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HOLT, Mich.
-- Cam Ward is embracing the high expectations being placed on Michigan State basketball for the upcoming season.
The Spartans have been knocking on the door of another Final Four berth recently.
MSU lost in the Elite Eight two years ago, and they lost a nail-biter to eventual runner-up UConn in the Sweet 16 last season.
That's how Ward's freshman year in college ended, and he later had to see his arch-rival lift the ultimate trophy.
Michigan State and Ward are hoping it's their turn this year.
Natty or Bust? "The guys down the street [Michigan] won last year," Ward said last week at the Moneyball Pro-Am.
"It's pretty clear.
Like, 'Yo, we ain't wasting no time.
We've got to make it.' And it's in Detroit this year.
That's kind of been the saying around the offices -- 'Yo, the Final Four is in Detroit.'" "Last time they went to Detroit [in 2009], they didn't really get the job done.
So now it's like, 'The Final Four is in Detroit, you've got to make it happen.' I think that's the biggest thing with it: you've got to get there." The fact that the Final Four could essentially become a home atmosphere for Michigan State if it gets there seems to be the primary motivator.
Seeing Michigan win it all surely leaves a bit of a bad taste in everyone's mouths, but Ward says it's ultimately on them for letting that happen.
"It hurts a little bit," Ward admitted.
"I don't think that's anybody's focus, though.
Somebody had to win.
The fact that it's them, alright, yeah, but that's not really in our control.
We lost, so it wasn't up to us..
We had the opportunity to go meet them there [in the title game].
We didn't take advantage of the opportunity to do it." The new season comes with a 0-0 record, a blank slate, and another opportunity.
MSU is almost certainly going to be a top-10 team to begin the year on the AP preseason poll.
Michigan State's core is still largely intact, something that has gotten rarer and rarer in the transfer portal era.
Ward's return is a part of that.
Toss in a smart portal pickup in Anton Bonke and a recruiting class ranked fifth in the nation, per 247Sports, and it all adds up to what may be Tom Izzo's most complete roster in a long time.
Could MSU Be 'Matchup-Proof?' The idea of a "complete" roster doesn't come from thin air.
It feels like Michigan State has a bit of everything.
The Spartans have players at every position who can be threats from behind the arc, offensive versatility in the backcourt and frontcourt, and plenty of size.
If one were to point out a flaw, it would be the question of how MSU's group of centers will hold up defensively.
"We're matchup-proof the whole way," Ward said.
"If some guys don't match up well here, we can just move down the line or move up the line.
We can do things that most teams can't do." Ward can get moved around a fair bit.
He's not the most polished guy on the Spartans' roster, but he seems to play with an edge and a very high motor.
His rebounding numbers show that.
Ward grabbed 11.0 rebounds per 40 minutes last season.
That was only behind Jaxon Kohler (12.9) among regular contributors last year, even though Ward wasn't the tallest guy on the roster at 6'9".
So many of those boards just felt like complete hustle rebounds, too.
Those were the plays that got Ward onto the court.
It's an uncoachable trait that makes Ward's future at MSU extremely bright.
More on the Roster Situation Michigan State is entering the 2026-27 season carrying 12 scholarship players.
Every single one of those players feels like a contender to get legitimate minutes this season, especially after the lowest-rated freshman, Julius Avent, lit up the first week of Moneyball games.
The problem for Izzo will be determining the few players he'll eventually need to cut from the regular playing group as the season progresses.
Preventing a drop-off once you have to dig deeper into your roster is huge, though.
Most teams don't have 12 players who have a realistic path to playing time in any given season.
The NCAA, essentially doing away with redshirts with its new, age-based "5-in-5" rule, will give more opportunities immediately for young players.
There is no point in holding a player out for an entire season now, since the year counts now, whether that player participates or not.
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI.
At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika.