What Does the Tom Izzo 5-Star Look Like?
It varies.
Depending on where you get your recruiting fix, the number of Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo's five-star recruits will fluctuate. I prefer 247Sports, as do a good majority of sports writers. The number of five-star basketball players that Izzo landed is eight.
The five-star typically goes to the blue blood schools. In the era of one-and-done, they would usually be considered at the top of the list for the coming year's NBA Draft. For them, the education in the game of basketball didn't matter as much. Schools were just an airport to the league.
Go to the Big 12 if you want to average 20-plus per game. Go to the SEC if you could stretch the floor. The Big Ten, however, is a different brand. So is Izzo.
Of his eight five-stars, four were guards, three were forwards, and one was a center. He didn't discriminate where they played on the court. All but one were from the Midwest -- Shannon Brown, Jaren Jackson, Xavier Booker, Miles Bridges, Max Christie, Delvon Roe and Branden Dawson.
Josh Langford was the lone non-Midwest five-star, hailing from Alabama.
Each player was vastly different. Brown, the highest-rated player Izzo ever got to East Lansing, was an explosive athlete who could score at all three levels. He might have been held back a bit by Izzo's offensive system.
Bridges was another explosive floor-stretcher, but his shooting was nowhere near that of some of the other five-stars Izzo recruited. Roe was similar to Bridges in that he was full of raw ability but struggled with his scoring.
Christie needed one more year in Izzo's system to unlock the potential he was highly touted for. Jackson was the unicorn of the bunch -- a modern big man who could stretch the floor, score at all three levels and play immaculate defense.
That is the answer: defense. Izzo's system is built on rigid defense. And such, he recruits players that can defend well. No matter the amount of stars. Why not get the Big 12 kid who has been projected a future NBA No. 1 pick by NBA Draft Room for the past two years?
No defense.
Look at the 2019 Elite Eight victory over the five-star loaded Duke Blue Devils -- Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish. All prototypical five-star one-and-dones. But they struggled mightily in their own end. Especially when it came to physicality.
Defense, defense, defense.
Jackson was a blocking machine and more than comfortable with his back to the basket. Perimeter defense is key with Izzo. It took time, but Bridges was competent as a defender when his time was up. Langford was the archetypal "3-and-D."
Brown was energetic and physical. So was Roe. Dawson may have been the most developmental of Izzo's five-stars. His ceiling was still good enough to be an integral piece of the 2015 Final Four squad. Booker, a gem of that stacked 2023 haul, is the only active player for Izzo among his five-stars.
The jury is still out on Booker, but his perimeter defense is one of the biggest strengths of his game.
The Spartans are among the top choices for five-star 2025 forward Jalen Haralson, who will announce his decision today. Izzo considers him a top priority. Want to take a guess about what one of his biggest strengths is?
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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