Michigan State basketball picks up sharpshooting, All-AAC transfer

After Jase Richardson announced his intention to declare for the NBA draft, Michigan State basketball had only eight scholarship players on its roster, a sharp decrease from previous years.

This meant that head coach Tom Izzo would have to do what he had not done comfortably before.

Utilize the transfer portal.

On Thursday morning, he did just that, adding Kaleb Glenn from FAU. Glenn, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, is reuniting with his former AAU teammate Jeremy Fears to play in the green and white. As an Owl last season, Glenn led the team with 12.6 points per game, mostly off the bench.

Glenn’s game has some reminiscence of a combination between Coen Carr’s explosiveness and Gabe Brown’s catch-and-shoot ability. His comfort level, at least at the AAC level, was noticeable. Effortless slashing ability and a smooth shot made Glenn an appealing prospect for the Spartans in the portal.

Glenn’s addition also fills specific key holes left by Xavier Booker. He looks like a lot of what was expected by Booker. A big who can drive and create, with a reliable shot from deep. His defense will need some work in the offseason, but any athlete in Izzo’s system becomes an instant threat on the defensive side of the ball.

The FAU transfer originally began his career at Louisville as a four-star recruit. After his freshman year, he transferred to FAU to play for the Owls, where he led the team in scoring.

Glenn’s free-throw shooting must improve as a Spartan. This past season, he shot 62.4% from the line, a mark that must be worked on.

In December, when FAU traveled to East Lansing to play Michigan State basketball, he had six points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field. The Spartans won that game 86-69, and introduced Glenn to the Big Ten style of play that he will be forced to get comfortable with as soon as possible.

We have seen other transfers take their time getting accustomed to the Big Ten’s physicality level, and can only expect Glenn will have to do the same. Expect the former Owl to come off the bench in the first lineups next season to get acclimated to the intensity level early on.