EAST LANSING — It's pretty rare for a coach to be asking any player to dial it back.

That's what Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo seems to be saying about sophomore forward Jordan Scott right now. Scott's motor is one of his many qualities as a player. It seems to already be running in overdrive in early November.

"I've got to go back to a way, way, way, way, way long time ago to get a guy who plays harder consistently," Izzo said after Thursday's 91-61 victory over Toledo about Scott. "I mean, we're almost worried now that we're starting to figure it out. We've got to get him a little more rest because he goes so hard he almost burns himself out."

Scott's Start to 2026-27

Besides All-American point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., Scott is probably the player on the team who is impacting winning the most right now. He's averaging 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals across 24 minutes in MSU's first two regular-season games.

Scott has made an obvious leap from his freshman year to his sophomore year. He looks bigger, stronger, more assured, and just better. The scary good part is that Scott hasn't entirely found his jump shot yet. Izzo says Scott is one of the Spartans' two best shooters this season, but Scott has opened up 3-for-11 (27.3%) from deep.

"Scott, his length and his shooting ability (is great), but he's also that guy that can drive it and also rebound the ball, too, at both ends," Toledo head coach Tod Kowalczyk said. "He's got the size. He's a good player, but I'm not surprised. In programs like Michigan State, so many guys get better, especially in freshman and sophomore year."

He was everywhere during MSU's win on Thursday, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. The rebounds and the assists were both career highs for Scott.

Next Steps

The question now is whether Scott can continue to hum against quality opponents. Sixth-ranked Michigan State has its most challenging game yet against No. 2 Duke on Tuesday in Chicago. That game will be particularly informative about where the Spartans stand among the nation's best, especially in a year when MSU thinks it can contend for championships.

Scott's floor is much higher than the rest of the team's, though, because his effort is so high -- maybe too high. The Spartans still have things to resolve, but Scott playing too hard is the definition of a problem a coach would like to have.

"That kid works so damn hard, it's scary," Izzo said. "So I ain't worried about Jordan Scott, and he's playing above where I thought he'd be."