Jesse McCulloch gave Michigan State a useful first look at its frontcourt on October 2. He scored 20 points in an 89-59 exhibition win over Incarnate Word, according to the school's official gamebook. More revealing than the point total was Tom Izzo's postgame explanation: McCulloch started at power forward with Cam Ward out, but Izzo expects him to play plenty at center.
That gives the Spartans a possible answer to a real lineup question. ESPN's August preseason Top 25 placed Michigan State ninth and identified Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke as a projected starter. Against Incarnate Word, McCulloch made eight of 13 shots, including two threes, and collected five rebounds. Bonke scored four points in 15 minutes. Freshman Ethan Taylor grabbed nine rebounds in 16 minutes. Those are three different ways to help the frontcourt. One exhibition cannot establish their order when Ward returns.
Izzo was candid about the part of the game that still bothered him. In the school's published remarks, he said the bigs needed work on ball-screen movement and coverage. A center who can score and stretch a defense still has to defend the action that opponents will run at him. McCulloch's 20 points make that defensive question more interesting. They do not answer it.
The gamebook also credits Jeremy Fears Jr. with 13 assists, while Michigan State recorded 18 team turnovers. Izzo said he used unusual substitution patterns to inspect different groups, including an all-freshman lineup. That is useful context when judging a preseason game: the staff was testing combinations as well as trying to win it. The school's written recap contains conflicting score and assist figures in its body, so the numbers here come from the linked gamebook.
Michigan State's schedule lists UConn at home on October 20 for its next exhibition. That matchup should put more pressure on the frontcourt choices. For now, McCulloch has made a strong case to stay in the conversation at center. Izzo still has to learn which combinations can handle the other end of the floor.
