How MSU Basketball Might Have Caught Huge Break Recruiting Elite Tom Izzo Target

Five-star forward Niko Bundalo is an elite talent and a top Michigan State Spartans target. Head coach Tom Izzo might have just caught a huge break in the recruitment of Bundalo.

Green s Nikola Bundalo (4) and Tommy Zajac (10) celebrate their 54-51 win over McKinley on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Mckinley Green Boys Basketball 003 / Bob Rossiter / Special to The Canton

Five-star forward Niko Bundalo, one of the best 2025 basketball prospects and a huge target for Tom Izzo and Michigan State, will be coming to East Lansing this fall.

Bundalo has set an official visit for the weekend of September 6, per 247Sports' Travis Branham. Bundalo recently helped Western Reserve Academy to a national prep championship. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, the 6-foot-9 forward is the No. 8 power forward in the class and the No. 24 player nationally.

Bundalo could be a huge grab for Izzo, especially with the clock ticking on a potential second national title that the Hall-of-Fame coach has been coveting.

I recently spoke with Bundalo while he was out West training at the Meyer Institute for Sport. I had asked him what he felt he did best on the court.

"I can handle the ball, I can shoot it. I can rebound, I can push the ball up the floor. I can pass the ball. I can guard, I can defend, I can be a shot blocker. I think my ability to affect the game in multiple ways is my strength," Bundalo told me.

What separates Bundalo from the rest his is intense drive and work ethic to be the best. Bundalo told me he shares the same mentality that his basketball hero, Kobe Bryant, possessed.

"I know this might be crazy to say as a 17-year-old kid ... but I'm working to become the best basketball player to ever touch the ball," Bundalo said. "For me, it's not about going to the NBA, I want to end up the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. So I hold myself to that standard. You think about guys, all the all-time greats, all that stuff is okay man, pressure builds diamonds. ... I can't let it get to me, I won't let it get to me. This is what I've wanted my entire life. I don't care what the price is. I don't care I have to give up. I'll do whatever it takes."

Branham wrote that Bundalo is "a skilled forward with size, toughness and competitiveness that can be used in a variety of ways on the offensive end with his comfortability shooting the ball and attacking off the dribble."

Securing Bundalo would be huge for Izzo, who has been on a recruiting tear as of late. With the roster that Izzo is currently building, Bundalo might just be the right piece to elevate Izzo to the heights he wants to achieve once more. The official visit could be a massive break for the Spartans.

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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