Spartan Basketball G Experiences Another Setback
Michigan State Spartans basketball has already suffered an injury to one of its most promising young players that likely will sideline him for at least the first exhibition game against Northern Michigan.
Head coach Tom Izzo told reporters on Tuesday that redshirt freshman guard Gehrig Normand suffered a knee injury in practice on Monday. Details are limited, but Izzo said the injury could keep Normand out for a couple weeks.
Normand was redshirted his first season on campus in 2023 but has a major advantage, having spent a season in the program.
In December of last year, Normand was in a boot with a foot injury, which kept him out of practice for the majority of the season. This is his second lower-body injury in the past calendar year. He seemed to have fully recovered following a promising offseason.
Normand was a member of the high-level summer basketball league, Moneyball Pro-Am, which took place at Holt High School, just outside of Lansing.
He was a part of the Tri-City Trust, carrying his team to an 8-2 record. He played against and alongside nearly all of his teammates, including Jaden Akins, Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Xavier Booker, and several others.
The Northland Hills, Texas native was the No. 124 overall prospect in the country by 247 Sports. He is expected to come off the bench this season in a significant role as Izzo is a big proponent of often using his role players.
Normand has elite ball handling skills with an ability to finish through contact at the rim and also throw it down. He is a true three-level scorer with a strong jumper from beyond the arc that he will shoot at will.
As a member of a deep Spartan backcourt, Normand will need to earn his playing time. His prior experience with the Spartans will aid him even with very little participation last season.
The Spartans will go up north to Marquette, Michigan, to play Northern Michigan in an exhibition game on Oct. 13. Fans can only hope Normand's injury does not hold him out for longer than a few weeks and that he will be ready for the regular season opener against Ferris State at the end of this month.
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