Michigan State basketball: Ideal starting lineup for 2024-25

Michigan State basketball will have some options for its starting five next season but here’s what my ideal lineup looks like.

The offseason is in full swing and Michigan State basketball fans are hungry for any positive transfer news.

Tom Izzo has been active in the portal more than most expected so far, contacting a trio of wing players who can shoot the ball (exactly what he said he’s been looking for. Earlier this week on ‘The Drive with Jack’, Izzo said he will likely be looking to add wings with size who can shoot.

Some names that he’s reached out to already are J’Vonne Hadley, Frankie Fidler, and Keyshawn Hall. All would be solid fits at the three spot for Michigan State basketball next season, but who would be the ideal addition?

Plus, I’d love for Izzo to hit the portal for a center as well. He may see Xavier Booker playing the five next season (pure speculation), but he has to be realistic and view Booker as a four. I just don’t think he’s ready to bang down low with the bigs of the Big Ten.

With that being said, here’s my ideal starting five for Michigan State next year.

Point guard: Jeremy Fears Jr. OR Tre Holloman

I know, I’m pulling a Mark Dantonio here and hitting you guys with the ‘OR’ at point guard, but truthfully, I don’t have a preference between Jeremy Fears and Tre Holloman. Yes, I believe Fears is special and he’s the future at point guard for the Spartans, but after missing the second half of his freshman season, he’s going to be a little rusty early on. Plus, Tre Holloman took a massive leap in his sophomore campaign and looked like he could lead the team as a junior. Michigan State fans would feel good about either guy leading the way.

Shooting guard (wing No. 1): Jaden Akins

This one was easy. Jaden Akins has spent the past two years playing the three which is just not the most comfortable spot for a 6-foot-4 guard. He’s had to share touches with Tyson Walker and now Izzo believes that Akins can slide into that role. If he takes a comfortable leap in his final year and plays to his potential, I think Akins could be a 17-points-per-game type of player. He can shoot about 40 percent from deep as well and create more off the dribble. Having point guards like Holloman and Fears will help his game.

Small forward (wing No. 2): Keyshawn Hall (George Mason transfer)

It was tough to pick between Keyshawn Hall and Frankie Fidler, but I ultimately went with the guy who has played at a higher level and who I feel fits the Michigan State basketball mold a bit more. Hall has a really solid 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame and that’ll be perfect to play the three and potentially post up against smaller guys on the wing every now and then. He averaged 16.6 points and 8.1 rebounds this season and he show an incredibly efficient 47 percent from the floor, 36 percent from deep, and 84 percent from the line. His scoring, shooting, and rebounding would make him a perfect wing fit.

Power forward: Xavier Booker

So far we have a lineup that stretches the floor nicely. Xavier Booker would slide back over to his more natural four spot and that would allow Tom Izzo to hit the portal for a transfer center. Booker came on late in the year and really looked like the player we all expected as a five-star out of high school. He finished the season averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds but he shot 44 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep. I think we’re going to see a massive leap from him in 2024-25 and he could be a 15-points-per-game scorer. If he can improve that defense and grab 6-8 rebounds per game, we might be looking at an All-Big Ten big man.

Center: Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State transfer)

This is strictly a “want” for me. Has Izzo reached out to Brandon Garrison since he hit the portal? Not publicly. Is this a realistic addition for the Spartans? If Izzo made a push, yes. Simply put, this would be best-case scenario at the five. Garrison has a decent mid-range game and has more of an offensive presence in the post than any Michigan State big this past season. As a freshman for Oklahoma State, he averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 1.9 assists per game. He shot 57 percent from the floor and 65 percent from the line. While he wouldn’t help with floor-stretching, he would be able to actually score in the paint. The former McDonald’s All-American would be a dream fit at the five.

Coming off the bench, you’d have guys like Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Kur Teng, Gehrig Normand, Coen Carr, Jase Richardson, and Jesse McCulloch. That’s not a bad roster at all and there’s some legit shooting coming off the bench in Teng, Normand, and Richardson.

The excitement for next year’s Michigan State basketball team if it looks anything like this should be through the roof.