Tom Izzo, MSU Basketball Showing Interest in Elite Big Man
The Michigan State Spartans and Tom Izzo have been targeting the 2025 and 2026 classes hard.
Mostly, the targets have been either guards or forwards. Point guards such as 2026s Jonathan Sanderson and DeZhon Hall, shooting guards like 2025s Trey McKenney and Braylon Mullins. Forwards Jordan Scott, Trent Sisley, and Niko Bundalo are top targets in the 2025 class.
However, what seems to be lacking is a big-time big man target for Izzo. That could change. According to HS Top Recruits on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Spartans have been one of the teams "in" to see five-star 2026 center Sam Funches.
2026 Top 35 7’0 C Sam Funches (@FunchesSam) tells me the following have been in for him at Augusta Live.
— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) July 19, 2024
Cal
Kansas
Kansas State
Memphis
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
LSU
Louisville
Gonzaga
Tennessee
Michigan State
Houston
NC State
New Orleans pic.twitter.com/XH9TSxXcFd
The 6-foot-10, 205-pound big has 20 offers, though none from the Spartans just yet. Per the 247Sports Composite rankings, he is the No. 1 center in the class, the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 21 overall recruit.
Last year, at the Team USA U16 Trials, On3's Jamie Shaw considered Funches a "standout."
"[Funches] is a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop," Shaw wrote. "Already listed at 6-foot-10, the lefty has a soft touch from behind the arc and moves well with good length."
As expected, a lot of schools in the south are targeting the phenom. Funches told 247Sports that within hours of the June 15th direct contact period opening, he had heard from schools such as Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Alabama, Texas, and his two in-state schools, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
"Mississippi State has been talking to me since eighth grade, so I got to know them a lot," Funches said. "But I like [Ole Miss head coach] Chris Beard, the way he is. Both staffs are really good. That's going to be a tough decision."
For Germantown High School last season, Funches averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks per game. For a possible decision, Funches told 247Sports it will come down to "the relationship with the coaches, how [they] to plan to use their bigs."
Izzo has been known to give his bigs space, if they have enough scoring prowess, to make plays. Perhaps the most dominant modern, skilled big was Jaren Jackson Jr., who, in just one year in East Lansing, left an indelible mark as a three-level scoring, athletic defensive big. Funches could fit into that sort of role.
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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MICHAEL FRANCE