What's Next For MSU Basketball's 2025 Class?
Things might have gotten a little tense as October rolled around for Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. The Spartans lost out on two elite blue-chippers -- falling short as a Top 3 finalist. They didn't even get that far for two other five-star talents.
But as Izzo put it at Big Ten Basketball Media Days, "Coming close to a few recruits is like wanting to marry somebody and finishing second. You might as well finish 900th."
That all changed with the commitments of four-star forwards Jordan Scott and Cam Ward, who are both listed by 247Sports as the No. 52 and No. 54 prospects in the class, respectively.
"Scott is a big wing with versatile potential on both ends of the floor," 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote about Scott. "In addition to his positional size, he's a very active wing rebounder, has good defensive metrics, a developing shooting stroke from behind the three-point line, a good feel for the game, and an understanding of how to play within the team concept."
Of Ward, Finkelstein wrote, "He's plenty physical and a high-volume rebounder who can finish possessions next to a rim-protecting five. Ward is also a coach's son who competes with consistent energy, understands the game, and appears to be a good teammate. The bottom line is that when Ward embraces being a four-man, he's a hugely productive and efficient as both a scorer and rebounder."
With Ward and Scott alone, Izzo has the No. 20 class in the country, per 247Sports.
But who's next? Will there be someone next?
Five-star forward Niko Bundalo looks like the No. 1 priority going forward. He can do it all and has guard skills at the forward position. His IQ and awareness are both elite and his work ethic sets him apart. Competition is stiff, but Bundalo likes Izzo and he fits the mentality of an Izzo blue-chipper.
The issue could be fit within the roster. This Spartans team is deep at just about every spot -- they stocked up on guards last class and forwards the one before. In this class, they have two forwards.
Izzo might have put it best when he discussed the difficulty of recruiting:
"I think just the fact that we got some good players [already] and got some good players that could be back. That’s our problem. Does Booker get good enough and go? Does somebody else get good enough and go? Does somebody else get unhappy and leave?"
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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