After a strong run to the Elite Eight last season, the Spartans lost seven players, three of whom were consistent starters. Now with the No. 63-ranked transfer portal class, MSU will have a team reliant on its previous stars: Jaxon Kohler, Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Carson Cooper. 

Head coach Tom Izzo has long been critical of the transfer portal and the current state of college athletics. Two days before the Spartans' exhibition against Bowling Green, he spoke with reporters, criticizing the NCAA for granting former NBA G-League players eligibility in college. Izzo said this year's team isn’t as talented as others, but it is "as together" as the best teams.

"We're in a transaction-based world; sooner or later, relationships do matter, and that's been my whole deal the whole time, and I’d like you to know that I'm not changing one iota on that," Izzo said. "Last year was proof of it. But at the same time, talent matters too, and I think our league is going to be very good top to bottom."

In just over a month of practice, the relationships have already blossomed with a few leaders taking charge.  

In September, the team voted to name four captains. In a near-unanimous decision, players selected Carr, Kohler, Cooper and Fears. Izzo said the four can — and already have — made an impact on the younger players.

"We got four captains. And sometimes you have four captains, because nobody's a good captain," Izzo said. "We have four captains who were all picked by the team, because I think they believe in each one of those guys in a different way."

Kohler and Cooper have become a pair that freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott have looked to for guidance. Izzo said the two have been much better than he thought they would be when he recruited them. 

Ward’s physicality and growth on both ends have been his calling card. Ward should see minutes with a much-improved jumper and emphasis on rebounding. As for Hall, Izzo said he has been one of the team’s biggest surprises, performing far better defensively than expected.

Scott and Ward, both among the top players in their home states, said the seniors have been instrumental both on and off the court in helping them adjust to life on campus.

MSU tips off against Colgate at 7 p.m. Monday. Through two exhibition games, Izzo’s starting lineup has featured the four returning starters, with Kur Teng filling the fifth spot thanks to his strong three-point shooting. Last season, Teng saw limited minutes as a freshman, scoring a season-high five points in the first game of the year. In exhibitions against Bowling Green and UConn, Teng totaled nine points while shooting 1-for-7 from three-point range.

Now, Izzo said he likes what he sees out of the former No. 1 recruit out of Mass.

"Kur is probably the best pure shooter we got on our team. He has to improve defensively, which everybody has to make some adjustments," Izzo said. "He has changed his body, too. He is more athletic. He's got to get a little better with the ball, and he's got to get better defensively."

Junior transfer guard Trey Fort and Teng have battled each other in practice and will most likely share time in starting roles. Fort is a more athletic, slashing guard, while Teng brings an ability to shoot and pass. Izzo said, "It should be one of our most important position battles."

After 30 years as the head man of Michigan State Basketball, Tom Izzo has seen a lot, but as the beginning of November comes around every year, he said he still gets butterflies.

"I think anytime you're competitive, you're going to get butterflies, because it's not only about winning or losing the game, it's about we're playing," Izzo said.