mantra has been to defend, rebound and run. No matter the player — Cassius Winston, Denzel Valentine or Kalin Lucas — Izzo’s best teams have featured point guards who relentlessly push the ball up the floor. 

Fears played that role to perfection Thursday night, when several MSU baskets in transition came before Niagara players could even turn their backs. The Spartans finished with 28 fast-break points and forced 16 Niagara turnovers for 27 points the other way.

For an MSU offense still finding its halfcourt identity, prowess in transition will be crucial for success in many of the Spartans’ upcoming contests, starting next Tuesday against a loaded Kansas roster. 

Since the pandemic, MSU hasn’t been the transition team it was before. To Izzo, it’s largely due to turnover struggles in that span, but the Spartans’ giveaway numbers have subsided in the past year, which has translated to more confidence and dexterity in transition. 

Having the uber-athletic Coen Carr helps, too. 

Jaxon Kohler: MSU’s most productive big man

Junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who Izzo has called his best player since this summer, lived up to that praise Thursday night. 

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound junior from Utah turned in the best performance of his MSU career against Niagara, scoring a career-high 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds in 17 minutes. The double-double was a good sign for Kohler as he enters a critical season for his development and his team in need of scoring on the block. 

“I’m happy that we’re finding a groove, we’re finding what’s working and what’s not working,” Kohler said. “Can’t wait to take it from here.”

Kohler missed the first two months of last season after receiving foot surgery. He played the last three, but like Fears, couldn’t get the most out of the season. Kohler had to jump into things in January and was behind the curve in his conditioning. 

Of all the shortcomings MSU has experienced in its slide below program expectations since 2020, the most glaring issue has been a lack of talent and depth on the block. 

Entering the season, it was unknown which MSU big man could emerge as the most productive: Booker, the smooth and skilled lefty, returning juniors Kohler and Carson Cooper or experienced transfer Szymon Zapala, who does a bit of everything in moderation.

Zapala has started in all four of MSU’s games between exhibitions and the regular season but has been far from the most compelling. Instead, Kohler has separated himself as MSU’s lead guy down low by way of both performance and experience.