If Michigan State basketball can land this class of elite recruits, Tom Izzo may very well win his second national title.
For Michigan State basketball, the 2023 recruiting class has to be considered the best-case scenario.
Rarely does it happen where Tom Izzo gets most or all of his Plan A targets, but that was the case as he reeled in top point guard target Jeremy Fears to kick off the class. He then landed five-star big man Xavier Booker who was the No. 1 priority for months followed by a pair of athletic four-star wings in Gehrig Normand and Coen Carr.
The class rose all the way to No. 3 nationally and all four guys have officially signed with the Spartans and are each McDonald’s All-American nominees.
How the heck can you follow that class up if you’re Izzo?
Fortunately for him, he’s planted some early seeds with some top prospects on the national scene and his 2024 group could be just as good, if not better, than his elite 2023 class.
For that to be the case, here’s how I would construct the ideal 2024 class of 4-5 guys.
Kur Teng, 4-star SG
Quite possibly the closest to giving Michigan State his pledge is four-star shooting guard Kur Teng who has been trending toward the Spartans for a little while now. He’s the No. 36 overall recruit and eighth-best shooting guard in the 2024 class and he would be a nice addition to the wing.
I could see Izzo taking a couple of guards, but no more than two. Teng would have to be one of them. The 6-4, 185-pounder has a smooth release and clean shot that would be perfect for this offense.
Bryson Tucker, 5-star SF
This recruitment has been somewhat quiet, but Izzo has to like where he stands here. I don’t know how much stock you can truly put into the “warm” or “cool” designations on 247Sports, but Michigan State is currently the only “warm” school listed for him. That might mean something, or it might mean nothing.
Tucker has stated that Michigan State is one of the schools that’s been in contact with him the most.
In a perfect scenario, Tucker would join Teng on the wing and be that scorer for the Spartans’ 2024 class. He has nice size at 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds and he would fill a void at small forward. Tucker is the No. 7 overall recruit in the country and the fourth-best small forward in the class.
Aiden Sherrell, 4-star PF
Originally from Detroit, Aiden Sherrell has been near the top of the target list for Izzo and Michigan State for some time. He was offered back in October and it feels like this is a recruitment that the Spartans could win, although Alabama is looking like the early favorite here.
Michigan State will be in the market for a couple of bigs, so Sherrell could be that power forward presence down low with a scoring touch. Post scoring has been lacking big time this season and he could change that in 2024-25.
The talented 6-8, 200-pound forward is ranked the No. 41 overall recruit in the 2024 class.
Flory Bidunga, 5-star C
This one is probably a long-shot, but the addition of Flory Bidunga at the center position in the 2024 class would be massive — figuratively, and literally.
The five-star center from Kokomo, Ind., is ranked the No. 4 overall recruit in the class and he’s No. 1 at the position. Early trends have him going to Cincinnati, but Michigan State has made him a priority. It would be massive to land five-star centers in back-to-back classes to make sure post scoring is never an issue again.
Jase Richardson, 4-star G
I’m throwing Jase Richardson in here because he’s a talented legacy recruit. He may not fit a need for the Spartans as a 6-2 guard who may not project to be a true point, but you don’t say no to Jason Richardson’s top-40 son if he wants to commit.
Richardson would add some terrific guard depth and he’s a scorer so that would be great coming off the bench early in his career. He can handle the ball, but I see Jeremy Fears as the primary ball-handler for a while.
The son of J-Rich is ranked the No. 35 overall recruit in the class. He would be a really good fifth addition if Michigan State basketball does have five openings and Izzo decides to utilize them all.
Honorable mention: Jesse McCulloch, 4-star C
While I don’t think adding him would be a best-case scenario, I don’t see how it would be a bad thing. He’s one of the better shooting bigs in the class and could stretch the floor for the Spartans. I think he’s a more realistic option than Flory Bidunga, but Izzo could also opt to take both since they have different styles.
McCulloch is the No. 90 prospect in the class and the 13th-best center and it looks like he’s just growing into his frame. This could be a low-risk, high-reward pickup.
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