“He was playing 17, 18 minutes a game. Now he's up into the mid-20s. I think he's been something good,” Izzo said. “Especially with the fact that Divine [Ugochukwu] is out for the year, it even doubles [his minutes].”

Scott earned his first start before Ugochukwu was injured against Minnesota, scoring a career-high 15 points with two rebounds and two assists. In the following game at home against No. 5 Illinois, he scored 10 points and served as a vital enforcer, crashing the glass for rebounds and finding himself open in the corner for a three.

Scott saw 29 and 28 minutes on the floor in his two starts, 10 minutes more than both guard Kur Teng and Scott’s freshman counterpart, Cam Ward.

Scott arrived at MSU expected to play the three as a defender who could shoot on the perimeter. Now, he is acclimating to a role at shooting guard, ahead of Teng and transfer guard Trey Fort, who averages roughly eight minutes in conference games.

For Izzo, it's pretty simple why Scott got the spot over Teng and Fort: he just produces more. Teng and Fort have left lots to be desired in the backcourt for the nation’s No. 4 defense per KenPom. 

When Teng is late on closeouts against 3-point shooters, he tends to overextend, jumping into the air to contest. Recently, teams have used pump fakes to exploit that tendency, driving past him for easy baskets. Izzo, a stickler for defense, said he has been more impressed with Scott’s ability to clamp down — especially against Illinois, where he held Keaton Wagler to 2-for-14 shooting.

“Kur [Teng] is one of your favorite players, one of your more frustrating players because he can really shoot it, and he hasn't shot quite as well this year,” Izzo said. “I think he is progressing. The biggest problem is being athletic enough to guard some of the guards he has to guard.”

Now, MSU will face off against the Badgers in Madison on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

According to college basketball statistician Evan Miyakawa, Wisconsin pulled off two of the five most improbable wins in college basketball this season, beating No. 2 Michigan and No. 8 Illinois on the road. The Badgers have been late-game artists, coming back from double-digit deficits five times in their last 10 games. 

At 17-7 (9-4), Wisconsin is a few close losses away from being atop the Big Ten. Wisconsin has the nation’s 28th-best offense at 83 points per game, led by junior guard John Blackwell. A first-team All-Big Ten hopeful, Blackwell scores 19.5 points per game as a physical, north-south scorer.

Izzo said he’s a big fan of Blackwell, who played at West Bloomfield’s Brother Rice. 

“If I wasn't playing against him, I think [he'd be] one of my favorite players because he guards it, he's tough, he's strong, he can get to the rim, he can shoot threes, he can pass it,” Izzo said. “He's never out of control. I think he puts a lot of people in a position to score.”

Scott will see minutes guarding Blackwell on Friday, a big test for the freshman in his third start. 

Scott plays with immense effort and seemingly never tires out, something Jeremy Fears Jr. has noticed playing alongside him. MSU's floor general said it’s been special to play with Scott.

“It’s been really no surprise or shock that it's the same thing that he did off the bench, the same thing that he's doing while he's starting,” Fears said. “So just understanding that Jordan is gonna come in, he's gonna give 120%, he's gonna keep balls alive, dive on the floor. He does everything.”

Scott came to MSU as a four-star small forward who ranked 54th in the country according to 247Sports. Now, Scott is all but one of the better true freshmen in the country with no signs of slowing down. “It’s been a pleasant surprise,” Izzo said about his new starting shooting guard. 

“He has exceeded some of my expectations, especially in the areas that most freshmen struggle on,” Izzo said. “I don't think anything bothers him; it's kind of nice. I get a lot more nervous than he gets.”