Michigan State and Tom Izzo dominated their first exhibition game of the season, beating the Incarnate Word Cardinals 89-59 at the Breslin Center on Friday night. Forward Jesse McCulloch shined in his first career start at Michigan State, leading the team with 20 points.

The Good: Jesse McCulloch Shows He Deserves To Start

With the Spartan front court changing after Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler left, forward Cam Ward was expected to start for the Spartans this season. McCulloch got the start instead, with Ward sitting out a minor left ankle sprain that Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press reported in late September. After Friday’s game, Izzo will have to decide who starts once Ward is healthy. McCulloch had a dominant game, shooting 8-for-13 from the field and making two threes. He also grabbed five rebounds, all of them on the offensive glass.

Spartan Three-Point Shooting Improved

Three-point shooting was not a strength for the Spartans last season. They made 36.3% of their three-point attempts, 270-for-744. On Friday, the three-point shot shined; the team was 13-for-30 from beyond the arc. Jordan Scott and Kur Teng led the charge, combining for seven threes on 10 attempts.

The Bad: Bench Unit Struggles

The MSU bench scored 33 points on Friday but struggled with turnovers. Freshmen Carlos Medlock Jr. and Jasiah Jervis combined for seven of the team’s 18 turnovers. The bench also shot 13-for-30 from the field, with forward Kaleb Glenn going 0-for-5.

Anton Bonke Limited In His Role

Charlotte transfer center Anton Bonke had a limited role despite starting. Bonke played just 15 minutes and struggled, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds. He bit on pump fakes and left his feet instead of using his 7-foot-2 frame, and Izzo went elsewhere. Freshman center Ethan Taylor got the extra minutes, playing 16 and matching Bonke’s four points while grabbing nine rebounds.

The Intriguing: Kur Teng’s Role On The Team

Izzo will need to make decisions on his bench guard rotation; he played 11 players more than five minutes on Friday, and that’s with Cam Ward sitting out. The trio of Carlos Medlock Jr., Jasiah Jervis and Kur Teng makes up the bench guard unit. Teng’s role coming into the season was up in the air, after experiencing highs and lows last season. On Friday, though, he shined from the three-point line. He scored nine points in nine minutes, went 3-for-4 from three, and finished with a +20 plus/minus.

Tom Izzo and the Spartans will now have a break to make changes during practice, as their next exhibition game isn’t until Oct. 20, when they face off against Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies.