HOLT — There are a couple ways to tell how much Kur Teng is looking forward to this upcoming Michigan State basketball season.
One, just ask him about it.
“A lot. A lot,” he said, unable to hide a sheepish grin.
Or, just stand next to him. His arms and chest look like someone preparing to play defensive back this MSU football season.
“I’ve gotten stronger, gotten faster,” Teng said Tuesday after the first night of the Moneyball Pro-Am. “I feel like I am quicker, (more) athletic. I’ll be ready for the physicality when it comes.”
MSU is hoping so. Counting on it even. Teng and transfer Trey Fort are likely MSU’s best options at shooting guard this season, replacing Jase Richardson, who was selected by Orlando in the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday night.
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Teng has been waiting for this opportunity for a while, since early last season when, a couple games in, he figured out he’d be on the outside of the rotation looking in. While his classmate Richardson’s season took off, Teng mostly watched.
“I had conversations with Coach Iz (Tom Izzo),” Teng said. “I don’t want to say bad timing, because it was a great experience, but we were just deep, and I just had to wait my turn.
“It was kind of hard, because I’m not really used to being on the bench and not playing much. But it was a good experience just being around all the guys and just how much we were winning. It made it fun. I definitely learned a lot.”
He learned as a freshman that he wasn’t strong enough and needed to work on his defense. His shooting was never a question. In most seasons, that would have been enough to earn him a place in the rotation.
“You’ve got to be able to guard,” Teng said. “I mean, there are big, strong guards out there, fast, quick. You’ve got to be able to stay in front of your man to stay on the floor.”
While he’s reshaped his body in the last few months, he’s worked on his offensive game, too, working on creating space off the dribble, playing off the ball, getting to his spots, finishing through impact.
“From the first open gym we had (after the season), he’s had a major improvement,” teammate Jaxon Kohler said. “Last year, he was new and he didn’t know our system really well. He came back and it’s a whole new him. He’s aggressive. He’s making moves. He’s being careful. He knows our system. He’s made a lot of progress that kind of makes me think, as his teammate, he’s going to step into a role. I think he’s ready for it. I think the way he’s been playing this summer, in our workouts and our open gyms and stuff, he’s ready.”
Teng thought he might be ready a year ago. He was the MVP of the Moneyball Pro-Am last summer. No one knew yet that Richardson was gong to take off the way he did. But like a lot of freshmen, Teng wasn’t as ready as he thought. Watching Richardson become a star was “fun to watch,” Teng said, but also “motivation.”
Teng played just 59 minutes the entire season, hitting a couples 3s, scoring 10 points, occasionally playing a couple meaningful minutes. Most of his court time, however, was in garbage time. It wasn’t misery, though, even if it tested his patience.
“I mean, we won 30 games last year. So it’s kind of hard to be down and sad when you’re winning a lot and everybody’s having fun,” Teng said. “The team was so close together. They made sure I was always good at all times. And it was just, it was fun for me.”
Fun, in part, also because he knew his opportunity was still coming.
“I knew I would have a chance,” he said. “I had conversations with (Izzo) and I knew I would be able to have an opportunity soon.
“After the season, we had a whole conversation just to be ready. He told me, ‘I want you to take a big jump.’ ”
With Richardson, Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman (who transferred to N.C. State) gone, taking with them 153 of 191 3-pointers made by MSU’s backcourt rotation last season, Teng’s outside shot is needed this season. Even more so now after a season-ending injury to transfer Kaleb Glenn.
Teng sees the opportunity — he can’t hide his excitement about it. And seems to be doing what he can to take advantage of it.
“Kur’s been great,” teammate Coen Carr said. “He’s been stepping up his defense a lot. That was one of the things we told him he had to improve. He’s been doing that. He’s a great shooter. We all knew he could shoot, and be getting his body right, too. I think he’s going to be a big piece to us this year.”
MORE: Couch: 3 quick takes on Coen Carr, Cam Ward and MSU’s basketball team from the Moneyball Pro-Am
Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Couch: Kur Teng can’t wait for this MSU basketball season. He’s reshaped his body and game to make sure he’s ready.
Reporting by Graham Couch, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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