EXCLUSIVE: Elite MSU Basketball Target On Spartans Recruitment

Steven Reynolds is one of the best basketball prospects in Indiana, regardless of class. He's a priority Michigan State target. In this exclusive, Reynolds discusses his recruitment.

South Bend Washington's Steven Reynolds brings the ball up the court during a scrimmage at the Notre Dame Team Camp at Rolfs Athletics Hall on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Steven Reynolds is a big-time basketball player in the big-time basketball state of Indiana. In fact, 247Sports lists him as the best in the 2026 class.

For South Bend Washington, Reynolds can play both guards and do about anything head coach Ryan Varga asks of him.

Reynolds holds eight offers right now. One of them is from Michigan State and head coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans consider Reynolds a top priority for their 2026 recruiting class. I visited Washington and spoke with Reynolds.

Reynolds has visited East Lansing three times since he received his offer from the Spartans. The first visit was ostensibly a meet and greet with the staff. The second was focused on the campus and touring around. The third was promotional, do a photoshoot.

But through the visits Reynolds began to get an idea of who the Spartans were.

"Just how they develop their players; I've seen over time how they keep their players, they haven't went to the portal much," Reynolds said. "So I've noticed that they definitely want to develop and keep their players and transforming them into better players once they get there."

In Big Ten country, the iconography of great coaches likely starts with Bob Knight (three-time national champion with Indiana). Izzo is not far behind, however. For Reynolds, it means a lot that an "all-time great" is recruiting him so heavily.

"He's been more laid back through the years, obviously, getting older and stuff," Reynolds said of Izzo. "But he's definitely a fiery coach that really gets on you but he really wants what's best for you at the end of the day."

Reynolds said that Michigan State has "probably" been recruiting him the most out of all of the schools interested in him. Their pitch, he says, is that a taller guard who can rebound and push the pace of the game can go far in with their program.

"It's definitely intriguing, obviously, you know having the bigger guards like the most recent one would be AJ Hoggard, and it's people like that who are bigger and can rebound and push it from the rebound," Reynolds said. "So, it's definitely intriguing, knowing that I can fit and play in that system."

Reynolds said that the Spartans are near the top of his list, along with in-state schools Notre Dame, Purdue, and Indiana.

"They're definitely towards the top," Reynolds said. "I definitely like their program, the coaches and the staff."

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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